Andersonville

This was a trip down memory lane. Paula and I had been to Andersonville in the past, but this was our first visit trip together. I recalled visiting historical Andersonville with my parents and one of dad’s Army buddies over thirty years ago. The addition of the museum, a few new monuments, and recreation of the old fort walls made the trip a new experience for us both.
We started out with a traditional breakfast at the local IHOP. As we walked out to mount up we were pleasantly surprised to see an old Corvair van/truck conversion and a Corvair car, both well preserved. What better way to start our trip in to the past.
The weather cooperated on this trip. We started out with cloudy skies and 67 degrees and ended with cloudy skies and 76 degrees. What a great day to ride! We traveled south on Hwy 49. This road is well marked with both state signs and historic markers. Because of our early start, this Sunday drive was great with little car traffic to spoil our view.
The entrance to Andersonville is well marked. The winding entrance road is well shaded with trees. As we entered the historic prison, we discovered we were not alone. One lone truck was already parked in the area; but we knew we were in good company by the large Harley emblem in the back window. Paula and I walked through the old prison area taking pictures of the monuments.
After riding around the prison area we toured the cemetery. The entrance of the cemetery has a statute of three soldiers leaning on each other. I was reminded of my father, a 25 year Army veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
Even though the Andersonville prison is a tragic disgrace on how we treated our fellow man, its cemetery is a reminder of the price paid to protect freedom. I was humbled as it reminded me how we must never forget the fallen, the maimed, and the living who fought, and are still fighting, to provide us a way of life unmatched by any civilization on the planet. Their sacrifice can never be repaid and must never be forgotten.
We finished our Andersonville visit by touring the museum. This is a very nice building with displays and information about the prison and how American POWs were treated in past wars. This might be where you are supposed to start your Andersonville tour but for us it provided the perfect end; we had seen the old prison area and cemetery before. It was nice to recall our childhood memories and then visit the museum.
We left Andersonville headed south on Hwy 49 to Americus. We picked up Hwy 21 and shot over to Unadilla to catch Hwy 41 back home. I had almost forgotten how the cotton fields, pecan, and peach orchards looked. This route was full of them. Paula made one discovery on the return trip. She has a one hour saddle tolerance. After one hour she is ready for a PB, passenger break.
We couldn’t believe we took 70 photos on this adventure. We had fun and hope you enjoy the pictures. This is definitely a trip worth repeating more than once every 30 years.