Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Georgia

Forsyth

Moved on to Forsyth on March 18, 2016. Shortly after entering I-80 we came upon a traffic jam that appeared it had been happening for awhile as people were out of their cars and walking around. We got off at the next exit and found another way to go. Thank you Google Maps. After that it was smooth sailing.



We stayed at the L&D RV Park, east of the town of Forsyth. Small campground, long pull through sites but very narrow. When our awning was up it was just inches from our neighbors trailer. Horse farm on one side and open fields on the other, made it very quiet. Forgot to get a picture of the campsite but did get one of the phone in the laundry room. Didn't know these even existed anymore!

First night in we went to visit Nancy's cousin, 2nd cousin actually, Taimie and her family. They live 40 minutes outside of Forsyth. It had been a few years since we had seen them last and it was great catching up.




Atlanta and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum was the only sightseeing we did on this stop.
This is by far our favorite Presidential Library. The grounds are beautiful.
L: building from the grounds              R: grounds from the entrance

Flowers in bloom everywhere we looked. Behind the museum is a small lake, art sculptures and a Japanese garden.













Caught a reflection of a group
on the curved sidewalk 
Once again the museum was laid out very similar to the others. You follow along from room to room, with pictures, videos and displays of his time in office and his life. It stated off with his days in the Navy.




There were a number of inactive displays. When you looked through the periscope you saw pictures from various places he had been.
Rosalynn and Jimmy's
wedding outfits
















What stuck us the most through out the entire museum was how humble it all was. There was not a lot of boasting, the achievements were told in a way that honored all involved.



Through out the displays were quotes from both Jimmy and Rosalynn. Most covering issues we are still addressing today.


Flip cards with stories underneath 
There were a number of displays that were kid friendly. It has been nice to see that in most of the ones we have been to. Nancy always jokes that they are sometimes her favorite parts, as she has such a short attention span. 
The drawers pull out and there are documents,
photos and stories in each one
Touch screen display - you could pick what country you wanted to
 go to and then what help you provided in each one




Pictures from Camp David

Nancy was fascinated by a painting done by Octavio Ocampo


When you look at the portrait from a distance is looks like a regular painting. Once up close you can see that it is anything but regular. Each section of his body is comprised of different elements.

The tie and jacket are actually buildings - the face is flags and farmland!


Not your normal hands 
The library and museum share the grounds with The Carter Center. It is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 and is in partnership with Emory University. It works to advance humans rights and alleviate human suffering. It has helped to improve the quality of life for people in more than 80 countries. Under their Peace Programs they have monitored over 100 national elections to help ensure that the results are the will of people. They have assisted in numerous conflict resolution talks all over the world.
They are leaders in the eradication of diseases. Their Health Programs have fought six preventable diseases including Guinea worm and river blindness, through education and simple, low-cost methods. There motto is Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope.
A very inspiring place, so inspiring Les has looked into jobs there.

This trip brought our first year to and end and us heading home to Asheville for little break from travel.

Till we meet again...

Happy Trails to You!

Tips and things we have learned along the way. 
~ Check for unwanted guests.
We do not always open our awning at every stop, but we have discovered that it is probably a good idea to do so. Once a week or so you should open it up to make sure there are no stowaways. We found the beginings of a wasp nest when we opened it this week.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Alabama - 2nd and final stop

Auburn

March 15, 2016 was moving day, these short stays are catching up with us. The drive in was only a few hours and uneventful, just the way we like it. We stayed at the Auburn RV Park & Leisure Time Campground. It is right off of the highway but there was no road noise. The park is next to the city ball field and has two levels, the upper that overlooks the fields and the lower that is next to the river. We were in the lower section and right on the river, this is by far our favorite spot. We actually sat outside and enjoyed the view this time. 

There are open fields and lots of places to walk the dog, which allowed us to enjoy some spring flowers and butterfly's. 
This was the first place in months that we were able to wash the outside of the RV at our site, so we took advantage of that and Les scrubbed it from top to bottom on the outside, while Nancy cleaned top to bottom on the inside. We had pollen everywhere! 

When we weren't cleaning we did do a little sightseeing. 
At the time Hwy 80 was just a two-lane road
We headed to Montgomery and then followed the Selma to Montgomery Trail into Selma




In Montgomery we went to the Capital Building, where the march to Selma ended, and drove past the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church. 

The Dexter Ave Baptist Church. 
Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr 
was pastor from 1954 - 1960.

We stopped at the Lowndes Interpretive Center on Hwy 80, in Hayneville. It chronicles the history of the Civil Rights Movement with lots of pictures, statues and videos. It is sad to think we have come so far in 51 years and yet in some ways not any distance at all. 




















The center is built on the grounds of one of the tent city's that were made to house black sharecroppers. They were evicted from there homes on white-owned land, when they registered to vote. The living conditions were rough, and many camps became shooting galleries, with nightly drive by shootings. A number of families lived in the tent city's for over two years. Alabama was not the only state to need tent city's, the problem existed in many other southern states. 


The grounds are lined with information boards depicting the struggle not only of the walk, but their lives after earning the right to vote. 








 
In Selma we went by Brown Chapel, were the march started.

Then to the Edmond Pettus Bridge. The site of Bloody Sunday. 
We were humbled to be standing in this place of history. A place were lives were lost in the pursuit of dignity and equal rights. Something that so many take for granted and yet so many still struggle with today.  









Across the bridge is a small memorial park paying tribute to those who marched and those who lost their lives that day. 
















A mural is painted on the side of the building next to the park. Viola Gregg Liuzzo was from Detroit. 

We were so glad we took this historic trip. 

Our next stop is the final one of our first year. Forsyth, GA


Till we meet again....

Happy Trails to You!





Tips and things we have learned along the way. 
~ Keeping your cool.
Or your warmth for that matter. We have two ceiling vent fans, one in the kitchen area and one in the bathroom. They are great for keeping the air circulated and for pulling out the hot air while we are cooking. 
The downside to them is that on a hot sunny day they can heat up the RV, and on a cold day, warm air can be lost through them. 

The solution is cushions that fit snugly up in the opening. This keeps hot out and warm in. It also cuts down on light coming in when you want it a little darker in the room.