A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 16 Continued (5/31/2022)
After the visit to the Criswoldville Battlefield I drove into downtown Macon to visit the Allman Brothers Band Museum located in the Midtown area of Macon. This museum is housed in the 1900 Grand Tudor style home (known as the ‘Big House’) where Duane Allman and his brother Gregg started a popular American musical revolution (Southern Rock) during the 1960s and 1970s there in Macon. The museum displays artifacts and memorabilia from the Allman Brothers Band and other groups during their popularity.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Before leaving Macon, I drove a few miles north of the city, to check out the old Fort Hawkins. The fort was built by the U.S. Army in 1806, in what was then part of the western frontier. Overlooking the Ocmulgee River, the fort was used by the army as a military command headquarters for the southwestern frontier, and as an Indian training post, to help further Native-American and European-American interaction. The fort was named for Benjamin Hawkins (1754-1816), who was serving as General Superintendent of Indian Affairs at the time.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
It was another 20 miles south on US-129 to where I visited the Elberta Train Depot located in Warner-Robins, GA. This small depot was built in 1816 and served the residents of Houston County as a whistle-stop for many years. Moved to this location in 2003, the depot now serves as a museum displaying antique railroad artifacts related to the history of the railroad’s influence in the Warner-Robins area dating from the late 1800s.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
It was only a couple of miles south on US-129 from the Elberta Depot, to where I visited the Museum of Aviation located adjacent to the Warner-Robins Airforce Base. I was pleased to find this military museum off the base and accessible to the public. This large museum has a really great collection of some 80 static displayed military aircraft, from the single engine Forward Air Control (Bird Dog) to the giant C-141 ‘Starlifter’ multi-engine cargo plane. The ‘Military Airlift Command’ is represented by 15 of their larger aircraft displayed around the outside of the main museum building.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
As I was passing the Boone Bradford Plaza there in Warner-Robins I happened to see the Splinters Axe House and stopped to see if they were open. They were open, and since I had missed seeing the one in Lexington, SC this morning I went in to check it out. I told the young man who was in charge of the house that I didn’t want to throw an axe because of my bad shoulders, but just wanted to see how it worked. He gave me a short demonstration of one and two handed over-head, and under-handed throwing. I was really impressed with his skill with the axe. He made it look so easy. However, it really is too much for me and my shoulders.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
It was getting late, and I was getting hungry, so I thanked the young man for the demonstration and gave Greta (My Garmin) the address of the motel in Bryon, GA which was only about 15 miles west of Warner-Robins. It wasn’t far, and before I knew it, I arrived at the motel. I got checked in, got my things into my room, and warmed up my leftover fried pork chops meal from ‘The Lizard Thicket’ and enjoyed that delicious ‘Soul Food’ (minus the iced tea & cornbread muffin) again. Yummm!
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
With a full tummy, I recorded my day’s activities and tried to find some TV to watch. I couldn’t find anything that interested me, so just went to bed in hopes of getting a good night’s rest.
—– To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 