# Bygone places Stuckey's, Lion Country Safari



## Artfuldodger

Any comments on places people use stop at on trips and vacations. We use to stop at Stuckey's in Tallulah Falls and the overlook park on old hwy 441. I never went to the Lion Country Safari Park. Went to Crystal Lake Water Park, Radium Springs, J bird Springs, Howard Johnson's restaurants, Horne's restaurants, Malone lake in Dexter, Lake B in Ocilla, The Green Frog in Waycross, and Red Bluff Skating Rink in Ben Hill county.The Varsity use to have restaurants in Augusta & Columbus.
We went to Lem Griffis Fish Camp a few times near Fargo and Johnson Lake in Alma.


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## divinginn

We used to go to Gatorland,six gun city and Wiki watche. I remember going to Lion country safari also.


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## rvick

on our honeymoon, we went thru ocala and stopped at six gun territory. we were the last tourists before they closed down. we were the only people on the train. they said that they would put on as big a show for two people as 200. got pictures of me on stage with the can-can girls & the cowboys let me shoot their sawed-off shotgun. at crystal lake we helped charlie daniels & earl scruggs set up their stage, we lifted a piano up there & some of us played pool with charlie daniels, nice guy. used to love to go to lake beatrice when visiting kinfolks in the area. does anyone remember the zoo in autryville?


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## Artfuldodger

rvick said:


> on our honeymoon, we went thru ocala and stopped at six gun territory. we were the last tourists before they closed down. we were the only people on the train. they said that they would put on as big a show for two people as 200. got pictures of me on stage with the can-can girls & the cowboys let me shoot their sawed-off shotgun. at crystal lake we helped charlie daniels & earl scruggs set up their stage, we lifted a piano up there & some of us played pool with charlie daniels, nice guy. used to love to go to lake beatrice when visiting kinfolks in the area. does anyone remember the zoo in autryville?


When did Six Gun Territory close? I never made it to that one. I saw Charlie Daniels at Crystal Lake in the early seventies. Where the heck is Autryville?


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## BriarPatch99

Been swimming in the pool & skating at Redbluff ... bowled, skated, water skiing at Johnson's Lake, fed the Monkeys at The Monkey Farm, Alligator Farm at the FL State line, bought a few beers at the State line Bar... Swam at Crystal Lake ..... been to Lake Beatrice several times .....Holiday Beach ... concerts(JD Sumner, Rodney McDowell), skiing ....Silver Springs... never made it to Sixgun....


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## KyDawg

rvick said:


> on our honeymoon, we went thru ocala and stopped at six gun territory. we were the last tourists before they closed down. we were the only people on the train. they said that they would put on as big a show for two people as 200. got pictures of me on stage with the can-can girls & the cowboys let me shoot their sawed-off shotgun. at crystal lake we helped charlie daniels & earl scruggs set up their stage, we lifted a piano up there & some of us played pool with charlie daniels, nice guy. used to love to go to lake beatrice when visiting kinfolks in the area. does anyone remember the zoo in autryville?



I remember the Autryville zoo. I used to live in Moultrie and went there many times as a Kid. There were a couple of country stores there also. I still Quail hunt in that area a few times each year.


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## TrailBlazer999

Stuckey's was always a stop for us whenever we were on vacation when I was a kid. Got one of my best rubber band guns there. A double barrel shotgun style I picked up on the way to Washington D.C. I had alot of fun with that thing.

As far as resturants go...who can ever forget Shoney's back in the day? That was some good food. I had a Big Boy (I think that was his name) bank from there that made a great bad guy for my G.I. Joes and Star Wars figures to fight.

Man, memories I haven't thought of in a long time.


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## Keebs

Summer wasn't summer without trips to Crystal Lake or Lake Beatrice!
Shoney's was THE treat on any trip!


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## JustUs4All

Local swimming ponds.  In Thomson there were Shields Pond and Ansley's Pond.  We preferred Shields.


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## Artfuldodger

BriarPatch99 said:


> Been swimming in the pool & skating at Redbluff ... bowled, skated, water skiing at Johnson's Lake, fed the Monkeys at The Monkey Farm, Alligator Farm at the FL State line, bought a few beers at the State line Bar... Swam at Crystal Lake ..... been to Lake Beatrice several times .....Holiday Beach ... concerts(JD Sumner, Rodney McDowell), skiing ....Silver Springs... never made it to Sixgun....



I forgot about the alligator farm below the Florida line. We usually stopped there on the way to Jacksonville. Where was the Monkey Farm?


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## Nicodemus

I grew up not real far from Jaybird Springs. I reckon that`s the first real swimmin` pool I ever saw.


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## NCHillbilly

We still have a couple Stuckey's around here. One place I remember stopping at on trips as a kid was a Shoney's-type restaurant called Sambo's. I don't reckon they're around any more.


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## rhbama3

Grew up in Montgomery, so...
Miracle Strip in Panama City, Willow Springs swimming pool( wetumpka, Al), Ron's Crispy Fried Chicken, Fifth Quarter restaurants, Shakey's Pizza, Spigner's BBQ, 13 bridges road


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## rhbama3

NCHillbilly said:


> We still have a couple Stuckey's around here. One place I remember stopping at on trips as a kid was a Shoney's-type restaurant called Sambo's. I don't reckon they're around any more.



I believe Denny's bought out the Sambo chain.


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## Artfuldodger

What about "Burger Chef" hamburger joints? I don't remember them and they were second only to Mcdonalds at one time. Here is where they had locations in Georgia.
http://www.thebawdycloister.com/burger_chef_locations/georgia/
What about Tastee Freez ice cream parlors? I don't know if we have any of them left in Georgia. We use to stop at Howard Johnson's in Folkston which was a treat with their "28 flavors" of hand dipped ice cream.


