STONE MOUNTAIN

We spent the day at Stone Mountain today, which is the southern equivalent of Mount Rushmore. It celebrates all things confederate. It is, in fact, a pretty interesting place. In addition to the

carving on the wall they have walking trails, a train ride (not operating now) and a gondola ride. This granite mountain is the highest freestanding granite mountain in the country. Or maybe just in the eastern United States. We started out by taking a gondola ride

up to the top of the mountain and walked around up there and then we came back and we walked down to where they have built a pretty little lake, some state memorials, and nice picture taking area. This relief itself is actually bigger than Mount Rushmore.

The gondola driver told us it is big enough to park two school buses on the ledge underneath the guys on horses.  This is me in the horse's mouth -- a reproduction in the museum. The "heroes" are Robert B. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson. And the horses they rode in on. The amazing thing about this even existing, to my mind, is that it was dedicated in 1975.  

It must be difficult for some of these southerners to visit. It celebrates the Confederacy on one hand, but the material about the mountain points out that it is a result of continental drift going back a few extra million years past the Bible timeline. 

The grounds include a Civil War Museum, (yawn) and a sort of reconstruction of a plantation.

That was kind of interesting.  We also went down to where they play the carillon. I played carillon in college, so I found that very interesting.  

We had to return our rental car tonight, so we just drove directly back to our hotel in Atlanta so we could dump off the car. We asked for a recommendation for dinner and they sent us to a new place near the hotel, which of course is near the airport, which didn't bode well.

But it was delicious, inventive food. It was

like a foodie paradise.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND, MILLEDGEVILLE, EATONTON AND MADISON

This morning we drove from Madison to Milledgeville, about 40 miles away.  It's a charming town, as are all these little towns arums here.  This part of Georgia is called the Antebellum Road, because there are a number of buildings still standing from before the Civil War, (also known around here as The War).  I'm glad we went to Milledgeville, because the drive was lovely, I like driving through farmland, because I know I don't have to live there, and everything here is so green and lush.  

I was pleased to see a monument to a fiddler when we parked the car at the visitor center.  I cannot get over how friendly the people running the visitor centers here are.  I mean, I know it's their job, but they are really charming.  

Milledgeville is a college town and this is a fraternity house.

This is a building I liked in Eatonvton.  We went there because it looked kind of interesting, and we were going to have lunch there, but there's no place to eat in Eatonville.  (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

We took a walk around the town and looked at a lot of interesting grand homes.

When we got to this one, the owner was giving a book club a tour of his garden and when he saw us taking pictures, he invited us to join it.  In the small world category, there was a woman in the book club who was from Davis.  

This building is the visitor center in Madison, built in 1909

This is the courthouse

This is one of many signs in town telling you what things are available.  I particularly liked "Mantiques." Unfortunately, they weren't open.  

They have a bunch of historic houses here, as well, but I didn't take anymore pictures.  

Tomorrow we are heading for Stone Mountain, kind of a souvenir version of Mt. Rushmore.  

DRIVING DRIVING DRIVING

We left Asheville at 10 this morning and arrived at Madison, GA at 7:30. Considering it's about 250 miles, I can hear the laughter now. 

But first we stopped in Hendersonville, a cute suburb about 20 miles out of Asheville, and wandered around for about an hour.   Then we got back in the car and took a back road to Greenville SC, which is about another 40 miles. Another cute town, so we had to stop as have lunch, chicken apple sandwich with sweet potato fries. Both were good, but the fries were to die for. They know how to fry stuff in the south. We walked around town for awhile, then chatted with a street musician playing ullean pipes and finally left when the guys carrying the giant confederate flag walked down the Main Street. 

Took another back road to Athens, Georgia, about 30 miles short of Madison, went to a craft fair and had delicious ribs. 

And then finally moved on to Madison. Tomorrow we're going to visit some antebellum houses

This is the only picture I took today.