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local private donors via MidTown Inc. The park is designed to retain all healthy trees and will be totally free
and open to the public when it opens fully in January.
Jekyll Island In 1928 the Great Dunes golf course
Athens For forty years Dexter Weaver and his Athens
restaurant, Weaver D’s, have been an institution in the
northeast Georgia college town. But at age 72 Weaver
is hanging up the chef’s apron and putting his iconic
eating establishment up for sale. Weaver D’s has been
a favorite of UGA students and Athens residents alike
for generations, and its catchphrase hanging above
the restaurant— “Automatic for the People”— was
immortalized by the R.E.M. album of the same name
in the 1990s. As the classic meat-and-three restaurant
prepares to close its doors, hopefully a new owner
will somehow manage to keep the spirit of Weaver D’s
alive, serving good food, consistently and with care.
Claxton With a population of only 2,600, this Evans
County city in southeast Georgia has a unique claim
to fame. You can see it right on the water tower as you
drive into town: “Claxton, Georgia: Fruitcake Capital of
the World.” For more than a century the world-famous
Claxton fruitcake has been made at the Claxton Bakery
by Albert Parker, his children and now grandchildren,
relying on the pops of cherry and pineapple paired
with the earthy tones of Georgia pecans, all in a pound
cake batter that make it a classic, and in this case historic, holiday dessert.
Columbus The city continues to build its reputation as
a premier destination for adventure sports with the
groundbreaking of a children’s bicycle playground inside Dinglewood Park. The MidTown Children’s Bicycle
Playground will feature trails, obstacles and a unique
‘pump track’ that will offer children and teens a place
to learn and practice the basics of mountain biking.
Designed by the International Mountain Biking Association, the park is a one-of-a-kind destination within
the Chattahoochee Valley region, and was funded by
opened on Jekyll, a piece of exclusive, Gilded Age beauty
built for tycoons like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts
who wintered on the Georgia coast. Between the Great
Depression and World War II the course fell into disrepair, but nearly a century later it is finally reopening to
the public following an extensive reconstruction process that preserves the original design of legendary golf
course architect Walter Travis. The reinvigorated Great
Dunes is an 18-hole, 7,014-yard course, marked by its famous sand dunes, animal sightings and sweeping views
of the Atlantic Ocean. Local officials expect the course
to bolster Jekyll’s reputation as a golfing destination,
rivaling that of nearby St. Simons and Sea Island.
Newnan The historic Dunaway Gardens will serve as
host of the 2026 Sundance Institute Episodic Lab,
a prestigious week-long program that connects upand-coming film and TV writers with experienced
showrunners, producers and executives to help make
connections that serve as a springboard into the
entertainment industry. Traditionally held in Park
City, Utah, Dunaway Gardens was chosen as the new
home of the institute thanks to its scenic natural and
creative setting; 22-acres of terraced gardens, tranquil
paths and a famous, 700-seat outdoor amphitheater
that serves as the heart of the garden’s artistic legacy.
Sea Island It makes sense that Georgia’s most exclusive barrier island is home to the most expensive
home sale in state history. It’s the former home of
the iconic, late architect John Portman which closed
at $30 million. Portman’s projects like the Peachtree
Center and Hyatt Regency define Atlanta’s skyline to
this day, but the beachfront home he designed in 1986
and stayed in his family up until this sale was one of
his most personal works. Dubbed Entelechy II, the
mansion is filled with glass facades that blur the lines
between inside and outside, and water features stream
throughout. The sale broke the previous record of $27
million, set by another glitzy Sea Island home known
for hosting presidents, dignitaries and CEOs.
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@jamesmagazinega.com
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