TOP: Our view of President and Mrs. Carter from the back row of the Plains High School auditorium.
BOTTOM LEFT: Girls sitting at a replica of President Carter’s desk from the White House.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Our National Park Service date stamps from our 2013 and 2014 visits.
Review: Presidents Day in Plains, GA – 2014
By Stephanie Litz
Last year on Presidents Day, my husband and I took our girls (then ages 7 & 9) on a one-hour country drive down to Plains, GA to learn about Teddy Roosevelt. This year we were drawn back to the tiny peanut farming town, located 1 hour southeast of Columbus, GA to hear President Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter talk about their time in the White House. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, part of the National Parks Service, hosted the event.
Mrs. Carter took the reigns and spoke first. She shared how hard it was to adjust to having the U.S. Secret Service personnel around all the time and told of how their daughter Amy wanted to invite John Travolta to the White House for her 11th birthday in 1977 and so they did. They served up spaghetti on that special day.
President Carter reflected on his accomplishments and how he came from humble beginnings in the neighboring town of Archery, GA. He made it into the U.S. Naval Academy, served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, Governor of Georgia, and was then elected as the 39th president of the United States. He shared intimate details of the 13-day Camp David Accords and his time with Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
For one-hour we sat riveted in our seats as we listened to former President and Mrs. Carter, speak casually about such an important time in their lives and our country’s history. Afterwards, the couple graciously responded to questions and then autographed books. My daughters (8 & 10) found it interesting to see President Carter in person and understood the fact that he’s one of only four living former presidents. I enjoyed the fact that this is one of many events where President and Mrs. Carter give back to their hometown.
If they come back to Plains next President’s Day, we’ll be sure to let you know on our events calendar.
LINKS:
- One of our local TV stations, WRBL, was on-hand to video the President’s Day event.
- Here’s the link to our President’s Day in Plains, GA from 2013.
- Jimmy Carter National Historic Site
- The Carter Center
Stephanie Litz is a staff writer and travel blogger for Muscogee Moms. She teaches undergraduate history courses online for various colleges and universities. In her spare time she enjoys fishing, target shooting, and traveling. She has two daughters ages 8-and 10-years old. Follow her on Twitter @hungry4history and her history blog online.
