Plains, GA, Birthplace of President Jimmy Carter

On the occasion of President Jimmy Carter's birthday, I'm excited to share some photos from my visit last year to his boyhood home, Plains, Georgia. President Carter is the first former U.S. President to celebrate a 95th birthday!

Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Created for a presidential campaign visit to Indiana, this 13' tall Jimmy Carter Peanut was transported to Plains, Georgia, following that 1976 visit...and it's still there! 

Carter Family Farm | Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The Carter's moved to this farm in 1924—Jimmy was born in 1928—which did not have running water or electricity until 1938! A wind-powered mill like this one powered a water pump, easing the burden of having to pump water by hand for the family and farm animals.

Carter Family Store| Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

This is the Carter Family Store where they sold a variety of clothing, foods, medicine, and gasoline, among other items. 

Here are a few prices from that era:

• Fatback - 5 cents per pound
• Sugar - 25 cents per 5lb. bag
• Overalls - $1.00 to $1.75
• Castor Oil - 10 cents per 1.5 oz bottle
• Gasoline - 17 to 20 cents per gallon
• Octagon Soap - 5 and 10 cent sizes; 3 for 25 cents

Carter Family Farm | Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There are numerous barns and sheds on the Cater Family Farm, including a milking barn, a harness shed, a pump shed, and a large barn, which served as a gathering point. Certainly, President Carter spent a considerably amount of time in this barn. 

Carter Family Farm | Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The Carter family lived here until 1949. Jimmy became an officer in the U.S. Navy and planned a career as a Naval officer. When his father passed away, Jimmy returned to Plains, Georgia, but not to this farm. Today, he and Rosalynn again live in Plains.

Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Plains' antiquity is apparent throughout the town. Nearby, and subtly marked, is the childhood home of Rosalynn Smith, the then future First Lady of the United States. Rosalynn Carter was, and is, a strong advocate for mental health research.

Campaign Headquarters | Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

This 1888 train depot, in Plains, Georgia, served as Governor Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign headquarters for two years. Its modesty bought Plains onto an international stage. Today, it houses campaign memorabilia, including a television of the period 'broadcasting' campaign footage.

Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Practically everywhere you go in Plains you'll see Jimmy Carter presidential campaign memorabilia. When Carter began his campaign in 1975 he was called "Jimmy Who?", then won the Democratic nomination over 17 others, and proceeded to become the 39th President of the United States of America.

President's Desk | Plains, Georgia

Built in 1921, Plains High School, where Jimmy and Rosalynn both attended, is today the site of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Visitors Center and Museum. Enjoy making a photo at the President's desk here!

Nobel Peace Prize | Plains, Georgia | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Twenty-one years after leaving Capitol Hill, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, one of only two Georgians to earn this distinction. Most will agree that the humanitarian work Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have done since leaving office is remarkable and, by far, more than any former president has done for humanity. Regardless of political affiliation, Jimmy Carter is one of the greatest humanitarians in modern times.

I encourage you to visit Plains, Georgia. There's considerably more to see and do than what I've mentioned here, which I discovered thanks to my travel friend Wayne. Put it on your calendar and also go with a friend or family to see this piece of Georgian and presidential history!

National Naval Aviation Museum

A short distance from Atlanta, Pensacola, Florida is a fantastic vacation...for a night, a long weekend, a week, or even longer! And it's great most any time of year. 

On my last visit, we toured the National Naval Aviation Museum, quite an exciting excursion for me, having served in the U.S. Navy. The Museum is a military and aerospace museum located on the grounds of Naval Air Station Pensacola.

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Barry Holland

My best friend Barry came with me (Thanks for driving, Barry!). We were going to the wedding of another best friend, MaryJo. Barry and I added a couple of days to our trip so we could play tourist. The top of my wish list was the National Naval Aviation Museum...and hopefully to see the Blue Angels. 

There was something going on that weekend and we did not get to see the Blue Angels, but there are a number of Blue Angels aircraft at the Museum, displayed outside AND they have their own exhibition inside the Museum. We also did the Blue Angels 4D Experience! 

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The mission of the National Naval Aviation Museum, an official Department of the Navy museum, is to "select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts relating to the history of Naval Aviation". Believe me, that's exactly what they've done and are doing! 

The National Naval Aviation Museum is world's largest Naval Aviation museum, which features more than 150 restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. Those aircraft are displayed in its more than 350,000 square feet of museum space, and some are displayed on part of its 37-acre complex. When I say "make time" for a great visit, that's why!

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There's a lot more at this museum than we could have possibly seen during the five hours we were there, but we gave it a great try and had great fun along the way!