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## Artfuldodger

rhbama3 said:


> Grew up in Montgomery, so...
> Miracle Strip in Panama City, Willow Springs swimming pool( wetumpka, Al), Ron's Crispy Fried Chicken, Fifth Quarter restaurants, Shakey's Pizza, Spigner's BBQ, 13 bridges road


 They aren't bygone but when we drove I-20 to I-65 in Alabama we stopped at Whataburger for lunch and Priester's candy store(kinda like a giant Stucky's)
Since you lived in Alabama I thought you might be familiar with them. Did you ever make it to the Ave Maria Grotto?


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## KyDawg

The Canteen at PC.


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## redneck_billcollector

Grew up swimming at Radium Springs and eating at the Burger Chef and Arctic Bear in Albany Ga.  All the roads down town were brick and Tift Park Zoo was a favorite hang out.  Tons of things from my youth that have been relegated to the dust bin of history.....


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## BriarPatch99

Wayne ... It was Monkey Jungle(not farm) ... close to Miami, FL... 

I went on a road trip with an Uncle and Aunt back about 1966/67... We hit A-1-A at Mayport and went all the way to Key West ... hitting every tourist trap all the way down.. and back through the middle of FL ... that was a big deal to a country boy who ain't never been 100 miles from home before !!!

Crystal Beach was loaded with fine females ... that is tough on a 15/16 year old guy...


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## TrailBlazer999

Artfuldodger said:


> ...we stopped at Whataburger for lunch...



Still got one of those here but the name's changed to Old Time Burgers. A little expensive but still the best burgers in town.


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## Artfuldodger

TrailBlazer999 said:


> Still got one of those here but the name's changed to Old Time Burgers. A little expensive but still the best burgers in town.



Is that on upper Broad Street? I'll have to try it out. We are getting a Steak & Shake that will be opening soon.


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## Artfuldodger

redneck_billcollector said:


> Grew up swimming at Radium Springs and eating at the Burger Chef and Arctic Bear in Albany Ga.  All the roads down town were brick and Tift Park Zoo was a favorite hang out.  Tons of things from my youth that have been relegated to the dust bin of history.....


We lived near the corner of Oakridge Dr. & Radium Springs Rd. for about five years. We left in 1990 before the big flood. 
We stopped at this Stucky's like store in Tifton called Adcock Pecans. Need to get me some Mayhaw Jelly!
http://adcockpecans.com/


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## TrailBlazer999

Artfuldodger said:


> Is that on upper Broad Street? I'll have to try it out. We are getting a Steak & Shake that will be opening soon.



No it's on Walton Way. In that little shopping center next to the pet place painted like a cow and across from the old Gurley's. Next to the school just down from Heard Ave.


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## redneck_billcollector

Artfuldodger said:


> We lived near the corner of Oakridge Dr. & Radium Springs Rd. for about five years. We left in 1990 before the big flood.
> We stopped at this Stucky's like store in Tifton called Adcock Pecans. Need to get me some Mayhaw Jelly!
> http://adcockpecans.com/



I was born and raised in Albany, live right outside of there now.  I can remember the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" being played every other song at Radium Springs back in the 70s, caught a baby softshelled turtle there once too maybe in the 60s, kept it for a pet.  I can still remember mule drawn wagons bringing cotton in in the early mid-60s in Albany.  Unfortunately Albany in no way resembles the town of my youth, I miss it.  You can get mayhaw jelly just about anywhere down this way, most all the local grocers (non-chain) have it.  

The big to do when I was a youngun was to go to Davis Bros. after church on Sundays.  'Course I can remember nickle cokes and penny candy, two bits could load a kid up with candy and coke.  Another thing I miss is shoe shine stands downtown, they could make your shoes dang near glow......


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## KyDawg

redneck_billcollector said:


> I was born and raised in Albany, live right outside of there now.  I can remember the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" being played every other song at Radium Springs back in the 70s, caught a baby softshelled turtle there once too maybe in the 60s, kept it for a pet.  I can still remember mule drawn wagons bringing cotton in in the early mid-60s in Albany.  Unfortunately Albany in no way resembles the town of my youth, I miss it.  You can get mayhaw jelly just about anywhere down this way, most all the local grocers (non-chain) have it.
> 
> The big to do when I was a youngun was to go to Davis Bros. after church on Sundays.  'Course I can remember nickle cokes and penny candy, two bits could load a kid up with candy and coke.  Another thing I miss is shoe shine stands downtown, they could make your shoes dang near glow......



Sounds like the Albany of my youth. I remember well when WALB came on the air, I believe it was the 50's.


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## rhbama3

Artfuldodger said:


> They aren't bygone but when we drove I-20 to I-65 in Alabama we stopped at Whataburger for lunch and Priester's candy store(kinda like a giant Stucky's)
> Since you lived in Alabama I thought you might be familiar with them. Did you ever make it to the Ave Maria Grotto?



Forgot about the Whataburger. Haven't thought about them in a long time. 
The last whataburger i remember was in Panama City.


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## Artfuldodger

KyDawg said:


> Sounds like the Albany of my youth. I remember well when WALB came on the air, I believe it was the 50's.



Growing up in Douglas, WALB was the only network station we could receive. I remeber Captain Mercury and for some reason Southern Maid bacon and Frosty Morn ham & sausage. I also remember Gil Patrick and Ducky Wall.


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## KyDawg

WCTV Tallahasse/ Thomasville came on the air shortly therafter, then we had NBC and CBS it was years before we got ABC.


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## DCM161

I spent many summers skating and swimming at jaybird springs. My wife worked there when we were teenagers.  Also spent alot of time swimming at the mill pond and adam's springs outside of Rhine.


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## Artfuldodger

DCM161 said:


> I spent many summers skating and swimming at jaybird springs. My wife worked there when we were teenagers.  Also spent alot of time swimming at the mill pond and adam's springs outside of Rhine.



