We woke up at 7:40 AM Thursday – so much for an early start…. The good news was that the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing. Good day for traveling. We pulled from Stone Mountain Park (elevation 1686 ft and 825 ft above the surrounding area, quartz monzonite dome monadnock which extends 9 miles underground) about 10 AM and took a picture with Judy’s phone of the backside of Stone Mountain overlooking the lake. For those of you that are Civil War aficionados or Confederate fanatics, please see Google for front side pictures of Robert E. Lee on Traveller, Stonewall Jackson on Little Sorrel, and Jefferson Davis on Blackjack, the largest bas relief sculpture in the world carved in the façade of the mountain and extending over 3 acres (picture below). The carving was conceived by Mrs. C. Helen Plane, a charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The carving was begun in 1916 and after many lapses was completed in 1972 after the Governor and the State Legislature purchased the mountain for $1.1 Mil in 1958. The mountain was a common meeting place for the KKK in the 20. 30 & 40’s. “Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia…” M. Luther King, 1963.
Our drive through Alabama was beautiful with beautiful forest of pines and large rocky mountains near Birmingham. Of course, the usual fireworks factories were available on the Georgia/Alabama border. It’s so nice to drive on interstate roads that have no frost heaved-induced cracks. Smooth concrete is not the norm of Jersey roads. We arrived in Toomsuba, Mississippi at 4:30 PM (3:30 PM central Daylight Savings time) so it was nice to have daylight to catch up. We are parked next to a gigantic motorhome that is pulling a fancy golf cart. They are from Louisiana and heading to Birmingham for a major football game this weekend. Just realized that their rig is so huge that it is blocking our internet access!#^*@$^$&
Heading across Mississippi and Louisiana tomorrow to the Texas border.
Ciao
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