Middle Georgia

Ah, the Arctic Jet was sinking South again making temperatures drop toward the twenties and  the  Weather Teams ecstatic. The “S”  word was bandied about, snappy parkas  were donned, the climatological superheroes stationed themselves and WE moved…NORTH.
Really? 
Well, Sister Beth from the Frozen North was sweeping South with a jet steam at her back and a Family Gathering had been declared. 
We idled in Middle Georgia for  a few windy days with 24 degree nights  and learned quite a bit.

The Jimmy Carter National Historical Site

in Plains Georgia includes a Museum in the restored School building (with exhibits on Mr. Carter’s childhood, the Presidential Years, and his post presidential accomplishments) and his boyhood home at Archery.  Of course, the town of Plains itself, the depot, the main street and its churches all have their stories and we heard many of them from our new friend Ranger Randy Dillard.  Randy answered all our questions, added layers of stories to the information in the exhibits, and was generally great company. So we left after a full day proud of our president and very pleased with our National Park Service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andersonville National Historical Site

recalls the horrors of the Civil War prison camp, includes a museum focused on POWs in all of history’s wars and a National Military Cemetery.  Well done, but heart wrenching. Patty cried a lot; it was hard not to.  Movies and Museum were excellent and a prison walk with Ranger Chris Barr was especially well done.

Georgia Veteran Memorial State Park

We are staying at a lovely lakeside State Park with all the amenities –- golf course, lodge, marina and a big yard full of war birds, tanks and such. 

The campground was full as we arrived for the holiday weekend.  It’s quiet tonight, but we do have a new member of the VERY exclusive Green Boat, Shiny Trailer Brotherhood, a beautiful 34’ Airstream with a Green canoe.  Now we have three members.

Flint Riverquarium in Albany Georgia

begins with the quote from Langston Hughes

I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
       flow of human blood in human veins.

It's a wonderful exhibit, well paced and organized for visitors of all ages. We wished we had a grandchild or three to share the day with. They thankfully had large specimens so that we oldsters got a clear view but we wondered WHY the tank of Piranhas was the only exhibit dedicated to the memory of a lost relation???

and another thing…

WHERE ARE ALL THE PIGS?

PORK (the other white meat) is everywhere in evidence in Middle Georgia.  Barbeque places pop up in sight of the last one. and, though each one has a special  proprietary sauce, each table has as many as 12 other bottles to match every taste.

There are Sausage Stores at roadside several miles from anywhere offering jerky, breakfast and dinner sausage and much much more, but WHERE ARE THE PIGS ?  We have neither seen or sniffed a single one in all  our wanderings. There are reported to be 300,000 acres of beautiful plantations in the Flint River drainage, lovely pines well spaced for maximum quail production, many times more Pecan Orchards and huge tracts of irrigated red clay growing cotton and  peanuts, a few pastures with Angus but where are the Pigs?