The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens

By Gale Horton Gay

Photographed by Gale Horton Gay

The perfect weekend getaway when I don’t have much of a budget or not much time is a location not that far from home that makes me feel like I’m miles away. Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., recently gave me a new reason to add it to my Top Picks for a Georgia Getaway list.

The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens opened in May 2006 and brings a new level of elegance to a venue that is a mere 100 miles from metro Atlanta, 

The 150-room lodge, outfitted with homey Arts and Crafts and Southern Country furnishings, has a relaxed feel and welcoming common areas that seem to invite visitors to sit awhile and unwind among lush foliage.

In guest rooms, handsome dark wood furnishings are set against walls painted in a soft shade of yellow with autumn-tone multi-colored carpet and drapes. Beds bear white-striped sheets and comforters with feather ticking, and the bathroom has an earthly feel with rough-cut floor tiles in neutral colors, marble vanity and roomy glass and tile shower. All rooms have balconies. And the lodge has its own outdoor pool. 

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Signature Style: Climbing to the top of the Mountain

By Nigel Roberts

Photographed by Alex Jones

    When asked the secret to his success, Gerald Rakestraw responds that there really is no secret formula, just a few common-sense principles. “Listen, work hard and deliver what you promised,” explains the 35-year-old vice president and general manager of Stone Mountain Park. He adds, no matter how successful one becomes, there is always room for improvement.

   With a newly earned University of North Carolina graduate degree in public administration, Rakestraw started working for Stone Mountain Park in 1995. At that time the park was state owned and operated. But three years later, Herschend Family Entertainment took over operation of the park. 

    Rakestraw moved rapidly up the ranks. With a thorough knowledge of the park’s various departments, he earned a promotion to attractions manager during the transition to privatization.

    Today Rakestraw is directly involved with the management and daily operation of the 3,200-acre park that draws more than 4 million visitors each year. He is also integral to the process of formulating strategic plans for the attraction.

For the full story pick up the Current Issue of The Atlanta goodlife Magazine

Spirit Matters: Let the healing begin

By Nigel Roberts

    Countless Christians are nursing wounds. One would expect the church to be the one place in this troubled world where love abounds. But ironically, church members are all too often guilty of inflicting pain on each other.

    Crosswalk.com, a Christian-based organization, recently conducted an online poll on this topic. A majority, 70 percent, responded that they’ve been hurt by someone in church. Of that group, 44 percent switched churches and 11 percent stopped going to church altogether.

    Gossip, jealously, backbiting and strife among brethren is nothing new. If one considers the church a hospital for the spiritually ill, one should expect to find spiritual maladies. The reality is that Christians are at different stages of wholeness. So, as they work out their spiritual infirmities, from time-to-time, they may step on each other’s toes. 

    That said, how should Christians handle those hurtful, sometimes mean-spirited, attacks from their brothers and sisters? While an eye for an eye response might be the first reaction, some might suggest that one needs to look no further than the teachings of Jesus who established a more elevated approach: “…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

    After getting past the shock of being hurt by a church member, there are a number of ways to respond. Not responding at all only plants the seed of resentment, and once it flourishes, it can lead to hatred.

For the full story pick up the Current Issue of The Atlanta goodlife Magazine

Spolight on Youth:

Angelica Hairston

By Kathryn Stanley

    Violinist. Harpist. Singer. Dancer. Published author. Many would be proud to boast any one of these credits. But Angelica Hairston can lay claim to them all and she isn’t even old enough to drive. Yet the 14-year-old is extremely humbled by her accomplishments. It’s happened so fast, she says, she hasn’t had time to take it all in. 

    Angelica was first exposed to classical music when her parents, Rawn and Sheila Hairston, played the likes of Mozart and Chopin in the Burbank, Calif., birthing room where she was born. After moving to Atlanta when Angelica was 2, her parents took her to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts. By age 4, she expressed interest in playing the violin and soon began lessons. 

    After eight years of studying violin, Angelica added the harp to her repertoire. After just two years of study, she became the first African-American harpist to play in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and last summer was one of seven harpists, the only African American, to attend Interlochen, a highly competitive summer youth music camp in Michigan. The Chamblee High School freshman also participates in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, a program designed to encourage children of color to pursue careers in classical music, where she studies with the ASO’s principal harpist, Elizabeth Remy-Johnson.

    Willie Dickey knows a good thing when he sees it. A businessman with a knack for revitalizing businesses that are on the verge of closing Dickey was a regular at one Buckhead spa until the level of service wavered. He stopped patronizing the place but at the urging of a nail technician talked to the owner about the business’ future. In short order, Dickey purchased the 10-year-old spa in 2006.

    He then orchestrated a complete renovation to give the two-story Spa on Paces, a “true European design with a touch of Tuscan color.” Located at 3209 Paces Ferry Place in Buckhead, the spa continued to operate in keeping with Dickey’s belief that “you don’t shut down and renovate” rather you let patrons see the changes to pique their curiosity.

    According to Dickey, the revitalization plan is working. In the first year since taking over the business, Dickey says it shattered all previous records and doubled its revenue.

    Spa on Paces offers a range of treatments such as facials, massages, body wraps and polishes, hair removal, ear candling, eye lash tinting and more. One of the spa’s signature treatments is the Four Layer Facial. For $138, an esthetician applies four layers of product to soften lines and add moisture, improve circulation, eliminate toxins and nourish skin and improve its tone.

    And the spa has tweaked treatments to reflect its own approach. For example, with its hot stone massage, the stones are not simply placed on the body at specific spots but are used by the masseuse to massage the skin.

For the full story pick up the Current Issue of The Atlanta goodlife Magazine