I remember going to a few bluegrass festivals at Spring Lake or something like that. It was between Jacksonville and Rhine on someones big farm. Water was nice and cold like Jaybird Springs.
There are lots of springs on both sides of the Ocmulgee River in that area. There is Poor Robin Springs in Wilcox county also and one below that in Ben Hill county that my Dad use to go to. It has an Indian name, starts with an "I" if I remember correctly.


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## rvick

Artfuldodger said:


> Growing up in Douglas, WALB was the only network station we could receive. I remeber Captain Mercury and for some reason Southern Maid bacon and Frosty Morn ham & sausage. I also remember Gil Patrick and Ducky Wall.



dont forget willy the weatherman, autryville is between moultrie & pavo & most evrything there is closed now, 6 gun territory closed in 1980


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## Redbow

There used to be lots of Stucky's up and down the road than all of a sudden they were gone. They had some fine pecan candies..


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## JustUs4All

TrailBlazer999 said:


> Still got one of those here but the name's changed to Old Time Burgers. A little expensive but still the best burgers in town.



Yeah, but we lost the Kelly Burger on Walton Way down near 13th lots of years ago.  Fifteen cent hamburgers and the best double fried french fries in the world.


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## TrailBlazer999

Double fried french fries? Now that sounds interesting.


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## southgaoriginal

here is a couple for ya, anybody remember the big old moonshine still that used be on 301 between glenville and ludowici.  Always remember seeing it when i was little going to jekyll island.  And how about swampland, i have no idea where it was located i remember going when i was little one time they had live music no idea if its still open but i doubt it


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## GDAWG84

KyDawg said:


> I remember the Autryville zoo. I used to live in Moultrie and went there many times as a Kid. There were a couple of country stores there also. I still Quail hunt in that area a few times each year.



Autryville had a zoo? Ive lived in Colquitt County all my life and never heard that...last time I rode thru there just about everything was boarded up. The Plaza there used to have some great food; all you could eat seafood on thursday nights,,,


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## olcowman

When we was kids the only thing like a vacation we ever had was a day or two camping on blankets in the truck bed in the Smokies that would usually include a side trip to some place called 'Santa Land'... don't remember much about it? We was purty bad off I reckon?

I did make my wife stop and spend most of a day on our honeymoon at Tom Mann's Fish World down in Eufaula... spent a couple of hours talking to Mr Tom and got some of pictures with him. My wife to this day still doesn't comprehend that we spent the afternoon following our wedding on 'hallowed ground'... bless her heart!


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## Artfuldodger

Hwy 301 was a major tourist route thru Georgia. There use to be a welcome sataion on both sides of the Savannah River. The Georgia one is still open and was Georgia's first.
http://www.theantidj.net/archives/95
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/b...as-1st-welcome-center-screven-county-turns-50


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## KyDawg

GDAWG84 said:


> Autryville had a zoo? Ive lived in Colquitt County all my life and never heard that...last time I rode thru there just about everything was boarded up. The Plaza there used to have some great food; all you could eat seafood on thursday nights,,,



Dont know your age, so it might have been before your time. I believe it closed up back in the 60's. I do remember eating at the plaza.


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## Hornet22

Artfuldodger said:


> Hwy 301 was a major tourist route thru Georgia. There use to be a welcome sataion on both sides of the Savannah River. The Georgia one is still open and was Georgia's first.
> http://www.theantidj.net/archives/95
> http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/b...as-1st-welcome-center-screven-county-turns-50



Wow, REALLY enjoyed the first link Adoger. Remember when they widened 301. Grew up in Allendale Co. Went to 1st and 2nd grade in the old elementary school. They got the land for that welcome station from Continental Can Co who my Pop worked for.(managed Butterfield Plantation) Wasn't a half a mile from our house. Killed my first deer maybe 1/4 of a mile SE of it. Time has sure left a lot of dried up towns on that hwy.


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## GDAWG84

KyDawg said:


> Dont know your age, so it might have been before your time. I believe it closed up back in the 60's. I do remember eating at the plaza.



Im 28. Waaay before my time! I asked my parents, who have lived here all their lives also, and they couldnt remember anything about it. If it closed in the 60s, then it was almost before their time too. We used to eat at the plaza every seafood night during produce season. It was the only way we could see my grandfather since he ran one of the packing sheds out there...


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## Oldstick

NCHillbilly said:


> We still have a couple Stuckey's around here. One place I remember stopping at on trips as a kid was a Shoney's-type restaurant called Sambo's. I don't reckon they're around any more.



Ya'll are bringing back some memories.  
I remember Jaybird, Crystal Lake, Tastee Freeze, Burger Chef, Sambo's.

How about Pottersville beach/lake in Taylor County?

Hate to think now what was in that water because I think it was the waste discharge for a big textile mill.


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## Artfuldodger

Hornet22 said:


> Wow, REALLY enjoyed the first link Adoger. Remember when they widened 301. Grew up in Allendale Co. Went to 1st and 2nd grade in the old elementary school. They got the land for that welcome station from Continental Can Co who my Pop worked for.(managed Butterfield Plantation) Wasn't a half a mile from our house. Killed my first deer maybe 1/4 of a mile SE of it. Time has sure left a lot of dried up towns on that hwy.



It looks like they have a nature trail to the old bridge. They must have opened the old bridge. Possibly to keep people off of it. I read they might use the S.C. welcome center for an educational center.
http://www.lowersavannahriveralliance.org/greenway---trail.html


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## Artfuldodger

Oldstick said:


> Ya'll are bringing back some memories.
> I remember Jaybird, Crystal Lake, Tastee Freeze, Burger Chef, Sambo's.
> 
> How about Pottersville beach/lake in Taylor County?
> 
> Hate to think now what was in that water because I think it was the waste discharge for a big textile mill.