I have a model of Marine One that I picked up when I lived in DC and volunteered at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. At the NationL Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, they have a VH-3 Marine One, that you can board! That is the coolest thing ever! That's Barry sanding inside Marine One offering a presidential wave.

In case you didn't know, Marine One is the call sign of any United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying the President of the United States. That aircraft is typically a helicopter operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron One, also known as "Nighthawks". No matter where Marine One lands in the world, the President is always greeted by a Marine! 

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

While a great many of the more than 150 aircraft on display are relatively modern, the collection dates to the beginnings of Naval Aviation. There must be hundreds of thousands of artifacts on display and I can only imagine what's in their collection that's not on display!

When I volunteered for the Smithsonian when I lived in DC, I learned that only about 2% of their holdings are on display at any given time—in their 19 museums! 

I can't imagine anyone not wanting to immediately want to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum as soon as they learn it exists, but if you need a preview for additional motivation, here's a virtual tour!

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I had the awesome experience of volunteering at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum when I lived in DC, one of the most visited museums in the world—the National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the most visited in the state of Florida! 

Between those two museums, the Delta Flight Museum, a helicopter tour, flights with friend pilots (they let me take the "wheel"), a tour of the Rocky Mountains, and domestic and international travel, I've spent an amount of time in the sky, and that's not to mention when I went skydiving! I love the skies!

Barry and I took a ride on one of the flight simulators—actually more than one—at the National Naval Aviation Museum. A word of advice folks...when they say take everything out of your pockets, just do it. It'll mitigate any unplanned landings. Yes, we had an incident, but the operator, after purging the pod of whatever it was that wanted to go clink, clank, clunk, allowed us to continue our flight. "Thank you!" 

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When I was in 10th grade, I wanted nothing more than to become a helicopter pilot. Due to some family drama (and lack of tenacity), those dreams were dashed, but I never stopped loving helicopters. I would still love to one day learn how to fly them!

It was many years later when I experienced my first helicopter ride...and was it ever so amazing! I was in Las Vegas, a city I and one of my grandmothers loved, on vacation and a friend who was there for a convention treated me to a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon! 

We flew over downtown Vegas, over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Grand Canyon and then we LANDED inside the Grand Canyon, had lunch with champagne, had time to explore and make photos and then returned on the same flight path. WOW! What an experience!

Yes, I'm jealous of Navy helicopter pilots, but I also applaud their commitment and service to our country. While exciting, being a helicopter pilot can be dangerous when protecting our country and its allies. "Thank you for your service."

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I've been a space geek since I was...well, I remember watching outer space science fiction movies when I was six years old and loving them! Yes, I was born before humans landed on the moon, but I don't remember that first globally broadcast program—Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. But I did get to work for the company responsible for that global broadcast and met quite a few astronauts during my time there.

One of the astronauts I had the great honor of meeting was Pierre Thuot, a graduate of the Naval Academy and an accomplished Navy pilot. He has piloted more than 40 aircraft! 

When I was working for Intelsat, the world's largest satellite communications company, one of my first projects was to organize the 10th anniversary celebration of the rescue of the Intelsat-603 satellite, on a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission—a spacecraft I later got to see up close and personal. 

Pierre, among many other dignitaries, was one of the guests of honor, as were Mission Commander Daniel Brandenstein (also former Navy) and Shuttle Pilot Kevin Chilton. It was one of the highlights of my life, professionally and personally.

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

My usual souvenir when playing tourist is a book about the attraction or city I'm visiting. One of the books I got on this visit, in their awesome gift shop, was, "National Naval Aviation Museum: The Historic Collection", which includes a section dedicated to Naval Aviation's contributions to our space program.

The above pictured suits are, left to right, the Model 3 (1953); Model 2-A (1954); Mark III (developed specifically for the U.S. Navy) and the XN-17 (1962), an adaption of the Mark IV, which was modified for America's first manned space missions.

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Barry Holland

I'm still in touch with some of my Navy buddies and might get to see some of them later this year. The base where I was stationed in Nea Makri, Greece, has long since closed, but there's still an annual reunion. This year it'll be in Tampa, next to St. Petersburg where I was born, so that would be multi-purpose trip. I also have some dear friends there. You just might be seeing a post about those cities later this year!

National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, Florida | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I mentioned that this is a military and aerospace museum. You will see men and women in uniform throughout your visit. Please thank them for your service, when you can. Also, you will have to go through the Naval Air Station's gates, so be ready to show government issued identification. Show respect when on the base AND have a great time!

