Things to do at Lake Oconee

Lake Oconee Residential Home Tour

May 2, 2012 by suzie

Printup Plantation, Union Point, Georgia

As the Lake Oconee Area contains historic small towns, Greensboro, Eatonton, and Madison, as well as newer lake communities, a recurring pastime that many people enjoy is attending the various Lake Oconee Home Tours. Large historic homes with Civil War history, as well as smaller unique bungalows are featured on the tours.

The last tour I attended was in the Greene County town of Union Point in April, 2012. This small historic town (less than 2000 residents) was aptly named for its location at the intersection of two different railroads in the 1800’s. There are many wonderful tales told by local Southern raconteurs of riding the train back in the day. Last month the residents of Union Point sponsored a home tour to bring attention to their town, and to raise money for a local theater restoration.

I was initially drawn to the tour to serve as docent in my friend’s home, historic Printup Plantation. Although I had visited there many times, I learned new things about the former mid 1800’s plantation which is lovingly restored, and is presently home to peacocks, goats, chickens, and horses. It was a beautiful spring day, so I took many pictures that captured the charm of the homes of Union Point, and I wanted to share the beauty of our Lake Oconee Homes in this blog.

Printup Plantation exemplifies the architecture, charm, and beautiful grounds of the old homes of the South.

Plantation Front Porch

Plantation Kitchen

View from Back Porch

Some of the other homes on the Union Point Tour that day:

Hawthorne Heights

Craftsman Bungalow

Another Lake Oconee Home Tour that occurs every year in the spring is the Madison in May Spring Tour of Homes and Gardens this year to be held on May 4-5, 2012. Information about this tour can be found at the Madison-Morgan County Cultural Arts Center. Eatonton and Greensboro also have tours which will be featured in this blog as they occur.

Homes for sale in these Lake Oconee Area small towns will be found under the class “Residential Homes” . Our first home in the Lake Oconee Area was a historic home in Greensboro, and I can attest to the relaxed lifestyle that is available in a small town. The small town is a wonderful place to raise a family, or choose to retire. Homes in this classification are generally lower in price, and higher in tradition.

Listings we currently have in Union Point include a charming home on Hendry Street, and a home with acreage on Hensley Road.

To search all listings in the Lake Oconee Area, call Suzie (706-347-1115) or Jim (706-453-6253) Hudson at RE/MAX Agents Realty. Search the entire MLS at our website.

RE/MAX Lake Oconee Agents Realty 706-454-7777

Lake Oconee Activities for the 2011 Christmas Season

November 21, 2011 by suzie

Lake Oconee offers many opportunities to celebrate the Christmas Season. Thanksgiving is almost here, then we will immediately begin the rush to Christmas.

November 23rd, the kickoff to the Lake Oconee Christmas Season will be the Village of Lights Festival at Harmony Crossing. The Village at Harmony Crossing will illuminate their entire shopping center with over 15,000 lights. The event will include entertainment, and activities for children. Merchants will offer discounts to tempt the shoppers. Join the fun from 5 PM until 9 PM.

Village of Lights

December 1 the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert will be held at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Arts Center.

December 2 there will be the Downtown Tree Lighting in Greensboro. Local shops will be open late so the Christmas shopping can begin! The event will be from 5 PM until 7 PM.

Decorate the Community Tree

December 1-4 Madison will hold its Town and Country Holiday Tour of Homes. It is always a real treat to visit the older antebellum homes all decorated for Christmas. For details, click here.

December 3 downtown Eatonton will hold its Christmas in the Briar Patch celebration. The event from 4 to 7 PM will include a parade with the theme of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”. A bazaar will be on the courthouse square, and entertainment will be provided.

December 3 is the date of the Festival of Trees at Festival Hall in Greensboro. Decorated trees and other decorations will be sold to benefit the new Greene County Boys and Girls Club. A special Santa’s Secret Shop will be available for child-only purchases! This event is from 9 AM until 9 PM.

December 17th John Berry is bringing his entire band with him to Festival Hall in Greensboro for the “Joy to the World” Christmas concert/tour. Tickets are on sale at the Greene County Chamber of Commerce.

John Berry Christmas Concert

Lake Oconee even has wonderful farms to cut your own Christmas Tree. It is a lot of fun to take the children to choose and cut your own tree to decorate!

