We are at the World Famous Navy Lake Site on Lake Allatoona, GA. Really, that's what it says on the sign out front! We got the best site in the campground right across from the beach. Too bad it has been raining since we got here, so we haven't really enjoyed the view much.

We went into Kennesaw to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. They are affiliated with the Smithsonian.

First we saw a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit which was fascinating. Models of all sorts of transportation from wagons to space ships. They have a neat display for the airplanes. The man who made all these models makes them from cardboard and paper and string. You would never know it from looking at them because they are all painted and look as if they are metal. The process is very detailed and time consuming. It must require a huge portion of patience!

There were 2 rooms with memorabilia from the War Between the States.

Then there was a display of the Glover Machine Works. Glover built steam engines and parts from the 1890's until about the 1950's. The plant was then abandoned. In the 1990's the land was sold to Cobb County and the plant was to be demolished. Quickly concerned citizens and historians worked to get everything they could out of the buildings and offices. There were actually 3 locomotives in a building. They had been abandoned when the plant shut down. All of Glover's records are now in the keeping of the museum. The display of how things were done there is impressive. The pattern making, itself, was a pure art form.

As we moved on to more about trains, we came across something we had never before heard of. Do any of you know about the Gratitude or Merci Train? After WWII, the USA sent trainloads of stuff to France to help them recover from the devistation of the war. Everything from nails to bread to plants to food----- As a "thank you" France put together the Merci (Thank You) Train. They took 49 boxcars, filled them with gifts and shipped them to the states. The boxcars were ones that were used in WWI and WWII to transport men and horses. The 49 cars were for each state, plus one for Washington DC and the territory of Hawaii to share. On the side of the cars were coats-of-arms for each French provence. Really amazing what the 2 countries shared. When we got home we were immediately on the net checking out the whole story and where the cars are now.

Also we saw "The General" locomotive. This is the locomotive that was stolen by Union spies know as Andrews Raiders, who planned to take it North, blowing up bridges as they went. However, Confederate soldiers realized what was happening, grabbed another locomotive and caught them before they reached Chattanooga. The spies who were caught were hanged. The entire group of raiders were the first to receive the Medal of Honor, newly authorized by Congress.

The whole thing was well worth the trip and price of admission.

God Bless