Who Let the Birds Out?

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

I felt like asking that question, this morning, as we paddled through the Tarpon Bay mangrove tunnels. There were so many interesting birds; it seemed as if we were paddling through the San Diego Zoo. But, the funny thing about it was that it appeared as if these birds were escapees from a bird show, where the birds are all trained performers.

When we spotted this Yellow-crowned Night Heron, I paddled up to it very slowly, trying my best not to make any noise with my paddle. As I got closer and closer, he didn’t seem to be bothered. So, I took several photos before saying anything to Bruce. Meanwhile, he stayed quietly behind.

At first, I whispered; still, the bird didn’t fly off. Next, I talked in a normal voice, but, he didn’t budge! I ended up getting so close to the little guy I could have poked him with my paddle!

In all, on the marked mangrove tunnel loop we saw dozens and dozens of various birds that never seemed bothered, as I approached with my camera. We even saw a Roseate Spoonbill (see above); a somewhat rare sight on the trail. And, as luck would have it, we saw one of the rarest sights of all out there on the trail; a river otter! According to one of the guides I spoke with at Tarpon Bay Explorers, he had only seen a handful of them during his eight years with the company. You will have to take my word for it that we actually did see it, because my photo of the critter was just a blur as he scurried in the dark shadows of the mangroves, hopped into the water, and then swam across to the other side before taking off again. But, at least we saw it, and, at least I get to share my other photos with you, now that I have the software downloaded from Fuji’s website for my camera. (I couldn’t wait until I got home… So, if you would like to see those dolphin shots I got, I added them to my Flipper post. Don’t get too excited; I missed their heads, but I did get the very tip of the baby’s nose in the second shot.)

So, back to the birds, the following are some of my favorites from today:

This Turkey Vulture had his eyes on a dead mullet, which, unfortunately were plentiful due to the red tide killing them off. I’m sure that also explains why Bruce didn’t catch any fish in Tarpon Bay today!

Other birds we saw and photographed were Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Herons, White Ibis, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Cormorants, and others I couldn not identify. I will have more photos posted on my fototime site, after I return home.

Besides paddling with the dolphins, this was definitely the highlight of our Sanibel vacation, so far! It was definitely for the birds!

When in Rome…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

…do as the Romans do. We take that old cliché to heart when we travel, always being sure to seek out the local haunts and do what the locals do. So, today, we thought visiting the local farmer’s market would be just the local kind of thing to do- and, something we always enjoy no matter where we are visiting.

It was the first farmers market of the season and it seemed like the entire island showed up for the occasion. It was a great atmosphere, people running into friends and exchanging hugs, people with their dogs, tourists toting their free Bailey’s General Store reusable bags (I know, because we used our coupon for one, too), and plenty of smiles to go around. And, the vendors seemed genuinely pleased to be back in business for the season.

We surveyed all the options, settling on large pink shrimp ($15/lb.) from one vendor and fresh goat cheese ravioli from another.

Next, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a young German couple selling their homemade German baked goods at their booth. Pretzel rolls! I absolutely loved sinking my teeth into those when I was in Germany, last year. Two to go, please! Tonight’s dinner was now planned- and, cooked to perfection by the best “Cook” in the world: Bruce Cook. Paired with some Barefoot Bubbly, it was delicious!

Sanibel Island Farmers Market was well worth the stop. From the beautiful produce to the fresh seafood, bakery, cheeses, and artisan chocolates; there was something for everybody. And, by the time we left, it appeared as if everybody had arrived. It was time to get outta there and head to Captiva Island.

Captiva is connected to Sanibel by a bridge, however, at low tide, you can walk from one island to the other; the two are so close. At only five miles long, Captiva is smaller than Sanibel, but just as beautiful. And, from what we could tell, the one percenters who don’t have a home (or second home) on Sanibel, have one on Captiva, instead. Both islands are quite high dollar, but Captiva had some ridiculous homes- that is, if you could see them through all the high-end foliage.

But, we weren’t there to gawk at the real estate; we were there to look for manatees- oh yeah, and breakfast at R.C. Otter’s, at the recommendation of our Sun City friends (again!).

