March 27, 2025 - Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

 

Our AirBnB

Title: March 27, 2025 - Atlanta, Atlanta History Center
Hike Info : Description : Menu : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Touring

Description:

I slept well last night and judging by Sherri’s decrease in coughing, so did she.That medicine helped her. The time we spent going to Kaiser yesterday, well worth it. I get up at 7:45. Sherri is about half an hour behind me. For breakfast, I make pancakes-this time for real instead of oatmeal. I finished up on yesterday’s blog writeup. We finally left the AirBnB at 11.

We are to pick up the #110 southbound bus. This means crossing the busy Peachtree Street. We do that at the light. And this is where our morning gets a bit more interesting. A delivery driver, making a left turn, seems to be ignoring that there are people in the crosswalk, crossing with the walk sign. We yell and scream at him and try to get out of his way. About ten feet from us he finally sees us and stops suddenly. He looks very apologetic.

From WW I

Now if that is not enough excitement. When the 110 bus does come, we get on OK. But a man comes on after us and does not pay his fare. He ignores the driver, then argues with her. Then starts calling her ugly names, finally threatening her. I get a little bit under two minutes video and send it to MARTA. He does leave when a MARTA security person comes up to the bus.

We go down Peachtree on 110 until we get to W Paces Ferry Road where we get off. It is a couple block walk to the Atlanta History Center. This place is large, unlike some of the other “town” history places we have been to. These tend to be in a house which was scheduled to be demolished. This is a whole block long, multistory building with a garden on the backside as well. We paid our admission-I asked if a volunteer fire lookout in California qualifies as a first responder. He says no and then gives us a discount. Second time on this trip.

The first area we hit is the Stories of Atlanta area. It starts with a timeline of the city from when there were Native Americans in the city to the current day. It then weaves us through much of the culture of Atlanta. The clothing and factories and how African--Americans were treated. From what I can tell, the Center tells not only of the greatness of the city, but also the warts of its past. This is different from what I was expecting. In many cases a city’s history has been whitewashed to reflect and develop a sense of civic pride. It takes us close to an hour to go through this part.

Then onward to the Civil War. The Center takes us through year-by-year of the War, starting from Lincoln's election in 1860. As a note: Lincoln won only 40% of the popular vote, but won the Electoral College. They show us uniforms, packs, contents of the pack, guns, and ammunition. Each year we are shown what each side wanted to accomplish and then what was actually done. It became evident to me that this was more of a war of attrition and wishful thinking than strategic victories. We spent over an hour here. Very impressive.

It is about 2:40. There is a film which starts at 3 at the Cyclorama. What is that you might ask? It is a gigantic painting in the round. Turns out the film is more of a history of this particular Cyclorama than the contents. This one started by a group of German artists in Wisconsin to depict the North winning the Battle of Atlanta as a money making venture. It then traveled around, until it reached Atlanta. When it got there, the mayor decided that they could not have the North winning this battle, so the blue coasts were painted red and the red blue. Volia! The South won this battle! It was only when Maynard Jackson felt the need to get this into better housing that the deception was discovered. So it was repainted again when it was restored. Then in 2017 it was moved to the History Center.

As I was looking at this Cyclorama, I realized that I had seen another Cyclorama before when I was in high school in Gettysburg. But this is here and now. This is a whole different perspective than just a flat painting of a conflict. As I work my way around it, I am seeing different sides of the battle. Over there is a battle line, up on the hill is Sherman looking at the fighting, while cannons are being destroyed. And then the artists had great detail, including shadowing on faces. 

 

In the 1930’s when Clark Gable came to town for the Premier of Gone With The Wind, he saw the Cyclorama and said it was perfect, except he was not in it. So the mayor at the time, had a dummy made up with Gable's face, dead. Perfect.

Clark Gable, dead in the Civil Ware

Sherri and I were mesmerized by displays about how it was put together. We spent another 20 minutes looking at that until we were told the Center was closing. What so early? It closes at 4pm. Guess we should have gotten there earlier.

