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Cornelia resident Donna Shirley receives her $100 prize money from Alan NeSmith, Community Newspapers Inc. chairman. Shirley’s photograph of the double waterfalls that make up Anna Ruby Falls graces the cover of the 2023 summer edition of The Mountain Traveler magazine. (Photo/Kimberly Brown)
by Kimberly Brown
CNI News Service
One of the things Donna Shirley of Cornelia loves most is traveling around Northeast Georgia and up the Blue Ridge Parkway with her husband, Hoke, and their dog, Daisy, to chase waterfalls, see beautiful scenery and take photographs.
And that hobby has paid off. Donna Shirley’s photo of Anna Ruby Falls has been chosen as the winner of The Mountain Traveler’s summer 2023 cover contest. Shirley received $100 for her photograph.
“I’m really pleased,” she said of winning the contest. “I was very surprised.”
Shirley’s photo was taken on May 27, 2022, after a big rain.
“When it rains a lot, we know it’s a good time to go chasing waterfalls,” she said. “You can tell a big difference (after a rain).”
There were about 25 submissions for the 2023 summer edition of The Mountain Traveler.
Submissions included mountain views, close-ups of flowers, wildlife, barns, and of course, waterfalls.
It was the bright blue sky, green leaves and the clear water of Anna Ruby Falls that made Shirley’s photo a winner, said Alan NeSmith, Community Newspapers Inc. chairman.
“We received a lot of great submissions, so it was a hard decision,” NeSmith said. “But Donna’s picture captured the view mountain travelers are looking for.”
Published in the summer and fall, The Mountain Traveler is a full-color regional visitor and travel guide for Northeast Georgia. It is available now at stores, shops, visitor centers and other key distribution points all around the region.