Georgia Traveler; 611

This week, it's the best of Georgia Traveler Season 6. We begin this episode with Ashley at the historic Greatfield Inn, a secluded Cumberland Island escape with luxurious amenities. If we set our imagination loose with Michelle at Lego Land in Atlanta, where you can take on the rides and build your own Lego masterpiece. Then we're off to the Durham Town Plantation, a hunting plantation in Union Point that's evolved into the country's largest ATV and dirt bike playground. We joined Bruce and Somerville to explore the iconic folk art wonderland that is Howard Fenster's Paradise Garden, then Journey to Noah's Ark, an amazing animal sanctuary in Locust Grove where lions, tigers, and bears live and play together. Next, we joined Parker at the world's largest old car junkyard, its acres and acres of iconic

automobiles at Old Car City, USA, and white Georgia. And it's time to feast with chef Marvin Woods and pizza my strogeobani de Palma at Antico in Atlanta. All that more in the next, Georgia Traveler. We begin this week's journey at the Greyfield Inn, a historic landmark surrounded by wild horses unrivaled natural beauty and run for generations by the Carnegie family. Take a look around at this landscape flourishing in wild abandoned, like the Rose, Walden

Pond, Yates's Innisfree, and Scarlet's Terra. This land is Georgia's muse, an historic and legendary barrier island in Camden County by the name of Cumberland. Established in 1972 as a national seashore, visitor traveled to breathtaking Cumberland Island as regulated daily, but you're welcome to take the 40 minute ferry ride over from Fernandina Beach, Florida. And stay a while. We know just the place. Back into the early 1900s, the Greyfield Inn has all the charm and whimsy of a family estate. That's because it was and is one. And keeper Midi Ferguson is a fifth generation descendant of the renowned Carnegie family. My grandmother always said this place would become more and more unique every day and we didn't pay much heed to that, but she was indeed right. Dinner at the Greyfield Inn is a true southern affair. The cocktail hour each evening flows into a fresh, inspired meals served at a table with

like-minded guests. Your Greyfield tablemates are more kin than stranger by meals end. This was the finest home-cooked meal I'd ever tasted. We tried it in the last three years, used our garden as much as we can, farmed a table so to speak. It's a really particular on the food. Also to appreciate on a full stomach are the comfortable accommodations here, 17 plush rooms with history and antique flair, starting with the master suite. Family portraits hang prominently above a king-sized bed, entering the bathroom and original claw-footed tub beckons. But downstairs in the common areas, a treasure trove of family heirlooms are waiting to steal your attention. Up outside the Greyfield into a setting so serene and idyllic, you'll think you're standing at the dawn of time. There are always the usual suspects indigenous to any island ecosystem, butterflies over

60 bird species, and sea critters. You can walk with the animals, talk with the animals, the crowning glory of the Greyfield experience is an encounter with the horses. You'll have to pinch yourself after enjoying each rare experience outdoors, leaving you to wonder, can this place belong to us? After all? Where land meets sea along 21 miles of windswept, undeveloped beach, you feel the pulse of this beautiful island as if it were your own. Bidding the Greyfield and its sprawling beachfront setting farewell is the hardest part of this journey, but any guest of MIDI and Mary Ferguson will tell you. After this retreat, you'll be forever changed.

What's the world where imagination is showcased block by block? Let's join Michelle at the Lego Land Discovery Center in Atlanta. Atlanta's Lego Land Discovery Center is one of seven Lego attractions around the world and one of four in the United States. It's a fun adventure for kids of all ages. My daughter Delaney and I spent a wonderful afternoon trying just about everything. Wow! This is amazing! Yeah! Oh my look! When you first enter our attraction, you'll find the factory tour in which someone can learn about how they produce a Lego brick. As the master model builder, Joshua Bond is familiar with every inch of these creations. I am the guy that gets to build everything. A major attraction, Mini Land, offers a whole lot of Atlanta landmarks in not a lot

of space. And these were all built out of Lego? Yes, every single piece here is all made entirely out of Lego. A serious Lego lover has the job of managing all this. And we have everything from the Peachtree Towers, the Western Hotel, the Bank of America, the tallest building in the entire site. The Mayfair apartments and those luxurious apartments are over it by Pete Maapar, and of course our state caper had to be in our thing. We have Martin Luther King's grave site, his birthplace home, and Ebay's are back as churches right here. And then of course we gave everything from Margaret Mitchell's own home. That's over there on 10th Street, right at Peachtree. Fire section number six, which is down by Sweet Alvin Avenue. We even go all the way out to the outskirts of Atlanta. You have the King and the Queen building. We have our Georgia aquarium. As you see here, we do have our Fox Theatre. Right here, we have our Stone Mountain carving made entirely out of Lego. We have our very own Turner Field. How does this work? It's in the Legoland Discovery Center. You'll find several hands-on projects, several which you can see behind me. Of course, one of our main ones is our race and builder test test track.

