Smack dab in the middle of Georgia, Macon boasts its history to anyone that will listen. Now, people can experience that history in Spanish with the city's launch of its first translated tour, which premiered this weekend. 

Part-time tour guide Jenny Howell is the first to lead the translated version of Macon's "Soul Sites" tour.  

“As with any beginner, practice is going to make the master," Howell said. 

Howell, a full-time commercial real estate agent, moved to Macon two years ago. With this tour, she’s on a mission to get more Latinos to check out Macon. 

"There's so much to do here," Howell said. "There's so much to do. And the Hispanic culture, you know, they love culture."

During the hourlong van tour, Howell starts off by pointing out the Tubman Museum, which holds such items as shoes that belonged to James Brown and one of Little Richard's pianos. 

Along the tour, there are stories about city hall, the Grand Opera House and mansions with a quirky history, like one on College Street. 

"The inventor of Crisco lived in this house!" Howell tells attendees — in Spanish, of course. "Crisco was born in Macon." 

There's something for everyone. 

"How do you say 'serial killer' in Spanish?" Howell asks. Because yes, Macon even has its own notorious serial murderer.

Although Howell said practicing for the tour's basically made her an expert on most of Macon's history, she's also excited to learn from potential guests.  

"I think that every tour is always going to be different because you have people interested in different things," Howell said. "I will always be open to learning more stories and sharing them as we go, as we do the tour." 

Downtown Mexican restaurant La Bella Morellia is right on the tour's route. Manager German Marin said while "probably 90%" of his clientele is local, it's not uncommon that travelers on Interstate 75 stop in for a meal. His restaurant's the second result on Google maps under "Mexican food." 

Marin said he thinks the Spanish tour might encourage some travelers to stay a bit longer. But he also hopes it appeals to the growing population of Latinos in town, and increases accessibility in the downtown area. 

"For a young person, it's really easy to learn English and Spanish," Marin said. "But parents of those kids that only speak Spanish, it's more difficult for them to do things becuase they don't understand the language very well." 

Macon’s first Spanish-language tour is running on the second Friday and Saturday of each month, or for groups who book in advance through the city’s downtown visitors center. English-speaking tours are available Fridays and Saturdays. Both tours cost between $7 and $8.  

Tags: Macon  historic preservation  tourism  Georgia  Hispanic Heritage Month