From the Editor

ON THE COVER

Dream Ride

At age 81, George Dudley cycled from the southernmost tip of Florida to the northernmost point in Maine with his wife, Judy, as his support team. Photo by Kathryn Bell Design by Connor Martin-Lively II often feel like my job is that of a treasure hunter, searching for hidden gems across 810 square miles of Shelby County. And there’s certainly plenty of treasure to be found here!

Take, for example, the Fitts family, who I found posting about their adventures living full-time as a family of four in their renovated RV. Not only was I quickly intrigued by their journey to RV life, but I was also wowed by the pretty bright and white interior of their home-onthe-road. And it just so happened it all started in Helena. Another Instagram find of mine was Klint Rhodes aka @ten42photo, whose images of policing after dark, K-9s and nighttime landscapes drew me in. I reached out and verified his location was a fit, and he and I set out to create a photo essay of his images, starting with the backstory on his photography and how he wants to document the experience for his fellow officers to have in the future and to shed light on work that few people see. Yet another key to treasure hunting is having lots of eyes and ears in the community to share what’s going on, and I’m so glad Sasha Johns, who is a columnist for our sister publication the Shelby County Reporter, told me about George Dudley’s cycling trip from the southernmost tip of Florida to the northernmost point in Maine and suggested it was worthy of a magazine story. As it turns out, it made a great cover story as well! We are always on the lookout for artists, new eateries, and outsidethe-box sports and school stories, which you will also find in pages ahead, and we’d always love to hear your ideas for what people and places in the county we should feature as you meet folks around you with rich stories to tell. Also in this issue we are starting a new travel feature, Hit the Road, that spotlights destinations within driving distance or a direct flight from Shelby County/BHM that you’ll find in four issues each year going forward, and we are kicking it off with a look at fun ways to rediscover Gatlinburg. Be sure to check that out as well. Thanks for reading, and here’s to hoping fall weather arrives before this issue is too old!

madoline.markham@shelbyliving.com