TALLAHASSEE FLORIDA

 I left Plains and head south to Florida.  I wanted to see the capital building.  I got there around 3:30pm and I decided it was too late to go inside - and besides, finding a place to park proved difficult.

Darrell and I like to visit capital buildings when we can.  I felt a little guilty going by myself.  So I took a selfie and went in search of lodgings and a place for dinner.

Florida is noticably different from Georgia and that's all I'll say about that.

It was very hot. 

JIMMY CARTER NAT'L PARK

 Up the next morning, and on to Plains Georgia to see the Jimmy Carter National Park.  I guess pretty much the whole town of Plains is considered a National Park.  

I went first to the High School, which is now a museum.  I toured it and got a map.  This is where both Jimmy and his wife Rosalynn went to school.  The school closed in the 1970's and was later refurbished and turned into the museum for the park.

There was even a quilt (a replica of the quilt anyway)

Jimmy was a woodworker.  He made most of the furniture that went into their vacation home.

There is a replica of the Oval Office

I left the museum and headed to Jimmy's Childhood Home, where he grew up.  I was told I'd be driving by their present home (and they are in residence) and was warned not to stop near it.  Apparently, you cannot see it from the road anyway and the Secret Service are very protective.

Their house sits on probably 5 acres.

The farm looks the same as it did when Jimmy lived here as a child.  There is a barn and out buildings.  There is also a general store that his dad ran to provide for needs of the local workers at reasonable prices.

There are two big Belgian horses grazing in a field, quite a few goats and a nice chicken yard with lots of laying hens.  The eggs are gathered by the park rangers, cleaned and sorted and sent to the Carter's residence for their use.

The Barn

AMERICUS GEORGIA

 I left Andersonville just as it closed and headed towards my next destination, Plains Georgia.  But, I wasn't going to make it there tonight, so I stopped in Americus.   I stopped at an interesting building for dinner.  It's a hotel, too, the Windsor Hotel, built in
1891.  The restaurant, Rosemary & Thyme is on the second floor.  There was only one other party.  So, I sketched them.

I had a nice dinner then decided to not get a room there because it wasn't very accessible and I have that great big heavy suitcase.  So, I'm spending the night in a crappy hotel.  

Bad decision.

ANDERSONVILLE NAT'L PARK

 And then it was on to the next National Park, Andersonville.  This park is dedicated and about all Americans taken as Prisoners of War.  There are some very interesting displays and lots of information in the Visitors Center.  Unfortunately, by the time I arrived I only had about an hour before they closed.  I wanted to do some sketching and have a look around.

OCMULGEE NAT'L PARK

Next stop was Ocmulgee National Park (still in Georgia).  [pronounced oak-mul-gee]

It was a little difficult to find.  The GPS was of no use.  I stopped several places to ask directions and made a few u-turns before I finally found it.

Visitor Center

I took a walk up to the 'Mounds'

That is the Earth Mound - I went inside.

MLK JR CENTER IN ATLANTA

 Monday after Quiltcon.  What does one do?  One goes to the Martin Luther King Jr Center in Atlanta.  So I did.

It's a very great place, very well laid out, very educational and, at times, emotional.