This is where everybody including your mommy, your daddy, your grandma can come and build a car. Once you build it, you grind it down on one of our mini test tracks that we have. It's like a pretty popular spot. It is an extremely popular spot. Everybody likes to come and race their cars. Sometimes I see daddy try to outdo their funs. But they've been in like a pretty early area with all these peak islands. Yes, it is our very early areas. We've actually called our Lego Frins areas, just in the girls, peeping purple Legos. You can play hopscotch. You've got a tree house, and of course, we have our karaoke. Look at the girls here. We love it there. We also have the Master Builder Academy where we do different projects on a weekly basis to teach the skills necessary to one day become a Master Model Builder. So what do we have all these here, this looks exciting. Right here, these are our earthquake tables. This is where mom and dad and daughter and son can take our dupe of blocks and build a tallest tower they possibly can and test to see if our work stands on our earthquake. Press the button. All right, now move the knob, move the knob over. Most times, kids and grown-ups have to accompany each other.

But the Discovery Center offers events for the adult Lego lovers too. We offer an adult night on a second Thursday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. We're in one of two rides offered here at Lego Land, Maryland's Apprentice. This magical ride allows guests to pedal their way to the skies to become the Wizard's Top Apprentice. Do you want to become the Wizard's Top Apprentice? Yes. Me too. Let's go. We have a great time at Atlanta's Lego Land Discovery Center. I think Delaney sums it up pretty well. I want to do that again. You do. I bet you do. A lot of fun. Let's now rev up our engines in Union Point and hit the over 150 miles of motor cross trails at Durantown Plantation. Dirt trails and motor cross. Over 150 miles of trails make it the largest course in the entire U.S. Over 30,000 total acres, 8,000 dedicated to recreation. Over the years, we have been we-called it being harassed by ATVers and dirt bikers,

born and rattle, and I'm probably in. We were in hunting and the two do not mix by any means. So your season is over, January 1st. Let's let these guys come rise. And on January 1st, 2002, we had about 100 riders show up. We just thought, wow, this is just unbelievable. And from there, the Durantown Motorbike and ATV crazed began. So it was time for me to suit up for the trails of Durantown. That'll have much experience on two wheels, but I have done a little on four. Four is a little easier for the beginner. Absolutely. All right. Thank you, Cara. You're doing your own riding gear if you want, but there's a pro shop and rental shop on site. And just like a ski resort, they set you up with boots, pads, and a helmet. Feel like a super hero. This is cool. It feels good. And off I went. And again, like skiing, you start off slow and easy. And once you get the hang of it. There are nine motocross tracks on the property from the Peewee track,

with a little one up to the professional track for professional racing. We have a drag strip from hill climbers to playing in the mud, the high speed racing. We designed it like six waggs, where everything's nine in one location. We made these entertainment areas. And when Mike mentioned driving in the mud, I didn't realize he was talking about a swamp. OK, so there's a lot of water here, too. Mike's telling me when I see it, just drive through. He's like a doll getting out of a bat to get to go shake it off, barely. I'll drive through whatever Lake River he throws it. So I came for the ATV adventures, but just watching the talent on the motorcycle courses was worth a visit of its own.

The trails have expanded through the years, offering beginner and advanced rides, same with the motocross courses. You can bring the entire family forward getaway, offering relaxing overnight accommodations, by allowing the hunting and the riding on the same facility, which is a hurdle. I started noticing that the more more families were coming. So ride in the daytime, spend the night in the cabins, and wake up the next day, ready to tackle a brand new adventure in the woods. Drive or wet. It's now time to explore Howard Finster's Paradise Garden. Let's join Bruce and Journey through this folk art masterpiece in Somerville. I took the pieces you threw away, put them together by night and day, washed by rain, dried by sun, the million pieces all in one. The words are those of Howard Finster, one of the most acclaimed folk artists in the world, and they perfectly describe his signature creation, Paradise Garden,

