Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the south. The city and the surrounding area seamlessly mix together modern with reminders of a time long past. Traveling through the roads you can see a funky pizza place across the street from a museum honoring the movie "Gone with the Wind" and showcasing the iconic green and white dress Scarlet O’Hara wore in the movie.
I have to admit in school I was never a huge fan of United States history. I love the depth of European History. On a trip to Russia, my tour group and I walked through the crumbling remains of a castle that was over a 1000-years-old. You can almost feel the history in a place that old. In the U.S. the history at best is seven hundred years (not counting Native Americans). My opinion has changed recently. My family lives in Atlanta, Georgia and so my kids and I make frequent trips to visit.
The time that I have spent in Atlanta has opened my eyes to the richness of the history even if it isn’t a 1,000-years-old. As I get lost trying to navigate without going on the interstate I have started to notice more of my surroundings. There are the swanky places in Atlanta where every other restaurant has a sign in their window stating “As seen on Food Network” but in the middle of the modern there are remnants of the past still in use. Churches the that take up city blocks, huge old stone structures with large stained glass windows.
People have worshiped in these palatial buildings for many years. The buildings usually have a plaque that proudly proclaims the length of time they have stood as beacons of faith in the community.
In the middle of a mile stretch featuring a mini mall and drug stores, there are patches of earth dotted with the Huge headstones of Confederate soldiers. Their resting place are still given honor even in the middle of urban sprawl.
One of the favorite places we go to is Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield. The visitors center has memorabilia of the soldiers that once fought on the mountain.
They have a movie that tries to put a name and story behind the real people that walked the land all those years ago. The mountain itself is probably not really a mountain to someone from Denver but to this family of Florida girls, it is a huge mountain.
The mountain was the site of one of the final battles in the Civil War. Today the mountain is a haven for school groups and people who hike the mountain for exercise. If climbing a mountain isn’t on your to-do list, you can drive to the top and enjoy a view of three surrounding states from its summit. It is always a beautiful drive but throw in the spring when all the trees are in bloom or fall when the leaves are a kaleidoscope of colors and the drive to the summit becomes magical.
Even though the mountain is always teaming with visitors it is such a peaceful place.
Today my almost grown children got to learn how amazing and magical it is to experience a museum through the eyes of a young child. They escorted a two and four-year-old through the Civil War Train Museum.
Nestled next to active railroad tracks there is a brick building that pays homage to the time when the railroad system in America was brand new. They have statues, artifacts and even a movie telling stories of the time. The favorite part for little boys and big kids alike was the huge train that used to travel the rails but now it stands as a reminder to this new generation of what was and how far we as a nation have come.
The rail system was what helped create Atlanta in 1837 Atlanta became the starting point for railroads that went out west. Soon stores and homes began to be built. The town of Atlanta was burned down during the Civil war and succumbed to a great fire. Each time Atlanta and its resident rebuilt and became stronger.
Atlanta is a city that has found a great balance between embracing the new and remembering the old. Every modern thing you could possibly want you will find in Atlanta proper or its surrounding cities.
If you ever get a chance to visit enjoy the modern, just about every restaurant is worth stopping at even it looks like a dive. As you explore keep an eye out for beautiul reminders of an Atlanta of long ago.
