Travel USA: 2007 Oct 27 Stone Mountain Park

"The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?"
- Psalm 27:1

5th Annual Pumpkin Festival

What better way to enjoy Fall than with a Pumpkin Festival! The 5th Annual Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain Park boasted Pumpkin Express Train Ride, Pumpkinpalooza Live Show, The South's Largest Talking Pumpkin Tree, Pumpkin Patch, Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, great Fall decorations, and arts and craft activities for the kids!

We stayed at the 92-room colonial style Stone Mountain Inn, managed by Marriott and located in the center of the beautiful Stone Mountain Park.

Climbing up Stone Mountain is really not easy!

"Oh, come on daddy. Don't use camera tricks!"

The US$220 weekend package includes 2 nights stay for a family of four, and 2 days Stone Mountain Park passes for all family members, including unlimited cable car rides up and down Stone Mountain. It was a steal for the lovely Marriott family suite! There was even a spectacular laser and sound show at the park at night ... although it was freezing!

Stone Mountain is Georgia's #1 attraction and the world's largest mass of exposed granite! It features the 3-acres and 90-by-190-feet Confederate Memorial Carving - the largest high relief sculpture in the world! Towering 400 feet above the ground, this carving depicts the three Confederate heroes of the Civil war - President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E Lee, and General Thomas J "Stonewall" Jackson. Recessed 42 feet into the mountain, the deepest point of this magnificent carving is at Robert E Lee's elbow (about 12 feet into the mountain's surface).

This masterpiece took 70 years to complete, from conception to completion: "In 1912, the carving existed only in the imagination of Mrs. C. Helen Plane, charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The Venable family, owners of the mountain, deeded the north face of the mountain to the UDC in 1916. The UDC was given 12 years to complete a sizable Civil War monument.

Three sculptors worked on the carving during its creation. Gutzon Borglum was hired in 1915 as the carving consultant, and in 1916 he was appointed carving sculptor by the Stone Mountain Monumental Association. Borglum envisioned a carving with seven central figures accompanied by "an army of thousands." He was not able to begin work on the carving until 1923 due to funding problems and World War I.

After blasting away large portions of the mountain with dynamite, Borglum was able to complete the head of Lee on January 19, 1924. In 1925 a dispute arose between Borglum and the managing association. As a result of the conflict, Borglum left, taking all of his sketches and models with him. Borglum went on to carve the famous Mount Rushmore sculpture in South Dakota.

Augustus Lukeman, the second sculptor, resumed work on the project in 1925. Lukeman's carving included the three central figures of the Confederacy on horseback. He removed Borglum's work from the mountain and diligently worked with pneumatic drills, but by 1928 (the original deadline) only Lee's head was complete and funds were depleted. The Venable family reclaimed their property, and the massive granite mountain remained untouched for 36 years.

In 1958 the state of Georgia purchased the mountain and the surrounding land. The Georgia General Assembly created the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. In 1960 the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Advisory Committee was comprised of six internationally known figures in the world of art. A competition was held, and nine world-renowned sculptors submitted designs for a new sculpture. In 1963, based upon recommendations by the Advisory Committee, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association chose Walker Kirkland Hancock of Gloucester, Massachusetts to complete the carving. Work resumed in 1964, and a new technique utilizing thermo-jet torches was used to carve away the granite. Chief carver Roy Faulkner, a marine veteran with a talent for using the new thermo-jet torch, was able to remove tons of stone in one day. For over eight years Park guests could see and hear the workmen and their jet torches. The figures were completed with the detail of a fine painting. Eyebrows, fingers, buckles and even strands of hair were fine-carved with a small thermo-jet torch. The carving is actually much larger than it appears from Stone Mountain Park's attractions. Workers could easily stand on a horse's ear or inside a horse's mouth to escape a sudden rain shower. A dedication ceremony for the Confederate Memorial Carving was held on May 9, 1970. Finishing touches to the masterpiece were completed in 1972." - www.waymarking.com

Sonya and Ethan enjoyed the Pumpkin Festival. They painted the pumpkins, laughed at the pumpkin jokes, marveled at the pumkin displays, and of course, had a great time playing at the playground. And they served the best Southern Fried Chicken!

We also visited the Antebellum houses at the plantation. Antebellum means "before war" in Latin. These elegant houses were built around 30 years or so preceding the Civil War. Sonya and Ethan had a great time at the plantation, especially feeding and playing with the animals in the back yard.