Stone Mountain

The trip to Stone Mountain was relatively uneventful save a little mist of rain and almost running out of gas for a second time. Fortunately, however, with the engine sputtering (and actually quitting a couple of times) I made it off the interstate and gassed up without further incident.

Interestingly, although the stated gas tank capacity on my

"Fatboy" is 5.0 gallons, it took more than 5.0 gallons to fill the tank - quite empty!

Stone Mountain is often stated to be the largest piece of exposed granite in the world, but actually their are numerous other larger examples throughout the world (including the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range). Not only that, but technically it is not even granite; for the purist, it's quartz monzonite. Even so, it is - "one very impressive rock".

The main attraction of Stone Mountain is not its mass, but the bas-relief carving that graces its north face. In this case, it accurately holds claim to being the largest bas-relief carving in the world, measuring 190 by 90 feet.

The carving depicts (from left to right) three of histories most prominent leaders of the confederacy - President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and General Robert E. Lee riding their horses Blackjack, Traveller (sic) and Sorrel respectively.

Gutzon Borglum, who later went on to finish Mount Rushmore, was commissioned in 1912 to carve the relief. Borglum abandon the project and for over 35 years nothings was done. Finally in 1964 work began anew and was completed by Roy Faulkner in 1972.

Today, much of the "hype" about Stone Mountain is theme park and family oriented activity; but the interest it holds for me is the carving and the mountain of "granite" itself.

The one activity that I might have considered doing it to climb the mountain. However, having no one to encourage me make the arduous climb to the summit of the mountain, I left after a couple of hours in order to depart for Andersonville.