Things to See and Do Near a Stuckey’s: Forsyth, Georgia

Founded in 1822 and officially incorporated on December 10, 1923, Forsyth, Georgia, was named after career politician John Forsyth.

And what a political career he had!

Born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on October 22, 1780, Forsyth graduated from Princeton in 1799 and was admitted to the bar in 1802. He began his political career in 1813, serving as a U.S. Congressman from Georgia until 1818. In 1819, Forsyth would win a U.S. Senate seat. However, his position was short lived, as that same year he joined James Madison’s cabinet as the U.S. Minister of Spain from 1819 to 1823 where he was able to get the King Ferdinand VII of Spain to ratify the Florida Purchase Treaty which pretty much gave Florida to the United States in 1819.

Upon his return to America, Forsyth once again served as a U.S. Congressman from 1823 to 1827 before becoming Governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829. Afterwards, he served as a U.S. Senator from Georgia once again, though this time he served a bit longer from 1829 -1834. Finally, he served as U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren from 1834-1841. Forsyth would die on October 21, 1841, just one day shy of his 61st birthday.

Much like its namesake, the town of Forsyth experienced tremendous growth in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, especially after the railroad came to town bringing with it the first passenger rail service in Georgia. However, the railroad also allowed Georgia’s cotton agriculture to flourish as well. Adding to that growth was the opening of Tift College the second oldest female college in the world in 1849.

Stuckey’s of Forsyth

Stuckey’s of Forsyth sits about 6 miles south of town at I-75’s Exit 181. A special bonus this time of year is that this Stuckey’s just happens to be located right next to The Nightmare Asylum, a walk through haunted house featuring gruesome monsters, role playing actors and much more.

So, once you’ve “relapsed, refleshed, and reghouled” next door, head on over to Stuckey’s and stock up on all of your favorite road trip snacks and Georgia souvenirs before heading back out on the road again so you don’t miss these other things to see and do near a Stuckey’s.

A House Isn’t Always a Home

You don’t have to drive far from Stuckey’s in Forsyth to see some of Georgia’s best roadside attractions. In fact, you can see one of them right here in Forsyth itself over at Hamlin Hills Farm. No, we’re not talking about their famous crashed crop duster. Rather, we’re talking about a place where people use to sit and relax long before Stuckey’s gave them a place to relax, refresh and refuel. That’s right! Hamlin Hills Farms claims that it has “Georgia’s Cleanest Outhouse”.

Sure, you can visit Hamlin Hills Farm for the petting zoo or the pickles and jams available this time of year. You can even plan your whole day around seeing the “Seven Largest Fool’s Gold Nuggets in the World”, wooly mammoth artifacts, or the dozens of early 19th century trucks and tractors and other historical agricultural wonders; however, we say if you got to go, then you got to go visit Georgia’s cleanest outhouse right here in Forsyth.

Home of Your Huckleberry

John Henry “Doc” Holliday, one of the Old West’s most colorful characters, was born here in Griffin, Georgia on August 14, 1851. However, when John was 13, he and his family would move south to Valdosta, Georgia, where his father became mayor. At the age of 19, young John traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, thus also earning him his sobriquet “Doc”.

Holliday would practice dentistry in various places around the country after earning his degree before ultimately returning to Georgia where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. On the advice of his doctors, Holliday moved West hoping the warmer, drier climate might delay the inevitable. It was in the West where Doc would eventually befriend Wild West hero Wyatt Earp, and his life would forever after become the stuff of legends. Holliday would eventually succumb to the disease that sent him out West and made him one of history’s most iconic characters. At the age of 36, Doc Holliday died of tuberculosis in Glenwood, Colorado on November 8, 1887, and was buried in nearby Pioneer Cemetery.

Or was he?

Griffin, Georgia, claims that their native son’s burial in Colorado was only temporary and his father had him reinterred in an unmarked grave in the town’s Oak Hill Cemetery so that Holliday might be able to rest in peace. Upon his death, the elder Holliday would be buried next to his only son, also in an unmarked grave. So, are these the final resting places of the Holliday men? Well, today, you can visit them here and decide for yourself. While you’re there, check out some of the other Griffin tributes to their hometown huckleberry. Visit here for more information.

Home of Fried Green Tomatoes

One of the great things about this part of Georgia is just how picturesque it is.  And judging from how many movies Hollywood has made here, we think many would agree with us. Take the Whistle Stop Café in nearby Juliette, for example. You probably know it as the café from the 1991 American comedy-drama Fried Green Tomatoes.

Though the café was built for the movie, once filming was finished, the Whistle Stop Café remained open. Today you can still order all sorts of classic Southern dishes like catfish filet, country fried steak, and of course, their world famous fried green tomatoes. (Visit their website here for more of their menu.)

The Whistle Stop Café is open from 11 a.m. to 4.p.m., Thursdays through Sundays. (That means it’s closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so plan accordingly.)

Home to Vinnie’s Cousin?

A year after Fried Green Tomatoes, Hollywood came back to Georgia to film the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny starring Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio and Fred Gwynne. Thirty years later you can still visit a couple of the filming locations like the Jasper County Historic Courthouse in Monticello, Georgia,  which was featured prominently in the film for all exterior courthouse scenes and a few of the interior scenes as well.

What’s more, about 10 miles west of the courthouse on Georgia Route 16, you’ll find the Sac-O-Suds. The convenience store that became the catalyst behind the whole film after Vinny’s cousin Bill Gambino and his college friend Stan Rothenstein accidentally shoplift a can of tuna from the Sac-O-Suds and subsequently get arrested for murder after the convenience store clerk is found dead. As a result, Bill ends up calling his cousin Vinny Gambino, a personal injury lawyer who failed the bar five times, to bail him out of his problem.

So there are just a few things you can see and do near the Stuckey’s in Forsyth. However, since it’s located about halfway between Atlanta and Macon, there’s certainly plenty more to see and do in this part of Georgia. Drop us a line on our social media and let us know what some of your favorites are when you’re road tripping around Georgia.

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Whether you’re a family vacationer or a weekend road warrior, no matter where you’re headed this weekend, be sure to take some Stuckey’s along with you. From our world famous Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls and Pecan Pralines to our mouthwatering munchies like our flavored Front Porch Pecans and Hunkey Dorey popcorn mix, Stuckey’s has all your favorite road trip snacks for your next big adventure. Visit our website at stuckeys.com for more pecan-y goodness and souvenir kitschiness you love us for.

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