The Federal shutdown has left Jimmy Carter National Historical Park closed. This was disappointing…read morebut understandable. That is why I'm giving this park 4 stars. Instead of going into the high school, I could only look in windows as I walked around the campus. Instead of going into his boyhood farm, I could only walk the perimeter and visit with the Billy goats. Instead of going into the train depot, I could only take a picture. It was moving and made me happy. But I would have been happier if all parts of this park had been open. I'll be back and revise this review when it's open.

A museum to a truly wonderful person. Visiting this museum is like going back in time and seeing…read morehow someone from such a small town grew up to become President of the United States and one of the most well known humanitarians. His journey was truly remarkable. To be able to read about his history and to see how his life shaped him and his actions in the future gives me hope for future generations. Be sure to visit this place to learn about the past and to grow towards and even brighter future :)

This place is way out there. That was kind of the point of course, as this POW camp would have left…read moreits prisoners with few places to escape to. The site includes a museum, a cemetery, and a driving tour around the area where the camp once stood. The museum is dedicated to prisoners of war more generally, and strikes a nice balance between telling the history of this specific place (including in a harrowing movie), but also connecting the issues faced by POWs throughout history. It also clearly explains the U.S. military code with regards to how to handle being captured. It's not a huge museum, but with the film I spent the better part of an hour. A tour of the camp can be done by either walking or driving. A piece of wooden stockade has been built, which offers a striking audiovisual experience when the lively atmosphere is cut off as you enter it. The area otherwise just marks where the rest of the stockade used to me, and also includes a variety of war monuments and informational signage. The cemetery is still active, containing not just the identified remains of many former Union POWs, but also American service members who have lived and died in subsequent eras. A map of the other major POW camps spans broadly. I've been to a few of those areas, but it would be quite a project to see all of them, even just the ones that have an actual surviving site and exhibition. However, the topic is compelling, combining the mechanics of war history with a lesson in the depths of human depravity, and an issue that will unfortunately always be relevant.

What can really be said that hasn't already? Well managed, well maintained National Park that every…read morehuman being should visit at least once. The museum was my favorite part, as the video and artifact offerings are excellent. If one takes the time, they will be enlightened on the American POW experience in all its wars. Our visit took about 2.5 hours on a crowd-free Wednesday in March, with most of the time spent in the museum. We briefly walked some of the grounds afterwards. Hallowed ground for sure. Cheers! RS

It's really unique here! It was drizzling and we were coming from Providence Canyon and decided to…read morestop by. It's awesome! Not a lot to do or see but someone did just recently get proposed to certainly a Georgia fan ponder for sure to visit

No swimming or fishing because of ... radium? It's a pretty…read moreeasy/fast park with areas of turquoise water with fish. 30 minutes to 1 hour visit depending on how many photos you choose to take. Many areas are wheelchair accessible and there are also bathrooms located with in the park. Consider stopping by if you are close, however I wouldn't drive more than an hour out of my way for it.

If you're familiar with the history of the Civil War, you know that as the Confederacy in Richmond…read morefell, the President of the CSA escaped with the intention of reuniting with the Confederate Army and continuing the fight. Jefferson Davis and his party were on the run from Richmond, continuing through North Carolina and Georgia. Union forces caught up with him here in Fitzgerald on May 9, 1865 and he was arrested. There is a monument marking the exact spot on this 13 acre historic site which includes a short walking trail, a gift shop and a museum. It is an interesting site and worth an hour though it is a bit of a journey off the Interstate. I've been to a number of Confederate sites, seen endless memorials across the South (and the North), battlefields including Gettysburg, Antietam and Chickamauga, and even the Davis home in Biloxi. This is interesting if you are interested in the War Between the States. [Review 1051 of 2024 - 719 in Georgia - 22079 overall]

I sought this out as I drove north enroute to Nashville, Tennessee on I-75. One of the things I…read morelike about road trips is seeking out these little places, either historic, a natural wonder, or something simply unique. It is a twenty minute drive off the highway and offers a small museum and a nature walk. Just walking the grounds is peaceful, with the sounds of nature surrounding me and the sun lazily falling upon me. If you have the time in your travels, seek these spots out. You will be better for the experience.

Located in front of the Pulaski County Courthouse, you just about can't find a courthouse in the…read moreSouth that doesn't have one of these. The marker is in excellent condition with no deterioration. The cornerstone reads, "Erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs. G.W. Jordan, President. Mrs. P.H. Lovejoy, Secretary and Treasurer." The obelisk is about 30 feet tall and features THREE statues on it. I assume the two lower ones are Jefferson Davis (President of the CSA) and Robert E. Lee (General of the Confederate Army) with the one atop a model confederate soldier leaning on his rifle. There front between Davis and Lee has a Confederate "Stars & Bars" with the words "Comrades." and "To our Confederate Soldiers." Normally, I would rate this two stars because the Civil War is over and the South lost. But this marker is actually very nice (for what it is) and is A-OK. [Review 14051 overall, 1373 of 2020, number 342 in Georgia.]

