| Americus, Georgia's welcome center is housed in | | | | few busloads of children were just arriving. We will |
| the Windsor Hotel, built in 1892, a five-story hotel | | | | come back to this area again and then visit the |
| of one hundred rooms with a three-story atrium | | | | museum, because it looked very interesting from |
| lobby of polished oak. Besides information, the | | | | the parking lot. |
| welcome center gives free samples of locally | | | | On the Main Square is the Bedingfield Inn, erected |
| grown peanuts. | | | | in 1836 as a stagecoach stop. Also in town is the |
| A few blocks away is the headquarters of Habitat | | | | oldest hardware store, Singers. This was closed at |
| for Humanity; the organization which helps to build | | | | the time. |
| houses for people throughout the world. Jimmy | | | | Our next stop was Providence Canyon State |
| Carter literally works hand in hand with this | | | | Park (The Grand Canyon of Georgia). This was |
| organization. He has helped to erect houses | | | | the reason why we traveled such a long distance. |
| around the world and has become a master | | | | Once again we only spent a short time, about one |
| carpenter. | | | | and a half hour here. The canyons, formed by |
| Americus, Georgia is also the place where Charles | | | | poor farming practices in the 1800s are over 150 |
| Lindbergh took his first solo flight. A memorial | | | | feet in depth and four hundred yards in width. |
| statue stands at Souther Field Airport, just north | | | | Once the water eroded the iron infused Georgia |
| of the city. | | | | red clay, it was quick to do its bidding on the soft |
| Less than fifteen miles west of Americus is Plains, | | | | sand stone below. There are two main trails in the |
| GA, home of Jimmy and Roselyn Carter. Situated | | | | park: one is three miles and the other is seven |
| in the old Plains High School, from where both | | | | miles in length. The interpretive center has a short |
| Carters are graduates, is the Carter museum. | | | | slide presentation of the history of the canyon. |
| This is truly an inspirational place, depicting how | | | | This is a place we want to return to some day. |
| the Carters obtained their values and the | | | | Our next stop was to be Andersonville, the |
| achievements done because of them. Maligned by | | | | Confederate Military prison. But we missed our |
| the cynical media and his opponents during his | | | | turnoff and ended up in Fort Benning, "The Best |
| presidency, Jimmy Carter's faith and values were | | | | Military Installation in the World". From what we |
| in evidence during the Camp David Peace Talks | | | | saw of the base, they fulfill their accolade. But |
| and the release of the Iranian hostages. The | | | | then too, we were not there for training with our |
| National Park Service is in the process of adding | | | | faces on the ground, but to visit the museum of |
| more exhibits for the Nobel Laureate. | | | | the infantry. The building is three stories tall and |
| The Carters still live in a modest home on two | | | | traces the development of the infantry from the |
| acres, which fronts on route 27. There are more | | | | middle ages, through the Revolutionary, Civil and |
| lavish houses available in Plains, but they choose to | | | | World Wars. There are artifacts and memorabilia |
| live there. The Secret Service has the property | | | | from all the encounters, including the most recent |
| under constant surveillance. Also of note in town | | | | one in Afghanistan. We spent two hours there. |
| are Maranatha Baptist Church, where Jimmy is a | | | | We could have easily spent another two hours at |
| deacon, Billy's Service Station (Jimmy's brother, | | | | the museum, plus additional time seeing the rest |
| now deceased), and Carter's boyhood farm, just | | | | of the base. |
| outside of town. | | | | While on the way home (it is dark by now) we |
| In Lumpkin, another thirty miles further west, is | | | | stopped at Yoder's Country Market, a Mennonite |
| Westville Village, a working 1850s town in Georgia. | | | | store. We picked up some cheese and delicious |
| Docents give demonstrations of country living | | | | sausages. |
| during this era. We stopped by, but did not visit. A | | | | |
