Small towns can have enormous civic pride, and I believe it often reveals itself in the form of public art. When a town cares enough to pay artists to paint murals in key places or create sculptures representing unity, deep moral values or the lives of deeply-loved members of the community, it says a lot. These works and objects provide beauty, evoke imagination, cause a chuckle, inspire and help to educate residents and visitors who come to their towns. In June of 2018, Ms.

When you arrive in Cartersville, a parking spot near the depot will have you within easy walking distance of the Bartow History Museum, Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville’s Photo Fence, Friendship Plaza and Fence of Fame and a lovely specialty shop called Olive Tree and Vine. But, even better, you will be near five exceptional restaurants that would love to serve you. TABLE 20 – 20 North Wall Street Executive Chef Chris Lyons is responsible for a dish (Georgia trout) incl

I’ve written about Cartersville sights, eats and attractions here, here and here. Now I’d like to share three more that make a visit to the area interesting and enlightening. GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER PARK and PINE ACRES RETREAT George Washington Carver Park on Lake Allatoona was established in 1950 as the first state park for African Americans in Georgia. This beautiful 345-acre property includes a manmade beach, picnic facilities, fishing docks, a boat ramp, playgrounds and

Men and boys, listen up! This is a museum you will LOVE!! Cowboys and Indians, horses and calf-ropers are everywhere! As a matter of fact, the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia contains the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the entire United States. If you grew up watching Gunsmoke, Wyatt Earp, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Bonanza, Gene Autrey or movies such as “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” this place is for you. The paintings, sculptures

Growing up as a Southern Baptist and continuing in that denomination for almost 70 years now, I thought I knew a lot about Lottie Moon. But, last week I learned she has a strong tie to Cartersville, Georgia and that the townspeople are very proud of their connection to her. Within a few minutes of my time with a group of writers and tourism representatives in Cartersville, the person most closely tied to the town said, “Is anyone here a Baptist?” My quick response was, “Yes,

Before last week, the only time I’d heard about Cartersville, Georgia was when my daughter who lives in Rome, Georgia said, “That’s where we go to shop at Target.” Needless to say, that meant my knowledge was practically non-existent. Everything changed when I had a chance to explore the town and pretty much all of Bartow County with several fellow travel writers and people familiar with the attractions of Cartersville. As a result, you can anticipate several posts about vari