Breakfast was delicious (homemade granola with HUGE fresh berries for me; blueberry pancakes for Bruce), but I was determined to see manatees before returning to Sanibel. Thanks to our waiter pointing us to Jensen’s Marina, we were in luck; we saw three.

Did you know that the closest relative to the manatee is the elephant? I sure didn’t! They are big, though; the average adult is 10 feet long and weighs between 800 and 1,200 pounds.

Since they are found in shallow waters, they are easy to spot. One manatee we saw was feeding on the sea grass, just beyond the rocks of the marina, next to the shore. In one day, these slow-moving gentle giants consume 10-15% of their body weight in vegetation. So, much of their time is spent eating, like this one was doing. They are mammals, though, so they come up to breath. But that’s about all you will see of them above water; just their whiskers and mouth, grabbing a breath of air. And, that, my friends, explains why I don’t have any photos of these “sea cows” to show you! Photographing these big blobs below the surface of the water isn’t the easiest thing to do. Just seeing these manatees, though, was a highlight. They are an endangered species, so I felt fortunate to have that opportunity.

After returning to Sanibel for an afternoon swim, we grabbed our shelling tools to end our day with a stroll on the beach by our cottage. The pelicans entertained us as we hunted for shells and watched Bo fetch her ball.

Another great day!

They Called Him “Flipper”…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Do you remember that really cheesy, sappy TV show, “Flipper” with the even cheesier theme song? When I was a little kid, Flipper was my favorite show; must-see TV for me. I was so envious of Sandy; I wanted my very own pet dolphin, too! I was so crazy about dolphins, my dream was to grow up and become a dolphin trainer at Marineland (no longer in existence) or Sea World.

Well, fast forward to 2012 and now I am a baby geezer, remembering that childhood dream. Flipper was from Florida and now I was on a mission to see his distant cousins here, too. Sure, I have seen plenty of dolphins in my 50 years, but “plenty” is never enough, when it comes to seeing your very favorite of anything.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself, as far as yesterday’s adventures go. The day started out back at J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge; this time with our kayaks, rather than a tram tour. There are two places to launch within the reserve and we opted for the second, after passing the white pelicans.

Bruce brought his fishing gear, intending to catch this time, rather than just fish. But, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s not that he’s a bad fisherman; I used to watch him catch 6-10 bass in one hour off Coronado Bay, from his kayak. And, that’s no fish story; it was a regular thing! But, here, the fish just aren’t going to bite at much of anything when they are suffering from a sudden 10 degree temperature drop.

So, while Bruce fished, I chased around a blue heron and watched the egrets on the shoreline. It was a gorgeous day and so quiet and tranquil.

After fishing, a swim workout, and a deli sandwich from Jerry’s, we headed for the Lighthouse in our kayaks in search of dolphins. They were there the other day, so we figured our luck would be with us again. Sure enough, before we even launched our kayaks, we spotted them, just 50 yards out. FLIPPER!

The gulf was completely flat and winds were only 4mph; perfect for ‘yaking. We paddled towards the pier and spent the remainder of the late afternoon paddling around a couple of pods of dolphins out for their evening meal. A mother and baby, close by her side, didn’t seem to mind us at all; a surprise, since mothers are always so protective of their young. At one point, Mom poked her head up by Bruce’s kayak to have a look, before swimming right under his boat. He must have met her approval (how could she not???), because they continued to hang around the area.

A few times, the dolphins surfaced right by my boat, as well, before taking a dive right under me. (Of course, every time, I was too slow at the trigger and ended up with plenty of photos of just a fin sticking out of the water…) It was such a thrill, reminding me of the times I had paddled with the dolphins before; once in Long Beach and the other in Aransas Pass, Texas.

The main thing was that it was such a blast to be out there with the dolphins, so close to the shore, watching them feed. At times, they would dart towards the shore chasing down their dinner; their speed and agility amazing to see. We were having so much fun; we didn’t want to turn back when the sun was almost set. For that hour or two, I was living that childhood dream. “They called him Flipper, Flipper, Flipper, …”

Birds in Paradise

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Summer fun at the Alamitos Bay Peninsula, in Long Beach, where I grew up, always included watching the pelicans fly overhead and dive bomb into the surf, in search of lunch. I used to love watching “pelis”, my favorite bird.