I've never heard of Pottersville Beach but apparently the Adams family went there.
http://beeskneesdaily.com/tag/taylor-county-ga/

What about the 2nd Annual Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron, Ga. in 1970? I was too young to go.
http://www.messyoptics.com/bird/APF_00.html
http://www.thestripproject.com/Photos_by_Richard_Powers.html#45

I wonder who thought "July" would be a good time of year for an outdoor music festival in middle Georgia?


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## Artfuldodger

Old pictures from Columbus, Ga. I don't know anything about the area but it was interesting. I remember the tire stores with the big man holding a tire. there are more links at the bottom of this page.
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/georgia/page6.html

There is some stuff from other places in Georgia on this link:
http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/georgia/page3.html


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## rvick

ADodger, thanx, but now i cant get the frosty morn jingle out of my head.


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## Boar Hog

divinginn said:


> We used to go to Gatorland,six gun city and Wiki watche. I remember going to Lion country safari also.



Six gun territory was the name, I still have one of my tickets. I think of it when I see Bonanza on tv. Remember the root beer and pretzels the most.


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## Artfuldodger

Boar Hog said:


> Six gun territory was the name, I still have one of my tickets. I think of it when I see Bonanza on tv. Remember the root beer and pretzels the most.



I never made it to that one. I went to a few in the mountains like Ghost Town and Gold City that had shootouts and indian shows. I've never been to Silver Springs either. I reckon i'd better go before it closes.


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## Oldstick

Artfuldodger said:


> I've never heard of Pottersville Beach but apparently the Adams family went there.
> http://beeskneesdaily.com/tag/taylor-county-ga/
> 
> What about the 2nd Annual Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron, Ga. in 1970? I was too young to go.
> http://www.messyoptics.com/bird/APF_00.html
> http://www.thestripproject.com/Photos_by_Richard_Powers.html#45
> 
> I wonder who thought "July" would be a good time of year for an outdoor music festival in middle Georgia?



Anyone around Taylor County probably remembers the beach at Potterville.  I think the lake is still there.

The Byron Pop festival, I remember the advertisements, but I was too young also.  We lived in Evans County at the time.  But my father in law worked for the Coke Company in Macon at the time. And he tells many, many interesting stories about working out at the festival that week.


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## Arrowhead95

When I was a kid in the Mid 60's to early 70's we used to travel up and down 301 and 441. We had relatives in Dublin, GA and Spartenburg, SC and we'd stop for lunches at the places along the road that had picnic tables. One of these days I'll make the drive again. Just for the enjoyment of it. Stuckeys was a treat. Went to Silver Springs probably the lat 60's. Cape Canaveral (Or Kennedy as it was known back then. All vacations involved visiting relatives. Fishing, swimming.

Went hunting once in Jesup, GA in the mid 80's and definatley remember the odor of the Pulp Wood plant.

Now it's I-95 from here to NC with one stop for gas along the way.


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## holton27596

nicodemus, I guess you and I were raised closer together than i thought, I was about 10-15 miles from jaybird. Remember the whirlhole in scotland?
I had forgot all about 6 gun, went when I was a little fellow.


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## David Parker

Augusta has so many places that have come and gone...

There's too many to list but herez a few from my time:

Anderson's Pool
Starlite Skate Center
Crazy Cecil's
Norman's
The Green Jacket
Crystal River Waterpark
Evans Jr. High (sniff)


I did go to Lion Country Safari one year.  Pretty scary for a kid knowing that all those lions were seperated from me by a thin pane of glass.  We also went to Cherokee Land, I believe it was in the same valley as Ghost Town in the Sky.


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## Artfuldodger

holton27596 said:


> nicodemus, I guess you and I were raised closer together than i thought, I was about 10-15 miles from jaybird. Remember the whirlhole in scotland?
> I had forgot all about 6 gun, went when I was a little fellow.



I've been to Jacksonville, McRae, and Lumber City but never to Scotland. What is the whirlhole you mentioned?


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## holton27596

from 341N turn right going to scotland, as soon as you cross the RR track turn right. Nice swimhole with an artesian well that pours out some of the best tasting water I have ever had in my life. I lived on the farm at that corssroad so was very familar with it.


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## Nicodemus

holton27596 said:


> nicodemus, I guess you and I were raised closer together than i thought, I was about 10-15 miles from jaybird. Remember the whirlhole in scotland?
> I had forgot all about 6 gun, went when I was a little fellow.





I was raised up there at Clarks Bluff. Never did swim at the whirlhole but once or twice that I can remember, but we spent a  lot of time at the Gator Creek bridge, fishin` for redfin pike and swimmin`. Didn`t Mr. Clegg own a farm right there close to Scotland?


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## holton27596

There were several Cleggs in the area. ZW dowdy was my grandaddy, he had the farm right beside the red jumbo ranch (amos steverson's place) and the farm right across the road, I cannot remeber thier name off hand, but the wife was a retired school teacher who taught my stepfather when he was in school.


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## BriarPatch99

Made a wrong turn one night ... wound up in Scotland ... I like to have never found my way back to #441 !!!


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## Artfuldodger

BriarPatch99 said:


> Made a wrong turn one night ... wound up in Scotland ... I like to have never found my way back to #441 !!!



I was headed to Barr's Bluff on the Ocmulgee River off Hwy 441 and ended up in Denton on Hwy 221. There might have been spirits guiding me there. 

Anyone ever swim at the Cold Shoot near Jacksonville?
It was a spring fed stream that flowed into the Ocmulgee between Jacksonville and China Hill?

Julian Williams has wrote a lot about the history of Jacksonville, Georgia. It use to be available on the web.


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## Lukikus2

Artfuldodger said:


> They aren't bygone but when we drove I-20 to I-65 in Alabama we stopped at Whataburger for lunch and Priester's candy store(kinda like a giant Stucky's)
> Since you lived in Alabama I thought you might be familiar with them. Did you ever make it to the Ave Maria Grotto?



