This long weekend has been a great escape. I drove down to Hohenwald Friday morning, had lunch with my sister-in-law Linda at Big John's (yummy loaded baked potato) then drove into town and parked Seeker near the Willem Tell Platz (the city holds dearly to its Swiss roots) and walked down to the city parking lot to repair one of my geocaches. Turns out it was just plain missing so I walked back to Seeker and used some supplies in my geocaching bag to creat a new container and log then went back to ground zero and replaced it. Since I'm leaving town in October and don't anticipate being back before next summer I also put it up for adoption and my buddy Jengoround in Centerville quickly took it on. What a friend!
Then I went to my second lunch at the Rio Grande, the local Mexican restaurant in town. Now mind you I had already eaten half that potato at Big John's and the other half was tucked away in Seeker's fridge. And while I don't ordinarily eat 2 lunches in a day, this was a special gathering. Two of the Ogg girls were celebrating their birthdays and since I was in town it would have been just plain rude for me not to stop by and join them. I ordered 2 tamales but could only eat one so I had another take out box to add to the fridge.
After lunch I moved Seeker out to Rockhouse Road at Darlene's house where I did some housekeeping while waiting for Darlene to get off work. Darlene is my stepdaughter in the legal sense of the word: she is the daughter of my deceased husband. But she is so much more. Having grown up with 4 brothers and no sisters I was really pleased when I married Larry and gained a daughter/sister. You see, since I married an older man my stepdaughter is old enough to be my sister! In fact, she's only 6 months younger than me. I guess that seems weird to some folks but me and Darlene like it fine. We have a lot of common interests and enjoying traveling together.
And this weekend has been great. We left behind all our responsibilities of work (well, at least she did), grandkids, house chores, the dogs, etc. and just hit the road. She's been wanting to take a trip in Seeker since I brought her home and she's always wanted to see the Evansville IN library that is supposedly haunted, so off we went after she got home from work.
The road from Hohenwald to Evansville IN is a long and twisting route that passed through lots of small towns and interesting sites: Brushy, Centerville, Bon Aqua (where Gus was born), Dickson, Cumberland Furnance, Ashland City, Clarksville, and several small towns in KY before crossing the Ohio River into Evansville. The Kentucky leg wasn't too interesting since we took interstate/parkway on that part to make up some time and you really just don't see much on those roads.
We arrived in Evansville at the Vanderburgh 4H Campgrounds right at dark. We had reserved site #1 but found another rig was already parked there. In fact, since we hadn't gotten there before dark our site was given to someone else and all the other full hook up sites were taken as well (big car show coming to town) so we had to take one of the sites down near the road with only water and electric. We were so tired we just didn't care and thought we could sleep anywhere so we took it (and it seemed like a bargain at $16).
Have you ever tried sleeping on a railroad track? While we weren't actually on the tracks we were within 100 ft. of the tracks which we really couldn't see through the trees after dark. The park host did mention that we might have some train noise during the night. That guy should go on the stand up circuit and get paid for his understatement skills! Shortly after hooking up the water and electric we went inside and changed into pj's as the first train rattled by. It was loud but not too bad. We giggled and made a joke about the "train noise" we had been warned about. Soon another train passed by, followed within the hour by another, and so on ALL NIGHT! The southbound tracks were a little further away, but the northbound trains felt like they were coming through the middle of us. And each time we were warned they were coming by the loud train whistle warning at the track crossing just down the road. Finally we were both so tired we just slept out of exhaustion. What a night!
Early Saturday morning we broke camp and headed into Evansville to the Willard Library to do some ghost hunting. Sadly we didn't see her but we enjoyed the visit to this architectural beauty. We had to park at the business next door because there was a geneology seminar at the library and the parking lot was packed. We enjoyed our visit and stopped outside to find a nano cache before hitting the road. We had seen an interesting cemetery up the road and wanted to go visit. Oak Hill is one of the oldest burial grounds in the city. We later learned that the Johnsons of Mead Johnson take their eternal rest there. But we were in pursuit of Elizabeth Harrison, a queen of the Romany gypsies. It took a while but we did finally find her (and 3 more caches). Nothing on the marker mentioned her or her husband's status in the gypsy tribe. Nor did it mention that her husband died after his son accidentally shot him. Oh well, we still enjoyed the German lesson as we drove through the grounds reading names like Huffstedt and Schneke. We did see one Jones, but we don't know how he got in.
