Stone Mountain, Georgia

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Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia, is magical. We're camping in a virtual four star resort. Two golf courses, choice of nice restaurants, history, geology, fun, scenery, boating, and fishing. Bicyclers are here in droves. Family activities include mini golf, a train ride around the mountain and an incredible high top "Sky Hike"course” with kids in harnesses attached to a zip line. November is great here. No crowds, other than 6,145 fourth graders and their chaperones here on a field trip on Friday. The students are learning so much from a Native American cultural celebration and colorful Pow Wow, here through Sunday. The natural beauty of this massive granite outcropping can be compared with Ayer's Rock in Australia. The foliage is splendid. The reflection in the lake surrounding the mountain doubles the view. Georgia history is on display with an antebellum "Plantation" complex of authentic buildings moved to the site from various parts of the state. We took so many pictures that we are adding separate "Plantation" and a "Pow Wow" blog entries. The drive down to the Atlanta area from the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina was stunning. Leaving Stone Mountain heading for Florida we saw acres and acres of cotton fields ready for picking machines. We are really taking our time - we have been on the road for nearly two weeks and will get to our first Florida destination, Fort Desoto, on Saturday afternoon. Such a luxury to take a leisurely tour of the USA as we go about getting to Florida! Lucky us!

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Photos

Find the Schooner
We took an Aqua Duck ride and could pick out The Schooner at our lake side camp site. It's the white speck among the wonderful foliage.

Wes Captained the Aqua Duck
Captain Mike provided great narration and (possibly because we were the only ones on the "duck") let Wes drive!

The Tram Near The Top
We went up and down Stone Mountain on this tram. People climbed it and others took the tram up and walked down. The view from the top was superb.

Funky Joanne Atop Stone Mountain!
Granite from Stone Mountain is no longer mined. Almost all pre-1970 US Post Offices, the Lincoln Memorial, the US Capitol steps and many more important edifices feature granite from this mountain.

Oh No! Field Trip Day
One of the joys of visiting attactions across the US on Fridays is ---- field trips! - Because the Native People were having a Pow Wow and Encampment at Stone Mountain, 6,145 kids, mostly 4th graders along with their chaperones (about 3 kids/1 adult) were at Stone Mountain with us. They were wonderfully behaved and so were we. It is very cool to evesdrop on kids! Try it!

Snow Making in Georgia
Killington and the snow resorts of the east aren't the only ones "blowing snow" in November. Southern kids will slide down the soon to be snow covered "shoots" (in the background) in tubes. It's called "Snow Day Stone Mountain!"

Dining Room
A lovely home was transported to Stone Mountain in four sections as part of an antebellum plantation exhibit. It is very well preserved and symbolic of the history of Georgia. We are adding a separate blog entry for the plantation.

Native Family with Pooches
We enjoyed talking to this couple. The Pow Wow, encampment and Native American "Market Place" held such interest that we are adding a separate blog entry for this aspect of our visit to Stone Mountain.

Golf Club Restaurant
We ate here one night. The river boat is available for charter with catering.

Civil War Confederate Memorial
The images of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson are carved into Stone Mountain.

Stone Mountain
This exposed granite rock is 1,683 feet above sea level. It extends 9 miles below the earth's surface. You can see Atlanta from the top and vice versa (if the weather is clear).

Picnic
No tail gate on the Jeep; but the hood is level enough for a picnic. There were tons of picnic tables throughout Stone Mountain Park; but we were on deadline for our Aqua Duck ride and chose to eat in the parking lot.