The Antebellum Trail-Day 1

We started our annual Take Off Summer Road Trip today!  

First stop, the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette, Georgia. 

 I just read Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg.  Believe it or not, I've never seen the movie but I plan to rectify that when I get home!

 My neighbor Kim and her girls Kristen and Kelly came with us. We had so much fun last year, they signed on again!  The movie was filmed here and Kim said it was like walking into the movie set. The train tracks run right up next to the restaurant and as we were getting out of the car a train came roaring past.

I mean, this place is in the middle of NOWHERE.  We ate lunch there and it's a good thing we got there early because by the time we left, it was PACKED and people were waiting outside to get in!  I got tickled because on the bottom of the menu it says " please do not steal the menu."

Of course, we ordered fried green tomatoes (one of my favorites!) and they were VERY good.  

As we were leaving we saw this:

Which for some reason is just funny. 

Next stop was the Jarrell Plantation.  

This is one of Georgia's State Historic Sites and it did not disappoint.  The plantation was owned and worked by the Jarrell family for over a hundred and thirty years.  In the 1970s, the family donated it to the state of Georgia.  This plantation was not of the "Tara" type. Although the family was wealthy, most of its wealth was tied up in the land and in slaves.  There were three houses, a blacksmith shop, cotton gin, smoke and chicken houses and even a mule named Toby (Carolyn's favorite!) 

And of course, a privy or two!

 We all learned a lot.  The kids MAY have even realized how easy they have it compared to the kids of 150 years ago! But probably not.  They swept the yard-which for some reason was more fun than sweeping our kitchen.

Last stop of the day was the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds.  

This is actually a National Park and Interpretive Center.

  These mounds date from over 1000 years ago.  

We even got to go INSIDE the mound that housed the tribal meeting room.  The picture isn't very good, but it was VERY cool.  

And of course, no road trip would be complete without a dip in the pool...

or three! (Sorry, I write my own material!)

More tomorrow....