Next we drove down to the river front area and found a good place to park Seeker while we prowled the downtown area before meeeting up with some local cachers for a flash mob. We found the old jail which looks like a mini castle, city hall which is a decadent example of Beaux Arts, the boarded up bus station with a faint shadow of the running hound on the wall, and then pretended to run in fear from Millie the Dinosaur in front of the children's museum. Around 1:30 we made our way back down to the riverfront to meet up with the flash mob. There were cachers from 5 different states and the guy voted the "geekiest geocacher" received an award. We had thought about stopping to see the LST that is docked down the river and covers a lot of Evansville's WWII history, but we were beginning to wear down, so we headed south on highway 41.
After a quick stop for some supplies and munchies at the Walmart in Clarksville, we set up camp at the Clarksville RV Park. Darlene ate a burger and fries we stopped for at the Burger King and I warmed up my leftovers from Friday's lunches. Then we changed into swimsuits and headed for the pool. It felt good to stretch and kick out some of the road weariness for a while, but soon we were just plain tired. It didn't take us long to get changed into our jammies and headed for bed. Sometime during the night a couple of storm cells moved through the area but we stayed dry and the large Tiffin parked beside us took most of the wind. Early this morning we pulled up stakes and drove into Clarksville to do some ancestor research for Darlene on the Ogg side of the family (yes, I drug my trailer hitch a little getting up the drive at the cemetery, but it was for a good cause) and then made our way to Fairview, KY.
The city of Fairview was the birthplace and childhood home of President Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy. As a member in good standing of the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy Darlene really needed to see the memorial there to President Davis, so that was our goal. It is impressive and the museum was very informative. We took lots of pictures and hunted a geocache after going to the top of the monument then headed back south on the highway.
The drive home was filled with backroads, cornfields, tobacco barns, a couple of large bucks running across the road in front of us, an antique car show in Adams, TN that we didn't have time to stop and enjoy, and the home of Robert Penn Warren that we made time to stop for but found it was closed on Sunday. Oh, and we did stop at the Bell Witch Cave but it was closed due to damages from last night's storm.
We finally pulled back into Darlene's driveway around 5pm this afternoon where her husband Johnsy was waiting to see what we were bringing for supper (pizza), a little tired but still laughing and having fun. I miss Larry so much some days, but I am so grateful for the family he left me with. His sisters are my sisters. His grandkids (and great grandkids) are my grandkids. And his daughter is my sister. And Johnsy is, well, he's my Johnsy, and I am grateful for him too. I just don't think I can explain that to you, but if you know Johnsy you understand.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monkeying Around
Back in Nashville and catching up on household chores in both the house and RV. But I did take some time to go on a couple of really fun geocaching trips. My caching buddy Filbert sent me an email when he saw that I needed a particular difficulty/terrain combination for my fizzy chart (sorry for the geo-speak) and he knew of a certain cache that would fulfill the requirement. And since he had just found that cache only a week ago he would be happy to be my guide. Well, OK, I'm game. So on Sunday morning, in a light rain, here comes Filbert with "da boat". Oh yeah, this particular cache is submerged, at least it is this time of year. So we drove out to a ramp on Stones River and launched. Now the "da boat" is big on spirit but small on horsepower. It has 5 horses to be exact, so getting from the ramp to the area of the cache took a little while, but the rain had stopped and the river was like a piece of glass.
Once we were in the general vicinity we tied up "da boat" and entered the water. So that's when Filbert informs me that we have to walk a certain distance from the shore and start "noodling" with our feet. Thirty minutes later and up to our necks in river water my "guide" finally declared "It's here!" That's only half the problem. Now we know where it is but I still had to dive down through five feet of murky river water, move a rock, find a waterproof box under a rock ledge, return to the surface, open the box, sign the paper log, return the log and weights to the waterproof box, dive back down through the murky water again, wedge the box back under the rock ledge and place the other rock back in front of the ledge. No problem. Only took about 20 minutes. And it would have taken much longer without my guide/buddy Filbert. Lots of fun!