Jack’s Creek Tree Farm 706-343-1855
Belcher Tree Farm 706-342-1948

Lake Oconee Tree Farms

For a special surprise treat, take your family to Ice Skate at Lake Oconee! The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation has added an ice rink to their winter activities. The 5500 square-foot rink, complete with hot chocolate and s’mores is open daily from 10 AM until 2 PM, and from 4 PM until 8 PM until February 15th. The activity is $30 per hour for adults $20/hour for children 12 and under. The fee includes rental of skates.

This list is not exhaustive, so check your Chambers of Commerce, and local publications for more ideas.

For all your Real Estate questions and needs, call Suzie or Jim Hudson at RE/MAX, 706-453-6253 (Jim) 706-347-1115 (Suzie). Check out our newly redesigned website that is more user friendly! Most of all, have a wonderful, safe Holiday Season.

Lake Oconee Shopping

October 19, 2011 by suzie

Is Lake Oconee a good place for shopping? This is a question that many women ask when contemplating a move with their family to the Lake Oconee Area. Twenty years ago when we first moved here, I would meet women who had relocated from large cities who wanted to move from here because there were few good shopping opportunities around the Lake Oconee Area. Back in the 90’s if my child said “I need a book for class” or “my teacher says we have to wear khaki pants for the field trip” I would panic – there was no store to sell those things nearby. Having moved from Atlanta, I was accustomed to having anything my family wanted in just a short drive away. Even if one does not think of shopping as a sport, we all need to buy a gift for someone, or add accessories to our home when we move here, so shopping is important to the Lake Oconee Lifestyle.

Fortunately, Lake Oconee has developed a variety of shops that fill residents’ needs and wants. As a last resort, there is always Atlanta stores a little over an hour away, or internet purchases which are delivered to your door. One of my favorite shopping destinations in Lake Oconee is Madison, Georgia. Located about 20 miles from both Greensboro and Eatonton, it has a good mix of shops for antiques, apparel, gifts, and restaurants for a rewarding meal after shopping.

Recently I went with my daughter and my sister to Madison for shopping and lunch. We met at the Madison Markets, a large indoor shopping mall located in a renovated group of turn-of-the-century cotton warehouses in the heart of this historic town. This large space is filled with booths of 75 dealers selling antiques, gifts, and art. I always look for new items sponsored by my friends in their booths, Alexandra’s, and Found Beauty. This market offers a wonderful combination of new and old items, and it is a fun place to browse.

Madison Markets

After ambling down the first row of booths, we found ourselves at the interior entrance to Restaurant 220. We had a delicious lunch there of my favorite entree, Crispy Chicken Livers. These are a modern, lighter version of the Southern styled chicken livers I enjoyed growing up, served on a mound of sauteed vegetables. The service was efficient and friendly, and the room was full of sunlight from the large windows.

Town 220 Restaurant

After lunch we visited another of my favorite stores, In High Cotton, a large gift store that has an interesting variety of reproductions of old-fashioned favorites, and unusual accessories. I bought a warm hat for the coming cool weather, and a reproduction of an old toy horn for my friend’s birthday.

In High Cotton

A new shop that I often visit in Madison is Le Petit Jardin, a unique store that has plant, floral, garden and home accents with a European and vintage flair. When I am looking for a special gift, I often find it at Le Petit Jardin. The owner also provides flowers for weddings.

Le Petit Jardin

When people visit the Lake Oconee Area, I love to take them to shop, dine and browse in Madison. It is an old Southern town which was spared by General Sherman in his March to the Sea, and remains an example of the Southern culture and charm, today.

Sample Lake Oconee Restaurants

September 12, 2011 by suzie

The Lake Oconee Area is fortunate to have some wonderful places to eat. Some are the traditional “meat and three”, and some are offering “fine dining”. The public is invited to sample local offerings at two upcoming events sponsored by the Chambers of Commerce of both Greensboro and Eatonton. The profits will be donated to local charities, so many people will profit from these events.
September 12: The annual Tasteful Event in downtown Greensboro, sponsored by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce will be held on Monday, September 12, 2011. Advance tickets are $20 per person, $25 at the entrance.

