April 19, 2022
Lights, camera, action!
Georgia bike day
Boy - they said it would be cold this morning and it was! It was 42 out when I got up at 6 am. But the skies were clear and the sun was shining.
The hourly forecast called for a very gradual warm up into the low 60's by late afternoon so I told Don I wanted to do another ride after lunch. After we had eaten breakfast, we drove over to a Costco that was about 30 minutes away. Don wanted to get some gas and we needed some other items.
It's always interesting to see what type of shoppers go to different Costco's. A large percentage of the people in this store were Asian and lots of the foods offered for sale were geared toward them. But Don said he saw plantains for sale in the produce area, so they must also be catering to shoppers using those in their cooking. I have seen some Caribbean restaurants in the area.
Anyway, shopping completed, we went back to camp and had lunch. It was still only in the 50's with a breeze from the NW, but I felt itchy to get back on my bike. Who knew I would like biking in the park, but it's kind of growing on me, despite the hills.
So I dug out my fleece, extra layers, long fingered gloves and balaclava. I knew these would come in handy at some point, but not April in Georgia!
It was a peaceful ride with only a few vehicles on the roads and a couple of other hardy cyclists. There weren't even very many walkers on the sidewalk.
So I enjoyed my loop which was about the same as my first ride down along the lake. Today I stopped at several different areas to check them out. One was a spot where the train was parked that had a faux Western town built along the track. I couldn't get too close as there was a no trespassing sign posted.
As I passed the covered bridge and grist mill, I found the bike and pedestrian lanes totally blocked by numerous trucks along with a sign saying 'set' pointing toward the mountain.
Hmmm - Don had mentioned he saw that there was a movie being filmed here this week. Interesting! Guess I'll have to research that when I get home. (I couldn't find out much other than it might be a Dwayne Johnson film called 'Rampage'). But I found out there are 5 major studios located in Atlanta and lots of movies are produced in the area.
Apparently Georgia offers tax incentives to companies wanting to work in the state. Plus it has a temperate climate that allows for year-round filming with a variety of cities, towns, mountains and shore.
When I reached the Sky Ride location, I turned off to see what else I could find in that area. As I walked around the carving museum (which hasn't looked open anytime I've been there?), I noticed a large raised concrete platform ringed by shrubs next to the building. There was an information sign posted next to it. That looked promising, so I went over to check it out.
The sign told about a sculpture that used to be on this platform that was called 'The Day the Wall Came Down' created by Veryl Goodnight. (a woman artist who is also a Colorado native living near Durango). It was done to honor the end of the Berlin wall, and depicts 5 horses - 1 stallion and 4 mares, jumping over actual pieces of the wall.
The sculpture took 9 years to complete and weighs 7 tons. It measures 30 ft. long by 18 ft. wide by 12 ft. high. The massive work was first loaned to the state of Georgia for the 1996 summer Olympics and installed in this spot. Then it was moved to the George H.W. Bush presidential library in College Station, Texas. This is one of two of these sculptures that were created. The other is located in Berlin in the former American Sector.
Curiosity satisfied, I headed back on my ride. It had warmed up nicely and I was able to shed a few layers, but when that NW breeze hit me, it still felt chilly. I did a couple of loops around the Stone Mountain Hotel and the historic square located next door.
I had read that this was a collection of historic homes and buildings that had been moved to the park where they were restored. Other than one house, I couldn't see much and if I had wanted to visit more, I would have had to buy a ticket to enter the square. Just one more attraction that you have to pay for! Bah - Georgia!
As it was getting late, I decided not to stop any further and headed back to the campground where I found Don snoozing on the patio. What a lazy bum! Once I changed clothes, I joined him outside. Despite the cooler weather, I was glad that I had persevered and done a ride. Time for a glass of wine and dinner!
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Today's ride: 11 miles (18 km)
Total: 889 miles (1,431 km)
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