Now that it is after 4pm, we are wondering about dinner. We had thought of going over to MaryMac’s for an early dinner, but that is an hour away. Maybe tomorrow when we visit the Carter Library. So we wandered around Buckhead. At a stop light, we asked a young lady about good restaurants in the area. She gives us some tips. Turns out she is from Ukraine. She points us in a direction. So we go towards where she said. Sherri spots a security patrol and asks the same question and he gives us three names.

We came across Taverna first, an Italian restaurant. Apparently there is more than one of these in the South. Sherri has us get a Ceasar Salad which we split. Then she orders a Paglia e Fieno pasta while I have Risotto Saffron and Sausage. Both are good. We are content.

We leave and just miss the bus. So we walk about a third of a mile, passing a couple stops just to stretch our legs. Then we stop and wait for the 110 bus. We talked with another passenger while waiting. We want to be dropped off by Walgreens, but the driver either does not hear the stop requested or ignores it. We ended up at the Brookhaven MARTA station. So we get to walk back. That is OK. We stop at Walgreens and then head back to the AirBnB to lounge around until bedtime, about 10 tonight.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Pancakes		Taverna

Extra Photo's

Top of the Cyclorama

US Major John Blackjack Logan

Artillery Embankment

March 26, 2025 - Atlanta, MLK NHP

 

Long Ride Up

Title: March 26, 2025 - Atlanta, MLK NHP
Hike Info : Description : : Menu : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Touring

Description:

I wonder if I am getting more used to Atlanta time. I left the bed about 6:30. But Sherri had a rougher night. She started coughing earlier than that and got up. Not sure if she was trying not to wake me or if it felt better to be upright-probably both. We shall see how this impacts today. The plan is to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr National Historic Park (MLK NHP) today. But if she is not up to it, we will see about tomorrow.

Andrew Young and Sherri

I needed to get some supplies this morning, so I took off around 7am and got back a half an hour later. Sherri is able to rest a bit, but I do not think she went to sleep. About 9, she gets up and I ask what she wants for breakfast: pancakes. I must have had oatmeal on my mind because I made her oatmeal. Hopefully this is a one time brain slippage.

She is trying to get some medicine from Kaiser. Kaiser has an advice nurse who has put Sherri into a video contact with a doctor. The doctor goes over the symptoms and what Sherri has done. The doctor authorizes there to pick up the medicine at a local Kaiser pharmacy near Midtown.

We leave the AirBnB about 11:10 and get on the #110 heading towards MidTown. This takes close to 45 minutes. The pharmacy takes Sherri’s information and gets her the medicine within 10 minutes. And off we are again on #110. This takes us to the Arts Center Station where we hop on the Gold train to Peachtree. Peachtree Station is the same station with the long, steep escalator. But we are going up. Once outside, we walk two blocks and wait for the trolley.

Behold!

The trolley is a closed route on rail. It goes from Centennial Park to the King National Historic Park. We catch it at Walton Spring Park, where Sherri sees an Andrew Young statue before we hop a ride to Centennial Olympic Park. Then take it down Edgewood until Jackson where it turns past Martin Luther King, Jr National Historical Park.

In some ways, we cannot believe we are here. MLK was killed when we were in early high school. His death is one of the markers of our lives. Since that time, not only do we hear and resonate with his quotes, we have read things like Strength to Love and the Letters from the Birmingham Jail.

Our first stop is to the Visitor Center, but Sherri has noticed there is a 2:00pm talk at the Old Ebenezer Baptist Church. So we will be back here in 45 minutes. Even before we got to the Center, there was a ranger for the park crossing the intersection. But that is not noteworthy by itself. He is blind. It is interesting watching him navigate around.

Also before the Visitor Center, we stopped at a statue called “Behold”. It is similar to Kunta Kinte raising a baby to the sky in Roots. We do not spend much time at the Center, just enough to get an idea of what we will be doing. We will be back.

Inside the Old Ebenezer Baptist Church

We walk around through the grounds of the King Center. Much of it is closed for renovation, such as Freedom Hall or the Administration building. But the reflection pool and the King’s Tomb, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Corretta Scott King are interned are available. It is the tomb where I grow somber, remembering how much we have lost in them. And reflecting back on yesterday, maybe that is why we have burial monuments that reflect back on our loss.