Though erected in the Jim Crow era its still a part of this countries and counties history. By…read moretaking it down or moving it is to deny one's history. If we remove parts of our past were doomed to relive it .

Last review of my 2022 February Black History Series & I honestly don't know how to rate it. This…read moreis by far the most difficult piece of history to digest and the most uncomfortable to write & read. It is so difficult in fact, that I don't think I'm capable of presenting it without myself becoming upset. Here are the words from the historic marker that was removed and place in the National Center for Civil & Human Rights because was constantly being defaced and pierced with high caliber BULLETS. It reads: [ historic marker ] MARY TURNER AND THE LYNCHING RAMPAGE OF 1918 Near this site on May 19, 1918, twenty-one year-old Mary Turner, eight months pregnant, was burned, mutilated, and shot to death by a local mob after publicly denouncing her husband's lynching the previous day. In the days immediately following the murder of a white planter by a Black employee on May 16, 1918, at least eleven local African Americans including the Turners died at the hands of a lynch mob in one of the deadliest waves of vigilantism in Georgia's history. No charges were ever brought against known or suspected participants in these crimes. From 1880-1930, as many as 550 people were killed in Georgia in these illegal acts of mob violence. Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, the People's Temple, Valdosta State University - Woman and Gender Studies Program, and The Mary Turner Project. *** [ missing details of the sign ] What the sign does not describe is the circumstances of the death of the white planter by his black "employee". While the emancipation proclamation freed enslaved blacks in the United States, the 13th amendment allowed for one loophole. Penal labor in the United States is explicitly allowed: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." That amendment gave rise to CONVICT LEASING, a system of forced penal labor that provided prisoner labor to private parties, such as plantation owners and corporations (e.g. Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, Chattahoochee Brick Company). The lessee was responsible for feeding, clothing, and housing the prisoners AND could punish or discipline them as they saw fit. Considering slavery had barely been outlawed, the treatment of these mostly black inmates was often bitterly WORSE that of their previous slave status. These convicts were actually profitable for state revenue. In 1898, 73% of Alabama's entire annual state revenue came from convict leasing. Corruption, lack of accountability, and racial violence resulted in "one of the harshest and most exploitative labor systems known in American history." TheConversation.com writes this in a February 2017 article: "They lived in squalid conditions, chained, starved, beaten, flogged and sexually violated. They died by the thousands from injury, disease and torture. For both the state and private corporations, the opportunities for profit were enormous. For the state, convict lease generated revenue and provided a powerful tool to subjugate African-Americans and intimidate them into behaving in accordance with the new social order. It also greatly reduced state expenses in housing and caring for convicts. For the corporations, convict lease provided droves of cheap, disposable laborers who could be worked to the extremes of human cruelty." link: https://theconversation.com/exploiting-black-labor-after-the-abolition-of-slavery-72482 *** These were the conditions of the "employee" that killed the white "planter". This killing set off a manhunt that swept southern Georgia killing more than a dozen innocent black men. When Mary went to the courthouse to complain and demand justice for her husband who was wrongfully slain, the crowd turned their anger on Mary, and, well... she and her unborn baby lost their lives in a horrifically brutal act that you can learn about here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1maRFmP8o [ side note ] I should mention the correlation between the end of slavery and the rise of the incarcerated population are practically successive. Many of these men were being sent to prison for the smallest of infractions... most commonly for being unemployed (vagrancy). [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Mary Turner went to the courthouse to seek justice for the murder of her innocent husband, and the same irrational violence that took him took her at the sheer complaint of unfairness. There is so much to unpack in this American History tragedy, including how even a modern day sign erected in 2010 is treated as violently as Mary. Many have left flowers at the base of the metal cross now standing at the site. Rest in Power Turner family, my heart weeps for you all. May God repay you 100 fold for every act of violence against you. Thank you for following my month of Black History reviews! 2022 / 60

