Seeing Southern

01/01/2021

Do not dare not to dare. ~ C. S. Lewis

#traveler #travelsomeday #travelwriter #happy2021 #happynewyear #blessings #thebestisyettocome #travelphotographer #passport #camera #ireland #wego #satw

12/31/2020

2020 | Through the Lens

Thank you for the memories. ❤

#2020 #alookback #rearviewmirror #travelwriter #travelphotographer #weddingphotographer #satw #familyphotographer #georgiaphotographer #awardwinningtravelphotographer

A look at 2020. All images ©Seeing Southern Photography. Music: Every Single Moment. For more information, seeingsouthern.com and seeingsouthernphotography.com

12/30/2020

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.

#mississippibluestrail #travel #travelsomeday #travelwriter #travelphotographer #satw #wego #andiamo #travelinspiration #visitclarksdale #blues #travel #mississippidelta #blues

12/29/2020

Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.

#travel #travelsomeday #travelwriter #travelphotographer #satw #wego #andiamo #travelinspiration

12/23/2020

Christmas Card Meltdown 2020

It's a real thing! I lived it this year, and we both made it through a full Saturday of gathering, arranging, setting, altering, moving, shooting, and putting it all away.

The 71 Chevy farm truck earned her keep. Len's homemade coal made it through the shoot. The horses enjoyed the change of view, and the cats were just confused, but they did enjoy knocking over the mugs of hot chocolate and slurped up every ounce.

To our family to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS from two very grateful TWO COOTS. We are so blessed that you are joining us along this journey, and we hope that as 2021 comes into view, we can all get back on the road and experience this world.

In the meantime, we're planning and hoping and dreaming. Not a bad way to pass the time.

Merry Christmas to our #seeingsouthernfamily

#merrychristmas #christmascardmeltdown #christmas2020 #christmasinwatkinsville #seeingsouthernchristmas #seeingsouthernphotography #happyholidays #lenforthewin

12/23/2020

Titanic 2, an Exact Replica of the Original, Will Set Sail on the Same Route

First I've heard about this. I guess I'm behind the times.

Sailing in 2022, the Titanic 2 will take the same route as the original.

What could go wrong?
#travelwriter #travelphotographer #travelsomeday #travelinspiration #titantic2

What could go wrong?

12/23/2020

America’s Mountain Home: Gatlinburg - North Georgia Living

I have written about Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in local, national and international magazines. Always, the story is evolving and with each editorial, I discover new people and things to love about this mountain holler.

It's always a joy to work with destinations and those who represent it that are so passionate about their home.

When you can go, go. If you can't, enjoy the new opportunities in this Smoky Mountain town, celebrating 75 years of amazement.

Our latest in North Georgia Living.

#travelwriter #gatlinburg #travelphotographer #wego #smokymountains #tennessee #visitgatlinburg #anakeesta #gatlinburgtennessee #lengarrison

IT WAS 1950, and Dave and Peggy Dych decided this hamlet was the place to make saltwater taffy. It was the beginning of people smooshing their faces against

12/22/2020

Seeing Southern | The Best of 2019

Looking back on the best experiences of 2019. 😚

As we compile our very short list for 2020, we are reminded of what is most important and never to take anything, any moment, any experience, any person for granted. From this point forward, we will look at travel in an entirely different light - a privilege, an honor, a gift.

We are so thankful for the ability to do this and share our experiences with you. We hope that we have opened your eyes to the world's gifts and possibilities.

Although NOW is not the time to go, there will come a time when we can travel without fear and doubt. Use this time to plan dream vacations, dream adventures, dream moments.

What we're planning? Train travel and a safari (Len doesn't know about this one yet).

Just think of all those people and all that food that will be waiting for you!

Remembering 2019. Grateful for the end of 2020. Promises for 2021.