In this case, the setting is more impressive than the tomb. The tomb is set in a reflection pool. But the water around it, when it runs, has water flowing over his words: We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. I stand there reflecting for about five minutes on all of this-the Kings are worth more than five minutes.

 

 

 

Firehouse #6

Then we walk a few steps to the Old Ebenezer Baptist Church. We arrive a few minutes before the doors open. The actual sanctuary is on the second floor of the building. We all get seated and a ranger gives his 45 minute talk about the Church. He is full of facts, such as the church is 139 years old, but has had only five senior pastors. Or that MLK’s grandmother had been shot while playing the organ here. Unfortunately, he was not amplified and so much of the talk was mumbled.

Upon leaving, he stopped by a picture of MLK’s second funeral procession and talked about the various people in the picture. Those I can remember included the family, Arthur Ashe, Andrew Young, Thurgood Marshall, and a whole host of others who were with King in his strive for Civil Rights.

Fi

We leave the Church and take a quick look at the six points of non-violence posted on the wall of the King Center. The quotes from Coretta Scott King on the wall include:

Nonviolence is the most powerful force that we have for the counteracting of hatred, bitterness and violence which have infested our society.

People who think nonviolence is easy don’t realize that it’s a spiritual discipline that requires a great deal of strength, growth, and purging of the self so that one can overcome almost any obstacle for the good of all without being concerned about one’s own welfare.

And then the six principles of non-violence:

• PRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence Is a Way of Life for Courageous People

• It is not a method for cowards; it does resist.

• It is active nonviolent resistance to evil.

• It is aggressive spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

• PRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence Seeks to Win Friendship and Understanding.

• The outcome of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

• The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation

• PRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence Seeks to Defeat Injustice, or Evil, Not People.

• Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people.

• The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil not persons victimized by evil.

• PRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence Holds That Unearned, Voluntary Suffering for a Just Cause Can Educate and Transform People and Societies.

• Nonviolence is a willingness to accept suffering without retaliation; to accept blows without striking back.

• Nonviolence is a willingness to accept violence if necessary but never inflict it.

• Nonviolence holds that unearned suffering for a cause is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.

• PRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence Chooses Love Instead of Hate.
The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win.

• Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body.

• Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unselfish, and creative

• Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice
• PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence Believes That the Universe Is on the Side of Justice.

From The King Center both on The Wall-see below-and their web site

From here, we walk down to Firehouse #6. It is open and we come in and there is a 1927 fire truck in the middle-sort of to be expected.But much of the visitor area concerns the Auburn area. This area was (is?) a thriving area of Black entrepreneurship. A while back, I read a book called From Black Wall Street to Allensworth by Hedreich Nichols. The Sweet Auburn area is in the book. Segregation made the area an enclave where Blacks could not leave it except to do the menial work they were allowed to do. The book talked about how a Black barber changed the dynamic and helped build the area to a thriving economic base. There is much in the firehouse which also talks about that.

Trump signing the Park into exsistence

Then it is on to the MLK birth house. It is closed for renovation. But just as we come in, a ranger is giving a talk about what we would have seen in the birth house. He talks about MLK’s family and how they lived and the personality of the young MLK. Interesting. This was a small group. The building where the talk was given also serves as a gift store.Then it is time to go back to the Visitor Center for about an hour and half. The Visitor Center also acts as a museum-like area-not with a lot of artifacts, but with pictures and explanations. There is much about King, but most of it is things which I already knew. But the visitor center also gave background to what Blacks experienced and why it was important for King to make a stand like he did, rallying others to overcome these obstacles to being treated equally. Of course, there are the obligatory quotes of inspiration from MLK. 

 

 

 

Walking to Freedom

There is a room called the D.R.E.A.M. room. I did not find out what the initials stood for. But it talks about the relationship between MLK and Jimmy Carter. There was mutual respect between the two of them about what they were doing and what they had overcome. One point was really telling. There was an interview with Carter where he was asked about promoting Civil Rights. He said that he does not believe in civil rights, but in Human Rights, that all people have these rights as humans. Another very small facet which I found interesting. Carter had pushed for this park's recognition of King. But it was actually Trump who signed it into being. There was an appropriate quote from Jimmy Carter:

 

If we are to serve as a beacon for human rights,

we must continue to perfect here at home the rights and values

which we espouse around the world:

A decent education for our children,

adequate medical care for all Americans,

an end to discrimination against minorities and women,

a job for all those able to work,

and freedom from injustice and religious intolerance.