Northwest Georgia, just outside Somerville. You enter a whole another world here. This site is utilitarian objects that came from locally around here, the Howard Finster, transformed by assemblage, and created a place of contemplation. And there is much to contemplate. So this is the World Folk Art Chapel. This is a building that Howard built as his envisionment, what you would see when you went to heaven. Howard Finster had visions, a former preacher who felt called to spread the word with his creations. I mean, what do you do if you have a car that's just been total by a drunk driver? Well, you give it to Howard Finster, and he puts in Paradise Garden, and he paints a sermon about why you shouldn't drive drunk. But most of Finster's work has a lighter, more whimsical touch, like his beloved coat bottles. He made a lot of these, the object of his art, and, apparently, the object of his affection. I think it kept him moving. It was almost like jet fuel. Chittuga County bought the property and set up the nonprofit foundation

to restore and preserve Finster's legacy, and to make it available to folk art fans worldwide. It is since won the honor of being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Finster died in 2001. I had the privilege of meeting Howard Finster back in the early 90s when I came here to do a story on him and his art. I remember asking him, what is art? He looked at me kind of funny and said, art is something like this. It's two and a half acres of stuff, cast off objects that Finster turned into art. He threw nothing away. So you can see here all the art supplies, all of his sharpies, all of his paint pans. And the one-time bicycle repairman didn't throw away bikes either. So here is the famous bicycle sculpture. This is this mound of bicycle parts was at one time a maze. As you can see here on this wall, he actually had wired it together,

so it had a whole room inside of it that was just completely encased with bicycle parts. That was a thousand dollars. I just defaced the art. His art environment here is really knit to inspire. So it's wonderful for people to come here and wander through the garden because there's all these messages that Howard put in place that are still here and it was his envisement to other worlds. Still to come on the Best of Season 6, Georgia Traveler, we journey to the land of Noah's Ark, an amazing animal sanctuary in Locust Grove where lions, tigers, and bears live and play together. Next, it's the world's largest old car junkyard. It's acres and acres of iconic automobiles and unique pint-sized art at Old Car City, USA in White Georgia. And meet the pizza maestro of Atlanta. We fire up the ovens at Antico

and bake the finest pizza pie this side of Naples. Georgia Traveler, Best of Season 6, will be back in 30 seconds. Welcome back to Georgia Traveler, Best of Season 6. We're off to Noah's Ark and Locust Grove where lions, tigers, and bears have lived together in the same habitat. There's a magical place where lions, tigers, and bears lived together in perfect harmony. And no, we're not in Kansas anymore.

Enter the wonderful world of Noah's Ark in Locust Grove, Georgia. This family-run sanctuary takes care of exotic animals from lions of the African savanna to the brilliant macaules of the Amazon rainforest nearly every continent on Earth is represented. We have 120 acres that are open to the public. It's open from nine to four before the habitat opens. So at the welcome center you can walk around and see birds and some monkeys, alligators, giant tortoises. And then when the habitat opens at noon, we have 81 acres up here. And they're paved trails. You know, you can just come here and, in a sense, turn the kids loose. And we have a huge playground that they can play on too. The philosophy at Noah's Ark is rescue and rehab first, creating a comfortable environment for the animal. We're not a zoo. We're a sanctuary first and foremost for these animals. We don't charge any mission. We ask for a donation. Allison and the crew show love for every new orphan feeding them high-quality food. So it's raw pot roast for Leo the lion and an omnivorous diet of fresh melon and steak for Baloo, the bear.

Who both, of course, share a cage with ShareCon, the tiger, setting the stage for the park's main attraction. The BLT are bear, lion, and tiger. They are all neutered males. They're 11 years old this year. They all live in habitat together. They play together. They eat together. And they sleep together. And they love to be on camera. And they love the public to come out and visit them. Unless you come in the heat of the day and the summer, you almost always see all three of them. Baloo, the bear is definitely the dominant one. Hands down, especially during food time. Baloo is very easygoing, but he will step up and assert his authority over them. Leo the lion is just so laid back. He, most of the time, can be found, lounging on his porch. His sleep's at least 15 hours a day. And ShareCon, the tiger, is definitely the little trouble maker. So it's really neat. They all have really cool, different personalities. It's fun to watch. And the BLT combo is not an oddity around these parts. Meet Doc and Anne, another bear tiger match made in heaven. And is doing something that a lot of baby bear cubs do

when they nurse. It's also kind of just like a comfort behavior. And so she's sucking on Doc's ear. She doesn't pull any hair out. It doesn't hurt it. Doc the tiger doesn't seem to mind it off. So just kind of lay there and Anne will suck on one ear for a while and then swap to the other and swap back. And it shall be done. And surprisingly, even though Anne, the bear is smaller, it's definitely the boss. As you stroll the grounds of Noah's Ark, you'll notice this wide variety of animals from bison and llamas to ostrich and lemurs are living in comfortable, less restricted quarters. But as always, visitor safety is still number one. It's always done very safe. I love the animals, but human safety is definitely number one. I think once people come to the property, you'll kind of feel the love that we have here, you know, for our family and for the animals. And it's just hard to describe it until you've actually come out to Noah's Ark. Now off to Old Car City, USA and White Georgia,

