Stone Mountain, Georgia
- February 24 & 25, 2012
- February 24 & 25, 2012
When we left Myrtle Beach, it was 16ºC February 24th. for Stone Mountain, a 301-mile journey. It was cloudy, with a chance of rain and wind coming up from the south and heading east. So we hoped to beat the conditions.
We were on the 501 at 7:45am heading for Florence SC. It was humid and partly sunny with temperatures of 21Cº. We stopped at Bishopville for fuel at 10:15am and then it started to rain. The skies opened up with thunder and lighting, for the rest of the trip, at times making it difficult to see.
We took I-95 at Florence and got onto I-20 By 12:30pm we were over the South Carolina/Georgia border, stopping at the information centre to sit out some of the rain. We picked up some information brochures and maps and were on our way again.
We turned off at one place looking for diesel, but had to turn around when we could not find a station. We drove into a church parking lot, which did not allow trucks! There was a sign in the middle of the road, which I had to move out of the way. Back on to I-20 and going further down the highway to Madison GA.
The traffic got heavier as we got closer to Atlanta. The GPS took us through the shortest route going through narrow streets of a village. The RV just made it around a corner! By the time we arrived at 5:00 pm the rain had stopped. We were leveled and set up in a very efficient manner.
Tour of Stone Mountain
I got up leisurely at 6:30am and went for a walk at 7:30am. We met a few early risers and had nice conversations with them. Some were form North Carolina, near Hendersonville.
We walked around the camp site and down to the Stone Mountain Lake. There are a few camper here for the weekend and we were told by the staff that 200 boy scouts will be arriving this evening for an event.
We returned to our RV, had breakfast and then drove to see what the park had to offer. Stone Mountain Museum features artifacts and stories that span 12,000 years, from ancient civilizations that lived on the mountain to the present-day park. Learn about Native Americans and pioneer settlers. See how the community was affected by the Civil War and how Stone Mountain granite helped build the local economy.
The Confederate Memorial on Stone Mountain is the largest relief carving in the world. Learn how it came to be through exhibits featuring original designs, scale models and the 11-minute feature film The Men Who Carved the Mountain.. Stand beside full-scale replicas of some of the elements of the carving while enjoying a grand view of the memorial itself.
We took a ride to the top of Stone Mountain in the Summit Skyride. This high-speed Swiss cable car provides a stunning view of the Confederate Memorial Carving as it transports guests more than 825 feet above ground to the top of Stone Mountain.
From the top, experience amazing views of the Atlanta skyline, the Appalachian Mountains and more up to 60 miles away.
Until next time "Discover It and Live It"
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