Take your family on a train ride through South Georgia and get a global perspective of the world.
Discover Americus and Sumter County, located in west-central Georgia, convenient to I-75, three hours south of Atlanta, and only two hours north of I-10, an ideal stopping point when en route to Florida: homegrown, world-renowned.
Take a train ride through the rural landscape of South Georgia and get a global perspective of the world. Take a nostalgic trip through the ancient times of rotary dial phones and explore the small town that became the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Marvel at the unique treasure of two National Historic sites located within close proximity in small town Georgia. Reflect on the somber experience of POWs at Andersonville National Historic Site, also home to the National POW Museum. Top it all off with a homegrown, Americana experience in Americus and Sumter County.
Day One:
Morning
Start the trip the SAM Shortline Excursion Train and ride in an air-conditioned 1949 vintage car through South Georgia’s quaintest towns. Scheduled weekend rides run through Plains, Leslie, and Americus, with longer trips also available to Cordele.
Visit the Georgia Rural Telephone Museum in Leslie, set in a 1920s cotton warehouse. This small town attraction is home to the world’s largest collection of antique telephones and telephone memorabilia, a nostalgic trip for many grownups and entertaining for little ones who enjoy seeing relics like a rotary dial telephone.
Lunch at one of the area’s eateries. Grab a dog at Monroe’s Hot Dogs and Billiards or seek flavors south of the border at The 1800 Mexican Restaurant. Or, check out the fun dining option on “Tasty Bites in Americus.”
Afternoon
Take pause to reflect that the best times can be the simplest times and escape the rigors of everyday life. Cool off in the afternoon with a dip in Lake Blackshear, which borders Sumter County. Georgia Veterans State Park has a swimming beach, canoe and kayak rentals, a golf course and even a military museum. Pack a picnic supper and watch the sun set over the water.
Day Two:
Morning
For coffee drinks, light breakfast, good company and coffee by the pound, head to Café Campesino, Georgia’s first and only 100% fair trade, organic coffee company.
Sumter County is a place where the complex history of a nation divided left an indelible mark on our consciousness. Honor history in different ways, see it through different lenses, and respect the lessons learned by reminding the planet that the horrors of war leave deep scars that demand reflection and thought. Beat the heat by starting the day at Andersonville National Historic Site, home to Camp Sumter (Andersonville Prison), the Andersonville National Cemetery and the National Prisoner of War Museum (Note: May be too graphic for young children).
Start the tour by viewing the documentary video about the Andersonville (Camp Sumter) prisoner of war camp, designed for a maximum of 10,000 soldiers but which at one time held more that 32,000. The 26.5-acre prison camp may be toured on foot or by car.
Learn about Presidential history in Plains and how a small-town boy became the President of the United States. Browse the shops and indulge in the peanut ice cream before touring the rest of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Plains High School acts as the park’s visitor center and museum, with exhibits about the Carters before, during and after his presidency. Don’t miss the 25 minute, must-see video when starting the tour. Also in Plains, tour the Plains Train Depot which, in 1976, served as Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Campaign Headquarters and the Boyhood Farm, where Jimmy Carter lived from the age of four until he departed for college. The farm is restored to its appearance before electricity was installed in 1938.