good-times-rollin

Monday, November 4, 2013

Hills and Dales

Pine Mountain RVC Outdoor Destinations
Pine mountain, GA
November 2, 2013

Anyone with pups around knows that they usually have the best seats in the house. Dover loves watching...everything! If any of the blinds are up, she is perched on the back of the sofa soaking up the sun and enjoying the view.

Saturday morning, our view was especially pretty. The fog was wispy and light and the sun was shining. The feel of the brisk autumn air and knowing it would warm up to the low 70s...just made for a perfect day!

Errands needed to be done in LaGrange, but first on our agenda was a visit to Hills and Dales Estate.

Hills and Dales Estate is the home built for Fuller E. Callaway and his wife Ida which was completed in 1916. The property includes the pre-Civil War Ferrell Gardens started by Nancy Ferrell in 1832 and expanded by her daughter Sarah in 1941.

The Callaway Foundation was founded in 1917 by Fuller E. Callaway and for almost 100 years has made contributions for religious, educational and charitable purposes of more than $45.6 million...most of which has been for projects in the LaGrange area. When Alice Callaway (daughter in law to Fuller Callaway, Sr) died in 1998, the estate was bequeathed to the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation. As the Callaways instructed, the estate became a museum for the enjoyment of the visiting public. After renovations and the addition of a visitor center, the estate opened to the public in 2004.

Visitor Center

We were given two choices at the visitor center...house and garden tour with a guide or a self-guided garden tour. We chose the later.

This was the entrance and driveway when the Callaways purchased the estate of Judge Blount Ferrell in 1912.

The home was designed to complement the Italian boxwood gardens created by Sarah Ferrell in 1841.

The Ray Garden features seasonal flower beds today, but in the early to mid 1900s the Callaways had a vegetable garden here. Alice converted it to the Ray Garden where she grew roses and conifers.

A Southern magnolia is espaliered over the windows of this former garage and chauffeur's quarters.

The entrance to the greenhouse was once a walk framed with Chinese Privet. Today, only the arbor is covered with privet.

The Herb Garden was added in 1960. Joe and I were both fascinated by the cotton plants.

We have seen cotton growing in fields for many years, but had never seen this pretty flower that produces the cotton.

We also found chili peppers, oranges, and lots of butterflies and bees!

Originally built in 1916, the greenhouse was remodeled by Alice in 1949. It is maintained much the same as it was in Alice's time.

The first section contains orchids and begonias. The dark, chocolaty colored orchid had a sign that said "smell me". It smelled just like cookie dough!

The center section displays Alice's ferns.

The third section once grew cut flowers, but now contains a succulent collection and orchids.

The remains of four cedar trees planted by Sarah in the mid 1800s now covered in wisteria provide a shaded spot over the well and benches.

A huge China fir also planted by Sarah in the mid 1800s towers over the garden.

And then there is a Maidenhair Tree or Ginkgo that Sarah planted. It was just beginning to turn yellow and is one of the most beautiful trees in the fall.

The boxwoods in the picture below spell GOD. Sarah was inspired by the Biblical account in Genesis: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..." This was near the original entrance to the garden so Sarah planted "GOD" at the beginning of her garden.

Southern magnolias on the estate were reportedly planted from seeds collected during the Civil War by local confederate soldiers.

We enjoyed the story behind the garden. What a treat it was to meander and enjoy all the beauty it has to offer. We have seen lots of gardens...including the Biltmore...and I have to say this is by far the best. And its right here in my hometown!

The East Portico and main entrance to the home...view from the circular drive.

The circular drive where guests arrived...view from the East Portico.

Well, our month here has flown by. We have enjoyed family, play time, being tourist, and just plain living! Tomorrow is travel day. We are off to the Gulf Coast...and hoping the weather will cooperate for some beach time there.

So, until next time...

be safe, and

enjoy your view!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

LaGrange, GA...My Hometown!

Pine Mountain RVC Outdoor Destinations
Pine Mountain, GA
October 30, 2013

LaGrange's Lafayette Square

What's it like being a tourist in your own hometown? Well, for Joe and I it was a whole lot of fun! Lafayette Square is the heart of all the action where there is always something to do.

We wanted to do a walking tour, but a hearty breakfast was in order first. Gus's Grill just off the square is the place for that! Fried eggs with crispy edges are my favorite. My Grandmother did them the best, and Gus's is a very close second!

LaGrange Art Museum

So, with our tummies full, we headed out. First building that came into view was the LaGrange Art Museum. The LaGrange Art Museum is more than 50 years old. It is housed in an 1892 Victorian building which originally served as the Troup County Jail.

Today, it includes 4 galleries, office and classroom space, and a gift shop. Free and nominal-fee classes are offered to the public for adults and children. The only class I took there was calligraphy...

There have been many changes made to Main Street through the years. Big department stores like Belk Gallant and Kress' Five and Dime have been replaced by boutiques and restaurants.

One of the many things special about LaGrange is the small community feel. This year was no different.

Businesses added a touch of fall as they placed unique "scarecrows" around the square.

In 1824, President James Monroe invited Lafayette to the United States as the "nation's guest" and during his trip he visited all 24 states in the union at the time. He did visit the area of LaGrange.

LaGrange was named at the suggestion of Colonel Julius Ceasar Alford, known as the "War Horse of Troup" in Congress, who in 1825 overheard Lafayette remark on the similarity between west Georgia countryside and his wife's estate named LaGrange near Paris, France.

LaGrange was incorporated in 1825. The area was quickly settled by well-to-do planters who opened large cotton plantations. It soon became a center for commerce, transportation and education in west central Georgia.

What we found on our walk was a nice blend of old and new.

Just a few blocks from the square, is LaGrange College. It was founded in 1831 as a woman's academy. In 1851 it moved to its current location on "the Hill" which is the highest point in the city. In 1856, the Methodist Church took ownership and in 1953, it was officially made a coeducational college.

The chapel at the college is the only unchanged building. I graduated from there in 1974. The buildings were the same...just used differently. The library I used is now the admissions office and the classrooms I attended were no longer used for the education program anymore.

It's a beautiful campus. And yes, the azaleas were in bloom.

Our last stop for the day was Bellevue...the historic home of senator Benjamin Harvey Hill. The home was built from 1853-55 for his wife.

The stately antebellum home is listed in the National Register of historic places and is designated a National Historic Landmark. . At the end of the Civil War, Mr. Hill was arrested in his home as a Confederate official by the Union. Bellevue was purchased by the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation in 1942 and given to the LaGrange Woman's Club.

I didn't get a good picture of the magnificent magnolia trees on the front lawn...sorry! The furnishings for the home are not original, but it is furnished with pieces that are "time appropriate". There is even a love seat and two chairs...antique Victorian settee...donated by my mom in the upstairs hallway.

The hydrangeas were in all stages...

This was a nice find!

It was a very nice day. I have lived in LaGrange for over 50 years. Between work, children, and other responsibilities, its been a really long time since we just took the time to enjoy our own hometown! We also had one more "touristy" day...saving that for later since this is already waaaaay to long!