I’d never heard of a “National Heritage Area” before. It was news to me to find out that since 1984, Congress has created 40 of these areas – 3 of which are in Georgia. What distinguishes National Heritage Areas from National Parks, Monuments, and Historic Sites is that the Heritage Areas are considered unique landscapes because they combine “natural, cultural, historic, and recreational resources.” That sounds like the best places ever and makes me  want to visit them all!

So the first one we can check off our list is Arabia Mountain, just southwest of Conyers, GA. You can find out more about the area at the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area website. Trey and I picnicked there and then hiked up Bradley Mountain – a 964 foot granite outcrop. Trey walked most of the way up and was so exhausted he fell asleep up top while I was taking pictures of vultures. Yea, I know – I’m boring.