Adventures with Jim & Gayle
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Picture
We lived in Stone Mountain, Georgia for almost 26 years (1986-May 2012) and visited Stone Mountain Park a lot. Stone Mountain is the largest quartz monadnock dome in the United States and is located in Stone Mountain Park. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet and 825 feet above the surrounding area. The carving on its face is the largest bas-relief in the world. The carving depicts three Confederate figures during the Civil War: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis. Stone Mountain is more than 5 miles around its base.

Stone Mountain is a pluton, a type of igneous intrusion. Primarily composed of quartz monzonite, the dome of Stone Mountain was formed during the formation of the Blue Ridge Mountains around 300-350 million years ago (during the Carboniferous period), part of the Appalachian Mountains.  It formed as a result of the upwelling of magma from within the Earth's crust. This magma solidified to form granite within the crust five to ten miles below the surface. Stone Mountain is more than 5 miles in circumference at its base. The summit of the mountain can be reached by a walk-up trail on the west side of the mountain or by the skyride aerial tram. There is also a hiking trail around the mountain as well as a sidewalk to walk on. Stone Mountain was once owned by the Venable Brothers and was the site of the founding of the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915. It was purchased by the State of Georgia in 1958. 

We traveled back through Georgia in 2019 on our way from Florida up the east coast. We stopped in St. Mary's and visited Cumberland Island Museum and the Okefenokee Swamp (pictures from these can be found in the section on National Parks & Monuments), then in north Georgia, Anna Ruby Falls, where the above picture comes from.

Our next trip to Georgia was in 2021 after our visit in Florida. We stopped in St. Mary's again and then inland to Sweetwater Lake Campground in St. Matthews, SC to visit with Jake & Robyn Forbes, then back into Georgia to visit with Kathie & Randy and Jack & Tam'ra. We made a side trip to visit Harry Trott, whom we have known since 1986 when we bought our first house from him in Stone Mountain. While in Georgia we stayed at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder. The park is on a lake and has a lovely trail around it, which Lucy and I enjoyed during our morning walks.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens ~~ April 27, 2021