Quarry thumbnails

Below is a collection of thumbnails of photos taken in October 2010 on a trip to the site of the former Bellwood Quarry (Google map). For over 100 years, the quarry was mined for rock and stone but in 2006 the city of Atlanta agreed to buy the property and turn it into what will be Atlanta's largest park. Plans call for the quarry, only four miles northwest of the heart of downtown Atlanta, to be turned into a giant reservoir, though it won't be filled with water anytime soon. According to recent estimates, the reservoir will not be filled until approximately 2040!

Let's start with the best. Due to pure luck, on the day I stopped by a spectacular stunt was planned, which can be seen in the first photo below. As part of a test for an upcoming film shoot, a car was being propelled by an air rocket (is that the right term?) over the edge of the road and into the beautiful green water far below. The title of the movie is Fast Five (aka Fast And Furious Part 5) and will star Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Ludicris. Also worth noting is that the television series The Walking Dead, which will debut on AMC on 10/31, shot extensively at the quarry recently.