It's been a couple of weeks since I've been able to work on the blog. We have spent time with family and been on the road so much that we are now sitting for a few days and I can play catch up. So, here we go. After setting up at the Atlanta-Marietta Campground, I left for the rest of the afternoon while Scott worked and had to drive through that terrible Atlanta traffic to go to two national sites. I'll briefly tell you about both of them to save time.
On June 21st, I first went to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area and the Hewitt Lodge Visitor Center. Scott and I both didn't think we should drive the RV through Atlanta streets and that's why I waited until we were set up to go on my own...and it was a good thing, because the GPS brought me through a small, tree-lined residential area and at the end of the street was the Visitor Center BUT you couldn't access it, so I would have been in a heap of trouble if I had gone earlier. All the driveways were steep grades and it would have taken me hours to back up. Now, if the park opened the closed gates, it would have taken me through to the other side, so I probably could have managed somehow. But, it's important to always check where you're going on Google Earth and see what roads you're taking when you have a big rig!
The Visitor Center was nice and small with a few exhibits, a desk and a small gift shop. There were three female rangers - all very friendly and helpful. Also, was a nice sitting area to rest and relax - something you normally don't see at a VC.
The exhibits explained a lot about river safety. Below the VC is a place to launch boats. And, as I was leaving, I took a photo of a nice pond on the road to the correct place to exit the park. It was a small and simple place, but the Chattachoochee River has a great number of recreational things to do on the water. It's a quiet and peaceful place over in Sandy Springs a suburb of busy and bustling Atlanta. There's also a trail head to hike from this location.
After I left Chattahoochee River, I drove back toward the heart of downtown Atlanta to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park. It just recently received national historic park status by the NPS just a few weeks ago. This is an incredibly amazing place to be. So much history and culture. The historic park is about 4 square block chocked full of information. I parked at the parking by the Freedom Trail and walked through the courtyard to the Visitor Center that had wonderful exhibits. Across the street is his birth home next to the Old Historic Fire Station 6, down the street from the Historic and New Ebenezer Church, the King Center and MLK and Coretta's Tombs in the pool. So, let's show you the highlights.
First, I walked down the Freedom Trail area toward the Visitor Center. Did you know that in 1959, Dr. King went to India to learn Ghandi's ways? They were very good friends and he wanted to learn from Mahatma Ghandi more on peace. I didn't. There were many pictures of Ghandi and Dr. King.
In the Visitor Center, there were lots of exhibits as well as the info desk. My favorite was the historical time-line wall and the D.R.E.A.M. Gallery.
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| Places Dr. King lived in Atlanta. |
In the D.R.E.A.M. Gallery was personal things represented by Dr. King's life including his funeral and bible.
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| The wagon that held Dr. King's body for the funeral and burial. |
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| Dr. King's Funeral Program |
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| Dr. King's Bible |
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Dec 27, 2017 the vote passed to make the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Monument an Historic Park.
President Trump signs H.R. 267. |
Then, I walked over to Dr. King's birth home. I was too late to tour it because the tickets were all taken which was disappointing. But, I will say, for a late afternoon day, the VC was filled with people! The house to the right of the birth home (yellow and brown home) was the park bookstore. It was raining a little when I took these photos.
After the bookstore and home, I went to see the Historic Firehouse #6, this was Atlanta's first integrated firehouse in 1963. The history is very interesting. King played basketball behind the firehouse as a boy since his home was only a few doors down.
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| King's house is just 2-3 houses behind this fire station. |
Then, I wanted over to The King Center with more exhibits. This housed many of the family's personal items including Dr. Kings clothes, cuff links, cologne, Coretta Scott King's black veil at the funeral and other person items. If you click on The King Center link, you can find out all sorts of fascinating things - too many of which I can write and browse the digital archive. You can also find out about The King Center, it's history and about Dr. and Mrs. King.
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| This was my favorite wall at the King Center. |
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| Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously by Pres. Jimmy Carter. |
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| King's key to Room 307 at the Lorraine Motel the day he was assassinated. |
The King Center also had a bookstore but my favorite think in the shop was this T-Shirt. I kind of wish I bought it.
Just outside the King Center is a beautiful pool. By this time, it started to rain but it didn't stop me. I walked over by the pool and also viewed the tombs of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta.
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| The pool and tombs look out toward the eternal fire and National Historic Park Visitor Center across the street. |
Along the wall on the far side of the pool are King's Six Principles of Non-violence. Here is the Glossary of Non-Violence from The King Center.
Finally, I took a few photos of the Old Historic Ebenezer church (this smaller church is where Dr. King was baptized) and across the street at the newer, larger Ebenezer Church where Dr. King preached and then walked back to the VC. The newer Ebenezer church is across the street and next to the Visitor Center.
And, finally, I LOVED the statue in front of the Visitor Center facing the Center for Non-Violence (this is where the tombs are located) called "Behold" by Patrick Morrelli. I must have looked at it for nearly ten minutes admiring the artistry. It was unveiled in 1990 by Coretta Scott King in honor of her late husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr as an inspiration for man to fight for dignity, social justice and human rights.
As I was leaving Atlanta and just before getting on the freeway, I glanced over and saw this carved metal sign over the skyline and thought it was pretty cool.
Overall, I think the MLK, Jr. National Historic Park is a fabulous place to be. I'd think every American would want to visit and learn more about Dr. King and his vision and dream for equality and peace in the world. I was heartened to learn things I never new before and I left wanting to be a better person than the one I was before I came.
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