Here in Sanibel, pelicans are everywhere! And, we saw plenty of them today, along with great egrets, snowy egrets, reddish egrets, and cormorants; all hoping for castoffs from the fisherman along the beach and Lighthouse pier.

Before we found ourselves surrounded by birds, the day began with my swim workout, while Bruce took a long walk on the beach near our cottage. (For my Sun City friends who have been to Sanibel, Seahorse Cottages are located directly behind the Lighthouse Café; a great location!)

At the recommendation of those same Sun City friends, we enjoyed brunch at Grama Dot’s, thoroughly enjoying peel-and-eat shrimp (me) and fried shrimp (Bruce), after working up quite an appetite. It was a gorgeous day, so the view of the boats at Sanibel Marina was the perfect way to enjoy those shrimp. I had hoped to also see manatees or dolphins, but the water was too cold for the manatees and the dolphins were elsewhere…

Bruce had opted not to fish today, so it was back to the beach for some shelling and photography.

Our last stop was back at Lighthouse Beach, where we had seen dolphins and pelicans the first time. We thought we would try our luck again. So, that’s where the dolphins were hanging out today! Overheard on the pier, spoken by a sunburned fisherman who had been there…awhile: “Those dolphins have been here all damn day!” Of course, we were ecstatic, however, he wasn’t too thrilled about the dolphins eating up his potential catch.

We didn’t see just one or two dolphins; we saw several pods, all out cruising for their lunch. A couple of times, we watched as one would chase a fish all the way up to the shallow edge, just feet from the shore, then dart back out again. It all happened so quick, I never had my camera ready. But, I did manage to get my favorite bird and (part of a) water mammal together in the same frame.

Meanwhile, back to the birds, as soon as a fisherman threw some bits of fish to a pelican on the beach, birds came out of nowhere and everywhere. It was a free for all and quite a hoot to watch. I never had this much fun watching birds in Long Beach!

How Many Laps (In This Pool) Is A Mile?

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When we made reservations with Seahorse Cottages, on Sanibel Island, I wasn’t concerned whether it had a pool or not, since I had done my research and knew the Sanibel Recreation Center pool was suitable for training. So, I really didn’t give any thought to what I would find, once I arrived to our cottage. Imagine the look on my face, however, when I saw this:

Needless to say, I never laughed so hard at the sight of a “pool” in all my life! It is, I’m sure, smaller than Sun City Peachtree’s spa! I thought about getting my suit on and having Bruce photograph me “swimming” backstroke, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet; I’ve been too busy swimming in this pool, instead:

So, what do you think? How many laps do you think it would take to “swim” a mile in our cottage pool? I should measure the pool and figure it out…

Meanwhile, Sanibel Recreation Center’s pool is quite nice. The facility is only five years old, so everything is in excellent condition and quite clean. And, I don’t get kicked out of the pool between 9am – 10am, like I do at Sun City Peachtree, when the four or five noodlers get the entire pool all to themselves for their “water aerobics” class! Here, they keep two lanes open at all times during every water aerobics class! And, it really is water aerobics (no cd’s) with a teacher who encourages those ladies (and gentlemen) to move. She is an excellent instructor; so good, even I might even become a noodler, if I lived here on the island. These noodlers have it good!

Fishing (and Not Catching); No Fish Stories Today

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

If you already read yesterday’s blog, you might want to scroll back and take a look at a couple of photos I added; the alligator I mentioned and some beautiful white pelicans that just arrived from Canada. I was too tired to go through my photos last night, so I went through and picked out a few favorites to add to yesterday’s and today’s post.

We ended the day, yesterday, with a relaxing walk along Bowman’s Beach, noted for its excellent shelling. But, the shelling actually turned out to be better 1-1/2 blocks from our cottage, not far from the lighthouse.

