March 28, 2025 - Atlanta, Carter Presidential Library

 

Title: March 28, 2025 - Atlanta, Carter Presidential Library

Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Touring

Description:

I got up at 7 this morning. I guess I am getting used to this East Coast time. I spent most of the next hour conversing with Rachel. She had just landed a couple hours earlier in Chiang Mai. There was an earthquake next door in Myanmar, 7.7 with a 6.4 aftershock. The plane was about to land when the earthquake hit. The plane stayed in the air another half an hour to make sure it was safe to land. She is safe. But there is a lot of ambiguity about her stay there.

Sherri gets up at 8:45. We have oatmeal for breakfast. We are starting to ponder what meals will look like for the rest of our stay-that is for four breakfasts. Today’s destination, which will take most of the day, is the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

. If we get out of it in time, we will go to MaryMac’s. We get ready to leave and are out the door at 11.

We walked to the Brookhaven Station-what’s new about this? And then take the Gold train to the North Ave Station. From here we pick up the #2 bus. This takes us east along North Ave until we get off at Highland. Now it is about ⅔ of a mile walk to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

It is just $12 to get into the library-$10 for us old people. But in January Sherri and I went to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and got a membership. So entrance is free for us.

The first thing we do is see a 15 minute movie on the life of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. It talks mostly about his time as President and beyond, but it gives background to his life as well. It has the well-known people from his Administration talking about the important events and the impact. This is the thrust of this Presidential Library over all.

Rosalyn Carter

Throughout the displays of his life, there are timelines to guide the visitor on what was happening in Carter’s life. There were three of them: his life before becoming President; the events of his Presidency; and what he did afterwards.

The two Presidential Libraries we have been to previously-Kennedy and Nixon-served as a vehicle to tell their own story how they wanted it told. The Carter Library is no different. Carter’s upbringing and his post-Presidency life is pretty well known and there is not too much new here. At least half of the exhibits are show the years he was President. And there is a positive spin put on events.

As a note: I think my book group has read three of his books: An Hour Before Daylight, Christmas in Plains, and Living Faith. So we already had a pretty good background of him before we went today.

Before seeing the Library, the two big negative lenses which I saw Carter’s Presidency was how inflation took off and the Iranian embassy hostage situation. Neither showed Carter being effective. While the Library did mention in a couple places that inflation was not under control during Carter’s time, it really did not talk too much about it. But there was spin on the hostage situation. There were behind the scene maneuvers to make sure things did not get worse-I did not know about these. Carter pretty much presented that he did not have options to bring home the hostages and negotiations were being non-productive. Whatever he did would have gotten the hostages killed. From his perspective, it was a no-win situation.

Speeches available:

• Democratic National Convention-July 15, 1976
• Inaugural Address-Jan 20, 1977
• Notre Dame Commencement-May 22, 1977
  

  

Hands in peace

There are also many things which the exhibits bring to mind which Carter did. He presided through a time when we were in flux about how we used energy which helped cause the inflation experienced. We got the Dept of Energy from him. Through Rosalynn Carter, Mental Health started to be considered a health condition rather than an abnormality. We lived in a time of relative peace while starting to rebuild the military. The Panama Canal accords paved the way for the return to land back to Panama while maintaining US interests-this is now in the news. Deregulation of various business sectors was all the rage.

Then diplomacy seemed to be an area which Carter excelled in. There was the SALT II talks were finished and only delayed by the Soviet aggression in Afghanistan. He normalized relations with China while maintaining Taiwan's security. And then getting Israel and Egypt to agree to talk, phasing in the Camp David Accords which lead to the treaty between the two nations. This is still in effect today. Maybe Carter was not as ineffective as I thought.

I think every Presidential Library must have what the Oval Office looks like. At least both the Kennedy and Nixon did and so does Carter. With Nixon, we were able to wander through the office and sit on the furniture. Here it is blocked off. But there was an interesting video display about what a day in the life of the President looks like. In about ten minutes they go through from when Carter got up at 5:30 or so till when he went to bed at 11.

There is a temporary exhibition from the art work of John L Cleveland Jr called The Nature of the Man. It is paintings from the area where Carter grew up and lived. I had imagined the area to be more dry and dusty. But the art shows an unexpected lushness and greenness of the area. Also the homes portrayed seem to fit the settings rather than flaunting their possessions.

