May 10, 2026
We drove to Covington, GA, to have dinner with our granddaughter, who works in Atlanta. Covington is within the Atlanta metro area. And it has the Cricket Frog Trail, which we wanted to ride and compare to the Spanish Moss Trail, which we rode in Beaufort, SC, a day earlier.
The hotel we stayed at was unique for having a four-story-high atrium with a skylight in the middle. The rooms were accessible via an open corridor running around each floor facing the atrium. We have never stayed in a hotel with such singular architecture, although the concept is similar to that of havelis in Rajasthan, except that havelis have uncovered courtyards.
The hotel in Covington with atrium
Arriving early afternoon gave us time to go downtown and walk around before meeting our granddaughter for dinner. Covington Square in the middle of town reminded me of the zócalos in Mexican towns, but without pre-teens approaching to offer to shine your shoes, even your running shoes that do not need a shine.
In the middle of the square was a statue honoring the Confederate soldiers who had perished during the Civil War. Paved walkways crisscrossed the square, with people resting on benches along the walkways, enjoying the mild weather. And there were people walking around the square, sitting at a café, and shopping in funky stores that populated the street fronts around the square.
The Confederate monument
The Clocktower, which is part of the courthouse, dominates the square. It reminded me of the dominating churches at the Mexican zócalos. While researching the history of the Clocktower, I came across an AI summary that described it as a “classic design with detailed architecture” built in the early 1900s. That is pure nonsense. What is classic design? And what is detailed architecture? Then I found another history on Wikipedia stating that it was designed in 1884 in the Second Empire style by Bruce&Morgan, after the original courthouse burnt down in 1883. I believe the second description rings truer because of its specificity.
The Clocktower, the Mystic Grill and the Shrimp and Grits
We had dinner at the Mystic Grill, located next to the Clocktower. The shrimp and grits were one of the best I have ever had; they were made with stone-ground grits, bacon, garlic, shallots, cilantro, and lime juice. The next best shrimp and grits I had was a week ago at Jekyll Island, GA, where the dish contained mushrooms, cheese, and andouille sauce.
The restaurant was noisy, making conversation difficult for me, especially with the larger tables to talk across and the conversations ricocheting in the dining room. But the atmosphere was very inviting, with a 2-story-high coffered ceiling and local historical pictures and memorabilia on the walls.
But Covington has some antebellum homes, the most famous of which is Twelve Oaks, which served as the model for the 1939 film Gone with the Wind. The 1939 movie was based on Margaret Mitchell’s book of the same name, published in 1936. A pricey B&B today with themed rooms and a manicured, landscaped yard, it still features the 12 oak trees around the home, from which the name was derived.
The Twelve Oaks B&B
We rode the Cricket Frog Trail the next day, a 14-mile-long rail-to-trail, once traveled by the Central of Georgia Railroad. The paved trail is a bit hilly with some curves; I wondered about how fast the trains moved along it. We started riding at the rural trailhead and cycled towards Covington. Once we reached the outskirts of the town and encountered traffic, we turned back. It was a pleasant ride, and I saw many estates along the trail.
Coming back to the two rail-to-trails we rode, one in Beaufort, SC, the Spanish Moss Trail, and the other in Covington, GA, the Cricket Frog Trail, I prefer the Cricket Frog for having mostly cyclists and a shaded pathway along the way. The Spanish Moss Trail runs through more urbanized areas, with walkers and people walking dogs, contributing to slower cycling and frequent shouts of “on the left”. And it was also mostly a straight path, which felt boring at times. However, there are a couple of nice coffee shops in Port Royal at the end of the trail and a rookery that boasted innumerable birds, a very cool experience. And I like to end my rides at a coffee shop with quality coffee and some sweets. For riding, the Cricket Frog Trail is better, but for interest, the Spanish Moss Trail is preferable.
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