So, here are the photos I collected, rather than shells:

Today, after swimming at the Sanibel Recreation Center, we took our kayaks out on the bay for some fishing and photography. Note that I said “fishing”, not “catching”. (After all, Bruce did purchase a fishing permit; not a catching permit.) Thanks to the ten degree drop in water temperatures that occurred just before we arrived on Sanibel, the fish are in a bit of shock, perhaps. But, it was fun watching the birds, including two ospreys on their nest, surveying the activity below. And, to top things off, we saw a pod of dolphins that came quite close to Bruce’s kayak. Although I didn’t get close enough to get a good photo, it was fun watching them- and, trying to catch up with the pod!

I did get a few photos of the ospreys and other birds; however, you won’t be seeing those (or any other kayaking photos) until after we return home. I didn’t realize until today that I don’t have my new waterproof camera’s software on my netbook; it is only my desktop computer- at home. It’s not that I forgot to do load it; it just never even occurred to me. Note to self, added to my spiral notebook that goes everywhere I go: Load Fuji software on netbook! That was notated right below: Write Debbie’s October 28^th birthday on my 2013 calendar! Happy belated birthday (again), Deb; we’re thinking about you!

Some Sanibel Scoop

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We didn’t know Sanibel Island even existed until our friends, Becky and Paul told us about their vacations to Captiva Island, Florida, located just past Sanibel Island. They couldn’t say enough great things about it though, which explains their once or twice per year annual visits. So, we were convinced we just had to see it for ourselves.

Sanibel Island measures roughly 12 miles long and five miles across at its widest point. Captiva Island is smaller at less than 5 miles long and a 1/2-mile wide. Both are accessible from Fort Myers by the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. At a bridge toll of $6 and steep beach parking fees, they are not frequented by Floridians as often as other destinations- just the way the locals like it. So, it is not as touristy here like, say, Daytona Beach or Orlando. Rather, the vibe is low key and relaxing. This is where we are staying: www.seahorsecottages.com ; a very low key place in a great location near the beach.

There are so many reasons to visit Sanibel Island; especially if you are a beachcomber. Sanibel Island ranks number one on the continent for shelling and we could see why! We literally saw piles of shells as we walked along the beach at sunset, on the evening of our arrival. Due to its east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end, it acts as a ladle, scooping up all the shells that the Gulf imports from the Caribbean and other southern seas. The abundance and variety of shells draws serious shellers from all over the world.

Birders are also drawn to Sanibel, because of the abundance and variety of gorgeous birds that wade in marshes and cruise the shorelines. In our first day alone, we saw everything from two varieties of each of pelicans, herons, and egrets, to ospreys and the bright pink Roseate Spoonbill. And, on the beach, there were dozens of willets, plovers and sandpipers.

Even if you ignore the shells and birds, the beaches here are gorgeous! And, that’s before I even get into what is beyond the shore. Last evening, we saw our first bottlenosed dolphins frolicking about just 50 yards out. From what we hear, there will be plenty more of them to see. But, we really hope to see manatees, too, known to frequent this area.

There is also the 6,400 acres of J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the natural showpiece of Sanibel Island. After my swim at the Sanibel Recreation Center (a wonderful facility!), we visited the refuge today. We took a guided tram ride and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the area and the wildlife we saw, including a variety of birds and even an alligator catching some rays in the shallow water right near the road.

Tomorrow, we will get our kayaks out on the water, so Bruce can fish for Redfish, Speckled Trout, Tripletail, Snapper, Cobia, and/or Snook. He plans to mostly catch and release, but I’ll try to snap a photo or two first.

Our first impression of Sanibel? We’re hooked (no pun intended)!

On the Road to Sanibel Island, Florida, With Bruce- and, Trudy

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

It was finally time to break down and buy a GPS. Still being fairly new to Georgia and the East Coast, we were forever printing out Maquest or Google Maps to find our way to craft shows, swim meets, or destinations we were out exploring. But, the directions were often wrong; the source of one too many frustrating bouts of bickering in the car. Enough was enough! Enter… Trudy.

Trudy is our new GPS, named in memory of Trudy the Travel Trailer, once owned by our friends, Ted and Al, before it was destroyed in a mountain fire that stormed through their property. Trudy was a classic; may she rest in peace.