Been to Ave Maria Grotto twice. Pretty cool.

We use to travel around going to all the different caverns. Carlsbad, Cumberland, Cathedral and Desota is all I can think of now. Plus we would hit Six Flags, Ghost town in the sky (They have some better rides now), Lake Winnepasauka and a few I can't remember.

Miss the Shoney's Big Boy restaurants and Stuckey's, still a few Stuckey's around though.


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## Artfuldodger

Looks like Lake Winnie is still open. It's actually in Georgia. It's a wonder they can compete with Six Flags. 
http://www.lakewinnie.com/


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## grouper throat

As of today there is still a whataburger in Tallahassee and I think the one off the archer exit in Gainesville (Fl) is still open. I've actually been to gatorland around 3-4 years ago also. 

The shoneys breakfast bar was a highlight on family trips.


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## Twiggbuster

I was reading and trying to remember that place in the mountains with the gunfight show. Lukikus hit on it- Ghost Town .
You would ride a tram or skybucket( trying to remember which) way up on a mountain top and it was an old western town up there and realistic as any I can remember. 
Gunfights were awesome and LOUD!!!
Man those were the days! 
Sometime in the 60's  and I quess I was 6 or 7.
Visited some caverns out in a field somewhere in a TN.
Small attraction but awesome caves. Williwatchie or something like that.


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## Twiggbuster

Also remember River Country at Disney when it was new.
And Silver Springs was unbelieveably clear. I hear not so much now. Glass bottom boats were alot of fun. Cape Canaveral and Cypress Gardens were also some of our stops. MarineLand , Gatorland and  Ripley's  also.  

Back when you could lay under the back window when traveling.- seatbelts - who had seatbelts?  Or AC?


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## Dirtroad Johnson

Lake Beatrice between Ocilla & Fitzgerald was a place we spent a lot of time back in the early-mid 60's. $5 dollars a day was the pay for working in tobacco the 1st year that I was big enough & Lake B got a lot of it. I also remember the Stuckeys, I remember going to Red Bluff a few times. I also went to Crystal Lake a lot when I was a teenager. Times gone but not forgotten. Lake B. was the 1st place that I went swimming in a real pool., but we usually went more to the skating ring on Friday or Saturday night. There was a bowling alley in there also & they had pin boys that would set the pins back in place. If I remember correctly the bowling balls were close in size from maybe between baseball & softball size, no holes in balls. There was  a lot to do at Lake B back then--- (skating,bowling,pinball machines, pool tables & swimming pools out back). They also added a slot-car track that got a lot of attention.


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## Oldstick

Twiggbuster said:


> I was reading and trying to remember that place in the mountains with the gunfight show. Lukikus hit on it- Ghost Town .
> You would ride a tram or skybucket( trying to remember which) way up on a mountain top and it was an old western town up there and realistic as any I can remember.
> Gunfights were awesome and LOUD!!!
> Man those were the days!
> Sometime in the 60's  and I quess I was 6 or 7.
> Visited some caverns out in a field somewhere in a TN.
> Small attraction but awesome caves. Williwatchie or something like that.



Been to Ghost Town several times.  I remember the first time I got on the roller coaster that we used to call the Wild Mouse ride or something like that.  It was not fast, but a big track sitting way up high with the single cars making a lot of sudden 90 degree turns.  But they had it sitting close enough to the cliff to scare the pants off you one some of the turns.


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## Artfuldodger

Oldstick said:


> Been to Ghost Town several times.  I remember the first time I got on the roller coaster that we used to call the Wild Mouse ride or something like that.  It was not fast, but a big track sitting way up high with the single cars making a lot of sudden 90 degree turns.  But they had it sitting close enough to the cliff to scare the pants off you one some of the turns.



We used to go to Frontier Land in Cherokee. They had a roller coaster like that. Not like the ones today but still scary. They had a frontier fort, old west town, shoot outs, and Indian dances. Another place on top of the mountain was Gold City close to Franklin, NC that was like Ghost Town. Ghost Town was the most popular.


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## killswitch

Weeki Wachi,  glass bottom boats at Silver Springs. 
Regulars at radium springs, then the "blue hole" up on the creek during high school years. 
Monkey Palace


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## Nicodemus

killswitch said:


> Weeki Wachi,  glass bottom boats at Silver Springs.
> Regulars at radium springs, then the "blue hole" up on the creek during high school years.
> Monkey Palace





Boy Howdy, I remember the Monkey Palace. Very well...


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## Artfuldodger

killswitch said:


> Weeki Wachi,  glass bottom boats at Silver Springs.
> Regulars at radium springs, then the "blue hole" up on the creek during high school years.
> Monkey Palace



I lived in Albany in the nineties. I was married with a new baby so the Monkey Palace would have been off limits even if it was still open. Sounds like a place I would have liked to visit though.
I guess you are referring to the blue hole on the Kinchafoonie Creek? I had a bad raft trip on the Kinchafoonie.
Link to newspaper article on the Monkey Palace:
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2009/dec/12/albany-palace-has-a-lot-of-monkey-business/


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## olcowman

Nicodemus said:


> Boy Howdy, I remember the Monkey Palace. Very well...



That's kinda got me worried? I spent many a evening there myself... not always in a proper state neither! I hope me and you never slow danced!!! That'd be uncomfortable to remember a sitting around a campfire one night down the road!

I was kinda glad to see the flood get them monkeys...


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## Lukikus2

Artfuldodger said:


> We used to go to Frontier Land in Cherokee. They had a roller coaster like that. Not like the ones today but still scary. They had a frontier fort, old west town, shoot outs, and Indian dances. Another place on top of the mountain was Gold City close to Franklin, NC that was like Ghost Town. Ghost Town was the most popular.



Frontier Land was still there a few years back and had put in a go cart track that was fun.

