It is not often we get family coming for a visit so we were pleased that Kaye, Dan’s niece, came for her spring break. Duluth, Minnesota is a long way from Middle Georgia so we had to show her the sights. We visited the Big Peach Antique Mall, the Museum of Aviation, where Kaye and I rode the transporter motion simulator experiencing a F/A -18 Hornet launch and return to an aircraft carrier. Kaye had to have some southern cooking so we ate at the Waffle House, Fatz Cafe and Creekside Catfish. We did an overnight trip to Plains and Americus.
We toured the Jimmy Carter historic sites including his boyhood home on a cool but sunny day. Kaye was never cold but we had our winter jackets on. We stayed overnight at the Americus Garden Inn and enjoyed the hospitality of Kim and Susan, the innkeepers. This was our second visit and more enjoyable than the first. The breakfast included fresh baked blueberry muffins, Honeybell tangerine segments, choice of juice, and a hot entree. The egg and cheese pie was served with three oatmeal pecan pancakes. What a treat.
We headed to Andersonville, GA following the suggestions of Kim first visiting Gerald Lamby’s Drummer Boy Civil War Museum in the Civil War Village of Andersonville. There is a diorama of Andersonville prison which gives a representation of what it looked liked during 1864. The museum is a treasure of Civil War artifacts and 15 authentic Civil War uniforms on mannequins.
We then headed to the Andersonville National Cemetery and prison site. Both are managed by the National Park Service. We watched the 28 minute movie about the prison before collecting the free audio CD to use while driving around the 26 acre site. After lunch back in Andersonville, we returned to the Welcome Center for the movie about POWs before touring the the National Prisoner of War Museum that opened in 1998. It is a moving experience learning about POWs from early times to present day.