a junkyard that has turned into an international destination for artists, photographers and classic car lovers. Whether you're a classic car enthusiast or a gear head, everyone agrees that cars are art and beauty. It's in the eye of the beholder at Old Car City, USA, the world's largest known Old Car junkyard. If your average Old Car junkyard is where hunks of junk go to die, then Old Car City is where aging beauties go to be reborn. This junkyard jungle in White Georgia has more than 4,000 vehicles scattered over 34 acres. We call it art nature and history, yeah. Dean Lewis inherited the family business from his dad 30 years ago. I remember when I had like two or three cars. I kept accumulating. And then seven years later I got thinking,

you know, one day these cars are going to be real rare and it's going to be a show place rather than a sales place. And that's really why it turned into it. A show place where Mother Nature now has a starring role, intertwining her tapestry of vines and embroidered cloaks of leaves among the rust and the chrome. And car lovers can venture inside the Old Car City Museum where Dean showcases his personal collection of classic cars, including Elvis Presley's last known ride, a 1977 Lincoln Continental. The museum and miles of trails can be toured throughout the week. Old Car City's primary source of revenue comes from photographers who travel here from all over the world. What do you think is different now about cars today? There's not the lines are different. They're not as in my opinion, they're just not as sexy. We're back in the 50s, 60s, 70s. Well, they're plastic now where they was heavy metal. If the trails of Old Car City could talk, what tales they would tell. But Dean is more than just a car guy

and a trailblazer of rusted Americana. He's also an artist with the most unusual medium. I usually do different things anyway. There's a cut and I started drawing on it. I can't remember, but it was different. Nobody did. So I started drawing on cups. Upstairs at the Old Car City Museum is a gallery with hundreds of Dean's Styrofoam works of art decorated with his favorite themes. Of course, it's describing the art nature history of the Car City USA, it's all American. So take some time to just drink it in from the cups to the caddies and let the trails take you through nature's wildest car imagination. Chef Marvin Woods now takes us behind the scenes at Atlanta's Antico to learn how true authentic Italian pizza is made. The experts say

Baker's not chefs make the best pizza. So today, I ditched the band-out in the chef jacket and I'm going to learn from the pizza my strobe. Name the best pizza in the country by Zagged Survey. Great pizza. The line started just two weeks after the opening and fall 2009 with customers falling hard for the Italian imported toppings and dough. I'm going to learn the secret behind Antico's most popular selections. The margarita, the San Genaro, and the Diablo. From the owner, Giovanni Di Palmo. Giovanni, Chef Marvin Woods. Hey, Bonjourner. Good to have you. Tell me they Antico pizza story. Maybe you saw the movie he prayed love when people eat that pizza. It's a sensual experience. And being from Naples, there's a pride of that the world's most popular food from our town. Shipped in from Naples and combined with water, Giovanni's flour is made into carefully measured balls of dough. It's a two-day process and the reason why Antico has first come first served when the dough runs out, so does the pizza.

Right now, we're going to make the margarita, which is the classic of Naples that came from Naples. First comes the fresh smoked age mozzarella flown in every Sunday from New York, followed by crushed San Marzano tomato. They're picked fine, right? They're not picked green. I love it. I'm a truck. Okay. You could eat these out of the can, with sea salt and olive oil. Right. And a little garlic, if you have a date after and you're going to kiss somebody, you don't do this. Okay. Then you put some fresh basil. Mm-hmm. Okay. Now this margarita was created for the queen of Naples. Okay. To be the colors of the Italian flag. And there's the classic pizza anomaly. Extra virgin olive oil that we use. It's so good. It's too good for pizza, but we use it here. Okay. And this pizza's ready. Up next, the San Genaro pizza. Name at the patron saint of Naples. This is sweet Italian sausage made for us. These peppers are called dolce picante peppers. Sweet and spicy. Okay. And when they hit drizzle with olive oil and roast in that oven, the magic happens to them. These are baby caramelized chipoline, Italian.

Yep. And touch garlic. Yep. A little olive oil. Yep. And then we put our bouffle on top. Okay. And that pizza has become the pizza that people drive 100 miles for, and have to have it and create it. Finally, the Diablo. Pizza with a special ingredient. A gentleman sent me these collaboration peppers from Calabria that sit on an Italian dinner table. Uh-huh. And that's places your dish up. This is what comes out there. Wow. That's delicious. That's beautiful. That's delicious. That's delicious. Let's do this. The dough. I'm believe it. Crispy and light. Golden. Very. Golden and charred. It's like buttery. It tastes like butter. Amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Well, man. Labor of love. Giovanni's labor of love is sharing authentic Italian cultures with Atlantis. It's the quickest trip to Naples you will ever take. Thank you for having us. Happy to have you here. You go back to me as chef now. Yes. But I'm going to come and get some more lessons.

All right, good. You're welcome. Any time. That's all for this episode. Until next time, Pleasant Journeys. Georgia Traveler has produced in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development. This is a GPB Original Production.