Doreen and Laura's Excellent Adventure: The peach state

Georgia - part 2

(Sightseeing)

January 23, 2018 - January 26, 2108

From Stone Mountain we drove south and west to Warm Springs, Georgia where Franklin Delano Roosevelt went to soak and swim in the warm pools in the hopes it would cure the paralyses of his legs due to polio. The original Warm Springs Resort was waning in popularity in the early 1920's and consequently falling into disrepair.

The original pools are now closed due to high maintenance costs. New ones have been built at the Warm Springs Institute which now serves Georgia as a rehabilitation facility.

The pools as they appear today.

FDR first visited it in 1924 after hearing that swimming in the water had helped a young polio victim walk without crutches. After his visit FDR felt that swimming in the warm water helped him more than any other treatment he had tried and as a result took a keen interest in re-developing the site. He attracted other wealthy investors who eventually took ownership of the resort as well as the springs. The facilities were upgraded and thousands of polio patients came to swim in it's warm waters. The investors formed the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation which attracted staff members and therapists interested in helping polio patients.

Guests enjoying the warm pools at Warm Springs.
The pool at the rear was the therapy pool. The pool in the foreground was the play pool.

FDR at Warm Springs

At Warm Springs FDR inspired other polio sufferers to do what they could despite their limitations and this renewed his own optimism. He had been in politics prior to contracting polio and he decided to re-enter political life.

The "Little White House"

It's really a very modest house for such a wealthy man. Notice that all the windows are very low to the ground. FDR was always concerned about how he would get out of the house in case of an emergency. With windows this low he knew he could break the glass if necessary in order to escape.

The back side of the house.

Patio off the back side of the hosue.

Front Hall

Living Room
FDR died in the chair on the left, while working on a speech he was scheduled to give.

Dining Room

FDR's Bedroom

Eleanor's Bedroom

Kitchen

Kitchen stove

Kitchen Pantry

Butler's Pantry

On the same property as the "Little White House" is the FDR Memorial Museum which tells the story of FDR's life as a privileged son of wealthy parents from the Hyde Park, New York to his education at Groton, Harvard and Columbia Law, to his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt his 5th cousin once removed, his contraction of polio at age 39 and his political career as New York State Senator, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York and finally President of the US. It also showcases many of the gifts he received throughout his life including over 100 canes.

FDR's presidency was notable for many reasons. He won the first of his four presidential elections in 1932 at the height of the depression. Even though not all were successful, his many "New Deal" programs are a monument to his efforts to put the country back to work. His relationship with Churchill and his response to the bombing at Pearl Harbor during World War II lead to the Allies eventually winning the war.

You'll recognize many of these programs because they are still in use today.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC), Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp. (FSLIC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Although no longer functioning, the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
can be seen in many National Parks to this day.

What a legacy!

Eleanor Roosevelt, famous in her own right is also chronicled at the FDR museum. She acted as his legs, going to many places and reporting back to him on what she had seen and voicing her opinion on what she thought should be done. She often would not let up on him until she achieved her goal.

From Warm Springs we drove over to see Callaway Gardens one day even though February isn't prime time for viewing gardens. It is an enormous piece of property - 2,500 acres in total. To try to show you just how big it is, here's a map of the property.

It's filled with hiking trails, biking trails, scenic drives, etc. There's a golf course and a conference center. All year long they hold special events like a hot air balloon festival, a steeplechase, water ski tournaments, fireworks, Christmas lights, etc. Azaleas and rhododendrons are the primary draws in terms of flowers.

Wouldn't you love to see the garden when the azalea's were blooming? (picture lifted from callawaygardens.org)

Virtually nothing was open on the day we visited except the butterfly center so we decided to go there. Brilliant - right? It alone was worth the price of admission.

First we learned some interesting things about butterflies.

The life cycle of a butterfly is really quite amazing.

Butterflies are beautiful - but we already knew that.

The butterfly center receives chrysalises from the Tanzania, Costa Rica, Malaysia and the Philippines. They attach them to glass panels then wait for them to hatch.