#travelwriter #travelphotographer #spain #outerbanksnc #wego #travelsomeday #travelplanning #traveloneday #travelinspiration #lengarrison #seeingsouthern #seeingsouthernphotography

Our top 5 moments of 2019.

12/17/2020

North Georgia Moonshine:: A History of the Lovells & Other Liquor Makers (American Palate)

Just in case you're looking for the PERFECT Christmas gift for those hard-to-buy people. Georgia + Moonshine + Memoir + Mountains = perfection!
#Amazon

North Georgia Moonshine:: A History of the Lovells & Other Liquor Makers (American Palate)

12/17/2020

Today was the day!

In 1903, two brothers made their dream come true. Multiple attempts (since 1899) finally delivered the first flight from their site in Kills Devils Hill, North Carolina.

The groundspeed was 6.8 mph with a airspeed of 34 mph. The brothers took turns flying the four times that day with each time, getting a better hold on the process. Wilbur flew the fourth and last flight of the day last 59 seconds at 852 feet.

A great adventure for anyone who believes in dreams.

#travelwriter #travelphotographer #wrightbrothers #firstflight1903 #flyinghigh #wego #andiamo #obx #outerbanksnc

12/16/2020

Festival of Lights | Christmas in Amsterdam

#traveler #travelwriter #travelphotographer #amsterdam #holidaylights #amsterdamcity

12/14/2020

from sicily to the south

It's Cucidati time once more!

#christmascookies #familytradition #siciliantradition #sicily #italianchristmascookies #writer #seeingsouthern #southerndiary #traveler

when i first married len, he told me amazing stories of his mother's immigrant family, grandfather salvatore and grandmother angelina lentine. how they arrived from sicily traveling through ellis...

12/11/2020

Christmas Card Melt-Down #1.

#christmas2020 #christmascard2020 #photographermeltdown #ilived Seeing Southern Photography Seeing Southern #lengarrison #bigfoot

12/11/2020

North Georgia Travel Photographers

Get lost!

#travelphotographer #travelwriter #satw #dogood #witandwidsom

We're off to see this magnificent world. Come along.

12/09/2020

Are you signing your cards today?

I hope you do!

What a small effort for huge returns.

Here's what I want you to do: Go to the store. Buy a BOX OF CHRISTMAS CARDS. They don't have to be expensive or the most beautiful ones you've ever seen. BUY THEM. Go home and WRITE a note inside to a senior that might not have anyone this season. Send love, best wishes, thoughts - whatever you're thinking. Envelopes remain BLANK. Put them back in the box and SEND THEM TO ME by MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. I'll put them in the mail to the center near me that are sending cards to seniors who are lonely this holiday season. Such a SMALL effort with HUGE returns.

Thank you in advance!

#SupportOurSeniors #dogood #witandwidsom #georgiaphotographer

12/09/2020

Picked up a little book in Hannibal, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain. Whenever I'm searching for the right words about a particular situation, for some reason, I always turn to Twain. Hie wit, often irreverent at times, but always to the point, speak plainly.

He grew up here in Hannibal, a stone's throw from the Mississippi River. If you look to the right of this photo, cross the main street in Hannibal, you're there.

I leave you with his words:

"I am only human, although I regret it." ~ Twain

That's just the tip of the tale.

#writer #marktwain #travelphotographer #travelinspiration #traveler #witandwidsom

12/08/2020

BIG ASK!

My mama was everything to me. At the end of her life, she taught me more by saying nothing than she had during our earlier years when she always had something to say. Her actions taught me so much.

Yes, I rolled my eyes, like every other daughter to her mother since the history of mankind, but today, I remember how simple things made her smile. Until we forcefully took her car keys from her at 92, she went to the senior center every day for lunch. You would think she had won the lottery as she grinned from ear to ear walking through the door. At home, the highlight of her day, going to the mailbox. Cards and notes from friends absolutely made her giddy. She would read them once, twice, and more, and then tuck them in her Bible.

