Two Georgia towns have earned bragging rights as home to some of America’s healthiest strolling spots, where fitness meets small-town charm.
🚶♀️ Why It Matters: Walking just 30 minutes daily can boost your heart health and mental wellbeing, but when you’re wandering past historic storefronts with mountain views, you might forget you’re exercising at all.
🏆 The Rankings: Assisted Living Magazine surveyed over 3,000 Americans to find main streets that transform ordinary walks into wellness experiences. Dahlonega’s Main Street claimed the #12 spot nationally, while Blue Ridge’s Main Street followed at #35.
🍑 Georgia’s Gems: Dahlonega’s Main Street offers a gold rush history lesson with every step, complete with 19th-century architecture and mountain vistas. Meanwhile, Blue Ridge’s Main Street delivers a railroad-town charm offensive with boutiques and bakeries pumping apple pie aromas into the crisp mountain air.
🗣️ Worth Noting: “Too often, wellness gets boxed into gyms and gadgets,” says Jeremy Clerc, CEO of Assisted Living Magazine. “But the simple act of walking – especially in places that are beautiful, social, and full of charm – can be just as powerful.”
🏙️ The Competition: The top national spots went to Lake Placid (NY), Santa Barbara (CA), and Fort Lauderdale (FL), where scenic beauty and pedestrian-friendly design create natural wellness environments.
The Sources: Assisted Living Magazine survey, Assisted Living CEO Jeremy Clerc.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