Our Trudy has an interesting habit reminding me of my days spent in Australia with the Aussies. When she instructs us to turn right at an upcoming street, she will end the sentence with, “…and turn right?”, ending the sentence with an upward lilt of her voice sounding as if she is asking a question, rather than making a statement. Are you sure, Trudy? If so, say it with conviction; make a statement! Trudy must be an Aussie at heart, because they speak the same way, sounding like they are asking a lot of questions. But, I loved the Aussies, and, I love Trudy.

So, Trudy got us to Sanibel Island, Florida, safe and sound, stopping for a night in Ocala, along the way, as well as a fish market, The Sanibel Island Welcome Center, Sanibel Recreation Center, and Bailey’s Supermarket, before finally arriving at the Seahorse Cottages; our final destination. At times, when we veered off her instructed path, she would implore us to make a U-turn, but, we would just laugh and reassure her, “Don’t worry, Trudy; it will be alright.” And, after getting over herself, she would…recalculate. Trudy is a true champ.

Sanibel’s colorful Welcome Center

I loved Sanibel Island’s warning to snowbirds entering the Welcome Center!

I’m a Baby Geezer!

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When Bruce and I made the decision to move to a Del Webb Sun City community, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to switch from being a gym rat and return to being a water dog. The treadmill hadn’t been kind to my paws; I had developed a fierce case of tarsal tunnel syndrome and knew it would be an ongoing battle. But, the pool where we lived in San Antonio was an outdoor pool, open only during the (very) hot summer months. That situation wasn’t kind to me either; I developed fierce heat intolerance issues.

Sun City has a climate controlled indoor pool- perfect!

So, I returned to the pool, in 2009, soon after settling in at Sun City Peachtree. I worked on building up my endurance. Then, one day, I decided to try swimming my old competitive stroke again: Breaststroke. Once I built up enough speed and confidence to time myself, I brought my watch to the pool and timed my race from a push off the wall. Aaaaaack! It was far from the 1:19.06 best time I got as a high school senior. But, I went home red-faced, sat down at the computer, and looked up where my time would have ranked if I had competed as a 50 year old, at the Georgia Golden Olympics. Of course, I was only 47, BUT, I was also just getting back into it and figured I would have plenty of room to improve.

To my surprise, my time wasn’t so bad in my age group. So, I looked up where my time would have placed me at the National Senior Olympics and was relieved to see I wouldn’t have placed last! Actually, I would have ended up in the middle of the pack.

So, at that very moment, I set a goal for myself and announced to Bruce: “In 2012, when I turn 50, I am going to compete in the Georgia Golden Olympics!”

It was time to get to work.

After 8 months of swimming on my own, I realized I didn’t have a clue how to properly train to return to competition. And, I could tell by watching the Olympics, in 2008, that breaststroke had changed dramatically, since 1979. I needed a coach. Badly.

After doing some research, I learned that the closest indoor competition pool, Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center, was located 25 minutes away, in Clayton County. I called the pool to see if they could refer me to a coach who could take a look at my strokes and get me back on track. That is how I met Mike Slotnick, the founder and head coach of SMART (Smart Motivated Athletic Respectful Teammate), a kid’s swim team.

Mike Slotnick 2012

Lucky for me, Mike was willing to take me on for reasonably priced private coaching sessions. He had his work cut out for him, for sure…

Meanwhile, I remembered that my sister had been a member of United States Masters Swimming, so I checked out the website and decided to join. Unfortunately, the nearest team was located too far away to train with, but I could still compete with a team at swim meets.

One month after my first coaching session, I competed in my first meet. Thankfully, Mike was there to help calm my nerves, give me last-minute advice, and clue me in as to when and how much to warm up before each race. It turned out to be a great experience!

The following month, Georgia Tech hosted U.S.M.S. Short Course Nationals. How could I miss that with it being just up the freeway from my home? But, Nationals? Whoaaa; that’s way beyond my swimming level. But, U.S.M.S. is an inclusive organization, allowing all members to compete in three events at Nationals, if they don’t qualify to swim more (up to six). So, I went, competed, and ended up second to last in my events. Mike competed, too, we gave each other a lot of encouragement, and I ended up having a blast. The best part was meeting fellow “Forumites” (U.S.M.S. Discussion Forums members) and cheering each other on. And, nobody cared about my swim times; they only cared that I was happy to be there and competed with enthusiasm.

