As you read earlier, Ashleigh and I visited the grave of Oliver Hardy’s mother during a brief stop in Atlanta on our way to the Augusta Sons of the Desert Convention. Following that, we headed to the airport to pick up my friend Bob. We had made good time getting to Atlanta and finding Miss Emmie Hardy’s final resting place, so we had plenty of time to visit the Jimmy Carter Library.
I enjoyed his libarary although it is clear that his humble nature has kept it from being the entertaining spectacle of other Presidential Libraries. The museum did have a nice display of photographs and documents from Carter’s administration along with exhibits of his life, political career, and post-Presidency (his Nobel Peace Prize was on display). In addition, there was interesting travelling exhibit outlining the history of Apratheid in South America. Overall, an enjoyable visit.
Ash and me outside the Carter Presidential Center
Following this, Bob informed me that Martin Luther King Jr. was interred nearby, so we popped over to his final resting place. His casket is actually above ground in the middle of an attractive fountain. Just around the corner is the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King began his preaching.
At the grave of Martin Luther King
We headed out of Atlanta, immediately became lost, and followed a wild goose chase to get near our destination town of Plains. Bob treated us to a nice prime rib dinner at the Windsor in Americus and then we headed on to Plains about ten miles away.
Dinner at the Windsor
Brad, I don’t think it was Carter’s humble nature that makes his library small–I think it is because he did not accomplish very much during his time in office. He’s been much more effective since then.
Geo.
September 23rd, 2006
Well…hard to say how much of a role his humility played in the design, but his library DOES in fact contain mementos from both his pre- and post-Presidency, but much of the content is informational displays involving the causes he promotes – instead of displaying, say, the jacket he wore to his inauguration.
Remarkably, probably my favorite of the Presedential Libraries that I have visited belongs to Gerald R. Ford, because he made it dyanmic and fun with lots of displays and memorabilia from his life, although his Presidency doesn’t exactly stand out as the most memorable one we’ve ever seen.
Brad
September 25th, 2006