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| Hale Woodruff, Georgia Landscape, c.1935. |
Size: 153,909 km2 (24th)
2018 Population: 10,519,475 (8th)
Population Density (new!): 65.4/km2 (18th)
Statehood: 1788 (4th). Succeeded 1861; Readmitted 1870.
American Human Development Index: 4.88 (32nd)
Art Mecca:
I recently flew into Atlanta and went on a driveabout through ten states and collecting new counties -- 93 of them, in fact. But who's counting. It was my first chance to put some of the museum-scouting I've done in these state write-ups to good use, as I visited South Carolina's art Mecca -- which was, you know, pretty good.
Now, Georgia. The unambiguous top-ranking art Mecca of Georgia is Atlanta's High Museum of Art. I didn't go there. For practical considerations -- if it makes sense to talk about practical considerations when I am on a driving excursion -- I went instead to The Columbus Museum. We're talking about the art-and-history museum of Columbus, Georgia, and not The Columbus Museum of Art, which is in Columbus, Ohio. Another way to tell them apart is that the Georgia one is dot-com, and the Ohio one is dot-org.
I usually snub mixed-mission museums, figuring they'll be neither fish nor fowl. But you know what? I was impressed with the Columbus Museum's art collection and historical content both! I mean, it's not the Chicago Art Institute, of course. Columbus is a small city, a bit on the gritty side, and you would not expect hot and cold running Botticellis. But they've got a small collection of very nice American pictures, with foci on landscapes and American impressionism. Although the historical part of the museum has a local focus, the art collection does not, and is mostly from the northeastern states. They also have some unusually well-chosen stuff from the last 25 years. And it was all free! Free! Highly recommended. Worth the side trip if you're heading up I-85.
Michael 5000's Georgia
First Visited: May 31, 1994 (25th)
Most Recently Visited: September 14, 2019 (2nd)
Run In: No
Raced In: No.
Have Admired the Visual Arts In: Yes (see above).
Have Slept Overnight In: Yes.
Counties Visited: 57/159 (4th)
% Complete: 35.8% (33rd, up from 44th last month)
Mrs. 5000's Counties Visited: 7/159 (45th)
% Complete: 4.4% (49th)
Mrs.5000 First Visited: c. 1980 (order unclear)
Mrs.5000 Most Recently Visited: May 15, 2003 (36th)
Atlas of All Roads Traveled
Plans and Aspirations
Except for its gargantuan airport, I didn't see much of Atlanta. It's a major American city that might be fun to visit, especially if there was a conference or something (one visits it so often when playing Pandemic). Plus, there's the High Museum to see. Plus, I need to run there. And if Mrs.5K gets her blood up for counties, Georgia is obviously a state where she could make a lot of hay. Finally, I have the idea that it would be jolly someday to fly out to Miami and take the train home, and that would necessarily involve some Georgiaing.
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