Around Town
Michael on the Map By Michael Detrick
I
n this series I will be traveling to the towns of northeastern Georgia and western North and South Carolina, sharing my adventures and discoveries as I meet the locals who make up the area. Hop in my Jeep and let’s hit the road! Take 4: Clarkesville This past month in our pocket of the country, according to the highly valuable “Georgia’s 12 Seasons” table (which a Google search can provide for you), we found ourselves somewhere in the midst of “Spring of Deception” and “Third Winter”. Mother Nature – per typical temperament of the first quarter of the year – found herself confused, indecisive, unsettled. It was 75 degrees in mid-March, and then snowed later that week. Calm, blue, sunny skies again turned white and so windy our tin roof served as an overhead gong. This deposit of snow was far from enough to fashion Frosty, and the weather again leveled out to a more comfortable climate as your weekend nomad set out on my travels. I had some places in mind as I jumped in the Jeep with Echo and the Bunnymen (these are not friends of mine – unfortunately – but another one of my favorite bands) and headed the 38 miles south to the town of Clarkesville. With a population of 1,800 residents, the seat of Habersham County was founded in 1823 and named in honor of former Governor of Georgia General John C. Clarke, who was the son of former Revolutionary War general Elijah Clarke. Located on the south side of the Soque River (known for its outstanding fly-fishing), Clarkesville was originally the first of the major resort towns of Northeast Georgia, and today boasts one of the most charmingly picturesque Main Street downtown squares found anywhere. 74 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - April 2022
