From mountains to beaches, Georgia's natural wonders subject of PBS travel show

Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
Chris Greer, left and Paul Daniel are co-hosts of the nature show 'View Finders' beginning April 1 on Georgia PBS.
Chris Greer, left and Paul Daniel are co-hosts of the nature show 'View Finders' beginning April 1 on Georgia PBS.

With a camera in hand, Chris Greer recently put his boots to the ground along Georgia's rocky mountain trails and down black-sandy roads of coastal jungles.

What the Watkinsville, Georgia resident and his camera found will air Saturday on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

The second season of the outdoors show “View Finders” airs at 9:30 a.m. with 10 episodes intermittently running into the fall.

This season, Greer, a professor of instructional of technology at Georgia College & State University - Milledgeville, is joined by a new co-host, Paul Daniel, as they explore some of the most scenic and often secluded natural places in the Peach State.

“He has a lot of charisma on screen,” Greer said about his new co-host. “I think the audience will like him.”

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Daniel is a photographer based in Atlanta, who shoots sporting events, landscapes and portraits.

Last year’s first season co-host, Jason Clemmons of Blairsville, was unable to continue this year and Greer said Daniel was “literally the first person on my list. I hoped he would fill in and he was ready to go.”

So far, the duo have shot seven episodes with three more to film during the summer.

The first episode on Saturday features their trek to Dawsonville's Amicalola Falls and Len Foote Hike Inn, the latter an eco-lodge on top of a mountain near the state park.

An historic tabby home on the on Ossabaw Island along the Georgia coast.
An historic tabby home on the on Ossabaw Island along the Georgia coast.

“You hike 5 miles up the mountain to the eco-lodge. You can’t drive there,” Greer said. “It’s quiet, beautiful with a gorgeous view and not a lot of people know about it.”

Future shows include trips to the giant ravines of Cloudland Canyon State Park and the lush islands protruding along Georgia’s coast.

“We went to barrier islands that people don’t really know about. That includes Ossabaw Island, as well as Wassaw Island and Blackbeard Island,” he said.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, he said, led them to locations on the islands including exclusive access to some locations.

A dirt trail meanders under the live oak and moss on Ossabaw Island.
A dirt trail meanders under the live oak and moss on Ossabaw Island.

Each episode features Georgia musicians, something Greer said the audience in the first season appreciated.

“The music is a big part of every episode. It drives the emotional feel of what we’re doing and what is going on,” Greer said.

Besides his work with the TV show, years ago Greer released a travel guide book showcasing his photography titled, "Georgia Discovered: Exploring the Best of the Peach State," and a book of photography was released last year, "Naturally Georgia."

"View Finders" will repeat shows 7 p.m. Thursdays and all of the shows, including those that aired last year, can be accessed on the PBS app.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Watkinsville man hosts 'View Finders' for second PBS season on Saturday