Jimmy Carter, Jan 14, 1981, Farewell Address to the Nation

A few minutes before 5, we leave the Visitor Center and try to make bus #806. But we never see it come. So we went back to the trolley where it dropped us off and waited a few minutes for it to come. It takes us to Peachtree Station. Having learned about the escalator, we take the elevator down. It does have a well used smell to it. Then it is onto the Gold train to Brookhaven. Next is what to eat. I had seen on the map something called the Grindhouse Killer Burger. It has good reviews on Tripadvisor and it looks like there are two others. So we tried it out. It is behind the station, about a block away. The single patty hamburgers are a bit small-go for the two patty. But the burger is tasty. We also have French fries, covered with cheese-recommended by me.

We walk back on streets which parallel Peachtree. It is much more pleasant walking this way than along the busy Peachtree street. Our new way pop’s us out by the Starbucks only a block away from our AirBnB. We spent the rest of the night recuperating until our 9:30 Family Zoom call. It is good to reconnect with family when we are away. Then we.go to bed at 11:30.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal		Grindhouse burgers

Extra Photo's

Dr Martin Luther King, Sr

Kings' Tomb and reflection pool

Martin Luther King and Corretta Scott King's tomb

King's Eternal Flame

Old Ebenezer Baptist Church

New Ebenezer Baptist Church

Gary on the Walk to Freedom

Sherri on the Walk to Freedom

King Quote

March 25, 2025 - Atlanta, Oakland Cemetery

 

Title: March 25, 2025 - Atlanta, Oakland Cemetery
Hike Info : Description : Background : Menu : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Touring

Description:

I did not sleep well last night. I lounged around starting about 4:30 and finally dozed off then woke up at 7:30. Sherri got up shortly after I did. She is feeling better and willing to go out again. It looks like we will visit the Oakland Cemetery and the Atlanta Central Library where the Margaret Mitchell papers are held.

But before that, I fix us French toast for breakfast. Then I cleaned up. We do take our time going out the door. Today should be a light day, so there is not much rush, as if there is ever a rush.

Maynard Jackson

We leave after 11:20, picking up the #110 bus in front of Krogers. This will save us a few steps. The bus takes us to the MARTA Brookhaven station where we pick up our favorite train, one which is Gold. We transferred at Five Points onto the Green and I figured to go to the bus at the Georgia State University station. But there is a slight problem-how do we get out of the station? A nice guard at the school told us: get on the train and go down to King Memorial and we will be right there. We have found that Atlantians are soooo very friendly.

We went to the King Memorial station-the same one as last Saturday. Oakland Cemetery is right in back of it. We walked about two blocks and came to the “Visitor Center”. Actually, it is a store. We buy a map of the cemetery and one of the docents shows us where we really want to go, based upon what we said.

When we entered the Cemetery, the oldest part of it was on our left. It also seems to be a bit run down, or maybe just aged.. But after a few more steps, we see our first citizen which we know about, Maynard Jackson, the first Black mayor of Atlanta. I have probably just overstated my knowledge. There is name recognition and I knew that he was mayor, but that is about all. But he has an impressive marker.

Confederate Grave

Also, there is a marker for the Hibernian Benevolent Society of Atlanta-whatever that is. Apparently it is connected with the Irish section of the cemetery.

Then onward. We head due north. After about five minutes of strolling, we came to Mecca. This is the Mitchell-Marsh grave site. On one side of the marker is Margaret Mitchell’s parents. But on the other is the author herself along with her husband. Compared to other gravesite markers, theirs seems to be understated. But from my limited knowledge of the author, she did not like publicity so this would seem to fit into her character. We pay appropriate homage to her before moving on.

There is a section with a high mausoleum density. We observe them. This makes me wonder about the value of such edifices. I will be pondering that for the rest of our time in the cemetery. I see the name of a person whom we know from these parts and wonder if this is his family. He does not think so-I had Facebook Messaged him on this.

