When we lived in San Antonio, we often drove into the Hill Country, just exploring. The recent trip to the Blue Ridge convinced me that northern Georgia will be the same kind of place for us: not the place where we live, but the other place that we know — a getaway, but a familiar one.
I’ve got so much to learn about the Piedmont that it seems nutty to start reading about the geology, botany and history of the Blue Ridge. But I have, and I’ve come across surprises.
As a young man, I ran across the Foxfire books and was impressed by the stories of people who lived so close to the land in Appalachia. But I had it in my mind that this was mostly about North Carlina and Tennessee. Actually, the Foxfire organization is in Rabun County, Ga. Its museum is by Black Mountain State Park.
Another surprise was the fascination with Bigfoot, or Sasquatch. I’d somehow gotten the impression that Bigfoot was part of the culture of the Pacific Northwest. But if you drive the narrow highways of northern Georgia, you’ll see silhouettes, cut from sheet metal, of the big fellow.
The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, which describes itself as “the only scientific research organization exploring the bigfoot/sasquatch mystery,” says there have been 140 reports of sightings in Georgia.
I’m not able to think of Bigfoot as a biological creature. But I can appreciate his importance to small, rural communities that find tourists’ dollars helpful.
• Notes: If you must, The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization’s table of reported sightings in Georgia is here:
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