https://discoveratlanta.com/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Plain and simple, the world would little know of Plains if not for their peanut farmer President and, of course, we have Georgia and Jimmy Carter on our minds today.

For all its Punch and Judy Presidential Race antics America, and Americans, are remarkably reverent towards their past Presidents.

Regardless of their politics.

And the death of the Democrat President who lived longer to a full century, longer than any.

And and has now passed on at 100 in his hometown has been marked by typical warmth and dignity.

Remembering George HW Bush

I suspect the mood across the country will be similar to that in Fort Lauderdale back in 2019 the day George HW Bush died.

The flags on the houses and the civic buildings were at half-mast and the talk at Primanti Bros. diner.

Over our overeasy eggs was about the Republican President who drove Saddam Hussain from Kuwait.

In memoriam: Fort Lauderdale when George HW Bush died

With good grace observers and obituary writers have been celebrating Carter’s successes.

In brokering peace between Israel and Egypt and Camp David.

And putting the US Embassy hostages in Baghdad and the economy into context.

The Plains truth

Now nowhere is the legacy of the former Nobel Peace Prize winner more alive than in Plains.

Where he returned to the two-room home he lived in before swapping it for the White House.

Now understandably Plains, a village 158 miles south of state capital Atlanta, builds itself around its most famous citizen.

Stand-outs are the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park.

Our Georgian pals recommend we start at Plains High School, the visitor center, where he and wife Rosalynn graduated.

Of course, peanuts are never far from view on your Jimmy Carter tour and you can pop into the Boyhood Farm.

Where see where the 39th President helped his dad grow peanuts, corn, cotton and sugar cane.

While The Plains Train Depot, the oldest building in Plains, dating back to 1888 and where Jimmy had his campaign headquarters.

As a memento of your visit you will deffo take a selfie with the goofy Smiling Peanut.

While snacking on a bag of peanut brittle from Plain Peanuts.

Now for Civil War nuts (guilty) pencil in a day trip to the Andersonville National Historic Site, a prison for Union troops.

Georgia’s outdoors are a joy and the Providence Canyon State Park, Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” is the perfect place for picnickers.

With its sherbet-orange and pale-pink walls.

The Plains peeps tell us advise a stay at The Plains Historic Inn, where seven rooms were built by Jimmy himself.

Library visit

Now the Americans’ tradition of bequeathing a library to their presidents means that we can delve even further.

Into Jimmy’s time in office, in Atlanta.

All of which is why, for the day that’s in it.

And in memory of The Great Man, today we have Georgia and Jimmy Carter on our minds.

We found a return flight with our go-to transatlantic carriers Aer Lingus with pre-clearance in Dublin airport to Atlanta from €1,107.12

America, Countries, Flying

Flying high to Minneairpolis with Delta

23rd September 202323rd September 2023 funtime65

Season of trips and mellow flyfulness, Autumn is here and we’re flying high to Minneairpolis with Delta.

The Autumn, or the Fall as the Americans so lyrically refer to the third season of the year, is ripe for new flight routes.

And Ireland, or Airland as it could easily be called, is among one of the most connected countries per size in the world.

Only this week we see routes open up from May 24 with Delta Airlines from Dublin to Minnesota.

Minneapolis, where the doves (and Delta and Aer Lingus) fly, has seeped into our consciousness because of one Prince Rogers.

And all purple roads (and yes they have coloured their signs in Prince plum) lead to Paisley Park.

Take me to the Mall game

So let’s go, let’s go crazy.

And we all know when two Irish women get together then they’ll persuade each other to hit the shops.

And when that mall is the biggest shopping centre in the States, the biggest in the Western Hemisphere, the Mall of America.

Then you’ll not see them all day.

We’re thinking then that the only way to keep an eye on them is to go along on a couples trip.

And if you’re the sporty type then you’ll want to explore the Twin Cities’ teams.

Home run

Happens that the Mall of America is an appropriate place to start.

Because there’s a plaque in the mall’s amusement park commemorating the former location of home plate.

And one seat from Met Stadium was placed in Mall of America at the exact location it occupied in the stadium.

It commemorates a 520ft home run hit by hall of famer Harmon Killebrew in 1967.

All of which you’ll be dreaming of seeing at the new ball park, the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome, also home to the Vikings American Football team.

Of course The National Sprawl of America (3 million sqft of retail space/520 stores) boasts entertainment galore within its walls.

Life is a roller coaster

With the largest indoor theme park in the States, the Nickelodeon Universe, formerly Camp Snoopy at its centre.

The rides include the roller coasters SpongeBob SquarePants, Rock Bottom Plunge, Fairly Odd Coaster.

It also boasts an 18-hole astroturf miniature golfing section Moose Mountain.

While at the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium, guests travel through a 300ft curved tunnel through 14ft of water.

To view over 4,500 sea creatures including sharks, turtles, stingrays and many more.

