I was hoping to get further along in my journey, but this was as far as I could get this evening…read more It arrived on the road just at the right time as I was fighting the yawns and it was quite dark. The truck lot only has a dozen or so spaces that were all full this evening. But the car area was empty and no one minded that me and my RV took up five or six spots. There is no power in the parking lot, so I was roughing it in the RV. Whatever, I got to sleep! When I awoke in the morning after a good few hours, the welcome center was locked up. Yes, the restrooms are only available from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Note that this is not the standard rest area at the side of the highway. You'll be exiting the road and making a couple of turns to get here. [Review 14640 overall, 140 of 2021, number 368 in Georgia.]

I stopped by here for a restroom break on my way to the canyon. To my surprise, the bathrooms were…read morenice and clean. Love that!

Worst visitor center I have ever visited. Came inside employee made it very clear we were not…read morewelcome. After she suggested we park in the visitor center with an empty lot, we came back to "That's not one of our employee's" vehicle. Need a southern accent to be to par with their standards.

THE STARTING POINT!…read more This was our first stop as we arrived in town this morning. We wanted to pick up some brochures and get some ideas regarding what we should see and do. This office is located in the "college" district and conveniently located very close to many of the sites. So if you are ready to start exploring immediately, this is a great starting point. The employee who works here evidently loves her job as she talked passionately about the local area. Getting to the center is easy because there is great signage directing you to the parking lot but you will need to walk around the front and down the sidewalk to get to the office on Front street. There was a great selection of brochures for Columbus and beyond so you will definitely find information on the history of the city, museums, activities and the performing arts. Welcome to Columbus!

Ever wanted to see a giant gold peanut sculpture? If so, then go to Dothan Alabama, the 'Peanut…read moreCapital of the World'. This visitor center is very cute. The staff was so kind and helpful, they were fun to talk to. It's small, but packed full of info on what to do in Dothan and other Alabama hotspots AND everything you ever wanted to know about peanuts. You can even buy all kinds of peanut memorabilia. And who wouldn't want that?

Quick stop at this rest area and visitor center that is across the border from Alabama into Georgia…read moreat the Chattahoochee River crossing on I-85. A good display of brochures and information for Georgia, if you're planning on staying in the state. I was not, continuing on through Atlanta and on to South Carolina and then North Carolina. You're about 90 miles to Atlanta from here. Depending on the time of day, that's between 90 and 120 minutes. Good luck! [Review 14238 overall, 1561 of 2020, number 348 in Georgia.]

This is such a nice restful rest stop. The welcome center fits nicely into a landscape dominated by…read moremature trees. You can walk as much or as little as you want to the picnic tables that dot the grounds, some sheltered but most aren't (plenty of garbage cans here so please do the right thing) Besides the usual amenities and offerings this rest area boasts an electric car charger, free air, and the Wattway Solar Road Project.

Along I-65 between Montgomery and Auburn, this rest area hits the spot. I am always pleased when…read morethere's a curve at the entrance that slows down traffic before they manage to land in the parking area at highway speeds. Bonus. The restrooms were reasonably clean and there's a decent shaded area for walking if you're halfway along your ten hour drive and need to stretch your legs for a bit. The park is in the Tuskegee National Forest. There is a caption that explains the National Forests in Alabama. Nice to see. [Review 14237 overall, 1560 of 2020, number 178 in Alabama.]

A clean rest area that offers a great spot to stretch your legs we're taking a break from the road.read more

There is a large Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta, but this collection of exhibits may offer a more…read morepersonal picture of the man. This pastoral town was an oasis; where the surrounding countryside was waterlogged, run down, and still carries marks of the confederacy, this town was upbeat and well kept. Even the auto scrapyard was neat. The main exhibit is a schoolhouse. The schoolhouse-like the former president who once went there-is a throwback. A railhouse includes campaign materials from Carter's first presidential run, which is frankly incomprehensible in the modern political lexicon. Perhaps most touching is the farm three miles outside the town, on which I saw a rambunctious chicken returned to its coop and traded stares with some goats. It's just really difficult to try to square the experience of someone who grew up in this piece of Americana but also lived in the White House. Signage points out that even walking into the one-block downtown from where little Jimmy lived would have been a big deal. Conversely, where I used to live I once stumbled upon the White House by accident on a walk of comparable length. This place is another world, and President Carter's experience with farming and the simple life, much like the founding fathers, is likely to have been foundational to his politics as well as his own life. The park offers plenty of opportunities for contemplating such subjects.

Very interesting place to stop. The train depot was awesome. The memorial garden and grave site…read morewas fitting of a former President. He was a beloved man of Plains. A must see.