After loading "da boat" back on the trailer we drove back toward Nashville and this time launched on Percy Priest Lake not too far from the Hobson Pike bridge. In fact we had to manuever our little sailing vessel under the bridge while also dodging the wakes of much larger boats. Oh, did I mention the rain? First we went to a nearby island so that I could sign off on a multistage cache I had begun last summer but never finished. It's a new favorite of mine called "Wet Monkeys Tell No Tales" and frankly we were a couple of wet monkeys between the rain showers, the river water, and the lake water. But we were having lots of laughs.
We launched from the beach near Wet Monkeys and headed to a little nothing slip of an island for the first stage of another multistage island cache. It was placed by an Army guy from Ft. Campbell who warned not to try this one if you're not in good shape. Last summer I had attempted to find the first stage but just as I figured out the first stage a rain storm came up and I had to hop in my kayak and head for shelter. Seems rain and this cache go together because Filbert and his nephew Kelvis (that's Elvis with a K) also found the first stage but were rained out. So this time we were going to finish things up. And I was looking forward to claiming the last island cache on Percy Priest for my smiley map.
Since we both knew what the first stage was like we brought along our "tools of the trade" which made stage one quick and easy. Next stop was another nearby island - lots of island hopping - and the final stage which once again required some special use of special tools of the trade. And a bit of monkey business on my part. After signing the log and replacing the container we laughed and did the happy dance then took a quick swim off the beach and laughed some more. This one was really fun! At last I can say I have found all the island caches on Percy Priest. And except for these last 2 on "da boat" I can also say that I kayaked to every one with Gus along to help guide me on the trails.
Oh no, wait, there's still one cache left: a four stage multi called "Aye Bear Pyrates Treasure". Tuesday morning, in the rain of course, Gus and I met up with Filbert and nephew Kelvis at the boat ramp. With the Jolly Roger flying from the prow of "da boat" and Kelvis really getting into the pirate spirit we headed across the lake dodging rain drops and riding some whitecaps. It didn't take too long but the hike was filled with briars and chiggers just to keep it interesting. Sadly, the final stage was filled with slimy water and the log book turned to mush, so we left a new log in a waterproof bag and took the rest of the treasure home to repair. But finally I can say that I have signed the log of every island cache on the lake. And had a great 2 days monkeying around on the water with some fine caching buddies. Now I just have to get the treasure chest restocked and returned to the island.
Sounds like a kayak trip to me!
Once we were in the general vicinity we tied up "da boat" and entered the water. So that's when Filbert informs me that we have to walk a certain distance from the shore and start "noodling" with our feet. Thirty minutes later and up to our necks in river water my "guide" finally declared "It's here!" That's only half the problem. Now we know where it is but I still had to dive down through five feet of murky river water, move a rock, find a waterproof box under a rock ledge, return to the surface, open the box, sign the paper log, return the log and weights to the waterproof box, dive back down through the murky water again, wedge the box back under the rock ledge and place the other rock back in front of the ledge. No problem. Only took about 20 minutes. And it would have taken much longer without my guide/buddy Filbert. Lots of fun!
After loading "da boat" back on the trailer we drove back toward Nashville and this time launched on Percy Priest Lake not too far from the Hobson Pike bridge. In fact we had to manuever our little sailing vessel under the bridge while also dodging the wakes of much larger boats. Oh, did I mention the rain? First we went to a nearby island so that I could sign off on a multistage cache I had begun last summer but never finished. It's a new favorite of mine called "Wet Monkeys Tell No Tales" and frankly we were a couple of wet monkeys between the rain showers, the river water, and the lake water. But we were having lots of laughs.
We launched from the beach near Wet Monkeys and headed to a little nothing slip of an island for the first stage of another multistage island cache. It was placed by an Army guy from Ft. Campbell who warned not to try this one if you're not in good shape. Last summer I had attempted to find the first stage but just as I figured out the first stage a rain storm came up and I had to hop in my kayak and head for shelter. Seems rain and this cache go together because Filbert and his nephew Kelvis (that's Elvis with a K) also found the first stage but were rained out. So this time we were going to finish things up. And I was looking forward to claiming the last island cache on Percy Priest for my smiley map.
Since we both knew what the first stage was like we brought along our "tools of the trade" which made stage one quick and easy. Next stop was another nearby island - lots of island hopping - and the final stage which once again required some special use of special tools of the trade. And a bit of monkey business on my part. After signing the log and replacing the container we laughed and did the happy dance then took a quick swim off the beach and laughed some more. This one was really fun! At last I can say I have found all the island caches on Percy Priest. And except for these last 2 on "da boat" I can also say that I kayaked to every one with Gus along to help guide me on the trails.
