Trailheads Reunite, March Civil War Site, And Attack Smoked Meats at Owens & Hull.

Hail, hail, the gang’s all here, but where in the hell has the gang been? The last dispatch was a month ago!

Patrick was on a cruise celebrating 40 years of marital bliss (and since his wife, Donna, didn’t push him overboard, he may have a shot at 41 years).

Roy was assisting with his talented wife, Karlenne, who participated in a Birmingham art show. Who said Trailheads don’t support the arts? (Check her incredible artwork at karlenne.com)

Over the past weeks, the other Trailheads had medical issues, or business conflicts, or travel plans, or plumbing issues, or general attacks of laziness and apathy. Life is busy, and sometimes it just gets in the way of living. Brad even went so far as to have hand surgery to improve his pickleball game. Despite this, Trail Master and loyal Fio hiked on, keeping Thursdays sacred.

This week, George was out hiking in the beautiful Oregon countryside with his equally beautiful wife, Carole, as war-torn Portland burned while dancing furies roamed the farmers’ markets and baristas dropped espresso bombs in drinks around the city. Who knew revolutionaries could be so much fun?

Roy was taking a guitar lesson — he’s been diligently studying and practicing for twelve years and almost has the first two measures of “Smoke on the Water” mastered. Which, honestly, is pretty much the entire song.

That left Trail Master Guy to lead Brad, Steve, and Patrick on the Discovery Park at the River Line Trail. This is virgin territory for our hiking boots, and we loved it.

This area is historically significant. Indians used this land from the Archaic period (c. 3000 B.C) to the late Mississippi period (1500 – 1600 A.D.). When the Spaniards arrived and introduced smallpox (this pre-anti-science RFK, Jr.), many natives died, leading to the formation of smaller tribes.

The Chattahoochee River would become the dividing line between the Cherokee and the Muscogee Creek Nations.

Georgia settled the land (though we imagine the original settlers thought it was good and properly “settled” as it was). This place became critical in the Confederate Army’s last stand against Sherman’s Union Army. You can still see part of the six miles of embankments built by the Southern forces and 1,000 enslaved Africans. Spoiler alert: the Rebels lost the Civil War, although who knows what history will be rewritten in the coming months. Perhaps the South will win this time! It’s up in the air at this point. Everything seems to be.

To get the full story of this historically significant land, click here. This trail has it all, with impressive vistas from elevations to walkways through the wetlands (pro tip: resist the urge to drink the water).

We grabbed selfies along the way to spoil its natural beauty. Nature is our backdrop after all.

As with any good hike, Guy was attracted to signs welcoming him into an area. He has a rare type of sign dyslexia. A sign meant to repel him only draws him closer. The man is either disobedient or illiterate. We're seeking specialized therapy for him.

As we hiked, Trailheads agreed that Slow Horses on Apple TV and Task on HBO Max are both excellent shows that don’t leave you as winded or sunburned as hiking does.

With our hike complete, we zipped down the road to Owens & Hull Grand Champion BBQ. We visited here recently, and love this joint (read why here). 

The Pit Master saw us coming and quickly fed his smoker. It would soon be getting a workout.

Roy joined us for lunch, and most Trailheads ordered smoked turkey sandwiches. They were so good, some of us even vowed to order our Thanksgiving turkeys from Owens & Hull. That’s much easier than chasing them down in the wild.

The smoked pork was also on point.  And all the sandwiches were enhanced by being served on soft, fluffy Martin’s Potato Buns––the best ones in the business.

The sides were also terrific. The slaw was sweet yet tangy and had a fine grate to it. The collards were tasty and very green–which makes them healthy in our book (each forkful is thought to add two years to one's life).

The sausage drew rave reviews. Some even dared comparing it to Socks' Love Barbecue links. A bold statement indeed.

We talked, laughed, and made plans to attend the “No Kings” rallies on Saturday. Brad even designed a T-shirt for the occasion.

Then we disbanded into the wind before the secret police found our location and labeled us “radicals” and “America haters.”

Nope, that's not the case. We love our country, which is why we’ll use our freedom of speech to protest the autocratic tendencies of this administration.

And if our next dispatch is from El Salvador, you’ll know our noble cause failed. Please bust us out.

Stay safe, folks, and do not obey in advance—good advice from the Portland Frog. Keep America free and proud and loyal to the Constitution and The Bill of Rights. Fight the good fight for democracy over autocracy.

Rating: Four Ribs*

Owens and Hull Grand Champion BBQ

6255 Riverview Rd SE 

Building 4000 STE 100 

Smyrna, GA 30126

(404) 467-4427

gcbbq.com

*About Our Barbecue Rating System

Trailheads do not claim to be food experts, epicureans, or sophisticated palates. We are hungry hikers who attack a selected barbecue venue and ravage our way through whatever smoked fare and fixings they're dishing out. Our reviews feature what we believe are the highlights of the menu we sampled. So our intent is not to trash talk the saintly folks who tend to smoldering smokers on hot, humid summer days. They are sacrificing themselves in the noble art of smoking meats and feeding the drooling masses. Many are independent entrepreneurs who are the backbone of this humming American economy. Now that you know our standards, you may wonder why every barbecue place gets a four-ribs rating. The answer is easy: our group has acclaimed designers, and they think the ribs graphic looks cool. Who are we to argue? Enjoy.

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