The Songs of the Fifty States: Georgia!

Hale Woodruff, Georgia Landscape, c.1935.

Georgia!

Size: 153,909 km² (24^th)

2018 Population: 10,519,475 (8^th)

Population Density (new!): 65.4/km² (18^th)

Statehood: 1788 (4^th).  Succeeded 1861; Readmitted 1870.

American Human Development Index: 4.88 (32^nd)


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  I was impressed with the Columbus Museum's art collection and historical content both!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. 

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Michael 5000's Georgia

First Visited: May 31, 1994 (25^th)
Most Recently Visited: September 14, 2019 (2^nd)

Run In: No
Raced In: No.
Have Admired the Visual Arts In: Yes (see above).
Have Slept Overnight In: Yes.

Counties Visited: 57/159 (4^th)
% Complete: 35.8% (33^rd, up from 44^th last month)

Mrs. 5000's Counties Visited: 7/159 (45^th)
% Complete: 4.4% (49^th)
Mrs.5000 First Visited: c. 1980 (order unclear)
Mrs.5000 Most Recently Visited: May 15, 2003 (36^th)

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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The Fifty States Index