I’ve mostly driven back roads so far in 2023, which means slow rolls and quick snaps with a point-and-shoot camera out whatever window works. Over the last several months, as I wandered through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, I’ve collected a half-dozen or so images that capture the unique charms of southern backroads.
I literally did a u-turn and went back to shoot this old house because I knew the sky would soon clear and I’d lose the light that caught the rusted tin roof just so. Worth it to tramp across a muddy field to get this shot.
Driving through the small town of Sparta, Georgia, this set of local businesses caught my eye. I also love the newspaper racks out front of the pharmacy. I don’t see those much anymore.
I do see a lot of abandoned places like this one, cracked concrete and peeling paint marking the closing of yet another small business in rural America.
On the other hand, this one is doing fine, if you want deer corn any time day or night. Yep, corn 24/7, courtesy of that fancy silver dispenser. I can’t imagine what’s so urgent that you need to feed a herd of deer at 3AM but what do I know? If you want some entertainment, just google “deer corn” and then scroll through the questions people have asked about deer and corn.
Pecan groves are big in parts of Georgia, but the growing season hadn’t quite started when I drove by these trees. The sky was threatening rain, which wouldn’t be great for my driving but I bet the trees would have liked it a whole lot.
Hay doesn’t seem to be a seasonal thing across the South, I see new bales of hay wherever I go. I like this shot because it seems all old and traditional until you notice the solar panels in the background!
And if there is one consistent feature of any road trip in the South, it’s the stop/slow sign and the safety-vested workers at either end of a section of road work. Sometimes it’s a two minute wait, sometimes it’s long enough you can shut off the engine and check your email.
Hope you enjoyed the highlights of my southern back roads travel!
Look for chances to take the less-traveled roads. There are no wrong turns.
Susan Magsamen
Absolutely gorgeous photos, Annie. I don’t know if I’ll get down to the Southeast of the country again, so it’s always awesome to see these places and read about your perspective on things. I really enjoyed the one with the newspaper racks out front. We called them “honor boxes” growing up in New York because you were on your honor to only take one. I haven’t seen one in a long time.
I always feel sorry for those flagmen/women standing on the hot pavement all day. Feels like I just wandered through the south without leaving my desk.
Love the photos, Annie! Especially the cover photo at the very top. Lovely!
Our theory is that if you never take the backroads, you’ll never see anything. Your shots are spectacular, Annie! I love the old barn and tree.
Lovely photos and text, Annie!!!