I thought this is appropriate to report after hearing the sad news that Jimmy Carter has entered hospice earlier this week. We visited Plains, GA in December 2022. It is a wonderful reflection about the man and the town that shaped him…

This is another place that we never visited when we lived in Georgia. I had driven through Plains when I was working in the early 2000s but I did not stop and explore the town. This is a wonderful place to stop and visit for an afternoon. We visited this location on the same day that we visited Andersonville. Mr. Carter’s old high school is now a museum to him, his wife and the people of Plains. There is many things to do in this small town.

There is is boyhood home on the outskirts of town. It has out buildings; crops as well as the store that his father ran for the community. The most wonderful thing about this place is that Jimmy Carter does all the narration. You get to hear his reflections about chores and farm life. There are a few barn cats on the property. They are super friendly. I made friends with one of the black cats. On this same road is the home that he and his wife lived in early in their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Carter still live in Plains. You can see where their house is but you cannot get close to it. It is nice to know that they are still part of the community where they were born and raised.

Some of the most interesting things we learned about the Carters was why they choose the location for his presidential campaign headquarters. The Depot was the only building in town with a public restroom so it was the only the location that could hold the headquarters.

If you are ever in middle Georgia, this is a town you want to visit. Mr. Carter’s library is located in Atlanta.