February 4, 2020
Tallahassee, FLorida
A day trip to run errands turned into a picnic lunch at the Leon Sinks Geological Area in Apalachicola National Forest south of Tallahassee, FL. This was our first education about the underlying layer of limestone that covers so much of the United States. In many areas the limestone is being dissolved by rainwater and groundwater. That forms caverns, holes and tunnels. The sinkholes at this site are many years old, but the new ones appearing in the news today are oftentimes created by the very same erosion process.
Our month in southern Georgia was quickly passing so we had to make sure we got to visit some of our Florida family before we left. One weekend we attended an outdoors music festival and another weekend some of the family drove up to Georgia for a visit.
February 14, 2020
Plains, Georgia
A beautiful, warm day was the perfect time to visit the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Our visit began at the school where the future president and his wife, Rosalynn, attended all 12 years of their early education. From the school we traveled out to his boyhood farm, past his current retirement home compound. We quickly realized the entire town encompassed his family’s life and history. The final stop of the day was at The Plains Train Depot, which was the 1976 Presidential Campaign Headquarters, with videos of several of the the rallies and gatherings.
February 22, 2020
Alabama
The Tuskegee National Historic Site was our destination for this Saturday morning. We spent hours learning the history of the first African-American military aviators in the US Armed Forces and touring their training airfield. The story of those early years before integration have been preserved and are being re-constructed at the site where it all began.
After a picnic lunch in the park, we moved on to Tuskegee University to learn about the life, research and teachings of George Washington Carver at the museum located on the grounds.
February 24, 2020
Montgomery, Alabama
As our journey continued through Alabama, our last stop included more Black History education. Although we were both growing up in the 1960s and 70s as many of the events were going on, visiting the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University brought the past to life for us. We started with the time travel bus ride and continued our walk through history and all of the freedom movements that occurred during several decades.
After lunch on the Alabama capitol grounds we finished our day at the first White House of the Confederacy.
As the month of February drew to a close it was time to move to Jackson, MS, for Bill’s next marathon–his 21st state. (See the Blog Post)
KelJon Journeys 