Roswell, Georgia

Since I’m in a no-travel time of year  — (can you believe the school system frowns on pulling our kids out of class to travel with Mom and Dad?  It sure cramps my year from August to May!) — I thought I’d write a little about Roswell, Georgia.

Roswell is a suburb of Atlanta, but when I moved here 22 (!) years ago it was a sleepy Southern town, complete with a gazebo-crowned square and haunted buildings.  As it’s grown to something like 85,000 inhabitants, it’s kept the old square and even the ghosts.  Back in the 80s, the old part of town was largely vacant, but now there are antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques to browse, mostly along Canton Street, north of the square.

The Fickle Pickle is one of my favorite lunch spots.  It’s in a renovated house, at 1085 Canton Street.  Its specialty is fried pickles, but the green tomato sandwich is great, too. 

Heaven Blue Rose art gallery features ever-changing exhibits by local artists. 

Go With the Flow offers everything you need for canoeing or kayaking on nearby Chattahoochee River.  One of these days I’m going to rent a kayak and spend a peaceful day meandering through the shallows of the river along the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

And if you’re a cyclist, bike paths and trails abound.  The mayor even leads a ride every Thursday afternoon.

The Chattahoochee, north of Highway 400, was rated a few years ago as one of the top fly-fishing rivers in the Southeast.  (That’s another thing I’ve got to try one day.)