Gold City is one I couldn't remember the name of since it was 40 years ago when I went. 



killswitch said:


> Weeki Wachi,  glass bottom boats at Silver Springs.
> Regulars at radium springs, then the "blue hole" up on the creek during high school years.
> Monkey Palace



Silver Springs is still going strong and added a bunch of rides and water slides. Currently they are trying to get the State to buy and run it. I've actually never paid to get in the park but went up in there by boat up the Oklawaha River.


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## Nicodemus

olcowman said:


> That's kinda got me worried? I spent many a evening there myself... not always in a proper state neither! I hope me and you never slow danced!!! That'd be uncomfortable to remember a sitting around a campfire one night down the road!
> 
> I was kinda glad to see the flood get them monkeys...



What years? I prowled around there up till about 1983. Then I met The Redhead. Only ones I danced with was them purty Ladies. Actually, since I can`t dance, I just held them while they danced.


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## Artfuldodger

Lukikus2 said:


> Silver Springs is still going strong and added a bunch of rides and water slides. Currently they are trying to get the State to buy and run it. I've actually never paid to get in the park but went up in there by boat up the Oklawaha River.


We once went camping at Salt Springs N.F. campground near Ocala. We left I-75 on a shortcut through Fort McCoy on a small road. When we got to the Oklawaha River there was the extremely high bridge over the river which I thought was weird. Well when I got home I researched it's purpose. That section of the river was going to be used for the  Cross Florida Barge Canal project. The project was never finished. 
I've seen pictures of steamboats on the Oklawaha river from the turn of the century. I just thought it was all very interesting.


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## Nicodemus

Artfuldodger said:


> We once went camping at Salt Springs N.F. campground near Ocala. We left I-75 on a shortcut through Fort McCoy on a small road. When we got to the Oklawaha River there was the extremely high bridge over the river which I thought was weird. Well when I got home I researched it's purpose. That section of the river was going to be used for the  Cross Florida Barge Canal project. The project was never finished.
> I've seen pictures of steamboats on the Oklawaha river from the turn of the century. I just thought it was all very interesting.



From about mid 1975 through mid 1977, I practically lived on that river from Little Lake George to the Rodman Dam. In particular, around the mouth of Turpentine Creek. Caught a lot of fish through that stretch. Usually put in at the HWY 19 bridge. 

Drank more than a little red whisky at the Frontier too...


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## olcowman

Nicodemus said:


> What years? I prowled around there up till about 1983. Then I met The Redhead. Only ones I danced with was them purty Ladies. Actually, since I can`t dance, I just held them while they danced.



Good!!! I was bout 10 years after you then... and I had the market cornered on all the great big ol' homely gals... bless their hearts. It got bad on me there towards the end... so bad I had to start hiring me some of them there bullfightin' rodeo clown fellers just make it out the door most friday nights! 

They'd go to throwing dirt on em' and a waving their drawers at em'... directly them ol' gals would gather in a pile (herd?) and go to snorting and blowing snot and a pawing at the ground... once their attention was off my purty self and on them clowns, I'd grab what looked to be the the leastest one of em' and make a break for my pickup! Yeah, I got scars... some you can't see...


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## Hooked On Quack

Artfuldodger said:


> What about "Burger Chef" hamburger joints? I don't remember them and they were second only to Mcdonalds at one time. Here is where they had locations in Georgia.
> http://www.thebawdycloister.com/burger_chef_locations/georgia/
> What about Tastee Freez ice cream parlors? I don't know if we have any of them left in Georgia. We use to stop at Howard Johnson's in Folkston which was a treat with their "28 flavors" of hand dipped ice cream.





I used to eat at the Burger Chef on Riverside drive in Macon all the time !!!

I think there's still a Tastee Freez in Gray, Ga ???


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## Artfuldodger

Hooked On Quack said:


> I used to eat at the Burger Chef on Riverside drive in Macon all the time !!!
> 
> I think there's still a Tastee Freez in Gray, Ga ???



When we lived in Albany and came to Augusta, we would usually eat in Gray. I think the Tastee Freeze was the only fast food place for awhile and then they opened another one but I can't remember. The last one I ate at was in Hazelhurst. 
Augusta now has a Steak & Shake. I would have never thought it would do so well. If I was looking for a franchise I would open one of those somewhere. We also have a new Which Wich Superior Sandwich Shop.


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## Artfuldodger

Nicodemus said:


> From about mid 1975 through mid 1977, I practically lived on that river from Little Lake George to the Rodman Dam. In particular, around the mouth of Turpentine Creek. Caught a lot of fish through that stretch. Usually put in at the HWY 19 bridge.
> 
> Drank more than a little red whisky at the Frontier too...



Did you ever hear of that canal project? I haven't spent much time in the area but my parents used to go fishing at Lake George, Rodman Resvoir, Cresent Lake, and Dead Lake. 
I found this old video of a woman talking about a place they stayed at before the Rodman Dam flooded the spring and it's run to the main river.


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## Nicodemus

Artfuldodger said:


> Did you ever hear of that canal project? I haven't spent much time in the area but my parents used to go fishing at Lake George, Rodman Resvoir, Cresent Lake, and Dead Lake.





The Cross Florida Barge Canal? Yea, I even fished it some, from both sides of the lock. Just about ever time I fished the St. Johns River side, there was always a sea cow with a radio antenna strapped on its her back that hung around the area in the summer. She had a calf with her. In the winter, she would go to the warm water discharge at the power plant in East Palatka. My favorite lake was Crescent, although it could get deadly in late winter.


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## Artfuldodger

olcowman said:


> Good!!! I was bout 10 years after you then... and I had the market cornered on all the great big ol' homely gals... bless their hearts. It got bad on me there towards the end... so bad I had to start hiring me some of them there bullfightin' rodeo clown fellers just make it out the door most friday nights!