In honor of mamas (and daddys) everywhere, I'm remembering her.

Here's what I want you to do: Go to the store. Buy a BOX OF CHRISTMAS CARDS. They don't have to be expensive or the most beautiful ones you've ever seen. BUY THEM. Go home and WRITE a note inside to a senior that might not have anyone this season. Send love, best wishes, thoughts - whatever you're thinking. Envelopes remain BLANK. Put them back in the box and SEND THEM TO ME by MONDAY, DECEMBER 14. I'll put them in the mail to the center near me that are sending cards to seniors who are lonely this holiday season. Such a SMALL effort with HUGE returns.

My mama is smiling. 😁

I'm signing mine today. Oh please won't you send some joy to those who are lonely this holiday season. We're posting this across all our pages and platforms in hopes of a big response from all across the United States and even the world!

Send cards to P.O. Box 277, Farmington, Georgia 30638 by MONDAY, December 14.

Thank you in advance.

With love and gratitude, L + J

#supportourseniors #dogood #holidayseason #christmascards2020

12/08/2020

How do you sum up 10 years? Not easy, but doable.

My Editor's Pen in the 10th Anniversary issue of Georgia Connector Magazine:

My first conversation with Kenny went something like this:

Kenny: I want you to be a writer for my new magazine I’m starting in December.
Judy: Thank you but I don’t want to do that.
Kenny: I’m sorry. Why not?
Judy: I don’t want to be a writer. I want to be your editor.

And, as they say, the rest is history.
I learned a long time ago that if you don’t ask for what you want in this world, you’ll be left behind. And so, I chose this moment in time to ask for what I wanted. I understood that beginnings were the perfect time to make a case for my strengths, and I knew what he needed more than a writer was an editor. The perfect storm.
Since that afternoon when I did a happy dance in my kitchen, giddy that a start-up magazine wanted me to help create and shape a newborn, I’ve cherished the concept of putting together issues jam-packed with tales of people and places, all unique and extraordinary in their own right.
Kenny and I met much more at the beginning, tearing into existing magazines, searching for the perfect idea for our audience, lunching then crunching ideas, making them ours. Five years went by and, somehow, places continued to grab our attention, as did entrepreneurs, marathon runners, Southern chefs, and crafty folk and rowdy animals. And then we blinked; ten years marched by, right in front of our eyes.
Along the way, it’s the writers that have breathed life into Georgia Connector. Stringing together words, telling stories, moving mountains, producing tears, sharing knowledge—plus a million other feats—is not easy. Assignment after assignment, I would wonder if they could do it again. And every time, they did. To the 67 writers and photographers that have provided a byline during the past 10 years, thank you for your professionalism and dependability. Every request I have ever made has been completed with integrity.
Sprinkling magic on the pages, the designer, Murry. Your accolades and creativity assured me of success. Although I’ve never met you, I’m proud to have been your collaborative partner.
Congratulations on ten hard but wonderful and creative years, Kenny. Your vision allowed my words to find a home, and I have been honored to go in the name of Georgia Connector. This publication has catapulted me forward, allowing my dreams of owning a business, publishing a book, discovering new passions, documenting lives and traveling the world to become realities.
Even though the years have brought about changes that don't allow the lunch crunches anymore, and we communicate most often now via a computer screen, I value what was and will be. You’ll always be the guy that took a chance on the anonymous silly woman on the other end of the phone. For that, I will always be grateful.
Cheers to the next decade!

View the entire issue at www.georgiaconnector.com
Cover by Seeing Southern Photography

#writer #editor #georgiaconnectormagazine #georgiacommercialphotography #coverphoto

12/08/2020

There’s No Escaping the Blues on the Mississippi Blues Trail

We're excited to share our newest outlet and our first piece, AAA and Go Magazine.

What a way to begin this relationship than with a journey down the Mississippi Blues Trail. Looking for a road trip, this is the one that awaken the song within.

