Buzz Ahrens
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman
1. Aquatic Center at Sixes Road.
2. Northside Cherokee’s new hospital build out.
3. Airport Expansion, New Fire Training Facility, etc.
Tim Prather
Fire Chief for Cherokee County Fire and ES
1. Historic areas, such as downtown Canton.
2. The new parks around the river, local seasonal festivals, etc.
3. Hickory Log Reservoir.
Dr. Brian V. Hightower
Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools
1. The connecting parks in Canton (Heritage and Etowah River) are great to visit for exercise.
2. Blankets Creek and Rope Mill Bike Trails
3. Garland Mountain and Boling Park trails.
JoEllen Wilson
Ward 1 Canton City Council Member
1. Soleil at Laurel Canyon (a 55-plus active adult community).
2. Downtown Canton events (farmers market, First Fridays, and great shows at the Canton Theatre).
3. Heritage, Etowah and Boling parks are great places to walk.
Sandy McGrew
Ward 1 Canton City Council Member
1. Hickory Log Creek Reservoir, the Etowah River and Park.
2. Laurel Canyon Parkway and Great Sky Parkway.
3. The Cherokee County Arts Center.
Dale Coker
Owner of Cherokee Custom Script Pharmacy
Around Canton Community Board Member
1. Gibbs Gardens.
2. Little River and J.J. Biello parks.
Bill Grant
Ward II Canton City Council Member
1. Historic Downtown Canton.
2. Etowah River Park and Trail.
3. Cherokee County History Museum and Visitors Center.
John Rust
Ward III Canton City Council Member
1. The Etowah River.
2. The dam and reservoir.
3. The Heritage and Etowah parks with the connecting trail.
Nathan Brandon
Camellia Place Director of Marketing and Communications
1. Reinhardt Funk Heritage Center and the tool collection.
2. Georgia National Cemetery.
3. Heritage and Etowah parks, now that they connect.
Cindy Crews
Sixes Elementary Principal
Around Canton Community Board Member
1. Lake Allatoona.
2. Gibbs Gardens.
3. Georgia National Cemetery.
Tim Cavender
Cherokee County Fire Department Director of Public Affairs
1. Gibbs Gardens. This place is beautiful and was shot in a movie to represent Heaven.
2. Downtown Canton Historic Courthouse.
3. Reinhardt University.
Chantel Adams
Founder/CEO of Forever We, Inc.
Around Canton Community Board Member
1. Farmers market at River Church on Tuesdays.
2. Canton Theatre in downtown Canton.
3. Gibbs Gardens.
Joe Mckechnie
Senior Pastor of Sixes United Methodist Church
Around Canton Community Board Member
1. Rock Barn.
2. Old gold mines and some of the beautiful old homes.
3. The old mill.
Gene Hobgood
Mayor of Canton
1. Gibbs Gardens.
2. Etowah River Park.
3. Cherokee Arts Center.
Mary Turner
Public Information Officer, Canton Police Department
1. Etowah River Park.
2. The Reservoir.
3. Historic Downtown Canton.
Cherokee Arts Center
94 North St., Canton. The building, a historic landmark dating to the 1800s, started as a small wooden frame structure on a 110-foot by 150-foot land parcel that was home to the Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1842. A second church building made of brick was built in 1850 and served the congregation for 75 years. In May 1926, a new building replaced the former and included an altar rail dating to 1850, which is now a part of the arts center gallery. In 1998, the county deeded the historic building to the Cherokee Arts Council, and it has been updated and repurposed throughout the years. www.cherokeearts.org
Funk Heritage Center
7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska. The center, on the Reinhardt University campus, features many displays and is open to visitors daily except Mondays. The Bennett History Museum is a collection of Native American artifacts, an award-winning film and interactive computer programs. The Rogers Contemporary Native American Art Gallery features paintings, baskets, sculpture and pottery. The Sellars Gallery of Historic Tools is a collection of tools used in specific trades. An Appalachian settlement includes pioneer log cabins, a blacksmith shop and farm buildings. In 2013, the National Park Service Trail of Tears designated the museum as a certified interpretive center on its official Georgia Trail of Tears.
www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage
Gibbs Gardens
1987 Gibbs Drive, Ball Ground. It took six years for owner Jim Gibbs to find the perfect site on which to build a world-class garden. The house and gardens include 220 of the 292 acres, making it one of the largest residential estate gardens in the United States. According to www.gibbsgardens.com: “There is a beautiful stream flowing through the middle of the valley, with hundreds of springs intersecting the stream. The springs are surrounded by millions of naturalized ferns making it one of the largest ferneries in the nation. Native azaleas, dogwoods and mountain laurels provide additional seasonal interest.
He designed 24 ponds, 32 bridge crossings and 19 waterfalls. The numerous garden rooms are planted with hundreds of varieties of plants and are carved into pockets surrounded by acres of deciduous trees that provide spectacular fall color.”
Hickory Log Creek Reservoir
Bluffs Parkway, Canton. Hickory Log Creek Dam is one of the largest in Georgia not built by the Corps of Engineers or Georgia Power. The reservoir covers 414 acres, features almost 15 miles of shoreline, and holds nearly 6 billion gallons of water. Boats with electric motors, canoes, and kayaks will be allowed on the water. Boats with gas or diesel motors and sailboats are NOT allowed. The parking area is open 7 a.m.–7 p.m., seven days a week and 7 a.m.–8 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Cost is $5 per day per vehicle. www.canton-georgia.com
Georgia National Cemetery
1080 Scott Hudgens Drive, Canton. In 2006, the 775-acre national cemetery opened on property donated by Scott Hudgens, the late Atlanta World War II veteran, land developer and philanthropist. Features of the property include an information center, an administration and maintenance building, public restrooms, a flag plaza and shelters for committal services. The cemetery can accommodate 33,000 full-casket gravesites, 3,000 in-ground sites for cremated remains and 3,000 columbaria niches for cremated remains. www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/georgia.asp
Rock Barn
658 Marietta Highway, Canton. Also known as the Crescent Farm Historical Center, the Rock Barn was built in 1906 by Augustus Lee Coggins. The Historical Society reports that it’s believed to be the only existing rock barn in Georgia. The charming structure has interior capacity for 180 people and is rented to local residents for weddings, business meetings, family reunions and other gatherings. www.rockbarn.org
Etowah River Park
600 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton. The 80-acre facility is located at the end of Brown Industrial Parkway on the banks of the Etowah River. The park includes an amphitheater, walking track, playground and a bridge that spans the river to reach trails that lead through Heritage Park and the developing Canton Trails system. The park has a half-mile track around an athletic field, which is the equivalent of three full-size rectangular fields. www.canton-georgia.com/parks.html
Cherokee County History Museum and Visitor’s Center
100 North St., Suite 140, Canton. The museum is operated by the Cherokee County Historical Society with support from the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners. Visitors will find exhibits about the county’s history, including interactive iPad presentations. Temporary exhibits are rotated three to four times each year. A series of short videos by Cherokee County citizens with a story to tell is available in the museum, a feature that was given an Archival Excellence Award from the Georgia Archives. www.rockbarn.org
Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trails
2261 Sixes Road, Canton. The 15-mile system consists of three main loop trails ranging from intermediate to advanced difficulty. A 1.4-mile beginner trail is fairly flat and suitable for children. Blankets was ranked third nationally based on usage by Singletracks.com several years ago, and is currently ranked the top trail in Georgia. www.sorbawoodstock.org/trails
Leave a Reply