After staying up late to watch the laser light/fireworks show reflected on the face of Stone Mountain last night we decided to check out some of the attractions in the park today.
The first thing was a visit to Memorial Hall. It is a large building that features two films - one about the history of building the monument on the face of the mountain, the other about Georgia's participation in the Civil War. We also visited the museum in the building. It was very interesting and featured the history of building the sculpture as well as the history of the area and Georgia from the earliest times to the present day.
The first thing was a visit to Memorial Hall. It is a large building that features two films - one about the history of building the monument on the face of the mountain, the other about Georgia's participation in the Civil War. We also visited the museum in the building. It was very interesting and featured the history of building the sculpture as well as the history of the area and Georgia from the earliest times to the present day.
After a light lunch at the snack bar, we took the tram to the top of the mountain. From the mountain top you can see about 60 miles in any direction on a clear day. Today was a perfect day with little wind and temperatures in the 70's. There is also a walk-up trail. It has about an 800 foot altitude change and is about a mile in length. There were a lot of people on the mountain top today including families and young children.
After coming down from the mountain we walked over to the train station for a 5-mile train ride around the mountain. It is a real train with a diesel engine and can carry up to 350 persons per trip. It was a nice ride and we got to see the back side of the mountain with its numerous quarries close-up. It was also good to sit down and relax for awhile.
After the train ride, we drove around the park a little, driving over a real covered bridge which had been moved here from somewhere else in Georgia years ago. We also saw (again) the quarries where granite was mined and used for buildings all over the world, and a grist mile that apparently used to be a working mill at some time in the past. The quarries have been closed for years.
Our energy batteries were flashing "red" by then so we retired to the RV for drinks and snacks before dinner (leftovers).
We had a nice visit to the park and it was great to see Kevin and his new "digs". The state and the management company than runs the park operation have really done a nice job. It is a great place for a family vacation, a picnic, or a variety of outdoor attractions for almost anyone. It is a real bonus for the region to have such an attraction nearby to a large urban area.
We are on the road tomorrow, heading to Anniston, AL to visit a high school friend and her husband. It is only about 120 miles from here but we have to go through downtown Atlanta on I-20 to get there.
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