Thursday, April 8, 2010

Shooting and Eating Gator by Jenny

I know what you’re thinking…you have to have special permits to hunt gator. Well when the Georgia Traveler crew shoots something we use a camera not a gun.

The trip began like any other…hopping in our Suburu Outback and driving the many miles to our next destination. David Z., Shane (photographer) and I (field producer) headed south on I-75 on what promised to be an exciting festival weekend.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous which put us all in good moods. We took a wrong turn in McRae and ended up going through Douglas and Pearson, Georgia. Sometimes wrong turns end up adding time and misery to our trips but driving through Douglas and Pearson was a wonderful experience.

Once we arrived in Waycross…home of the Swampfest, we checked into the hotel. The hotel the attendant excitedly told us that we would be rooming in the same hotel as the folks from the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show. We had already planned on shooting their show so we were happy that we would be staying at the same place!

We met up with Regina at the festival and things got busy. We shot a lot Friday including the Lumberjack Show and the Okefenokee Joe Show, both were very entertaining. The smell of fair food filled the air which made all three of us very hungry. David Z. tried gator on a stick and washed it down with a turkey leg that had been calling his name since our arrival. I wolfed down a hotdog but only because I could eat it and walk at the same time. We finished our shooting for the day by enjoying a live concert by Just June a local band from Moultrie, Georgia.

The next morning we headed out bright and early to the Okefenokee Swamp Park to film their most famous resident. Oscar the alligator is no longer swimming the dark waters but his bones are on display in the welcome center. After the Swamp Park the crew drove back to Swampfest to capture the competitions and the trains going through town. We succeeded at one but failed miserably at the other. We first tried to film trains going by the Train Depot…after a half hour of waiting for a train to come we reluctantly left to shoot the first competition of the day, the Dilly Bar Eating contest. Our timing could not have been worse…as soon as we began filming the kids eating Dilly Bars a train rolled by the depot!

After the children’s Dilly Bar Eating contest, Regina asked David if he would like to compete in the hotdog eating contest…after much prodding David agreed to compete. I was a little worried about him competing but he did just fine. He did not win but he did not get sick either. I count that as a win in our book, especially since he was only one hot dog off the winner…not too shabby for no warm up. There was one other competition, the coke chugging contest for both children and adults. I was very impressed to see a person guzzle a 2 liter coke in less than 2 minutes.

Many fun times at Swampfest, too many to write in one blog but the Georgia Traveler crew had an exciting time…we even ran into Lee and Bryce from the Lumberjack Show at breakfast in the hotel!

All I know is that April in the swamp is a wonderful time whether you’re visiting the alligators or the Swampfest.

* Swampfest is an annual festival held each year in Waycross, Georgia.
































Monday, March 22, 2010

A nice Saturday in Dublin (Part II)

Here's David shooting a stndup outside before the parade...





Sunday, March 21, 2010

A nice Saturday in Dublin (Part I)

The GT team enjoying the parade.
Yesterday, David Z. and the crew had a great time in Dublin! They headed home full of corned beef and cabbage, green funnel cakes and a wicked sunburn proving spring has arrived! Back in Atlanta, crew member Zeleika, heard that the best solution for a sunburn is the Irish grandmother's cure: black tea. Brew it, place it in the fridge and then apply it to the burned area...a nice remedy for the hot Georgia sun!





Friday, March 19, 2010

David enjoying his lunch at Barron's in Baxley.


Barron's is located about 4 South of Atlanta. Don't miss out on their daily specials!



Thursday, March 18, 2010

McRae by David Z.


Made it to McRae right when the storms hit...so disapointing that the storms have caused early closings in some locations but they'll be back open bright and early tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Most romantic travel destinations in Georgia: to you?




Hey Georgia Traveler fans. We want to know what you think are the most romantic travel destinations in Georgia. That’s right, the entire peach state! Indoors or outdoors. Tell us where and why the atmosphere is amazing. Was it a Bed and Breakfast located high in the mountains with breathtaking views? A beautiful resort... on the coast? A luxury hotel or a secluded wine-country retreat? Maybe a horseback riding adventure? You be the judge. We’d love to hear from you. Comment @ gatraveler@gpb.org or post your reply right here!






Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Chateau Élan (Part II)


The word 'élan' is synonymous with...flair, style, confidence, and elegance.
At Chateau Elan in Braselton, that's exactly what I found. And, it starts when you turn into the driveway featuring views that are expansive and welcoming.
From the team of valets at the front door of the Chateau, all the way up in the form of CEO and President Henk Evers who waited to greet the Georgia Traveler team personally.
Nearly everyone at Chateau Élan is international. We met staff from The Netherlands , Ireland , Germany , and Turkey . There’s also a great group of locals who work there.
We were shown a corner suite. Wowza, wowza, wowza! The bathroom … to die for, including a snowy white bathrobe that is a serious snuggle draw. The bed … a decadent treat for body and mind. Both suite and bath were festooned with red and white rose petals, a special package for couples.
Anyway, enough of this drooling. You simply must visit this place for yourself. While there, check out Paddy’s. It’s an Irish Pub built in Ireland , disassembled and rebuilt in Braselton. Even the staff is Irish.
And, don’t forget The Spa at Chateau Élan for relaxing and unwinding. It even smells good in The Spa, which has its own kitchen. Oh yeah … the menu at The Spa features the carb count of your favorite foods!
International award winning chef Marc Suennemann made lunch for us, featuring seared sea scallops, white asparagus, truffles, fingerling potatoes and pork tenderloin. Chef Marc was kind enough to make my appetizer and lunch diet friendly. Desert was chocolate molten cake a la mode. (Okay, I had one bite. Who could resist?) A white chocolate cigarillo accompanied this homemade confection. UMMMM! BTW: Chef Marc is a dream to work with and his team offers cooking classes.
If there’s one drawback to this place, it’s that the gift shops stock too many gorgeous little things, which beg you to ‘pick me, pick me.’ As a self-confessed shop-a-holic, it was all too much for me to resist. But, then whoever said shopping is a bad thing?