Maybe one of the best things you can say about the Carter', because they seemed to be a team, is that the morality and concerns they expressed during the Presidency enabled them to be probably the most productive people the United States have known during their post-Presidency times. This is the idea behind the Carter Center which was created as a place to allow for the negotiations between factions with profound disagreements. I do not know how much it has been used for that, but it has now an international reputation for humanitarian work. Work such as being election observers, health providing, and creating basic infrastructure.

After his Presidency, Carter's income was from his books

It is good when you go to places like this, to think about what the place is saying and maybe go beyond the presentations. A question which I started pondering was Are there things which are morally right for a man to do and say, but which is not for a nation? Or maybe a different way to say it, is there a different set of morals for a person than for a nation? What is setting this off in my thinking is that the Carter's were very moral people and tried to bring that morality to our nation. But was the nation better off for it? Should a nation live by the code which Jesus set down: to do to others what you would want done to you.

We got out of the Library a little before closing time, after 4pm. We discussed what to do next. It looks like there is enough time to go to MaryMac’s-Finally! So we trot over to Highland and wait for the bus. About 20 minutes later #102 comes along and takes us within a block of MaryMac.

Georgian Terrace

Dinner at MaryMac’s, the last surviving diner in downtown Atlanta, was everything Sherri hoped for. To start with, while you wait, they give you sweet tea to quench whatever thirst you may have. I suspect it is to get you ready for everything else to come. Since we came in before 5, we got seated within five minutes-last Friday when we stopped by on our MidTown tour, the waiting room was full and the dining rooms were packed around noon. Anyway, their menu is straight out of a movie set where everything is what I imagine Southern cooking to be. Our server was fast and friendly. We ordered our meal: Sherri with baked chicken parts and sides of okra and whipped potatoes. I had a fried chicken breast with cornbread filling and gravy with sides of green beans and Mac&Cheese. All was good and all was served with good sized helpings. Sherri ordered a seasonal (apple) cobbler to go.

We walked back to the North Station, passing by the Georgian Terrace Hotel. This is the hotel across from the Fox Theater and caught the Gold train back to Brookhaven Station. We chose a different way to get back. This time going past the Community Golf Course which I walked by Monday. Then it is back to the AirBnB. After a while, I made a bread trip down to Krogers. Then we rested and got ready for the night. I took a shower and went to bed about 10:15.

Some quotes from the displays are:

• We fought fire with fire, never thinking that fire is better quenched with water. University of Notre Dame on May 22, 1977
• Gary’s note: Today a lot of fire is fought with fire, because if you burn up the fuel, then the original, uncontrolled fire goes out.
• The poor, the aged, the weak, the afflicted must be treated with respect and compassion and love. Democratic National Convention-July 15, 1976

Extra Photo's

Eating at Mary Mac's

Sherri from the Presidential podium

Gary from the Presidential podium

Another Cleveland painting-not Carter's home

March 21, 2025 - Atlanta - Midtown Walk

 

Title: March 21, 2025 - Atlanta - Midtown Walk
Hike Info : Description : Menu : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Touring

Trail head: North Ave MARTA

Trail: GPS My City Atlanta MidTown Walk

Destination: Civic Center Station

Distance:  2.34 miles ¹

Start Time: 12:28

End Time:    3:35

Travel Time:  3:06  (0,76 mph)

Moving Time: 1:28   (1.60 mph)

Elevation Rise: 445 '

Descent: 254‘

Maximum Elevation:  1,161'

GPS Tracks

 ¹The GPS track is missing first part of our walk. But the map has the missing part in blue.

Description:

went to sleep last night about 11:15. Then I woke up at 8 this morning. Sherri gets us shortly after I do and she makes French toast while I continue to write yesterday's blog.

Sherri talked with MARTA about her phone. We left our AirBnB about 11:20. We have a choice about going on the bus to the Brookhaven train station or walking there. We decided to try out Sherri’s phone on the bus. So we catch the 110 and Sherri’s phone does work! Mine on the other hand does not seem to read. Oh well, guess we will have to see if this is a pattern.

