Weird South: Itinerary & Map
What makes any given public attraction or tourist site “weird,” at least for the purposes of this project, are a number of subjective but undeniable qualities: it is a built environment that disrupts the monotony of an interstate or highway, or it simply does not blend in with the space that surrounds them. The attraction / site is a product of social forces that took form as southern tourism emerged (and continues to emerge) as a dominant source of economic power in the twentieth century (King 8–9).
Excursion One: Interstate 85 North (& East)
A. Tupac Amaru Shakur Center and Peace Gardens in Stone Mountain, GA.
B. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn, GA an awe inspiring architectural structure and complex, a Hindu place of worship.
C. Georgia Guidestones in Elberton, GA; a popular mysterious detour attraction. Many conspiracies surrounding its meaning, purpose, origins, anonymous funder(s).
Excursion Two: Interstate 85 South (& West)
A. Atlanta Prison Farm near Gresham Park in Southeastern Atlanta, GA for a eerie exploration of a piece of Atlanta’s incarcerated history as well as a beautiful assortment of graffiti.
B. A Civil War Reenactment in Hampton, GA of the Battle of Cheatham’s Hill.
C. “Barbie Beach” in Turnin, GA for a cheerfully silly front yard folk art exhibit.
D. Wild Animal Safari Drive-Thru in Pine Mountain, GA.
E. Museum of Wonder, an out of place drive-thru folk art exhibit in Seale, AL.
Excursion Three: Interstate 20-West
A. The Berman Museum of World History in Anniston, AL for an impressive collection of antiques and artifacts gathered by a local couple in their home, turned professional museum.
B. A 125ft cross in Gardendale, AL.
C. Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, AL for a historical day time tour and then later for the professional haunted house tour.
D. Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, AL to see the James Drake “Racist Dog” sculpture as park of the interactive walking tour of Birmingham’s Civil Rights District
E. Joe Minter’s African Village in America in Birmingham, AL; a spiritually inspired display of antiques and junkyard finds in his yard as well as a neighboring lot.
Excursion Four: Interstate 75-North (& West)
A-E. Several tourist oriented spaces / sites of Rome, GA.
F. Paradise Gardens in Summerville, GA for a visit to Reverend & artist Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens; another divinely inspired art exhibit that started in his yard with hand painted signs and sculptures; now a museum and foundation for the arts in his name.
A-E (CONTINUED). As a town that book-ends itself from its origins to its contemporary tourism industry in an homage to its Italian namesake, I am excited to explore Georgia’s Rome, the oldest and most populated of the state’s many international-junior cities. My initial expectation for this part of my research was that I was just going to find a bunch of attractions / examples of all the funny or ironic ways Georgia’s Rome rips off Italy’s. But I can’t help but sense that there is something more unique about / at work in this town. Or at the very least, there’s a very interesting story in there somewhere. Georgia’s Rome has a lot to offer for its own heritage attractions.