#travelwriter #travelphotographer #satw #aaa #gomagazine #mississippibluestrail #blues #bluesmusic #mississippi #clarksdale #indianola #cleveland @visitclarksdale

Explore the heart and soul of Blues music along the Mississippi Blues Trail. Museums, restaurants, historic stops — there's lots to experience!

12/07/2020

Travel Like A Viking | Traveling the Rhine River

There's nothing as spectacular as spending a holiday in Europe during the winter. Many people choose the warmer months to travel abroad,
but we've discovered that some of the most incredible landscapes, breathtaking adventures and historical treasures
are more extraordinary when shrouded in winter's charm.

Plan a VIKING River Cruise for 2021 or 2022.

#travelagain #travelsomeday #travelwriter #travelphotographer #christmasineurope #vikingrivercruise #castles #rhineriver #satw

An extraordinary journey down the Rhine River aboard the Viking Longship Alruna.

12/04/2020

A Holiday on the Farm: Old McCaskill’s Farm Offers a True Country Christmas - North Georgia Living

The foretold menagerie of Old McCaskill’s Farm located between Camden and Boykin, South Carolina, would not be visible until daybreak. Having arrived after darkness fell, we navigated our way into the farmhouse courtesy of the innkeeper’s illuminated front porch light. How welcoming, I thought; only in the South does this beacon mean so much more than simply a lighted path. Our hosts would not arrive until later when we would be fast asleep, but make yourself at home, they instructed. We climbed the wooden staircase to The Horse Paddock, our room for the night, deposited our luggage, and searched out the kitchen for a snack.

A Country Christmas.

#travelwriter #travelphotographer #oldmccaskillsfarm #southcarolina #camden #boykin #countrychristmas #travelinspiration #backyardgetaway #rembert

The foretold menagerie of Old McCaskill’s Farm located between Camden and Boykin, South Carolina, would not be visible until daybreak. Having arrived after

12/03/2020

His Passion For Wine | Apostolos Plahouras - Food, Wine & Travel

Spending time in Northern Greece can only be amplified by meeting new friends and learning about the gifts of Greece.

Enjoy it all at Danai Resort, especially the passion of Apostolos Plahouras.

#travelwell #luxurytravel #travelphotographer #travelwriter #satw #foodandwine #greeksommelier #danaibeachresort #halkidiki #travelinspiration

For three days in Nikiti on the Sithonia peninsula of the Halkidiki region of northern Greece, we are bathed in luxury. We have stepped inside a dream, and its location is Danai Beach Resort and Villas. Our days are filled…

11/30/2020

Remedy in Blues

It's a story that never gets old, and one I never tire of telling.
To experience the Mississippi Blues Trail - from Clarksdale to Indianola - is to discover the blues and yourself. Rugged land, intense heat, extreme poverty juxtaposed with a community's passion for home. It's the perfect road trip to rediscover what is important.

Take a trip down the trail in our latest in Lake Oconee Living.

Photography by award-winning photographer, Len Garrison.

#gawriter #gaphotographer #travelwriter #travelphotographer #wego #travelinspiration #roadtrip #clarksdale #bbking #bluestrail

Down the Mississippi Blues Trail, cathartic sounds tell a story of overcoming in spite of it all Story by Judy Garrison Photography by Seeing Southern Photography The delta changes you. Don’t let a…

11/30/2020

Things To Do and See In Belfast, Ireland - International Living

Just throwing this out: give the gift of travel this season. Plan a trip for 2021 or 2022. Have something to look forward to and make the in-between time a planning extravaganza!

Start in Ireland. Travel north to our favorite part of the island, Northern Ireland.

You're welcome. 🎄

#travelwriter #travelphotographer #travelinspiration #ireland #gianttoursireland #embraceagiantspirit

Here are my favorite things to see and do in Belfast. From stunning scenery, to fascinating history, and rich culture it is no wonder Northern Ireland...