For the Days I Spent with MLK Jr., Scarlett O'Hara, and Atlanta, Georgia on My Mind……Symbols of Peace and Creativity
It is has
been less than a week since our new Fuhrer took office and I never expected to
have to search my Twitter feed for so long to find a non-political post.
Naturally one thing has been more depressing than the next so I have tried to
avoid my natural inclinations to read the New York Times and such since the
election for these very reasons. Which is why this part of my Atlanta series feels
particularly ironic.
When last
we left the story of my very first trip to Atlanta, I had just discovered the
historic district of Sweet Auburn and my deep love for that neighborhood.
Today’s discussion details my visit to the President Jimmy Carter Library and
Museum, but first there was a brunch.
The
Buckhead Bread Company popped into my life by chance and now I have a death
grip on it. My girls and I decided to try it on a whim and after stepping
inside and smelling the bakery portion of the café. After that I was very
willing to wait twenty minutes for a table. The bakery section had a ton of
customers some who came in just for bread or pastry and some that were waiting
for a table but were still stock piling for later.
It’s a
great space with lots of comfy seats and booths. The lighting and temperature
were perfect, something I appreciate as a hot migraine sufferer. Once we sat
down I became fixated on watching the staff move around. It was like a
perfectly choreographed dance. The wait staff and managers were moving at top
speed but even with trays filled with plates never missed a step or bumped into
one another. This was clearly not their first rodeo.
The menu
was packed with so many delicious sounding suggestions I was at a loss so I
went with my first choice, the chicken salad sandwich. When it came to my drink
order my instinct was to hesitate. When I was last in Georgia, Savannah to be
specific (http://bit.ly/2kuagiz), ordering
an iced coffee- my drink of choice- caused some confusion. However here at the
Buckhead Bread Company they simply just brought me one. Ah the joys of the
little things. When my sandwich arrived it couldn’t have tasted any better!! I
licked my plate clean even the side salad. I have had many sandwiches but never
any as tasty. Hands down of the greatest meals of my life and it was such a
casual order. Even if I couldn’t find another thing to do in Atlanta this
restaurant would be good enough reason to visit. Good news Virginia, you can
get iced coffee in Georgia!!!
From
there I was all pumped and ready to follow in President Jimmy Carter’s
footsteps.
Here I
would first like to say that any location that I visit that has a presidential
library nearby can best be assured they will have me as a visitor. I have
already visited the very first presidential library ever created at Springwood
(http://bit.ly/2gqdzZX) in Hyde Park, New
York, which was home to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Prior to
that visit I had been to President John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, a
facility I very much look forward to blogging about in the future.
Presidential
libraries are established by the National Archives and Records Administration,
that begins by first creating a presidential project under the appropriate
name. Every president is responsible for financing and building their own
library. Once it is open the federal government runs the operations.
The
Carter Library opened in 1986 surrounded by thirty-five acres on which a
Japanese garden sits. When you approach this museum the serene beauty of the
place wows you. The peace is palpable as if it were the very essence of Jimmy
Carter’s soul.
I learned
even more about how this peanut farmer’s son, went from the Navy, and
ultimately to the White House. Carter has achieved more in his lifetime than if
you randomly summed the lives of any five other people. His life is the best
example of “where you begin isn’t where you end” I can think of. While his
accomplishments are numerous, so too are his many awards such as the
Congressional Medal of Freedom, a Grammy, and last but certainly not least, the
Nobel Peace Prize. I was super excited to see all of these, so of course they
were nearly the last items displayed in the exhibit.
The self
guided tour begins with a brief film about the president and his life. The
exhibits themselves include items from his childhood like his highchair,
memorabilia from the campaign trail, items from his family’s peanut farm in
Plains (Georgia) where he is from, the sweater he wore to promote keeping the
heat turned down to use less fossil fuels, drafts of the agreements from the
Camp David Accords, the photo of the five remaining living Presidents, and the
list goes on and on.
Despite
the many treasures stored here my favorite place in the entire museum had to be
the recreation of his Oval Office. I spent a significant amount of time there
and not just because my selfies came out so well. The décor had been labeled
and clearly identified so that you knew the meaning behind each piece. This way
you could picture the important calls with world leaders as Carter sat at that
desk, the steps he paced on rug with the presidential seal, the problems he
thought he could solve as he sat on the sofa, all made me smile as I stood
there imagining it.
The one
thing I believe everyone can agree with who visits, is how much President
Carter did with the one term he was in the White house as well as the many
years since. Jimmy Carter is truly a man ahead of his time.
