Day 16 -- Saturday, May 16

What a wonderful day! I slept in a bit at the Commerce KOA (it occurs to me that there may be those among you who don't know what a KOA is. It's an acronym for Kampgrounds Of America; they're franchised commercial campgrounds for those who aren't interested in roughing it: hot and cold running water, electrical hookups, a general store, often a pool. Mostly, one sees mostly older couples in ugly shorts and RVs at these places.) and spent a warm spring day driving scenic country roads through eastern Georgia.

The roadside attraction I had scheduled for today seemed an interesting one and it certainly did not disappoint. Several years ago, a Mr. R.G. Christian, a man unknown to the locals, walked into the offices of one of the granite companies in Elberton, Ga. and commissioned some work. He had a list of commandments (perhaps guidelines would be a more appropriate word) that he wished to have inscribed on huge slabs of granite and placed in a nearby field in a manner faintly reminiscent of Stonehenge. The guidelines were to be transcribed into 12 languages: English, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Spanish, Swahili, Russian, and the ancient languages Sanskrit, classical Greek, Babylonian cuneiform, and Egyptian hieroglyphics. In another slab imbedded in the ground beside the structure, it is explained that Mr. Christian (a pseudonym) and other concerned Americans had commissioned the work in hopes of ushering in an age of reason.

And the guidelines? There are ten of them and they are, for the most part, sensible suggestions. They urge a logical controlling of the world's exploding population, a respect for nature, a common worldwide language for the purpose of increased understanding among the peoples of the world, a balancing of personal rights with social responsibilities and the avoidance of petty and restrictive laws, among other things. There is also an astronomical aspect to the monolithic structure: a slot in the capstone is aligned so that the sun shines through every day at noon, while a tunnel cut through the center piece marks the celestial pole.

It makes for quite an intriguing sight, this structure some 19 feet tall sitting quite literally out in the middle of nowhere. You'll find no information booth, no gift shop or snack bar; in fact, you'll likely be the only one there.The mysterious, enigmatic Georgia Guide Stones are definitely deserving of a BRETTnews Highlight Attraction award. Check 'em out if you're nearby.


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