Oh no, wait, there's still one cache left: a four stage multi called "Aye Bear Pyrates Treasure". Tuesday morning, in the rain of course, Gus and I met up with Filbert and nephew Kelvis at the boat ramp. With the Jolly Roger flying from the prow of "da boat" and Kelvis really getting into the pirate spirit we headed across the lake dodging rain drops and riding some whitecaps. It didn't take too long but the hike was filled with briars and chiggers just to keep it interesting. Sadly, the final stage was filled with slimy water and the log book turned to mush, so we left a new log in a waterproof bag and took the rest of the treasure home to repair. But finally I can say that I have signed the log of every island cache on the lake. And had a great 2 days monkeying around on the water with some fine caching buddies. Now I just have to get the treasure chest restocked and returned to the island.
Sounds like a kayak trip to me!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
A Presidential Farewell to Georgia
As much as I’ve enjoyed being in Georgia, seeing my family, visiting parts of the state that I had heard of but never seen, I do have to go back to Nashville. There are still things to be done there before going off to Okefenokee in December. With a scheduled dental appointment awaiting me, but not until Thursday, I headed home, but making the miles count along the way.
My first stop is the visitors’ center in Plains, GA. The hostess there was very informative and spoke with a very soft southern voice. I loved it! She gave me a map and carefully explained where President Carter and his family live and just how close I could park to take pictures of the “compound” without being shot by the secret service. I opted to simply drive by and not stop since I really couldn’t see much except fences, guard shacks, and a long row of beautifully blooming crape myrtles. But I did visit the Plains High School (now the Jimmy Carter library), the large peanut with the big Carter toothy grin, and most definitely stopped at the Billy Carter Gas Station Museum. I loved the row of seats out front which gave it a kind of Mayberry feel. Of course I had to buy a Coke out of the machine to take home to Pam which brought back a flood of childhood memories for her.
Next stop was Columbus and the National Civil War Naval Museum. I didn’t spend too much time there for two reasons: 1) I just think it would be more fun to go through with my brother Mike, and 2) there were 3 young boys running through the museum yelling and playing on the displays with no one trying to stop them. Sorry, but this killed it for me. I will return with Mike one day and hopefully those boys won’t be there. Besides, it gave me more time for my next stop.
It was nearly 2:00 before I got to Pine Mountain and drove through Franklin Roosevelt State Park. I thought about camping there for the night but opted to simply drive through today and come back when the weather is cooler. This heat is just brutal. Besides, just 12 more miles to Warm Springs and FDR’s Little White House. This stop was one of the best of the trip. I have taught FDR in class so many times, and I’ve always included his attachment to Warm Springs. I lingered so long on the grounds of the house that I didn’t get to the actual springs before they closed. But I did get to see the unfinished portrait, the car that was adapted by local prisoners for him to drive, even his special built wheelchair.
So that’s it for now. Horizon Seeker is once again parked in the backyard. Gus and Brenda came by to check out the new floors and slipcovers. The laundry is washed, dried, and put away, and I’m early for my dental appointment.
But Georgia is still on my mind --- and Kentucky, Arkansas, Arizona, Alaska, Montana - well, you know what I mean.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Another Side of Georgia
Yesterday's blog title mentioned a president and then never got there. Sorry folks, guess I get lost in my ramblings here too. Yesterday was mostly about war, the most famous war down south, and of course the president I alluded to was Jefferson Davis. So let me just get this one right.
After an all too short weekend of camping on the lake with nephew Clay and getting in a couple of long paddling trips (4 miles on Friday night! Was I sore?), I had to pack up early Sunday and head south. I was really excited about the winter job I committed to at Okefenokee and since it was only another 250 miles past Mike's, why not go by and check it out. But I had to be there Sunday to meet the folks since they really aren't open for business right now. It was a long and scenic drive down Highway 441 south but I loved it. And it turns out that the camp is just what I like: small, not commercial, with really nice folks running things. Now I'm really looking forward to it.