Did you ever "Bump" with any of those ladies? I'm talking about on the dance floor. Maybe Nicodemus only thought the ladies were purty. It would depend on what time he attended this club.


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## Nicodemus

Artfuldodger said:


> Did you ever "Bump" with any of those ladies? I'm talking about on the dance floor. Maybe Nicodemus only thought the ladies were purty. It would depend on what time he attended this club.





Only after Bananas western bar closed for the night.


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## olcowman

Artfuldodger said:


> Did you ever "Bump" with any of those ladies? I'm talking about on the dance floor. Maybe Nicodemus only thought the ladies were purty. It would depend on what time he attended this club.



If you weren't careful you'd end up a slamming all over the dance floor like pinball when some of them gals was really 'wound up'... you had to watch and time it right. And I'm purty sure they done something with the lights in that place or maybe they was something in that smoke they'd blow on the dance floor from time to time... something that effected your judgement somehow? 

I know they was a time or two I was sure I was dancing with me a real beauty queen of some sorts, I'm talking country fed barbie doll with most of her teeth and all'... only to get her over to the waffle house a little later and suddenly realize about halfway thru my pecan waffle that I was probably breaking some kinda county ordinance or local health law by having her out in public without a negative coggins test and some paperwork from vetri'nary?


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## Artfuldodger

Nicodemus said:


> Only after Bananas western bar closed for the night.



Monkeys and Bananas: interesting. Since you have a Telfair County connection, have you ever heard of an after hours club in Jacksonville called Homer Boone's? I was on the beach in St. Simons and overheard two guys talking about going their from Brunswick. When I asked them why, they said it was the only after hours place they knew about. I went there in the seventies but it wasn't Homer Boone's then or at least it wasn't popular.


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## olcowman

Artfuldodger said:


> Monkeys and Bananas: interesting. Since you have a Telfair County connection, have you ever heard of an after hours club in Jacksonville called Homer Boone's? I was on the beach in St. Simons and overheard two guys talking about going their from Brunswick. When I asked them why, they said it was the only after hours place they knew about. I went there in the seventies but it wasn't Homer Boone's then or at least it wasn't popular.



I hate to step in here again but ya'll are on a subject I am quite familiar with... beer joints. Is the one you're a talking about in Jax the one where you had to pay 3 or 4 dollars to get a 'card' and become a 'member'? If it is I don't reckon they ever locked the doors to the place... open all night, even served some breakfast sometimes? It didn't never get going to about 1 or 2 in the morning and if you could make it till daylight... they just wasn't no telling what you might see in that little juke joint?

Sorry again...


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## Nicodemus

Never did fool around Jacksonville none. Went to some joint out from Mcrae a time or two. Don`t remember the name of it. Come to think of it, don`t remember much at all...

The Frontier was the roughest place I ever went in other than Hog Valley. Old boy who wasn`t local went in there one night, rumor has it, started some trouble, and they took him off on the scrubs and chained and padlocked his foot to a big pine and left him. Couple of years later he was identified by his dental records, after some hunter found his bones and the chain. So the legend goes.


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## Ruger#3

Whataburgers are awesome, Russelville,AR had one. A regular stop on the way to turkey hunting or trout fishing.

Big Boy restaurants were Shoneys in the south and Manners when we drove up north.


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## MudDucker

Artfuldodger said:


> Growing up in Douglas, WALB was the only network station we could receive. I remeber Captain Mercury and for some reason Southern Maid bacon and Frosty Morn ham & sausage. I also remember Gil Patrick and Ducky Wall.




Oh my, we are going back.  I was on Capt' Mercury as a kid and then there was another show we went to in Tallahassee on Ch 6.  I don't think it lasted very long.  Willy the weatherman played his organ and smoked his pipe. 

How about Fernadina ... used to an old skating rink just off the beach and a go cart track/mini golf right next to it.  That was about all of the entertainment over there then.


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## Milkman

some mentioned Frontierland in Cherokee NC.  It was located at the current site of the Casino.  I remember going there as a kid back when Fess Parker's  show about Daniel Boone was big.  They sold coon skin caps.  I think daddy bought 3 for me and my brothers. Man I hadnt thought of that in 50 years.

We did Ghost town, the indian village in old town Cherokee, some sort of cavern things between there and Chattanooga.  And who can forget See Rock City and Ruby Falls.  They are still in business after many decades.

Good thread


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## Artfuldodger

Milkman said:


> some mentioned Frontierland in Cherokee NC.  It was located at the current site of the Casino.  I remember going there as a kid back when Fess Parker's  show about Daniel Boone was big.  They sold coon skin caps.  I think daddy bought 3 for me and my brothers. Man I hadnt thought of that in 50 years.
> 
> We did Ghost town, the indian village in old town Cherokee, some sort of cavern things between there and Chattanooga.  And who can forget See Rock City and Ruby Falls.  They are still in business after many decades.
> 
> Good thread



Every year we went to Cherokee, my brothers and me would by a coon skin hat and ankle bells.


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## Lukikus2

Nicodemus said:


> Never did fool around Jacksonville none. Went to some joint out from Mcrae a time or two. Don`t remember the name of it. Come to think of it, don`t remember much at all...
> 
> The Frontier was the roughest place I ever went in other than Hog Valley. Old boy who wasn`t local went in there one night, rumor has it, started some trouble, and they took him off on the scrubs and chained and padlocked his foot to a big pine and left him. Couple of years later he was identified by his dental records, after some hunter found his bones and the chain. So the legend goes.



Frontier is still there and I've been in a few times. Not sure if I would have if I had known that story. Yeh. I still would. 

Crazy how no one has mentioned Opryland. Probably went there 15 times when I was a kid. We would alternate between Six Flags and Opryland every year. Enjoyed that place. Even saw the Grand Ole Opry one night. We were about six rows back. Tammy Wynette and George Jones was on stage with more I can't remember. Good times.


