EXPLORING GEORGIA’S OLD FEDERAL ROAD AND THE TRAIL OF TEARS
Thanks to Tom and Kathy George for organizing and leading the 2019 edition of Three Square Meals and a Drive, the Peachtree MG Registry’s annual progressive dinner! We had a great turnout, with 11 MGs, an Austin Healey Sprite, a Corvette, 2 SUVs, and a Miata – a total of 31 people, although some couldn’t do the entire venue, so they joined us along the route and others left us after lunch.
Due to increasing congestion and construction in the Mansell Road area, the meeting/starting point was changed to the Chick-Fil-A at 6114 Hickory Flat Highway, Canton, GA. This is actually in the unincorporated Hickory Flats, about 8 miles west of Roswell.
We had a brief driver’s meeting at 9:15 AM and depart at 9:30 AM, so folks could get a cup of coffee and a snack. There is a gas across the street for those who needed it, as some folks came a long way.
The group travelled west on Hwy 140 and crossed over to Hwy 20 on the outskirts of Canton, where we drove some great back roads to Hwy 411 North and our lunch destination in Varnell, GA at the “Blues Street Café”, which is north of Dalton. We enjoyed BBQ, Salads, Sandwiches, and Pizza along with a wide variety of craft, draft, and bottled beer, wines and other soft drinks.
There was plenty of time to shop the The Butcher’s Market afterwards, which is attached to the Café. Some folks brought a small freezer bag to take home some of the delicious items available. Ice was provided for those who needed some. The Butcher’s Market web site is: http://www.thebutchersmarket.com/ .
In keeping with the theme of the Georgia Old Federal Road and the Trail of Tears, we stopped after lunch at the Chief Vann House and Historic Site in Spring Place, GA. This was the 1830s home of the leader of the Cherokee Nation, a prominent entrepreneur of the area and respected farmer. Unfortunately, the federal government sought fit to remove the Cherokee to what is now Oklahoma in 1834-35, along what is now known as the Trail of Tears.
We visited the museum, watched a short documentary, took a walk on a local trail, and toured the Vann House -- all very interesting and the tour guide was very informative.
We then continued on the Old Federal Road through Chatsworth and on to the Jasper area for our dinner location at the “Last Catch Seafood Restaurant” http://lastcatchseafood.com/ . This is an area favorite with a wide assortment of seafood dishes sure to please all. For the non-seafood lovers, there is steak, prime rib, burgers, and chicken, prepared with the same care and attention to detail as the seafood items. This location has easy access to Hwy 515/I-575, Hwy 5/372 to Roswell and GA 400. So it was a short drive for most of us to get back home with full bellies and great memories. It was a fun group of folks, great weather, and beautiful back roads on which to exercise our LBCs – and – no break-downs!