I left the little town of Folkston (gateway to the Okefenokee!) and drove across the state line into Florida. I stopped at a really nice welcome center where I got out for a potty break and to stretch my legs. Yes, there was a geocache there, but it was over in the woods and since dark had fallen I opted to let that one wait for this winter when I return. When I returned to Seeker I turned on the air and heated up some leftovers in the fridge for my supper. Then I stretched out on the couch and napped till around midnight. Since it's been so hot my plan was to drive down to the Jacksonville, FL bypass and cut over to Lake City where I could pick up 75 and start back north. I'm not a huge fan of late night driving but it's cooler on the engine, has less traffic, and I could avoid the morning rush hour in and around JAX. It was a great plan for the first 30 minutes, and then it began to rain.
Did I say rain? I meant storm. Thunder. Lightning. Pouring rain. Just short of Lake City I saw an exit with a truck stop so I ducked in there and got parked. Good thing I got in there when I did because within the hour there was no place left to park. Cars. Trucks. Campers. We all had the same idea. I decided to go inside and have a proper hot meal at the restaurant: bacon and eggs. Then I returned to Seeker for some more sleep, or as much sleep as I could get with all the lightning and the hum of all the truck engines and generators. But it must have worked because I woke suddenly around 4am trying to figure out what woke me until I realized it was quiet, well, quieter. Vehicle noise was still out there but the storm had stopped. Seemed like my cue to get back on the road. I started up 75 north in the semi darkness and found myself almost alone on the highway - and I liked it. The only scarry part was a stretch of road with signs warning of "fog and smoke" which was indeed there and was puzzling, about the smoke part, until I realized I was passing the northwest side of Okefenokee which is the only part that still has wildfires burning. I'm hoping they got all that rain that put me in the truckstop.
With a new day came a new plan. I have been to Georgia many times but always on the eastern side. This time I decided to follow 75 north only as far as Tiffton and then drift off to the major highways that lead north, but farther west than 75 so that I can explore that side of the state. Just as I was closing in on my exit I saw a sign "Jefferson Davis Capture Site", so I had to exit earlier than planned. It was about a 10 mile drive out into the country and just when I wondered if I had missed it I ran into road construction, so I knew I was on the right road. I seem to attract construction like moths to a flame. The traffic crept along for about a mile until I saw my turn. About 5 miles down another county road and there it was. I guess I had expected just a marker, or maybe a statue, but what I found was the very house he was camped at when the federal troops captured him as well as 2 markers and a statue. The house contains a museum but was closed on Mondays so I had to get my satisfaction from the outside markers and statue. Someday I would like to visit when they are open.
Back on the highway I followed the county road on past Jeff Davis, but not back toward the construction. Eventually I hit a state highway which led me to Ashburn, GA and the world's largest peanut (I did not try to find it though you'd think if it was that large I could have seen it) and opted to take 75 up to Cordele where I found a Titan missile set up between a gas station and a Krystal. I can't explain it, but there was a geocache there! But the real reason I got off there was to get on Veterans Highway 300/280 west. This was the road to Andersonville, or at least to Highway 49 which runs right into Andersonville. I made a brief stop at the Jimmy Carter Regional Airport to see a statue of Lindbergh at the airport where he bought his first plane only 4 years before his historic cross Atlantic flight, and then went on in to Andersonville.
The town of Andersonville is small and is dedicated to remembering and honoring soldiers of the Civil War. I took pictures of the monument in the middle of the street that honors the officer in charge of the Andersonville Prison who was later found guilty of war crimes and hanged. Then I visited the small museum in town, mailed postcards from the tiny post office (wonder if it's one of the ones on the chopping block), found a geocache on the old caboose sitting on the nearby railroad tracks, and headed to the Andersonville National Park on the other side of the highway.
The park contains the remains of the prison, a visitor center/POW museum, and the cemetery. It was huge. I got there around 12:30 and didn't leave until after 4. There are no pictures allowed inside the museum, but all I can say is if you ever get a chance to visit you really shouldn't miss it. There were tapes playing in one room of former POWs telling their stories as well as family members telling what it was like to live through that nightmare. Lots of memorbilia from all the way back to the Revolutionary war up to today's war. For me, the museum was a sad reminder of just how cruel humans can be to one another. I didn't linger too long there. Out the back of the museum is a combination brick wall/sculpture which was also something I'd never seen before. Really made you think.