Just down the street from the National Naval Aviation Museum is the Pensacola Lighthouse, which we visited immediately after leaving the Museum. Be sure to check it out...and yes, you can climb to the top where you'll have a grand vista of the Museum and the beach!

Remember, make plenty of time to explore the National Naval Aviation Museum. There are so many wonderful things to see here and you can lunch there so you can keep on exploring.

Please find LOTS more photos of my visit on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook page!

GO NAVY!

Joelanta Toy Convention 2016

Earlier today I attended Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention at the Century Center Marriott. I'd attended this convention a couple of years ago and had a great time. When my friend Nikki heard about it, she was all about going...so, after having brunch at Babs Midtown, we went to check out the toys!  

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

The above is part of a large diorama inspired by Star Wars. What did you think of the new Star Wars movie? I loved seeing the original cast members and Rey is my favorite new character. 

My friends Patti and Eric treated me to the film when it first came out. We saw it in 3D at Atlantic Station, in their VIP 21+ theaters, of which I believe they have two, with reserved seating and recliner seats. Great experience!

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

This convention is all about toys an there are LOTS of toys there! I was at this convention two years ago and it has grown exponentially since! Walking around the vendor booths, I was flooded with childhood memories...almost overwhelming, but no so much that it deterred from any of the fun I was having!  

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

There was a costume contest and the contestants were all fantastic! Of course, having served in the U.S. Navy myself, getting a photo with "Shipwreck"—a Navy sailor fighting on the side of G.I. Joe—was a must. He totally nailed his costume...parrot, anchor and tattoos included. 

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

One of the things I was most looking forward to was the dioramas. A couple of years ago, the biggest one was a huge zombie car crash scene, with a flaming zombie! This year...Star Wars! There's a LOT going on inside the cylinders and towers. 

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention is dedicated to memory of Cody Martin Lane, an avid collector and member of the Atlanta G.I. Joe Collectors Club. He lost a long battle with a degenerative neurological disorder called CIDP at the age of 17.

Proceeds from this convention go to the founding and eventual creation of the Cody Lane Memorial Toy and Diorama Museum. 

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

I went to Joelanta this year with my friend Nikki, a fellow sci-fi enthusiast. I introduced her to Chris Hamer of Urbnpop and she ran into a number of her friends who she introduced me to. Kinda cool to realize that even in the toy convention industry it's a small world.

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

Like similar conventions, Joelanta has special guests, panels, contests, lots of vendors and more! This is a two-day convention and both times I've attended I've only been able to go the afternoon of the second day. Hopefully next year I'll be able to participate in the first full day, which has a lot more events!

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

I'm totally a car enthusiast...have been since I was a little kid. Also being a cinema buff, it's awesome to see cars from Ghostbusters, Batman and any movie that has zombies!

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

There was a room with multiple dioramas, many of them incredibly detailed! I've always been a fan of design (my minor in college was Web Graphic Design and I used to work part-time for an interior designer), which I think is why I like dioramas so much. Also being a space enthusiast, I really like the one above pictured diorama.

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention 2016

The photo above is a tiny part of a much larger diorama. The surprise element of eating an ice cream I thought was hilarious! Kudos to all the diorama creators...they truly were fantastic!

Joelanta & The Great Atlanta Toy Convention is one of Metro Atlanta's many smaller conventions. If you're a collector or a toy enthusiast, be sure to mark your calendar and attend next year's convention. This convention is growing...I only see it getting better and better and better!

Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center

Having served in the United States Navy, I was excited to see the expansion of Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center, which was completed and opened to the public earlier this year, on Memorial Day Weekend.

Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center

Veterans Park features a collection of seals of the United States and the five major branches of the American military, including Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center

From the Atlanta History Center's website:

"The newly expanded Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center is dedicated to all of the men and women who have served—and continue to serve—the United States of America. The Park was designed not as a traditional veterans’ memorial, but as a unique gathering place encouraging reflection, personal connections to veterans, and a celebration of the lives of those who have sacrificed to secure our freedom."

Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center has been collecting veterans' oral histories and stories—in a partnership with the Library of Congress—for the Veterans History Project for more than 10 years.

Some of those stories are available to Park visitors on pylons and via QR Codes. Imagine the profound experience listening to these stories must be. 

Veterans Park at the Atlanta History Center

If you have time when visiting Atlanta, and especially when visiting the Atlanta History Center, I invite and encourage you to walk a few extra steps to Veterans Park for a few moments of reflection on the sacrifice made by so many Americans to protect the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.