Day 3: Atlanta

We woke up in Atlanta this morning, so we didn't have to get up too early.  We made our way to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, beginning at the park's Visitor Center.  Some students said they learned that Dr. King was influenced by Gandhi, whose statue we saw outside the building.  We then went in and explored the museum and watched the movie, and of course, stamped our passport books!

Where have we seen that before?

We met Ranger Rebecca, who took us on a tour of Dr. King's neighborhood.  We started by looking at the new exhibit about King and Jimmy Carter, "Georgia's Global Peacemakers."  We learned that President Carter was responsible for creating many national parks during his administration.

We then headed over to the home where Dr. King was born.  We were fortunate to go inside and see where Dr. King spent the early years of his life.  We learned a little about his family life, his sister, who is still alive, and that his favorite game was Monopoly.  After a bookstore stop, we continued down Auburn Avenue to the grave of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta. 

On the back porch of Dr. King's birth home

We also stopped in at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where we heard Dr. King's voice throughout the church.  We listened for a few minutes and spoke with a park volunteer who answered our questions.

After lunch at the Underground, we took a walk around the Georgia State Capitol building, looking at the statues, art work, and architecture.  We were then back on the bus, heading to our next destination--Alabama.  After arriving in Auburn, we had some down time to relax, eat dinner, swim, and reflect on this day we spent learning more about Dr. King, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. 

We also had time to rest up before a busy day tomorrow!