Journal Entries
A Trip Into Georgia's Indian History
Posted Sep 29, 2002
Yesterday, Bev and I drove to visit a couple more state parks in North Georgia. We drove up to New Echota Historic Site [A840331]. It was the capital of the Cherokee Nation before they were expelled and sent down the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma.
In my view, the Trail of Tears was about the worst thing the United States has ever done. The Cherokee adopted our lifestyle, dress, religion, slave owning, religion, etc. They made themselves in our image, and we still couldn't accept them. It's a damn shame.
We went through the museum, watched the little video that they have, and then toured the site. They have several reconstructed, moved and one restored building.
One of the buildings they have is the Vann Tavern. It was moved there to keep it from being flooded when the Lake Altoona was formed. It was on the Old Federal Road that cut through Cherokee lands in-between Augusta and Nashville. Chief James Vann was a successful Cherokee whose plantation home is about an hour up the road from New Echota. We visited his home a month or two ago. It's a state historic site too.
After we were finished at New Echota, we drove up to Fort Mountain State Park [A840340], passing the Chief Vann House Historic Site as we went. The park is on top of two mountaintops. It's named for a strange place where rocks were piled up to form this wall. It's believed to have been a defensive positions, but it looked like a pile of rocks to me.
The climb up the trail was pretty rough. If you go past the wall, you come to an observation tower. I went up the tower, but when I came to the top, I discovered that the top of the tower is just below the treetops. It was a very nice view for about 20 yards.
We went down another path to the observation point. It was very spectacular. It was a bluff with some trees cleared away for stunning view. It was most impressive to look out for miles and watch the birds flying beneath you. It reminded me of looking down from an airplane, but with a wider field of vision. It was spectacular.
We drove back through Ellijay and came back into Atlanta on US 76. It was a picturesque drive.
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Latest reply: Sep 29, 2002
Air Force Reserve Physical
Posted Sep 25, 2002
I went to take a physical for the Air Force Reserve again this morning at 5:30am. When I got to the station they needed my discharge paperwork from the Army. I had to wake my wife up to have her fax it. Then they needed some more paperwork that I didn't know they needed.
I took a physical last year at an Air Force Clinic. They had two thinks that had to be addressed, so I addressed them. Then I they charged me for some of the tests. My recruiter took care of that. Then they lost my physical. Then the clinic's certification was revoked, so I couldn't go back.
The only other option was to go to the Military Entrance Processing Station on Fort Gillem. My recruiter thought that they would medically disqualify me. I thought that was absurd. Since then I've made three appointments. I canceled two because I had court, and I had the minor surgery. I finally made it this morning, and now this bull-s**t paperwork kept me from processing.
I threw my packet on the desk and walked out.
I can't stand the idea of never going on a demolition range again. I really miss working with explosives. I hate the idea of my country going to war and not helping out.
I just don't think I can keep jumping through hoops. My wife thinks it's a horrible idea for me to go back in. Maybe she's right. I just hate to give up.
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Latest reply: Sep 25, 2002
Turned in My Gun
Posted Sep 24, 2002
This morning after my shift, I turned in my gun and car.
I feel 100% better. 
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Latest reply: Sep 24, 2002
Overnight Trip to Savannah Area
Posted Sep 19, 2002
We just got back from an overnight trip to Savannah. We had to try out the new van.
We left out yesterday just after noon.
We took one seat out of the second row so the dog could lie down. When I got tired of driving, I went back with the dog. There was enough room that I could curl up too. It was a very relaxing way to ride.
We got to the area just before 5:00, when the park offices closed. So we rushed to the place we were going to camp, Fort McAllister State Park. We bought an annual park pass for the new van (It's $25 to be able to park in any state park. Other wise, it's $2 per day).
After we paid for the pass and the campsite, we visited Fort McAllister. It was an earthen work fort that was used to guard access to Savannah via the Ogeechee River during the Civil War. It's very pretty now. The fort is a series of grassy knolls with reconstructed gun positions and a bombproof shelter. We learned some stuff, and we saw some deer wandering around. An entry should be forthcoming.
We set up our campsite. Then we headed into Savannah to see what we could see and get something to eat. Since we had the dog, our options were limited.
We drove down River Street. It used to be the docks. The street was paved in ballast stones from ships that came over empty from the Old World, and returned with products from the New World. Now it's an entertainment, bar, and tourist district. I used to visit it fairly often when I was stationed at Fort Stewart, some 40 miles away. I showed her the hotel where Rick Flair, the wrestler, bought us all the drinks that we wanted. A trip to Savannah isn't complete without it.
Then we started driving towards Tybee Island. We stopped at a strip mall that had some takeout restaurants to get dinner. Bev likes seafood, but I can't stand it. I picked up some Italian. Then we went out to the beach on Tybee Island. We ate on the beach after dark, and walked in the light of the moon. It was very romantic. Then we drove around the island a bit. We saw the lighthouse and the old Coastal Artillery emplacement, Fort Screven.
I get a real kick out of coastal artillery. The emplacements are massive and impressive. I think of them as the last castles.
We couldn't really see anything because of the hour, so we headed back to camp.
Our dog was really hot, and we were worried about her. So we kept taking her out for water. Then we left her outside the tent where it was cooler, and she could have access to her water bowl. That didn't work, because she ran off after someone or something. My wife dragged her back in the tent and that spread sand all over the place. I HATE sand! After there was sand where I was sleeping, i couldn't really sleep. Then we found out that the tent wasn't as bug proof as we thought. Through the night we were kept up by biting insects.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I grabbed a poncho liner that I could shake out. I took a shower, and resolved to sleep in the van. When I got up, my wife said that she would do the same. Bev said it was the worse night she ever had. I disagree, it was close to the night I froze my ass off in basic training with no sleeping bag, but it didn't match it.
After we napped in the van, we went to Skidaway Island State Park. It's a marsh with both fresh and salt water. We walked around, but we didn't have any bug spray, so we were eaten alive. It's a nice park if you're into bird watching or crab watching. I'm not. I did learn some curious information about giant sloths that I learned about there. You'll have to wait till I write the entry to find out more.
Then we went to Kroger, to pick up some bug spray, and other essentials. We went to Wormsloe Historic Site. It's an old estate that was started in the 1730s by one of the original British settlers. It was a fortified home that was used to guard Savannah against the Spanish down at Saint Augustine. The guy who built it, Noble Jones, was a carpenter in England. In Georgia, he was a surveyor, physician, judge, treasure, assistant president of the colony, militia captain, and constable.
I've noticed that famous people in early American history had a hard time holding a job.
After that, we went out to Tybee Island again to se it in the light. We were too tired to do anything, so we took a nap, and then headed home. We drove up I-16 for a while. I't the most boring and beautiful road I've ever seen. I might write an entry on it too.
Then we took a detour, and drove up US 441 so that we could see some back country. When we got back to our county, we drove some of the back roads, and finally came home.
We love the van!
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Latest reply: Sep 19, 2002
I have a new car
Posted Sep 16, 2002
I just bought a green 1996 Dodge Caravan. I'm so excited!
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Latest reply: Sep 16, 2002
Two Bit Trigger Pumping Moron
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