Okay--what I want to know is why there are only four reviews, including this one? Come on,…read moreYelpers--you've reviewed gas stations, car rentals and dry cleaners in Macon. What's up? A gas pump more interesting than this gem of a museum? Get with it, folks!!! Ah, that felt good! Our senior's group from Kerrville, TX was on its way home and the Cannonball House was our only stop of the day. The majority of us were appreciative of all things Southern, so this was a special treat. The house's name is derived from a Union cannonball that crashed into the house during the Battle of Dunlap Hill on July 30, 1864. The Cannonball House was owned by Judge Asa Holt during the Civil War and is now owned by the Sidney Lanier Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy who saved if from demolition by the City of Macon. Thanks to these ladies, you're able to visit a Greek Revival mansion and not a parking lot! The House also hosts Father/Daughter Dances and Mother/Daughter Teas. And then there's--thank the Powers That Be--Miss Elizabeth's Academy for Young Ladies which "will instruct the girls in what it means to be a proper lady. Subjects covered: Introductions, sit like a lady, how to set a proper table and table etiquette, walking with confidence and Art of the Fan." And, lest you think the boys will escape, there's a co-ed course, too. My stogy old Southern heart sings with joy; civility and gentility are not dead!!! But I digress. The House is less a museum in the formal sense and more of a time capsule of Ante- and Post-Bellum Georgia. Architecture and period furniture buffs will be right at home here. The House consists of seven rooms. The Main Foyer with its period wall paper and imposing grandfather clock. The Family Room contains period furniture and portraits of the Holt Family. The Formal Dining Room houses a heavy wood table and silver serving sets including a large sterling punch bowl and ladle which survived the invasion of the Union Army only because it was buried. The Ladies' Bedroom contains period clothing, a hand-cranked sewing machine and a bed complete with a hand-tatted spread among other objects. Depending on when you visit, a collection of antique dolls may be displayed. Two Parlors display the furnishings of the founders of the Adelphean and Philomathean Societies which were organized at Wesleyan College, in 1851 and1852 respectively. These are the two oldest female societies in the world and continue to this day. Last, but certainly not least, is Judge Asa Holt's bedroom with its grand four-poster bed, marble-top table and chairs and a large bureau and chest of drawers. In my opinion, the Cannonball House should be on every tourist's itinerary. Seldom does one get such a personal glimpse into the lives of one of Macon's influential families. And if you're traveling with children, this is the perfect opportunity to make history come alive. For only $8.00 (as of this writing) you gain not only admission to the House but a guided tour as well. It's a bargain!

We enjoy civil war history and ole time ways of life. Our tour guide took us thru each room of the…read morehouse explaining the history of the house and the happenings of the time when the house was hit by a "cannon ball." It was really more of a large bullet like mortar. The house is in mourning-- all of the mirrors are covered by black cloth. There's even a casket in one of the parlor rooms. The tour guide says they do something different each month to highlight different traditions that were kept back in the day. The highlight of the tour for us was entering the servant's house and kitchen. Just as we walked in the room, we heard a squeaky toy sound. When I asked what that noise was - thinking it was a dog playing with a squeaky toy, she kinda hestitated and said we call him Matt. I thought, maybe that it was her grandson that she was watching during the summer. No. It's the little child that they hear playing sometimes. The ghost child they hear playing sometimes! Wow! Thanks for a terriffic tour!! We'll be back to investigate more of Macon history

The visitor center has really cool stuff in its shop along with a fascinating museum inside of it…read morewith a good deal of interactive displays! They were very thoughtful and creative with how they made the museum! The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We got a map and checked out the mounds which were huge! The highlight was the earth lodge. It was surreal ducking down into this tunnel that let out into such a cool piece of history! Be sure to press the button to hear the audio guide built into the display- the info they gave really enriched our experience! Worth a two hour trip to check out!

It finally clicked for me that the Mississippian people had been here long before any of the more…read morepopular Native American nations, such as the Cherokee, Lakota, etc. In my mind, the history of the USA begins with the arrival of the religious exiles known as the pilgrims. However, before the pilgrims, the Spanish conquistadors were here, and they had a different welcoming party than the pilgrims did. It was the Mississippian people, who had been here for about 1000 years. The Ocmulgee area is very important to us. It tells the story of the land, rather than the story of the USA. Also, it withholds the most ancient sacred site in the USA, according to academic archeologists. For people interested in American history, indigenous peoples history and rights, and for people interested in spirituality, this monument is a place to see.

Nice campground, great store nearby (Carrol's Sausage). We travel from Florida to camp there just…read moreto shop the store!

Stayed at the Georgia Peanut RV for a night during route to then going home…read more Quick and big sites. Perfect for quick stays.

A very cool tribute to Albany's famous son. Ray Charles was born in Albany to a poor, single mother…read moreand it was from this humble beginning that this man, who began losing his sight at five and was blind at seven years of age, rose to become am iconic and influential figure in music. Ray Charles Plaza plays the music of this gifted musician through speakers by the statue, a testament to the genius of Ray Charles. In addition to the statue, the walkway is fashioned to resemble piano keys and beyond the music, the sound of the Flint River keeps time to the soundtrack played through the speakers. If you find yourself in Albany, stop by and visit this soulful tribute to this talented man, a man who humbly preferred to be called Brother Ray amongst his musician friends, for a brother is not above, but beside.

Such a cute and quaint site! Plenty of benches and swings in the heart of downtown. Really a site…read moreto see near Christmas because all the light poles are decorated with lights and bells. Perfect place to watch a sunset enjoy a book and in the evening time listen to the sultry and melodic tunes of Ray!