It was because of my great experience at 2010 Nationals that I have gone to most of the Nationals since. And, it has been well worth it! And, all of the local and southeastern Dixie Zone meets have been swimming highlights, as well. It has been a terrific 21/2+ years as a USMS member.

Fast forward to January 20, 2012; my 50^th birthday. After swimming in numerous U.S.M.S. meets, I had come to realize that the level of competition is far greater than at the Senior Olympics level. Comparing qualifying times and Nationals results, there was no comparison. But, I had set a goal and I was excited to see it through.

So, 2012 became the year of competing in Senior Olympics meets, in addition to U.S.M.S. meets. As I wrote previously, I competed in the Gwinnett County Golden Games, last April, as my very first Senior Games. It was at that meet that I officially declared myself a “Geezer” competing in the “Geezer Games” and was proud of it! And, as the youngest competitor there, I was even more proud to sit next to my team’s matriarch, 95 year old American Record Holder Anne Dunivin, for the medals photograph. I had won two golds and three silvers. Anne, one of the oldest competitors in the country, proudly admits that she has won those records by outliving her competition. She also won five gold medals at that meet.

Elaine&Anne.JPG

The Geezer Games I was really looking forward to competing in, however, was the meet I had my heart set on, back in 2009: The Georgia Golden Olympics, my adopted states’ qualifying meet for Nationals. So, last month, we made our way to Warner Robins to compete in the maximum allowed five races. My coach, Mike, competed too, as well as several of my teammates. I ended up again with two golds and three silvers (my first two medals shown below), getting beaten at both Geezer Games by former collegiate swimmers who were awesome breaststrokers. The gal at the state meet crushed my time; I didn’t have a chance for the gold. But, I achieved my goal, had fun, and swam well, considering the poor conditions (slow pool, too-warm water, too-warm air, no warm-up or cool-down lanes available; it was a joke, really…)

I won’t be going to Cleveland for 2013 Nationals, however, even though I qualified in four of my events . Cleveland isn’t exactly at the top of my bucket list and I am allocating my travel budget, instead, to U.S.M.S. Long Course Nationals, in Mission Viejo, for 2013.

My final Geezer Games competition as a baby geezer was the following week. The Clayton County Senior Games was organized by my coach, Mike, and ran in conjunction with one of my favorite meets, the U.S.M.S. Southside Pentathlon. As the women’s sprint pentathlon (50 yard races in each stroke and the 100 yard Individual Medley) winner in 2011, I wanted to defend my title, so I signed up for both meets. Four of my events counted for both simultaneously, but I was the only baby geezer who signed up for the Geezer Games. So, by default, I won four gold medals. But, I did defend my Sprint Pentathlon title and won another trophy, beating out a 39 year old in the process.

My teammate, Joyce and I wearing our Georgia Golden Olympics medals from the previous week and the Sprint Pentathlon trophy I had just won.

It has been FUN being 50. If it weren’t for Mike’s excellent coaching and friendship, U.S.M.S., and my fellow Forumites who have coached me online, I would have never gotten to the level where I am now with my swimming. And, it just keeps getting better and I keep having more fun, trying new things. Between the Geezer Games, Nationals, my first open water races, winning the Sprint Pentathlon, and winning the Georgia Championship Series trophy (the last meet for the Series is in December, at Georgia Tech, however, I have already mathematically eliminated my competition), it has been a fabulous year.

Life is good being a baby geezer.

How Do You Pronounce “Senoia”?

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Well, if you’re a tourist and want to stand out like one, you would pronounce it like it’s spelled; “Seh-noy-uuh”. But, Senoia is way too cool to bother with the “a”, so, give it a miss when you stroll the streets of this hip town and chat with the locals.

