Nested between the upper and lower Caucasus, Georgia has historically been the jewel of the Soviet empire.  Soviet leaders flocked there, enamored by its beauty, its wine and women, its rugged complexity.  It was the wild west of the Soviet Union – ancient and mysterious, unrefined but beautiful. 

Since independence in 1991, what Georgia has lost in economic prosperity it has regained in its identity.  A renaissance of traditional values and national identity has emerged, as well as a tenuous economic growth spurred by western investment.  Modern-day Georgia is at the center of a tug-of-war between its old Soviet masters and the promises of the west, a precarious position that is further complicated by deeply rooted traditions and awkward relationships with most of its neighbors. 

As Georgia creeps onto the radar of many travelers, Jeff and Lee take the reader through the quaint villages that define this enchanting country and explore the countryside with its rolling hills and vineyards.