Help! Visiting GA for "down home" experience (Atlanta: crime rate, live)

[starsxscars]

I'll be visiting GA for the first time in late June/early July. I'm looking to have a down home, southern hospitality, field-plowin', Baptist-Church-on-Sunday-morning experience - think more country roads than Main Street Suggestions of towns to visit/things to do?

[workaholics]

You can find that pretty much anywhere outside of Metro Atlanta. If you want to see some "field plowin" you'll probably want to head to south Georgia, since it's the most agrarian, but North Georgia offers a really special and rugged Appalachian culture that you won't find anywhere else in the state. Some small towns you might want to visit:

Madison- has a gorgeous downtown
Warm Springs- fairly close to ATL and home to FDR's little white house
Plains- Home of Jimmy Carter. You can hear him speak at his church on Sundays sometimes
Newnan- it's becoming pretty suburban but it still has a beautiful historic district and a small town feel
Cordele- the watermelon capitol of the world!
Thomasville- way down south. It has a really really old live oak that I hear is a sight to see
Athens- it's not really down home but it's quirky and southern
Hiawassee- it's deep in the mountains and the area is just stunningly beautiful
Blue Ridge- also in the mountains and has a lot of quaint shops and restaurants
Darien- a really interesting fishing town on the coast, almost haunting in my opinion

and pretty much any small town in South Georgia. But please, don't go there with the intention of gawking at simple minded rednecks. It sounds like you're hoping for Mayberry or something. The people that live there are people just like anywhere else, and they won't appreciate it if they feel like you're condescending to them. I've been to many of these small towns and the locals are definitely friendly to visitors who respect them and their community. They might be hostile to somebody who treats them like an exhibit.

[starsxscars]

Thank you for this! And apologies if my post came off disrespectful in any way - I have no intention of gawking at anyone! To be honest, GA has been in my heart for a while (no idea why, but God works that way sometimes), and I feel like a country girl stuck in the NYC suburbs. My desire to visit is out of an unexplainable love/longing. And wondering if the fantasy world I've created in my mind is anywhere near reality!

[Fortoggie]

If you are coming down I-75, then the very first exit in Ga. offers some great mountain and valley scenery. Just take the hwy., west keeping Lookout Mountain in view. Stop in Fort Oglethorpe at the Veterans Museum for a free tour and get tourists advice there for the rest of your trip.

[Southern man]

Each county in Georgia has a farm agent, generally located at the court house. He would be a very friendly contact and most likely would steer you to local farmers doing the spring planting. But I would go to South Georgia . I would recommend Baxley or Vidalia.

[workaholics]

Originally Posted by starsxscars

Thank you for this! And apologies if my post came off disrespectful in any way - I have no intention of gawking at anyone! To be honest, GA has been in my heart for a while (no idea why, but God works that way sometimes), and I feel like a country girl stuck in the NYC suburbs. My desire to visit is out of an unexplainable love/longing. And wondering if the fantasy world I've created in my mind is anywhere near reality!

No, I didn't think your intentions were bad. It seems like you're genuinely interested in southern culture, which is awesome! I think you'll enjoy your visit, but things aren't all hunky dory in these small southern towns. Unfortunately, beneath the genteel exterior there's still a lot of poverty, stagnant economies and lingering racism. Rural Georgia is still very poor. When it comes to things like poverty, obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy, crime rate and divorce rates, these areas are some of the worst in the nation. Hope that doesn't spoil your fantasy, but maybe it will give you a new perspective when you get down here.

[Columbus1984]

Warm Springs and Pine Mountain north of Columbus would provide a great experience for you.

[Brian_M]

Not much farming/open land up here though and the "southern hospitality" is, by my observation as someone born/raised in Wyoming and married to someone born and raised here (with lots of family still here), a myth. I'm sick to death of being ignored or refused service when I answer the Standard/universal greeting line of "Who's yer kin" with "I'm from Wyoming, you wouldn't know them".

Perspective, it's a darn fickle/funny thing. *shrug* I know Some people like it here, hope the OP finds what she's looking for and it all lives up to the dreams.

[workaholics]

It's funny that the rural south still has that mystical quality to a lot of people. I've lived there and it's nothing special to me. Of course I think places like California are magical and I bet people who live there think it's pretty typical.

[starsxscars]

Originally Posted by workaholics

It's funny that the rural south still has that mystical quality to a lot of people. I've lived there and it's nothing special to me. Of course I think places like California are magical and I bet people who live there think it's pretty typical.

That's definitely the case everywhere/for everyone. "The grass is greener." When I lived in NYC, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. My fantasy was nowhere near reality haha. So, I at least know that in the back of my mind for anywhere I visit. I blame Terrence Malick for my southern dreamland.