WEDNESDAY WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO CARTER COUNTRY

We rose at 5am and were on the road by 6am and got to Americus GA around two I think.  A good day of traveling, almost 500 miles and 70 miles an hour 90 percent of the way so only 8 hours on the road.  That is about my limit I think.  You just get so sore in all your parts from sitting and poor Jim's left leg.  It seems to plague him sometimes. 
We are in Carter Country!
We wanted to do everything Carter we could.  We drove to Plains, GA.  Saw the boyhood farm where Jimmy grew up about 3 miles out of town.  The Lebanon Cemetery where their family plot is at.  We took pictures of so many things around Plains, Billy Carter's gas station, their church, their peanut warehouse.  I have pictures of some homes in Plains that are so pretty and typical of Southern homes here.  The old high school is not the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and we watch a wonderful 25 minute movie on his life.  It is a charming place.

 

Just a sample of the beautiful purple flowers along the road.  There were scads of them.

 

I love this picture.  We were passing a truck towing the longest poll I have ever seen and I wanted to get a picture of it.  Hard to do of course traveling at 70 miles an hour so I took a picture of it in my rear view mirror.  Was dumb but I had fun.

 

I had seen some cotton as we were driving along and mentioned how Dottie would love to have pictures of it.  I need to find out where he took these pictures and cut some for her.  I didn't even know he took them.

 

COTTON!

This is taken at the Plains Visitor Center.

 

Also at the Visitor Center.  Don't we make a lovely couple.  Hummmmmmmmmmm PJ Carter, First Lady.   How does that sound.  I know, silly.

 

At the Museum, Jim is sitting at a replica of The President's desk.  It is the Resolute desk.  It was made from the timbers of HMS RESOLUTE, an abandoned British ship discovered by an American vessel and returned to the Queen of England as a token of friendship and goodwill.  When the ship was retired, Queen Victoria Commissioned the desk from William Evenden, Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, England, and presented to President Rutherford Hays in 1880.  Every president since Hayes, except Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Ford has used the Resolute desk, although some chose to use it in their private study in the Residence.  The desk was made famous in part by a photograph of John Kennedy at work while his son, John Jr., peeked out the front through the keyhole panel. I wish I would have taken a picture of the front of the desk.  It is really quite beautiful.  The panels were added in the front of the desk by President Roosevelt because he didn't want anyone to see his leg braces.

 

These portraits are the official White House portraits.

 

President Carter.

 

 

The Carter's in Plains, their home is here and was built in early 60ies.  It is the only home they have ever owned and they live there today.  He teaches Sunday School a couple times a month at their Baptist Church here in Plains.

 

The church they belong to and have all his life.

 

Their Church.

 

This is outside a store in Plains.

 

I only have pictures of two churches but there were several in town, all Protestant of course.  That is all they had.  I don't think they knew what a Catholic was.

 

Just a pretty house.

Below this sign was the peanut store and Carter Warehouse.  We purchased Honey, Jelly, Salsa, all made in Plains.  Got a coffee cup and a cosy.  We sampled peanuts and had fun spending money on stuff.

 

Billy Carter's Gas Station.

 

When Jimmy Carter ran for President they needed a headquarters and the depot was the only empty store in town so it became their headquarters.

 

Another view of the depot.

 

 

Just another house in town.  They all seem to have huge porches.

 

 

Another House.

 

 

Another House.

We were on our way to the Cemetery and Jim spotted the flowers that are along the road.  He just had to take pictures. 

 

They are so beautiful.

Little Makons having her picture taken in the flowers.

The Carter Plot at the Lebanon Cemetery,

I can't remember the significance of this house but I know there was one.  It might be a part of the Boyhood Farm.

 

This is how Otto likes to travel.  Not a care, Hair blowing in the wind.  Just too cute for words.

Downtown Plains - again.

 Now this was in Americus GA.  It was just a beautiful hotel.  We had dinner downtown at a place call The Station.  I want you to know we had a heck of a time finding it.  It was on a main street but to us very well hidden.  We asked at least 4 people and finally hit pay dirt with the 4th person.  We had a very nice dinner there last night.  I had a very nice glass of  Malbec in honor of Larry our neighbor at Lake Crystal.  Had best get going.  The rain has stopped for the time being and I had yet to shower.  We will have a great day, rain or no rain.