We catch the Gold line at Brookhaven and travel to the North Station. There we picked up the Midtown walking tour which GPSMyCity has laid out. We start walking about 12:30. Our first stop is the Fox Theater, which is about two blocks away. To give you a hint about our travels, most of the places we stood outside and gawked for a few minutes and then went on. These were not tourist places, but more places within the city which had meanings for locals.

Such as the Fox Theater. It used to be a mainstay of theater life in Atlanta, now it is an aging building, still a theater, but relegated to hosting up and coming acts or second tier movies. But right across from it was the Georgian Terrace Hotel. Apparently this was one of the better places in town.

We continued our walk to one of the more interesting places on our walk today: MaryMac Tea Room. This is the last of the downtown diners in Atlanta. From how busy it is I do not think it will be out of business anytime soon. We asked permission to look at the dining room. But even before making it that far, we stopped and looked at the popular people’s photographs which have been here. There were local politicians whose names I recognized up to President Carter. But there were also lots of celebrities. This sort of confirms this is a place to be in Atlanta. We took a look at the dining room, dodging the wait staff which was running everywhere-highly energetic. Looks like a good place to come back to when we are hungry-breakfast is still with us.

St Marks

Then it is down the Piedmont Street aways. There is some colorful street sculpture we pass by before getting to the William Perrin Nicolson House. We did find a Little Library, much like our own in that it is designed to match the house. Theirs is much larger than ours. When we get to the Nicolson House, there are no signs marking this as a historic building. But the house does match what is on GPSMyCity. It is interesting and an older house, looking like it is well cared for. Later on I found out that it is an AirBnB going by the name of Shellmond.

Next up is St Mark’s United Methodist Church which is only a few blocks away. What can one say from the outside?It looks like an older church. Its claim to fame is that it is one of the few places in Atlanta made out of granite. From what I read, from Stone Mountain. But from appearances, nothing special.

Then it is a walk down Peachtree to the Margaret Mitchell House. But we see an interesting building, remarkably called the Peachtree Manor which is on the National Registry of Historical Places. It is behind a wrought iron fence, so we cannot get a good look. As a note: First, after reading about the Manor, if we had gone to another entrance, we would have gotten a better view. Also, because of the Civil War, most of Atlanta’s buildings are newer than 1865. Also it looks like Atlanta has not taken too good of care of its historical buildings as they are not well marked. From what we can see, it values new and vibrant and tall over stately and old.

The Margaret Mitchell House may be the highlight of our trip for Sherri, even though the MLK area and the Carter Library are contenders for those honors. Sherri is a fan of Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind. She has been looking forward to visiting places which are associated with her. This House is where Mitchell lived while writing the book, her one and only. It has been turned into a museum about her. We were willing to pay full freight, but the lady at the desk talked about the exceptions which included first responders. I mentioned that we volunteered at a fire lookout in California. She gave us that discount. I guess I can no longer say we are only paid in sunsets.

Margaret Mitchell House

The museum was a bit surprising to me. I thought it would be more like a shrine to the author, and there were elements of that. But it did a good job of presenting both Margaret Mitchell (Marsh) as a person and a product of her times. It talked about how she did not want anybody to know she was writing a book, how that she wanted to recall the book even after she showing it to a publisher, and how after the book was published she recoiled against the fame she received. Maybe that is the reason why she only wrote one book.

But Mitchell was a product of her upbringing. She was raised in the culture of the Lost Cause, not even knowing that the South had lost the Civil War until she was ten years old. Her upbringing taught her that the South was justified in seceding from the Union as it was their right to.Also that the slaves were treated kindly, with only a few exceptions. This influenced how she wrote Gone With the Wind. While she consulted references and made sure the book was historically accurate, the book’s portrayal was not accurate concerning slavery. This is all brought out in the museum. The movie was aware of this and tried to downplay some of it, but there were protests against it. It looks like the movie and book were not just fantasy of an author, but a statement of belief.

1st Church of Christ, Scientist

We spent about two hours in the museum. It is well worth the time. I am not sure that I will be reading the book, but if Sherri watches the movie, maybe I will. By now it is mid-afternoon and we are hungry. Close by is the Atlanta Federal Reserve. There is a sign talking about museum hours for the Reserve. Sounds like something to add to our list of things to do. There are some benches outside and the sunshine feels good. So out comes our peanut butter sandwiches. We discussed what we saw at the Margaret Mitchell House. More or less what I said above.

