Gone With the Wind Tour - Part 1

Thursday, March 31st – Fort Yargo State Park, Atlanta, Georgia – Day 51 

Another late start after getting into the camp site late. We had a beautiful spot near the lake (“premium lake front” in the words of Fort Yargo) but the lake was no longer there. They had to lower the lake level four feet, so we looked out onto a dried lake bed. There was still a lake, but we had to look a little bit further. It was still very scenic but if the lake was there, we would have been very close. Pollen was flying everywhere and ended up coating our car such that you could see all the hand prints the kids had left. Gen and I took a romantic stroll along the dried-out lakebed. The kids played at the play structure that was nearby. 

We eventually got our act together and got on the road. Gone With the Wind, if you’ve never seen or read it, is about the end of an era of Southern culture when the civil war struck mixed into a love story. Gen and Mary have both read the book, watched the movie and are big fans. I have seen the movie. Our Atlanta experience was a small Gone With the Wind tour. The movie was shot entirely in Hollywood but the author and a lot of scenes were based around Atlanta. 

 Our first stop was the Gone with the Wind Museum in Marietta. The museum was in a small house called Brumby house. The museum featured letters written by Margaret Mitchell - the author of Gone With the Wind, one original dress worn by Scarlet, information about the movie, and replicas of various dresses of the time. There was discussion about the role of Black actors in stereotypical roles in movies of the time. Gen and Mary spent an hour exploring before going to the golf course next door for a bite to eat. When they went next door, they found out that the clubhouse was a rebuilt version of a Confederate military school. Brumby house was still the original house because General Sherman, the Union army leader, was living there when the Union army burnt down most of Atlanta. 

 The kids and I did not stick around to see the museum. We felt it would be less disturbing if they went to get another badge at a local National Park, Kennesaw Mountain. First, we stopped at a McDonalds for a snack and to get gas. We then went to the visitor centre. We spent some time completing the junior ranger activity book, looking through the museum and stamping our passports. 

Kennesaw Mountain was one of the big battles to control Atlanta, which would then cut off supplies, via railroad, to the Confederate army, and lead to the end of the war. We drove to the top of the mountain; the kids weren’t satisfied with that so we hiked to the absolute peak. There were cannons stationed at the very top which is a very scary prospect for troops below. 

 We picked up Gen and Mary and set a course for the Centre of Disease Control. Gen and I really wanted to go to the museum but everyone were still working from home due to COVID. We will have to go back to Atlanta to see this. We figured we could at least get a picture with the building. The very nice security guards at the gate said we couldn’t. 

 Onwards to downtown Atlanta. After sitting in traffic for a while, the true Atlanta experience, we arrived at Piedmont Park. Piedmont Park is a large park with lakes, a play structure, old stone walls, a botanical garden and a magnificent view of downtown Atlanta. It was scenic and peaceful. We sat by the play structure to have dinner and let the kids frolic. 

 Back in the car. Mary wanted to drive the streets of downtown Atlanta to get a feel for the city. Decatur, Peachtree, Auburn, Ted Turner and a few more streets in between. We were about to leave the city and go back to the campsite (an hour away) when Gen spotted the Ferris wheel. Fun fact about Gen, she loves Ferris wheels. We turned around and drove back into the city. The Ferris wheel provided a fantastic view of Olympic square, and some horse drawn carriages that look like they come from the story of Cinderella. Mary did some fast negotiating and everyone (except for me) went for a ride. 

 For some reason, I wanted to get wings in Atlanta ever since basketball player Lou Williams was suspended for eating chicken wings in Atlanta when he should have been isolating to play in the NBA bubble. I figured they must be good and I love chicken wings. So while they were in the carriage. I picked up some wings and ate them. Pretty good wings but not great. 

 Finally, after a very long day we headed for the campsite.