Cherry Tree in Bloom

Then it is past the greenhouse which does not have any greenery in it. Then the African-American Burial Grounds. There is a phone tour of this part of the grounds which if we were more prepared, we could have availed ourselves of. Cemeteries used to be more divided than they are now. Each ethnic or religion had there own area. In this case Blacks were not “good enough” to be buried close to Whites-see the YouTube lecture. Even though the Confederate Burial grounds are just catty corner to the African-American place. We do not go over to the Potter’s Field area with its unmarked graves.

Kenny Rogers

To go back to the Confederate Burial Grounds, there are those who had large burial monuments. But then there were hundreds, maybe into a thousand “traditional” gravestones with the person's name, and CSA on them. Some had what company they were with and the regiment. So sad all of the loss and in many ways the animality. I wonder how many more died without anybody knowing their names. Also where were the Union soldiersburied?

We then we went past the Jewish Burial Grounds-they did not look too much different than the rest of the Grounds. Two other “name” sites were on our list. The first was Kenny Rogers who we saw once in Fresno. The other was the golfer Bobby Jones. Particularly Rodgers' grave made me think that why have something so elaborate?

 

One Margaret Mitchel Sq

This gets me back to that wondering about burial monuments. I wondered how many of those monuments have people who come back and mourn them? Who are these elaborate places for? Are they for the living or more because the dead thought they needed something as grand as their ego’s or maybe during their time, they were great people and those of their time thought they needed to be remembered in this way? I think Margaret Mitchell had it right. Have something which just said I was here and now I am not. If you come by, remember something about me.

We stopped by the visitor center on the way out. Sherri looks and I read outside. Sherri had wondered what some of the symbols on the burial monuments meant. The docent at the center, a different one than when we went in, gives Sherri a bookmark with the various symbols and the reason. Such as a cloth over the monument meant this may be a Jewish person buried here as well as  it may also symbolize a parting of the veil between this world and the next.

 

 

 

With GPSMyCity, they have a Gone With The Wind walking tour. Friday we visited two of the sites: the Margaret Mitchell House and the Georgia Terrace Hotel. Today we visited Oakland Cemetery which is the third. The last one is the Atlanta Central Library.

We hop on the Green train and return to Five Points. When we got out of the station, we must have looked like tourists, because a man came up and directed us where to go. An 18 year old homeless guy follows us saying that he is hungry. We give him a bag of almonds.

Carter Books

Shortly afterwards we came to Margaret Mitchell Square. The library is right there. We go in and have a TSA style search. But we passed. We are told that the Margeret Mitchell exhibit is on the third floor. We use the elevator. In looking at the exhibit, which consists of some of her artifacts such as a typewriter and her library card, her reference books and some copies of Gone With The Wind. All of these are behind glass on shelves. After the museum at the Margaret Mitchell House, this is a bit understated. We spent a total of ten minutes there.

We then descend into the Peachtree Station. Descend is the right word as it goes a long way down. But we are able to catch the Gold train back to Brookhaven.

 

 

 

 

Fox Brothers

By this time it is 4:00pm and we are starting to get hungry. Across Peachtree Station are some restaurants. After pondering for a while, we decided that barbeque is good. We went to Fox Brothers BBQ-apparently it is a local chain as we see others later on. We both ordered a pulled pork sandwich. I had fries and Sherri with Mac&Cheese. Both are good tasting and satisfying.

Then it is a walk back to the AirBnB. We do not do much more this evening, except to plan out the second week of being in Atlanta. We will go to the MLK National Historic Park tomorrow. Then the Atlanta History Center on Thursday and Friday the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. I get to bed a little after 10. Sherri is later than that.

 

Background

Union Burial Site. Later I found out that the Union soldiers were buried in a National Cemetery in Marietta, GA. There were 13,000 soldiers buried there.

Bobby Jones. The Country Club which I walked by yesterday? Bobby Jones was a member of it.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
French Toast		Fox Brothers BB-Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 

 Extra Photo's

Margaret Mitchell display case at the Atlanta Central Library

Margaret Mitchel's reference books

Under MARTA tracks

A cemetery plot

Pub across the street from Oakland Cemetery

Sherri reading cemetery information

Bell Tower

Oakland Cemetery