Stone Mountain, GA (03-29-13)

Closer and closer to Atlanta we go….

Stone Mountain is a well known tourist attraction in Georgia, and has a little bit of something for everyone.  There are rides for the kids, but we blew past those without checking them out.

There is hiking, including a 1 mile hike straight up Stone Mountain.   

We definitely had to take a couple of breaks along the way to catch our breath.  It was a short, but pretty steep trail.

Those who wanted to enjoy the view but not hike a mile straight uphill, could take the tram. Either way, the view was great once you got to the top.

There are also hikes that go around the base of the mountain, like this, the 5 mile long Cherokee trail, with pretty views of grist mills and covered bridges along the way. 

The next day we rode our bikes around the loop to check out the several museums that there are onsite, including this outdoor museum exhibit about the rock quarrying that was done in this area from the mid 1800s to the 1970s.

 

  Of course, the carving on the mountain is one of the main attractions and is enjoyed both during the day, and at night.

The sculpture, a memorial to Southern generals and their horses, was started by Gutzon Borglum, who left the project before it was finished, and soon thereafter started carving Mt. Rushmore. At 90 ft tall and 190 ft wide, the carving on Stone Mountain is actually larger than  Mt. Rushmore’s artwork. This one is 11 ft deep, and a dinner party was held on General Lee’s shoulder.

Since it was Easter weekend by this time, the place was pretty busy.  Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great for those people who only had a couple of days to camp here. At this time of year they do a nightly laser/slide/fireworks show on the side of the mountain.  It was one of the best we’ve seen, with a variety of Georgia based music as well as some patriotic songs.

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Thanks to some kind of projector, the horses grow legs during the evening show. They are shown galloping during a section of the show about the Civil War.

The park also has the requisite shopping area and I did a double take when I walked past the display of hats.  Even though I don’t need another hat- I couldn’t resist getting one with my initials on it!