And what gets even better is that Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium offers sleepovers, scuba diving, snorkeling and birthday parties.

Delta’s seasonal service will operate five-times weekly.

The Minneapolis route will complement the airline’s existing seasonal flights to Atlanta and Boston.

And the year-round service to New York JFK.

Delta will also return service to Shannon adding a seasonal service to New York effective May 25.

America, Countries, UK

The real King’s Speech

7th May 2023 funtime65

I have a dream, and more later, but there is a leader for the ages who stood for equality and bottled it in the real King’s Speech.

That King, of course, is Dr Martin Luther King, who 60 years ago this year held a million people in the National Mall in Washington spellbound.

When he referenced the struggles of the disadvantaged…

‘Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered.

‘By the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.’

Our civil rights

You’d be forgiven for thinking that his message was focused on a divided America.

But his words rang around the world.

And that it was set in the Civil Rights struggles of the Sixties.

But there were echoes of state suppression this weekend.

In the shutting down of protest, random arrests and removal of anti-monarchist leaders around the Coronation.

For the impertinence of hollering ‘Not My King’.

Of course, in a democracy, government by the people, of the people, for the people is the standard we should all live by.

Our dream

And the symbolism of MLK delivering his I Have A Dream speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial passed nobody by.

Make then what you will of the hundreds of thousands of subjects who happily surrender their equality.

To support a bloodline, unelected royalty.

There is no denying that British tourist chiefs have been salivating at the millions coming into the coffers.

From tourists from the Commonwealth, North America and even countries who were never even in the Empire.

And we will no doubt be reminded in the days to come that the moneys coming in from tourism.

Despite historic palaces elsewhere in the world still a money-spinner.

And from a consumerist mini-boom from members of the public.

Suspending their cost of living concerns to spend money they don’t have.

Of course, for those of us living in the UK it all plays into the narrative.

Of the post-Brexit Promised Land we were all promised.

New British Empire

Or New British Empire, if you will.

None of which this citizen of this septic isle voted for.

Taking shelter as I was in the Republic of Ireland.

Where there was healthy respect given to the head of state, the President.

Who, of course, not for a minute claimed a divine right to govern.

Which has throughout history has been used.

By kings and queens and their lickspittles to justify their tyranny.

Conveniently ignoring that when Pontius Pilate asked Christ if he were the King of the Jews he replied: ‘It is you who says it.’

Crown of Thorns

All of which went through my mind when my Ghanain priest challenged our congregation in oh-so-royalist North Berwick in Scotland.

To pray for the King and that his rule was by divine intervention and that it was all our Christian duty to be royalists.

When I was hoping for something akin to the real King’s speech,

All under a cross with my saviour mocked on a cross with INRI, translated as Jesus King of the Jews.

And wearing a crown of thorns, not the best stolen jewels of Empire.

So rather than watch obsequious so-called rad musicians fall over themselves to pledge allegiance to Charles.

I’ll be replaying the real King’s Speech and girding myself for his Promised Land.

And if you want a truly spiritual and egalitarian experience channel MLK in any of the places he walked.

From Atlanta, Georgia to Selma, Alabama, from Washington DC to Memphis, Tennessee.

America, Asia, Countries, Europe, Music, South America, UK

Olympic anthems

26th July 202126th July 2021 funtime65

It’s not always the official song, so as we all zone in on Tokyo, here’s Rainy Days and Songdays Olympic anthems.

You go, Subo

Wings to Fly (Tokyo): Were you surprised too to see Scottish nightingale Susan Boyle trilling out Wings to Fly to accompany the release of those doves in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo?

Not bad for a wee lass from Bathgate, Scotland, where the birds disturb the peace by dropping their stuff on you.

Houston, we have an anthem

One Moment in Time (Atlanta): Now there was no female singer in the world in the 1990s than Whitney Houston.

And the warbler was the obvious choice for the signature tune for the 1996 Olympics in Georgia. Alas, this had all the saccharine of the city’s most famous soft drink.

What Katy Did Next

Rise (Rio): Katy Perry too was stellar, and still is, at the last Olympics in 2016 but she didn’t rise to the occasion with this overproduced piece of schtick.

Too earnest, we’d have far preferred Fireworks. And there are plenty of them in Rio by the sea-o.

Dream Small

Proud (London): Big hair, big smile voice, Heather Small was Big in the late 80s with dance band M People.

And big again when Heather re-released her solo song Proud as the anthem of the London Olympics in 2012.

We see Heather more now on reality TV, Strictly, the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage but would rather hear That voice.

Barcelonaaaaaaa

Barcelona, Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé: And one we definitely see, overblown opera with Fandango Freddie and Spanish Soprano Montserrat.

All against the backdrop of brilliant Barcelona.

Your Olympic anthems

But what would be Freddie’s discipline? A lover of ballet, we’re thinking rhythmic gymnastics.

But what are your Rainy Days and Songdays Olympic anthems?