My visit
to the President Jimmy Carter’s library made number three out a total of
thirteen that, are currently in existence. While this latest presidential
library is happily crossed off my bucket list, it is my least favorite of the
three. President Kennedy’s had to be the best I have ever seen, museum or
historical site. The detail, the story telling, the way they incorporated Bobby
Kennedy as the Attorney General into the legacy, was too impressive to go into
detail here.
President
Roosevelt’s was pretty good but a bit too academic, however I cut him some
slack since he created it to purposefully store presidential papers in a time
where that was not even done. But seeing the car he drove, after having been
diagnosed with polio, modified with hand controls was very cool. I also will
never forgot trying to lift his leg braces with both of my hands and not being
able to move them an inch. The sheer weight without a body being added to it
dumbfounded me. How he managed to move his body and thus his life in the
direction he desired will always make him a personal hero of mine.
The next
presidential library I hope to visit is that of President Lyndon Johnson’s, in
Austin, Texas, sometime this year.
A word of
caution when researching your visit to the President Jimmy Carter Library and
Museum. Do not, as I accidentally did, confuse this with The Carter Center.
They are both within the same vicinity and when you enter any of these words
into Google both sites can be easily confused. The Carter Center is a
foundation the Carter’s created after they left the White House.
From here
it is hard to imagine where your itinerary may take you. Mine took me to
Margaret Mitchell’s House where she wrote her masterpiece “Gone with the Wind”
one of my favorite stories of all time (http://bit.ly/2g7dUhY).
This was a visit I have longed for since I first read her novel and saw the
film based on it.
Before I
visited her residence I honestly didn’t know much about this author. Actually
now it is shockingly clear how little I knew considering how much of a fan I
am. This visit couldn’t have been more educational or fun, as you will see from
my photos.
From the
outside this apartment complex seems amazing!! It was a gorgeous mid-size
building and in this day and age to have a decent size apartment in a nice
building is a hot commodity. Unfortunately Ms. Mitchell didn’t feel the same
way. She commonly referred to, Apartment 1, her home with her second husband John
Marsh as “the dump”. I find this term endearing not because it is so blunt but
because it is identical to the one I used to describe Betsy Ross’s house but
for very different reasons (http://bit.ly/2krTiS0).
The
guided timed tours are really well laid out. You enter through the front of the
building but the back of the apartment. You walk through the gift shop and then
see a well designed, exterior of an apartment much like it would have been in
real life. There we learned about Ms. Mitchell’s back story all leading up to
her move into the home we were about to walk through.
I learned
about her early journalism career and saw her typewriter. I learned about the
mansion she lived in with her attorney father prior to marrying Mr. Marsh
(which is why this apartment seemed like a dump to her) including her first
marriage to a man name Red who was a drunk without a job.
The first
rooms you see upon entering are the tiny kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. From
there it was a straight hall way with two rooms remaining, the living room
being the last that lead to what would have been her front door, mailbox
included.
It was
while I stood in the doorway facing her living room that I was told about how
her “one hit wonder” was born. Ms. Mitchell had severely sprained her ankle and
was laid up for weeks. She asked her husband to bring her books from the
library but quickly ran out of material. To keep herself occupied she took her
husband’s suggestion to write her own story, never ever thinking anyone else
would see it.
It was
bewildering to realize that in one average room, within four walls, where there
were the typical aspects of everyday life, such a vibrant life affirming story
was born.
The
second floor had more movie and book relate items. I LOVED seeing the two
chairs (tickets too) from the Loew’s Grand Theater from when the movie
premiered. A second favorite for me was the cutouts of both Scarlett and Rhett,
naturally I had to pose as each.
There was
even a photo of the oldest living Confederate soldier who attended the “Gone
with the Wind” movie premiere in Atlanta seventy-seven years ago.
Honestly
touring Margaret Mitchell’s home made me a bigger fan of hers somehow. It was
like I had gotten to know the woman behind the woman who I believed had more
positive attributes than she has ever gotten credit for.
During my
next trip to Atlanta I plan to visit Oakland Cemetery to pay my respects to the
author herself, though I have to remember that her name is Marsh on her plot. I
also really would love to see the Loew’s Grand Theater where the film had its
big premiere. There is also a Tara Museum that might be worth a look in. For
those to hope to see these sights as well as the home, the links below provide
excellent tour information.
After a
full day I was once again beat but happily so.
Next we
will “drive” into my mini day trip from Atlanta to Marietta, Georgia.
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