Our Trip Blog

Events of Monday, January 24, 2011

                There is something special about being woken by the honking of geese landing on a nearby lake. Arriving in the dark last night and struggling to find a level campsite, we failed to fully take in our surroundings. However, as we exited the RV, on our way to the showers, we saw the soft morning light reflecting the trees off the lake near our campsite. These campground showers had adequate pressure, hot water and were located in a clean, heated facility. These little details, that we took for granted at home, can make or break the start of a new day. Clean, warm, and refreshed by the beauty around us, we enjoyed breakfast in the RV, watching a flock of white birds dive bomb and then congregate on the lake. Soon it was time to pull in, unplug, fill up, empty out, and be on our way.

                We were at Stone Mountain Park Campground to see the Stone Mountain Memorial, the Mount Rushmore of the South. This Confederate Memorial Carving depicts three Southern heroes of the Civil War:  Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. These figures measure 90 by 190 feet, surrounded by a carved surface that is larger than a football field – the largest bas-relief sculpture in the world. Hired in 1915 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, Gutzon Borglum envisioned a carving of seven central figure accompanied by an “army of thousands.” Delayed by funding issues and WWI, Borglum managed to finish Lee’s head in time for an unveiling on the General’s birthday, January 19, 1924. Later he was fired and his work blasted off the mountain by his successor. However, he didn’t care as he went on to carve Mount Rushmore. Several carvers later and additional delays by WWII, the carving was finally completed in 1972 and dedicated in 1976 by Vice President Spiro Agnew.

                We arrived at the visitor center and went out to view the carving. After taking a few pictures, we went inside and found that a few movies were playing. We watched a very informative movie about the carving of the memorial. It was most interesting to learn that the carving was finally completed by a worker skilled at using a thermo-jet torch, who had never had an art lesson in his life. The next movie was “The Battle for Georgia” and outlined key battles in Georgia during the Civil War. This was interesting as it was the first Civil War movie we’ve seen that talks about the Civil War from the Confederate perspective.

                Leaving Stone Mountain, Georgia, we drove toward Asheville, North Carolina – home of the Biltmore Mansion. Our plans to see this earlier on our trip had been altered by the post Christmas snowstorm that slammed the area. So we headed north again, even though we were dead in the cross hairs of another potential snowstorm.  As we drove we realized that it was growing late, and while we could arrive in time to view the mansion, the tour would be too short to fully justify the expense. Realizing that we still needed to do the laundry that we had hoped to do at my brother’s, we altered our plans yet again.

                Jim found us an excellent Laundromat, right off the interstate. We arrived just before lunch. While the kids and I loaded the machines, Jim prepared lunch. This Laundromat was truly awesome. It featured two 75 pound washing machines, and several 50 pound washing machines. What typically is 11-15 loads at a campground with typical machines, all our laundry fit in six machines. And these were power wash machines, completed in twenty minutes. I stayed with the machines while the kids returned to the RV for lunch. Soon Caitlin arrived with my lunch – hot pizza and cold Coke, carrots and an apple. Yum‼ I had scarcely finished eating when the washing was completed. Utilizing three humongous dryers, all the clothes were completely dry in no time at all. Soon ten hands were busy folding and stacking and carting clean piles of laundry out to the RV. Teamwork really made the job go easier.