Listen to live music from John Dunn and the Jazzmen Band as you wander around and sample local fare. Featured restaurants are:

Featured Restaurants:
Balcony Bar & Grill At Spotlight Theatre
DaCarrado’s Restaurant
The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation
Lakehouse Seafood & Steak Company
Luigi’s Pizza
Oconee Sweet Sensations
Publix Supermarkets
Richland Creek Restaurant
The Oconee Cellar
The Yesterday Cafe
Troutdale at Harbor Club
The Washington Grass Inn
Zaxby’s

Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation

In a few weeks, the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber will follow with the Taste of Eatonton on October 3 at the Plaza Arts Center. Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 the day of the event. Over 25 local restaurants will display their wares. For more information, contact the chamber.

Go sample the many great dishes available at Lake Oconee Restaurants!

Lake Oconee Lifestyle, Farmer’s Market

July 31, 2011 by suzie

Lake Oconee’s the Village at Harmony Crossing

The Lake Oconee Lifestyle includes wonderful shopping opportunities to pick up fresh produce when it’s in season. One of the largest and the most popular Farmer’s Markets is held weekly on a grassy area inside the Harmony Crossing shopping center. All of the vendors are from a radius of 75 miles around the market. The event takes place from May to September, every Saturday morning from 8 AM until 12 Noon.

So many friends have recommended this particular farmer’s market to me, so I ventured down the road today to try it out. I came away with my favorite vine-ripened tomatoes, squash, and some fresh bread. Many vendors offered samples of their wares; I tasted a bit of Hummingbird Cake (a Southern treat), and some tomatoes. However, I learned to be cautious in tasting samples as some “spicy” peach salsa sent me running for water!!

Farmer’s Market Produce

This Farmer’s Market includes all types of local produce, but also includes home sewn gifts, local artists’ creations, honey, and a wonderful array of freshly baked pastries and cakes. Don’t miss this special “happening” if you are in the Lake Oconee area on a Saturday morning! This Farmer’s Market is a wonderful part of the Lake Oconee Lifestyle.

Honey and Pickles for Sale

Lake Oconee July 4th Fun

July 6, 2011 by suzie

Lake Oconee is a fun place to be on the Fourth of July! In addition to lake activities, fishing, and golfing, residents and visitors were eating tons of hamburgers, corn, and watermelon. (Don’t even think of going to Publix any time between July 1 and July 4th!) This year at Harbor Club, we added a new event, a Fourth of July Parade. The parade was held on the golf course cart path surrounding holes #1 and #9 on Sunday, July 3rd, at 5 PM. Parade organizers were worried when a downpour hovered over Harbor Club at 4 PM! However, the clouds parted at 5 PM, and the parade entrants sloshed down the road from the club house. The parade featured decorated golf carts, strollers, and walking children decked out in patriotic costumes. After the parade, the crowd gathered at the club house flagpole, and was serenaded by the talented Leah Dukes who sang several patriotic songs. The crowd was led in the pledge of allegiance to the flag by a young army-uniformed lad. Prizes were awarded to the best carts, strollers, and costumes. Candy and popsicles were given to all the young at heart.

The neighborly camaraderie evident in this video is representative of the Harbor Club residents, 80 % of whom live here full time. For more information on Harbor Club properties for sale click here and search for subdivision, Harbor Club. Click below to view this exciting Lake Oconee July 4th Fun.

Summer Fun at Lake Oconee

June 15, 2011 by suzie

Summer Fun at Lake Oconee includes a lot more than boating, swimming, and golfing! The people in the three county area of the Lake Oconee area put on many arts festivals, holiday celebrations, and concerts. Most of these activities are family-friendly.

A Lake Country Freedom Festival will be presented by Crooked Creek Marina on the Fourth of July. The day begins with a 5K run, includes food craft vendors, ends with beautiful fireworks. Find details at Festivals and Events.

The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation is sponsoring a summer outdoor concert and fireworks celebration over Lake Oconee every Sunday night from 7:30 to 10:00 PM. The admission is $10.00 per person. A list of performers is found at the Ritz-Carlton website. My favorite group, Good Vibrations, headed up by my good friend Eddie Byrd, will perform on July31st.

