Monday, November 28, 2022

Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum Georgia October 2022

 So, you're a Civil War enthusiast with 12 dollars in your pocket.....  what would be the best way to spend that money?

Go to the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum in Tunnel Hill Georgia and visit their museum and take their guided tour.

Seriously, this is easily one of my favorite historical tours I have ever done, and I think it is an amazing value.  Watch my video, but remember that a video never does the real thing justice.

General Sherman, John Bell Hood, John Bell Hood's leg, and the Great Locomotive Chase all made appearances here in the 1860s....  Spoiler alert.....  One of them is still here!




Friday, November 25, 2022

DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta in Roswell Georgia October 2022


I wanted to tip my hat to the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta in Roswell Georgia.  I usually dont mention chain hotels here, but I thought this one was very nice...  and it is in an area where I have had mixed experiences finding a nice place.  

Everything was great here and I am sure we will be back!



Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Crazy Love Coffee House Roswell Georgia October 2022



Among the many cool shops and historic places we found in Roswell Georgia was Crazy Love Coffee House.  They had great coffee, and sold lots of cool gifts too!  It was a very clean, relaxed place to enjoy some beverages.

They are doing the "Christian Coffee shop" thing which I personally think is very nice.  There was a Bible verse on my coffee sleeve.

This place was just perfectly cozy and clean and I look forward to get back here as soon as I can!

Monday, November 21, 2022

Roosevelt's Little Wite House, Warm Springs, Ga Old Postcard


 This unused postcard notes on the back "The Little White House at Warm Springs was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Georgia home.  The Paul's Scarlet Climber roses were in bloom when he died in this house on April 12, 1945."

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Bump Gate on Grounds of Little White House, Warm Springs, Georgia

"The Bump Gate, built under direction of President Roosevelt, is open by pressure of an automobile bumper.  As the gate swings open on an eccentric pivot, the car passes through, then the gate swings shut by gravity."

Check out my entry on this home from earlier.

This postcard is unused and undated.

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Bailey's Bar Bar B Que Ringgold Georgia October 2022


While driving through the northern part of Georgia, we found that the locals were raving about Bailey's Bar B Que in Ringgold.  We stopped by for a nice meal!


Thursday, November 17, 2022

"Lost in Yesterday" by Peter Bonner

"Lost in Yesterday" by Peter Bonner was given to me recently.  Peter is a tour guide who has done a ton of research relating to Margaret Mitchell's classic, "Gone with the Wind."

The author has looked at the Civil War, Mitchell's home town, friends, relatives, etc. and found out that a LOT of real life events went in to the Civil War novel.  He gives many stories about people and events that affected the author and her writing.

Bonner starts the book with a very easy to understand telling of Civil War events that happened around Atlanta (Sherman's March to the Sea).  He reminds the reader that President Lincoln was heading into a campaign for a second term, and he was doubtful he would win.  His opponent was the former Union general in chief, George McClellan.  McClellan's party, the Democrats, were pushing for a an end to the war. 

The whole situation was very complicated, but it always makes one think about the "what if" situations that may have happened.

Anyway, Lost in Yesterday was a quick, easy to understand read that packed a wallop.  I can't wait to get back south and check things out in Jonesboro!

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Lincoln Pioneer Museum Rockport Indiana October 2022

 
I love the Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum in Rockport Indiana.  Its not far from Evansville, Santa Claus, or Owensboro.  Here is a short video I posted going through the museum there!


Monday, November 14, 2022

"The Wrath of Judge Lynch: Race Wars" by John Arnold Hargis

I bought a copy of "The Wrath of Judge Lynch: Race Wars" from it's author, John Arnold Hargis recently at the Rockport Indiana Lincoln Pioneer Village.  He was selling them for the bargain price of $10!

For anyone who is interested in the history of this area, which is packed with interesting history, this is a great book.  Hargis is writing about crime mostly in Rockport in the year 1900.  His bio on the back notes that he practiced law, mostly in Rockport, for 46 years.  He does discuss laws and informal justice from this time period with authority, though he knows he isn't writing a technical journal.  He wants to make sure that people like me can understand the situation, in 1900, from a legal perspective.