I picked up the cd guide for the park and spent the next 2 hours driving through the remains of the prison and touring the cemetery. At one point, near the area call the sinks (meaning where the latrines had been located for the prisoners) there was a sign warning visitors of rattlesnakes. As if the heat and the gnats weren't bad enough! The cemetery was very impressive. The large statues from the different states reminded me of Vicksburg and Shiloh, and all the rows and rows of headstones made me think of Arlington. Not only are all those who died at Andersonville Prison buried there, this is still a working cemetery and in a couple of my pictures you can see that a plot was being readied back beyond the New Jersey statue. It was a long, hot, and inspiring yet somehow oppressive tour. By 4:00 I was beat, so I found a campground back in Americus and crashed for the night. I think I was asleep by 7:30 - long before dark. I was exhausted from the restless night before and the long day of heat and walking.
But I'm glad I'm getting to see this other side of Georgia.
After an all too short weekend of camping on the lake with nephew Clay and getting in a couple of long paddling trips (4 miles on Friday night! Was I sore?), I had to pack up early Sunday and head south. I was really excited about the winter job I committed to at Okefenokee and since it was only another 250 miles past Mike's, why not go by and check it out. But I had to be there Sunday to meet the folks since they really aren't open for business right now. It was a long and scenic drive down Highway 441 south but I loved it. And it turns out that the camp is just what I like: small, not commercial, with really nice folks running things. Now I'm really looking forward to it.
I left the little town of Folkston (gateway to the Okefenokee!) and drove across the state line into Florida. I stopped at a really nice welcome center where I got out for a potty break and to stretch my legs. Yes, there was a geocache there, but it was over in the woods and since dark had fallen I opted to let that one wait for this winter when I return. When I returned to Seeker I turned on the air and heated up some leftovers in the fridge for my supper. Then I stretched out on the couch and napped till around midnight. Since it's been so hot my plan was to drive down to the Jacksonville, FL bypass and cut over to Lake City where I could pick up 75 and start back north. I'm not a huge fan of late night driving but it's cooler on the engine, has less traffic, and I could avoid the morning rush hour in and around JAX. It was a great plan for the first 30 minutes, and then it began to rain.
Did I say rain? I meant storm. Thunder. Lightning. Pouring rain. Just short of Lake City I saw an exit with a truck stop so I ducked in there and got parked. Good thing I got in there when I did because within the hour there was no place left to park. Cars. Trucks. Campers. We all had the same idea. I decided to go inside and have a proper hot meal at the restaurant: bacon and eggs. Then I returned to Seeker for some more sleep, or as much sleep as I could get with all the lightning and the hum of all the truck engines and generators. But it must have worked because I woke suddenly around 4am trying to figure out what woke me until I realized it was quiet, well, quieter. Vehicle noise was still out there but the storm had stopped. Seemed like my cue to get back on the road. I started up 75 north in the semi darkness and found myself almost alone on the highway - and I liked it. The only scarry part was a stretch of road with signs warning of "fog and smoke" which was indeed there and was puzzling, about the smoke part, until I realized I was passing the northwest side of Okefenokee which is the only part that still has wildfires burning. I'm hoping they got all that rain that put me in the truckstop.
With a new day came a new plan. I have been to Georgia many times but always on the eastern side. This time I decided to follow 75 north only as far as Tiffton and then drift off to the major highways that lead north, but farther west than 75 so that I can explore that side of the state. Just as I was closing in on my exit I saw a sign "Jefferson Davis Capture Site", so I had to exit earlier than planned. It was about a 10 mile drive out into the country and just when I wondered if I had missed it I ran into road construction, so I knew I was on the right road. I seem to attract construction like moths to a flame. The traffic crept along for about a mile until I saw my turn. About 5 miles down another county road and there it was. I guess I had expected just a marker, or maybe a statue, but what I found was the very house he was camped at when the federal troops captured him as well as 2 markers and a statue. The house contains a museum but was closed on Mondays so I had to get my satisfaction from the outside markers and statue. Someday I would like to visit when they are open.