The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton, will also sponsor an outdoor concert series at the Plaza starting June 25. Bring the whole family, and your lawn chairs. For these events, and more see the Plaza.

The local arts organization, OPAS (Oconee Performing Arts Society) is sponsoring the 2011 Village Series which includes a concert withA1A: The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show on July 3rd at 7 PM.
The annual Village Regatta, an exciting race of locally made cardboard “boats” is set for August 13th. This sounds really crazy, but the event was a great success for the past two years! Local groups vie to create the winning floating craft, some crews come in full dress. Details for both of these events are available at the OPAS office.

If indoor chamber music is more your style, the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center will house the Madison Chamber Music Concerts until July 15. The highlight of the chamber series will be the appearance of Julie and David Coucheron (below) on July 8 and 9. Their Annual Independence Day Concert and Picnic will be staged outdoors on July 1.

Children love to attend the annual Sunflower Farm Festival at Rutledge, Georgia. My friend who attended last year says people came away carrying loads of sunflowers. Browse among food and crafts vendors, and let your children enjoy special activities. The event is held July 2-4. It is a thrill to watch July Fourth Fireworks reflected in the water on Lake Oconee! The lights in the foreground are from the many boats people of the area drove to the Great Waters community of Reynolds Plantation last year to witness the grand finale of the July 4th Celebrations!

Entertainment at the Lake

May 13, 2011 by suzie

The Lettermen

Living at the Lake is not all about fishing and golfing. Through the years the area has developed some small, but charming venues for the arts. Eatonton, Greensboro, and Madison have all transformed historic school buildings to house performance centers. My husband grew up in Eatonton, and remembers sitting in the elementary school auditorium as a child. Saturday night we will be sitting in that same auditorium to hear a performance from the classic Lettermen! Of course the building is now known as The Plaza Arts Center. It is the scene of locally produced plays, regional performances of the arts, and even concerts, with space for dancing, in the front yard each summer! We are looking forward to reliving our younger days as we reminisce to the sounds of “The Way You Look Tonight”, “Theme from a Summer Place”, and “Shangri-La”. The trio has been making its romantic close harmony love ballads for over 50 years, under the leadership of founder Tony Butala. Call and see if any tickets are left! Plaza Arts

Lake Oconee’s Literary Heritage

May 9, 2011 by suzie

Statue of Brer Rabbit at the Putnam County Courthouse

The Lake Oconee area has ample representation of some of America’s talented authors. Although author Joel Chandler Harris wrote his beloved Uncle Remus stories in Atlanta, his early life was spent near Eatonton at the Turnwold Plantation where he got the inspiration for the tales. The statue above is still in downtown Eatonton, as is the Uncle Remus Museum. Turnwold Plantation is visible on Old Phoenix Road.

Author Alice Walker

Author Alice Walker also was born in Eatonton. She later became famous as the prize-winning writer of the novel The Color Purple. Her childhood home is no longer standing, but the family church is under renovation, and one can see it on the Alice Walker Driving Tour. Find details for viewing the roots of these famous authors here.

Derby Day at Lake Oconee

May 2, 2011 by suzie

People who choose to celebrate The Running of the Kentucky Derby in the Lake Oconee area usually do so at one of the many private parties held in homes. Bets are made, hats are worn by the ladies, and of course appropriate food and drink is served. One yearly party we attend is hosted by a couple who are Louisville natives, and who have celebrated the Derby with a party every year for the past 40 years. They serve the real Mint Juleps in silver cups, made the traditional way. Last year the Harbor Club Ladies League had a luncheon Derby celebration at one of the lakeside homes in this community. Being in on the planning, I set out to create a Mint Julep that was a little more ladylike, and didn’t feature bourbon. I was inspired by cocktails I had sampled in Charleston that featured sweet tea flavored vodka. Everyone loved the Harbor Club Mint Julep, so I am sharing the recipe on this page.

Harbor Club Mint Julep
2 oz sweet tea vodka
2 oz lemonade
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz of peppermint schnapps
Serve over crushed ice, garnished with sprig of mint

Property Search

To search all listings in the Lake Oconee Area, call Suzie (706-347-1115) or Jim (706-453-6253) Hudson at RE/MAX Agents Realty. Search the entire MLS at our website.

RE/MAX Lake Oconee Agents Realty 706-454-7777