Not to give too much away, but a white barber in Rockport is murdered.  A black man is accused of the crime, and he ends up giving the names of two accomplices, and tries to downplay his own involvement.  Eventually, three black men are murdered by a mob, and no justice is ever given to the three men.

Hargis openly discusses the character of the participants.  He also shows that one of the African American men had a solid alibi....  AND, even though pretty much everyone knew who was involved in the murders (see cover photo), no one was brought to justice.

John Hargis writes in a factual way- I did not feel like he was trying to tell the reader what to think.  He was sticking to the facts, and I appreciated that.

Oh, and he includes a map showing where events relating to the crimes happened.  I appreciated that as I am always trying to visualize an area as I read a book.  

This is just a fascinating book about a time that is hard to imagine in a lot of ways.  I give this one my highest recommendation.

 
 

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Lincoln Pioneer Village Rockport Indiana October 2022


On October 29th of this year (2022) The Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum in Rockport hosted a great event, "Fall Heritage Day."  We sent there and had a great time!  They had a good crowd and people seemed to be having a lot of fun.  Here is a video I made of our visit there.

Friday, November 11, 2022

"Kentucky Legends and Lore" by Alan Brown


 I read through Alan Brown's "Kentucky Legends and Lore" recently.  If you are interested in strange things happening in Kentucky, this will be a great addition to your library.

Brown does cover the usual topics you might find in a "strange" or "haunted" book on the Bluegrass State (The Seelbach Hotel, Waverly, Edgar Cayce, Daniel Boone) which would be expected in a volume like this.  I felt that he gave a little more information on each than some volumes.  He also brought up some of the more obscure legends (Jailer's Inn, and a nice section on some Kentucky College ghosts).

Like I said, I felt like Brown gave a brief teaser on all of the legends, but his information wasn't the standard short rehash.

I usually take notes these days when I am reading a book, and I took a lot of notes with this one- Alan Brown clued me in to some Civil War sites and stories of which I was unaware (a Civil War field hospital was also the birth site of an NFL star).  Also, he notes that you can see some underwater remains of a former city in western Kentucky.

This is the kind of book that can send you down many different rabbit holes...  He even mentions a few books that were not on my radar that I am going to have to look up soon.

My only criticism of this book is that the author uses Wikimedia Commons a bit excessively for photos.  To his credit though, he does not use that as an exclusive source (I have books in my collection that do).  Also, a bit more editing would have been helpful- there are some dates given that don't add up..... on page 129 he mentioned a murder that remained unsolved, he says, until 2009.  He later says that the killer confessed in 1990.  You can probably figure out the timeline errors, if you even catch them.

Still, this is definitely a labor of love on the authors part, and, for a book just over 150 pages- it is pretty meaty.  You are getting a lot for your money.  Brown is giving you a lot of info on famous Kentuckians, monsters, UFO sightings, ghosts, deaths, etc.  My couple of criticisms are absolutely outweighed by the volume and quality of information contained in the book.  This is definitely one of my favorite mysterious/strange type books about Kentucky.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Cades Cove Bear Sighting Great Smoky Mountains Tennessee 08 2022

 Here is the mostly complete video of our bear sighting at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee! 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Cades Cove Loop Great Smoky Mountains TN 08 2022

 This video is a complete real time drive around the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  We do see a bear!

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Gatlinburg TN Monday Morning NO Traffic 08 2022

 This is a very short video of a qiuck drive through Gatlinburg on a not so busy Monday Morning!  I didnt even hit a red light until right at the end!

Friday, November 4, 2022

Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Café -Pigeon Forge TN 08 2022

  We enjoyed a breakfast, and saw some singing chickens at Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Cafe in Pigeon Forge!

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Sugarlands Visitor Center -Great Smoky Mountains Tennessee 08 2022

 We took a brief walk through the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!