Caching and Sightseeing in Blakely and Lumpkin 1/31/2008

Well we were off early this morning, about 8:15 to the Kolomoki Mounds in Blakely, GA and the Providence Canyon in Lumpkin, GA along with some caching on the way to and the way back. We stated with a cache in Leary, GA behind an old church.
Then it was on to Blakely, GA to see the Kolomoki Mounds State Park and like its billing it was fantastic. They are some of the largest and most important mound groups in the southeastern United States. Most of the complex of mounds was constructed about AD 200-600 and abandoned about AD 950 and has 8 mounds in the surrounding area. Dr. William H. Sears explored the mounds and found evidence of elaborate burials that reflected the lifestyles of a highly complex culture that was rich in art, craft and tradition. One of the mounds, Mound F was excavated in 1952 and they found a platform of thin white clay layer over black loam film. This was covered by a 2 to 3 foot layer of red clay. This mound is a common example of an earthen structure built simply for ceremony and not for burial. Mound G was the Mercier family burial grounds the original owners of the property and has 8 burial sites. Mound B was excavated and Dr. Sears found a number of logs, as big as 24 to 30 inches in diameter, that were placed upright, side by side, to create a framed structure. Red and yellow clay were mounded around the bases of these log posts to create the mound. The Temple Mound is the largest of the mounds and measures 325 x 200 at the base and is approximately 56.5 feet high. It would take 11.5 million one-gallon buckets filled with dirt to build this mound. Several excavations were undertaken on this mound but they only thing they found was a few artifacts and very hard clay cap that would take an earthquake of dynamite to move. It was quite interesting to read and see all the history here.
Then it was on to Providence Canyon, often called "Georgia's Little Grand Canyon" and is located outside Lumpkin, GA. It is a network of gorges created by the erosion of soft, multicolored soils. It consists of several chasms, plateaus, cliffs and pinnacles. Erosion has exposed the geological record and of several million years within its walls, and minerals have stained the sediments, creating a display of colors that range from white to various shades of pink, purple, brown, red, yellow and black. It's 1109 acres and has 16 canyons, some as deep as 150' and there has been 43 different colors of sand identified. Historical accounts indicate that the canyon began forming in the early 1800's as a result of poor soil management practices. Native forest was cleared so the land could be farmed and 19th century farmers took no measures to avoid erosion. Small gullies formed and became deeper and deeper and soon became 3-5 feet deep and increased the rate of erosion. The name of the canyon apparently came from the Providence United Methodist Church which was established around 1832. As you can see by the pictures this was well well worth the trip.
We then headed back to Lumpkin and a stagecoach driving tour of antebellum homes in the area. You talk about hometown America, this was it. It had Singer Hardware Store the oldest hardware store in Georgia a drug store museum and many more old stores. The stagecoach tour started at the Bedingfield Inn which was built in 1836 as a family residence and stagecoach stop. We drove past many of the older homes in the area but did not see them all as we could not get into the Inn to get a list of the houses. We headed out of Lumpkin and stopped for a cache located at the historic site of Jackson Trail which was blazed in 1818 by a detachment of Jackson's men under the command of Colonel Arthur P. Haynes running north and south through this point. Early settlers came into this section along this trail known as Ft. Gaines Road.
Then on the way back to the RV we stopped to pick up a couple of caches, one at a old abandoned baseball field and the next outside a business park.
It was then on back to the RV and we ordered pizza from The Mellow Mushroom Pizza Shop and it was delicious. Some of the best pizza we have ever had. Well time for bed now and we love and miss you all.



Picture List:1-6 Providence Canyon, 7-12 Providence United Methodist Church, 13 Leary Train Depot, 14 Singer Hardware the oldest hardware store in Georgia, 15 Bedingfield Inn, 16 Mom on the top of the Temple Mound (the highest mound), 17 & 18 The Burial Mercier Mound, 19-21 Kolomoki Mounds # 21 is the Temple Mound, 22 Reddick's Store (post office and general store), 22 Jackson Trail Memorial.