Back on the highway I followed the county road on past Jeff Davis, but not back toward the construction. Eventually I hit a state highway which led me to Ashburn, GA and the world's largest peanut (I did not try to find it though you'd think if it was that large I could have seen it) and opted to take 75 up to Cordele where I found a Titan missile set up between a gas station and a Krystal. I can't explain it, but there was a geocache there! But the real reason I got off there was to get on Veterans Highway 300/280 west. This was the road to Andersonville, or at least to Highway 49 which runs right into Andersonville. I made a brief stop at the Jimmy Carter Regional Airport to see a statue of Lindbergh at the airport where he bought his first plane only 4 years before his historic cross Atlantic flight, and then went on in to Andersonville.
The town of Andersonville is small and is dedicated to remembering and honoring soldiers of the Civil War. I took pictures of the monument in the middle of the street that honors the officer in charge of the Andersonville Prison who was later found guilty of war crimes and hanged. Then I visited the small museum in town, mailed postcards from the tiny post office (wonder if it's one of the ones on the chopping block), found a geocache on the old caboose sitting on the nearby railroad tracks, and headed to the Andersonville National Park on the other side of the highway.
The park contains the remains of the prison, a visitor center/POW museum, and the cemetery. It was huge. I got there around 12:30 and didn't leave until after 4. There are no pictures allowed inside the museum, but all I can say is if you ever get a chance to visit you really shouldn't miss it. There were tapes playing in one room of former POWs telling their stories as well as family members telling what it was like to live through that nightmare. Lots of memorbilia from all the way back to the Revolutionary war up to today's war. For me, the museum was a sad reminder of just how cruel humans can be to one another. I didn't linger too long there. Out the back of the museum is a combination brick wall/sculpture which was also something I'd never seen before. Really made you think.
I picked up the cd guide for the park and spent the next 2 hours driving through the remains of the prison and touring the cemetery. At one point, near the area call the sinks (meaning where the latrines had been located for the prisoners) there was a sign warning visitors of rattlesnakes. As if the heat and the gnats weren't bad enough! The cemetery was very impressive. The large statues from the different states reminded me of Vicksburg and Shiloh, and all the rows and rows of headstones made me think of Arlington. Not only are all those who died at Andersonville Prison buried there, this is still a working cemetery and in a couple of my pictures you can see that a plot was being readied back beyond the New Jersey statue. It was a long, hot, and inspiring yet somehow oppressive tour. By 4:00 I was beat, so I found a campground back in Americus and crashed for the night. I think I was asleep by 7:30 - long before dark. I was exhausted from the restless night before and the long day of heat and walking.
But I'm glad I'm getting to see this other side of Georgia.
Monday, August 1, 2011
A President and a Nephew
I was really lucky to get to spend the weekend camping and kayaking on Lake Lanier with my nephew Clay. The last time we camped was in Pelham, TN back in the spring. It rained the whole time and we were constantly in mud. Not that the mud dampened the dogs’ appetite for running and getting muddy and wet. This time the rain was minimal – just a few showers – and the temps were hot! Once again Colt and Zoe were undeterred in their enthusiasm for mud, water, and birds. Clay has a decoy duck that he throws out on the lake and teaches the dog to retrieve. Colt has pretty well got the hang of it and will swim really far for the duck. Zoe is younger and less trained so she frequently either ignored the duck or only brought it back half way. But they were wet and running in the mud, so they were happy.
Friday night Clay built an awesome campfire and then cooked steak kabobs and burgers on the grill for super. Afterwards we sat by the campfire talking and sipping coconut rum on ice. It’s really nice and not as sweet as it sounded at first. Guess I’ll have to get a bottle for the Seeker. Thanks Clay for giving me a new vice!
Left Lake Lanier early Sunday morning and drove down highway 441 to meet with the folks at Okefenokee Pastimes where I’ll be working this winter. The wildfires in the swamp have been contained and tourists are getting back in to visit. Jo and Steve seem really nice, the campground is small and homey, and I am really looking forward to being there.
Last night I camped out in the Truckstops of America parking lot while it stormed. There were a lot of trucks there as well as cars and other campers. Great lightning show! I went in the diner about 11pm and ate breakfast then slept on the couch till about 4am when the rains and storms stopped. Decided to get an early start back north and find a place to camp early this afternoon.
So where am I now? I just left Fitzgerald, GA where I visited the site of Jefferson Davis’ capture. The museum was closed today but I was allowed to wander the grounds and take pictures. I just can’t believe there wasn’t a geocache there! Next up? The next stop on the Presidents’ Trail.
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