After we have let our stomachs digest the food, it is time to continue our MidTown walk, even though we are getting towards the end of the tour. The next item on the list is the First Church of Christ, Scientist. But opposite from the church is a sculpture called Trilon by Steffen Thomas. After duly observing it, we move on to observing the church. It has an elegance about it. The front faces the corner and has columns which reminds a person that this is someplace serious.

Instead of continuing on our route, Sherri has spotted a house which looks interesting a block away. It has a feeling of oldness and wealth to it. As we look at the house and wander down the block, we realize that this is the other end of Ansley Park-where we stood yesterday waiting for the bus. I suspect it is a better part of the older section of the city. Afterwards, Google Maps puts a label on the home: Sam K Kaywood, Jr.

House in Ansley Park

We returned to our route and came to Woodruff Art Center. I was not expecting much and got what I was expecting. We talked with a person inside of the building. She said that there was not much going on right then as the building is used mostly for the Atlanta Symphony and for theater productions. We continue our walk, through the building and out the other side. This brings us to the High Museum of Art. We confirmed that tonight there is jazz at the High and there were still tickets for it. We bought tickets for us tonight.

Parabolic Sculpture

The Arts Center Station is just across the street from the High. We catch the Gold train and are back to the AirBnB About 4:30. We rested for a while and then had left overs from Maggioni’s. Apparently we did not get done resting as we did some more after dinner.

We leave about 6:15 for our return engagement at the High. We get there at 7:00. It is certainly crowded. And loud. We can hear the jazz group in a different part of the complex. The group is Téja, not that I have heard of them before-turns out Teja is a person. When we get to the room in which they are playing, it is filled wall to wall, both sitting and standing. It is even louder in the main. Enough so, we look for a way to escape. Not saying that Téja was bad, actually, they were very enjoyable. But their sound just reverberated off of the walls, increasing the volume.

MidTown At Night

Our escape was to ascend into the upper levels of the museum. By going into where the paintings are, we can get some shielding of the sound. It also gives us a means to explore the museum. The High has several groupings of exhibits. Our first group was American painters, and I would suspect more Southern, but do not know about that. This is mostly oils. As we wander around, there is early furniture as well. Then there is an exhibit of African art. One fabric caught Sherri’s attention. It was made out of the metallic strips from alcoholic beverage necks.

But by far, what we spent time around was a parabolic dish which reflected at various angles images in front of it. It was fun looking at a person in it and realizing that as they were speaking not only was it reflecting the person’s mouth once, but there was a whole strip of the person’s mouth moving. And not only that, but depending on where the person was, the sound was being amplified and thrown back at them and us. It was a great conversation gatherer.

By about 9:15, we decided to go back to our room. We go back to the Arts Center Station, and wait about 25 minutes for the Gold train. Then walk back from the Brookhaven station. We get in about 10:20, pretty tired. I get to sleep around 11:20.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
French toast	Peanut Butter and Nutella sandwich	Left Overs from Maggioni’s

Extra Photo's

Sculpture Street Art on Piedmont St

Nicolson House

Sherri at the Margaret Mitchel House

Atlanta Federal Reserve

Trilon by Steffen Thomas

First Church of Christ, Scientist

Our 10th Floor AirBnB

Sherri being looked at

Contrasting View of possible econmics

Snake Lady

Sherri and some miniature sculptures

Side of the Parabolic Sculpture

MidTown at Night

Art Center Station mural

Places: GA-Georgian Terrace Hotel

 

 

 

Georgian Terrace Hotel-___' (Quad) (lat, long)

659 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Description : Trips : References : Pictures 


Description:
From  Wikipedia in Midtown Atlanta, part of the Fox Theatre Historic District, was designed by architect William Lee Stoddart in a Beaux-Arts style that was intended to evoke the architecture of Paris. Construction commenced on July 21, 1910, and ended on September 8, 1911, and the hotel opened on October 2, 1911.

 

Housed stars like Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh during the grand opening of Gone with the Wind.

Trips:

• March 21, 2025-Sherri and Gary walked GPSMyCity
•  

References:

• Hotel's Website
• Wikipedia
• Historic Hotels of America
•  City of Atlanta

Pictures:

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