GA - Blogabond

First stop today was the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, FL. It was closed. Fortunately they had a few displays outside. The Mt. Rushmore, Lincoln Memorial, and Statue of Liberty were well done. The Limo of President Regan was not so good. From what I've read though they have some very cool displays inside. Their replica of the White House has been on several national TV shows including Today and GMA. It has also been displayed at the Smithsonian. But I didn't get to see those things... They were closed.

"Big Daddy" Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing

Next stop, Big Daddy's. The Museum of Drag Racing is not just about Don Garlits, It's also the Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Although a lot of the dragsters here are Don's There are Dragsters and funny cars that have been donated by a lot of other drivers. The Dragster in the picture is the one that almost Killed Don when the transmission exploded. That incident was the inspiration for the development of the rear engine Dragster. I also got a very cool souvenir from the museum, a used rear wheel bearing from Don's 1940 Rat Rod, Personally engraved with his autograph.

Peanuts!

I then drove several hours North Crossed into Georgia and settled for the night in Ashburn. The home of a really big peanut. I have a busy day tomorrow. I want to hit three museums in Southern Georgia and then head North and try to get to Dayton, OH by Saturday night at the latest. Saturday morning would be better, but I have to be there by Saturday night.

Loudon, United States

Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp

Once again I started my day at a closed Museum. Don't people in the south know that when the sign on the door says you open at 10am someone needs to be there to open the door at 10am. So I drove an hour down the road to the site of the Andersonville Prisoner of War Camp. Although the picture looks like an empty Field, on this site was the largest Civil War Prisoner of War Camp. Andersonville was only operated for about 15 months, but during that time it held 45,000 prisoners. Due to the overcrowding and the lack of sanitation and food, during those 15 months 12,920 prisoners died. Those that did survive were not in very good shape. One of the survivors, Sgt. David Kennedy of the 9th Ohio Cavalry wrote that "... it takes 7 of it's ocupiants to make a shadow". (his spelling not mine)

Andersonville National Cemetery

Of course with a 29% mortality rate, they needed a cemetery next to the prison. This cemetery is not only the resting place of the nearly 13,000 prisoners from Andersonville. There are also over 800 other civil war veterans interred here.

CSS Ram Jackson

After Andersonville I drove to Columbus, GA. To the Civil War Maritime Museum. The centerpiece of this Museum is the recovered Hull of the CSS Ironclad Ram Jackson. Confederate soldiers scuttled this 223’ Ironclad ship in 1865 to keep the Union from getting a hold of it. The remains of the ship were discovered and recovered in 1963 and are now on display in the museum.

Heading North

Ashburn, United States

Some Civil War History

Loudon, United States

Heading South?