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## Artfuldodger

Lukikus2 said:


> Frontier is still there and I've been in a few times. Not sure if I would have if I had known that story. Yeh. I still would.
> 
> Crazy how no one has mentioned Opryland. Probably went there 15 times when I was a kid. We would alternate between Six Flags and Opryland every year. Enjoyed that place. Even saw the Grand Ole Opry one night. We were about six rows back. Tammy Wynette and George Jones was on stage with more I can't remember. Good times.



I never went to Opryland. My family went after I left home. As Briarpatch mentioned, there was a country music opry house at Holiday Beach in Douglas. They had some top name country singers at the time.


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## killswitch

Someone mentioned the Arctic Bear rest. on S. Slappey in Albany.............how  'bout the Quickie Drive In rest. on  N. Slappey.


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## grunt0331

olcowman said:


> When we was kids the only thing like a vacation we ever had was a day or two camping on blankets in the truck bed in the Smokies that would usually include a side trip to some place called 'Santa Land'... don't remember much about it? We was purty bad off I reckon?
> 
> I did make my wife stop and spend most of a day on our honeymoon at Tom Mann's Fish World down in Eufaula... spent a couple of hours talking to Mr Tom and got some of pictures with him. My wife to this day still doesn't comprehend that we spent the afternoon following our wedding on 'hallowed ground'... bless her heart!



I remember Santa Land. Went there as a kid.  It was still open on 1998.  My wife and I stopped there on our honeymoon so she could see the goats.

Went to Ghost Town a time or two as well.  Seemed like we always went to the mountains for vacation.


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## Artfuldodger

MudDucker said:


> How about Fernadina ... used to an old skating rink just off the beach and a go cart track/mini golf right next to it.  That was about all of the entertainment over there then.



I remember skating in Fernadina. The min-golf also had buried trampolines. You could drive onto the beach in front of the skating rink. We used to camp on the beach at Peter's Point when we got old enough to drive. Did some family camping at Fort Clinch. We walked down the beach from Ft. Clinch to the Mini-golf area. We would also walk down the beach to cottages rented by adult beverage buying friends and dance the night away.


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## TNGIRL

Milkman said:


> some mentioned Frontierland in Cherokee NC.  It was located at the current site of the Casino.  I remember going there as a kid back when Fess Parker's  show about Daniel Boone was big.  They sold coon skin caps.  I think daddy bought 3 for me and my brothers. Man I hadnt thought of that in 50 years.
> 
> We did Ghost town, the indian village in old town Cherokee, some sort of cavern things between there and Chattanooga.  And who can forget See Rock City and Ruby Falls.  They are still in business after many decades.
> 
> Good thread



Last time my family went to Ghost Town In The Sky in NC, my son dared me to ride the trolley up the side of the moutain, with him. While my "not scared husband and rest of the family" drove a car up there.......That was early 90's. I remember when I was young and everyone stopped in Cherokee to take a picture with the Indian Chief who sat in front of a store there. Guess my best memory was driving over Lookout Mt headed northwest to Ks (my Mom was from Lawrence)and we'd start seeing the "you need to stop at Pete's" signs. For half a mile you'd see them on the side of the road. Suddenly there was Pete's Tourist Shop (which my Daddy NEVER stopped at) then all the signs past would say..."now you've done it, you've past Pete's!" My older brother and I talked about those car rides recently...funny how the memories have become more fun the older we are.
And we still love Rock City, Ruby Falls,The Lost Sea Cavern, Cumberland Cavern and Tuckaleechee Cavern, the Incline Railway, Lake Winne and Chickamauga Battlefield Park....


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## Lightnrod

What about the Eat-A-Plenty on the corner of Lumpkin and Peach Orchard in Augusta? Very best footlong chili dog you could get! Also the old Sears building on Walton Way, thought that was the biggest store in the world and rode that escalator a million times.


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## Buster

DCM161 said:


> I spent many summers skating and swimming at jaybird springs. My wife worked there when we were teenagers.  Also spent alot of time swimming at the mill pond and adam's springs outside of Rhine.



I have caught a lot of fish from the millpond--- many years ago.


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## LTZ25

How about Misty Waters on Candler rd.
Glenwood Springs on Glenwood rd. both swimming places.
.10 cent  Krystal's , .39 Whoppers (  when they were big)
.24 cent gas. 
Atlanta and Dekalb were great places for family's .


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## drtyTshrt

Chicos Monkey Farm outside Richmond Hill Ga. Hwy 17?

How about the Via Duc coming from North Augusta that would make you feel like you were losing you stomache and weightless.

I ate at What-a-Burger on Walton Way.

The Town House Restaurant on 301 outside Sylvania?
Remember them cinniamon rolls?
We (my wife and I) ended up buying that place and turned it into Honeys, I always liked Shoneys and she became Honey.


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## Artfuldodger

drtyTshrt said:


> Chicos Monkey Farm outside Richmond Hill Ga. Hwy 17?
> 
> How about the Via Duc coming from North Augusta that would make you feel like you were losing you stomache and weightless.
> 
> I ate at What-a-Burger on Walton Way.
> 
> The Town House Restaurant on 301 outside Sylvania?
> Remember them cinniamon rolls?
> We (my wife and I) ended up buying that place and turned it into Honeys, I always liked Shoneys and she became Honey.



I do remember Chicos Monkey Farm on hwy 17. I used to stop at Stuckeys on Hwy 144 & I 95 after traveling through Ft. Stewart. Man that intersection sure has changed. The Stuckeys was the only store there in the seventies.


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## Mossy78

Anybody remember Coleman's Lake in Midville?
Use to love to go there with the parents & grandparents and hear the stories of how it was when they were kids.
Got closed down not to long ago, but I hear new owners are remodeling and reopening soon.
I too miss the What-a-burger on Walton Way, but the Olde Time is close second.


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