Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26 – more Capitols or is it capitals? Part 1

If you look at the map of the southern states you will note that the capitals and the states are pretty much lined up. We had collected the lower state capitals and the upper states, but not the middle ones. So, we are off to collect Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

We left Asheville on Thursday morning and headed for Atlanta GA. We passed through Arden NC and I realized that was where my long time friend, Laurie Hamilton, lives. However, we are not on a trip to visit friends, but to do serious sightseeing and get home in a reasonable time! So, I gave her a mental hello and we moved on via SR 25. We got to see some more of South Carolina as we headed for Georgia. We are here at the perfect time of year – the trees are in beautiful color, the weather is comfortable, and traffic is moderate. The Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance were just beautiful. Most of the road was four lanes and it was like driving down a tree lined parkway.

We arrived in Atlanta around noon and everything I said above was untrue – lots of traffic, not much green, and the weather suddenly got hot! But we found a place to park on the street and went to look at the Capitol. We went through security and took the elevator to the fourth floor (the highest the public is allowed). That floor has been designated a museum almost from the opening of the building in 1889. The hall is filled with display cases with artifacts and information about the history, people, and products of Georgia. The building has a triple dome, covered with gold, and has a statue of Miss Freedom on top. There was a model of the statue, not to be confused with the Statue of Liberty, on this floor.

The third floor is where the House and Senate chambers are located. They are not as highly decorated as some. They have been restored to look very much like they did originally. The large press box in the back, and the long beautiful wood desk at the front for the speaker or presider were most impressive.

On the second floor, looking up at the rotunda and at all the paintings and murals you could feel the pride of the Georgians for their place in the history of the Civil War and the fight for civil liberties. I was also impressed by the lower level of the Capitol, which contained quite a few beautifully done dioramas of the flora and fauna of the state.

We continued our exploration of the history of Civil Rights by visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site on Auburn Street. This is the place where his family home is located and the Baptist Church where he, his father, and grandfather preached. It is a National Park service

site so there is a visitor center with a movie and exhibits. You can also walk along Auburn Street to see some of the original houses that were there when he was growing up.

Because of all the confusion in trying to get around in Atlanta, we were anxious to leave and I did not take the time to contact my two friends, Carol Ann Ward, and Pat Clement who live in the area. We left town on I-20 and found a real campground in Bremen GA to spend the night.