Senoia, Georgia, a town of about 2,500 people, is located about 30 minutes by car from our home at Sun City Peachtree, in Griffin. We decided to make it the celebration destination for our 20^th wedding anniversary; 26 years in all. Why? To steal the saying on the old neon sign out front of Austin Motel, in Austin, Texas, Senoia is “So close yet so far out”.

Senoia in some ways is an illusion. It reminds me of that commercial, “Is it live or is it Memorex?” Take Woodbury Town Hall, for example. It looks real, doesn’t it?

Nope; no town hall here. Woodbury doesn’t exist; at least in Senoia. Go behind the town hall and all you see is a chain link fence.

Same goes for the travel agency next door and the bookstore across the street. I was this close to walking up to the door of the bookstore to see what the new bookstore in town had to offer, but, I changed my mind, not wanting to add to my growing list of yet-to-be-read books. Good thing, because I wouldn’t have gotten very far; the door was locked. I’m sure the locals would have had a good chuckle, though, if I had tried the door and couldn’t get it open…

So, what’s up with this odd little town where the town hall isn’t named after Senoia and Woodbury Town Hall doesn’t really exist, anyway? And, what’s up with that darn travel agency and bookstore that isn’t open during regular business hours?

Well, like I said, Senoia is an illusion, in some ways. Blame it on Raleigh Studios Atlanta, a film studio instrumental in redeveloping Senoia into what it is a today; a hip little town with a great vibe. Some of the old historic buildings on Main Street were redeveloped by the studios for filming purposes and other new ones were built to look old for the same purpose. And, others, as I mentioned, aren’t buildings at all; just facades used in filming “The Walking Dead”; a drama/ horror/ thriller cable TV series.

My favorite movie filmed in Senoia was “Driving Miss Daisy”. Scenes from this Academy award winning movie (best picture and best actress), starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, were filmed on Johnson Road.

Some of the other 17 movies filmed in Senoia were “Fried Green Tomatoes”, “Consenting Adults”, “The War”, “Gordy”, and, most recently, “Lawless”.

As for other TV series filmed in Senoia, “I’ll Fly Away” was filmed from 1991-1993 and “Drop Dead Diva” began filming in 2009.

The Veranda Bed & Breakfast Inn, our home away from home for the night was also the filming location for the movie, “Broken Bridges”, starring Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Toby Keith.

Dating back to 1906, this Greek Revival Mansion was originally the Holberg Hotel. The 8,000 square foot Inn with nine guest bedrooms still has its original features: Georgia heart pine floors, ornate tin ceilings, elegant light fixtures and chandeliers, and eleven fireplaces.

We booked our stay in “Leah Jackson Room 1”, located on the main floor: http://verandabandbinn.com/rooms.html . It was roomy but cozy and comfortable; furnished with antiques of the period.

The best part about The Veranda Bed & Breakfast Inn, though, was getting to know Laura, the owner; a warm and welcoming lady with the perfect personality to run a bed and breakfast. I got that impression from her husband, Rick, as well, although he kept quite busy during our stay, so we didn’t have the opportunity to chat with him like we did Laura. But, Rick is the cook and baker at the B&B, and was responsible for the delicious chocolate chip cookies served hot out of the oven, as well as the wonderful (and huge!) breakfast we enjoyed the following morning.

One of the reasons we chose to spend our anniversary in Senoia was because of the rave reviews I read about The Veranda on Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35254-d75430-r138578489-Veranda_Bed_Breakfast_Inn-Senoia_Georgia.html . I will be adding my own two cents after I post this, giving it a perfect rating to add to 21 excellent and 4 very good ratings it has already received.

To add icing to the anniversary cake of our enjoyable stay, Laura even asked Bruce if she could sell his art glass in her gallery! And, he was invited to exhibit and sell his pieces at an upcoming Senoia show, as well as be a featured artist in her gallery, in the future. Check out Bruce’s work here: www.CookedGlass.Fototime.com . This is what is keeping us busy during most weekends until Christmas!

So, our anniversary has come and gone, and our hope is to spend many more happy ones together! Perhaps we’ll return to The Veranda, again, next year, and make it a tradition. But, if we do, I’ll make sure to have Laura brief me first on any “new shops” that have popped up in town…