Presidents Day is February 19, a day normally associated with shopping sales and banking holidays. This year, why not use the occasion as an excuse for a quick getaway? Gather your friends and family for a visit to one of the many state parks and historic sites that highlight Georgia’s presidential history.

While most Americans associate Georgia with President Jimmy Carter, not everyone knows that four-time President Franklin D. Roosevelt also had a home in the 13th colony. Stricken with polio at a young age, FDR came to the town of Warm Springs to seek therapy in pools of naturally warm water. He commissioned a small house and soon began driving through the countryside and visiting his rural neighbors. Roosevelt’s experiences in small-town Georgia influenced many of his New Deal policies that helped pull America out of the Great Depression.

Today, Roosevelt’s Little White House is a state historic site, left much as it was on April 12, 1945, when he suffered a stroke while posing for a portrait in his small den. Visitors tour a museum filled with FDR’s hand-controlled Ford, his stagecoach, “Fireside Chats” playing over an old-timey radio, his cane collection, braces that supported his weakened legs and much more. A film narrated by newsman Walter Cronkite includes historic footage of the president’s visits to the South as well as his funeral procession.

Just a few miles away from the Little White House is F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain. At 9,049 acres, it is Georgia’s largest state park and best known for the 23-mile Pine Mountain Trail. Contrary to its name, the rugged trail boasts numerous hardwoods, mountain laurel, moss-covered boulders, streams and small waterfalls. Winter hiking can be especially enjoyable since the lack of leaf cover provides sweeping views of the landscape. Part of the trail crosses Dowdell’s Knob overlook, the president’s favorite picnic spot and the place where he went to contemplate national affairs just one day before he passed away. On April 12, the state will unveil a life-size bronze sculpture of the president atop this knob.

With advance reservations, visitors can spend the weekend at F.D. Roosevelt State Park, either in cottages or the lakeside campground. Many of the rental cottages were built during the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and a few campsites sit next to a small lake perfect for fishing. Stables offer guided horseback rides through the forest, and rangers lead unique outdoor programs.

Stepping further back in time, visitors to A.H. Stephens Historic Park in Crawfordville can learn about the Confederate Vice President while enjoying a wide range of recreational opportunities. Stephens’ 1875 home, Liberty Hall, is fully furnished and the museum houses one of Georgia’s finest collections of Civil War artifacts. The 1,177-acre park also features three miles of walking trails, fishing lakes, a campground and rental cottages, picnic shelters and 12 miles of horse trails.

An ironic tale from the Civil War is told at Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Fitzgerald. A month after the war’s end, Confederate President Davis and a few remaining men were camped in south Georgia to continue their fight for the “lost cause.” At dawn, they were surrounded by two independent Union troops who began unknowingly firing at each other. Two Union cavalrymen died in the skirmish and Davis was taken prisoner. Today, visitors can tour a small museum, see a monument marking the spot where Davis was captured, and walk a short nature trail. On Presidents Day, rangers will offer guided tours to all visitors.

Finally, a story about Presidents Day in Georgia would not be complete without mentioning Jimmy Carter’s hometown. Plains has seen a boost in tourism thanks to the SAM Shortline Excursion Train with its vintage 1949 railcars and friendly volunteers. Normally, the train begins in Cordele, with stops in Americus, Plains, President Carter’s boyhood farm, Georgia Veterans State Park and Leslie’s telephone museum. Over Presidents Day weekend, however, the train makes a special trip to Savannah with dinner at Paula Deen’s famous Lady and Sons restaurant and dancing on a riverboat cruise. Don your best red, white and blue.

If You Go

Details can be found at www.GeorgiaStateParks.org. Request brochures and make reservations by calling 1-800-864-7275.

A.H. Stephens Historic Park
Crawfordville, Ga.
(706) 456-2602
From I-20, take exit #148 and go north on Ga. Hwy. 22 for 2 miles. Go east on U.S. Hwy. 278 1 mile and follow signs. Park Hours: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Museum Hours: Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Presidents Day. Normally open Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 2-5 p.m. Admission: $1.50-$3

F.D. Roosevelt State Park
Pine Mountain, Ga.
Park (706) 663-4858
Stables (706) 628-7463
Located just off I-185 near Callaway Gardens, west of Warm Springs on Ga. Route 190, or south of Pine Mountain off U.S. Hwy. 27. Park Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
$3 parking

Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site
Fitzgerald, Ga.
(229) 831-2335
From I-75 exit #78, go east 14 miles on Ga. Hwy. 32 to Irwinville. Turn left on Jeff Davis Park Road and proceed one mile to the site. Hours: Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Presidents Day. Normally open Wednesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday 2-5:30 p.m. Admission: $1.75-$3

Roosevelt’s Little White House Historic Site Warm Springs, Ga.
(706) 655-5870
Located 1/4 mile south of Warm Springs on Ga. Hwy. 85 Alt.-U.S. Hwy. 27 Alt.
Hours: Open 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m. daily, except closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Admission: $4-$7

SAM Shortline Excursion Train
Cordele, Ga.
1-877-GA-RAILS
www.SamShortline.com
The depot is west of I-75 exit 101, at 105 East 9th Avenue. Departure times and ticket prices vary.

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