Good Day Atlanta viewer information: April 16, 2021
ATLANTA - A visit to Locust Grove's Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary:
A famous fictional character once exclaimed, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" And while she wasn’t following a yellow brick road down to Locust Grove, the Georgia town does feature those three animals among more than a thousand others.
Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary is a nonprofit animal sanctuary located just off of Interstate 75, about 40 minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. And that’s a fitting landmark, considering the animals inside the sanctuary are truly an international bunch, ranging from lemurs of Madagascar and Japanese macaques to the prairie dogs and porcupines of North America. Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary was created in the 1970s by Jama Hedgecoth, During a visit by Good Day Atlanta in 2019, her daughter-in-law Allison explained the mission of the sanctuary.
"We want to provide a forever home to animals that need it," she says. "Whether it’s a goat, a bear, a primate, a dog or a cat, it doesn’t matter what kind of species. We’re here for them."
All of the animals taken in by the sanctuary are unable to be released into the wild; many are brought to Noah’s Ark by the Department of Natural Resources, zoos and educational institutions, and from the general public. Doc, for example, is a 500-pound Bengal tiger mix that came from a small roadside zoo.
"It was actually a miracle that they gave him to us, because he was still a cub when they had him," says Hedgecoth. "So, they still could have made money charging people to take their picture with him."
Self-guided tours of Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary are available on Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.; they are free of charge (donations encouraged) and cover about a mile throughout the habitat. Walk on the Wild Side — or WOW — tours are available for $75 for a behind-the-scenes experience. You can learn more information on tours is available by clicking here.
We spent the morning exploring Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary with Miss Magnolia Sarah Stallings, who will compete for the title of Miss Georgia this summer; Stallings has been working to bring awareness and raise money for the sanctuary. Click the video player to check out our visit!
Burgers With Buck:
If you haven’t yet been to the, relatively new, 135-acre mixed-use development known as Halcyon (which is located just inside Forsyth County, but has an Alpharetta mailing address), #BurgersWithBuck recommends you check it out for yourself.
Sitting prominently near the front of the development is Ocean & Acre restaurant, and one of the first things you will notice about it is their expansive patio, especially as we are heading into that perfect outdoor dining time of year. Of course, one of the first things that we noticed … the Grass Fed Burger.
As the name implies, it begins with a large, grass-fed, Angus beef patty that is a blend of hanging tender, brisket, and chuck. It is topped with lettuce, tomato, and grilled onions, but what really makes the Grass Fed Burger unique is the combination of chimichurri and smoked gouda. The two flavors work together to provide a very distinctive taste, so much so that it’s tough to be patient and wait for your next bite.
It’s good!
While there are a lot of great land and sea options from which to choose, you can’t go wrong with the Grass Fed Burger. More good news for us burger lovers, you’ll find it on both the brunch and main menus.
For more information about Ocean & Acre including the location, menu, and hours of operation, go to their website, https://oceanandacre.com. And, as always, if you have a favorite burger that you would like to see featured on Good Day Atlanta, tell me about it on https://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5 or https://twitter.com/BuckFOX5, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #BurgersWithBuck and/or #BWB.
Falcons Friday with Steve Wyche:
Before Steve Wyche became a rock star with the NFL Network, he was a beat reporter covering the ins and outs of all things Atlanta Falcons. And now he is a major contributor, storyteller, and analyst for the Falcons Football team. He joins Good Day live with more. For more information on Steve Wyche click here.
Actors Jasmine Burke and Tray Chaney give a preview of "Saints and Sinners" season 5: For more information click here.
Pike Nurseries representative Rena Sartain shares a lesson on beneficial bugs for the garden. For more information on Pike Nurseries click here.
Arlen "Griff" Griffin from Praise 102.5 speaks on the Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez breakup: For more information on "Griff" follow him @2trillion on Instagram.
Catching up with "Sunday's Best" winner Joshua Rogers: Joshua Rogers was the youngest contestant and first man to win "Sunday's Best." Since then he has released a new single, "Still Gon' Trust." The song was written during the pandemic as he watched the world struggle. Rogers joins Good Day live with more on his flourishing career. For more information on Joshua Rogers follow him on Instagram @thejoshuarogers.
Pet of the day from Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. For more on how you can sign up to foster a pet or how to adopt today's pet of the day click here.