Bikers head for Georgia’s warm springs
Warm Springs, a town in West Georgia and part of the Presidents Trail and President Roosevelt’s birthplace has become a key destination for motorcyclists, with the recent opening of two vintage motorcycle museums. Art in Motion Museum, located in the centre of Warm Springs, features more than 60 bicycles and non-biker items such as jukeboxes, magic memorabilia, Tiffany clocks, coin-operated machines and music boxes. Preston Evans opened it in March 2008, taking many of his collections out of storage to make them available to the public. There's also a 1950s steam engine that was used to haul diamonds in Arkansas. The classic bikes, which date to 1902, include Triumph, Cushman Eagle, Harley-Davidson, Excelsior and Indian motorcycles.
Evans welcomes guests, telling exotic stories of how he came to own the motorcycles and other collectibles. The pieces include a 1975 Harley still in the crate, with zero miles and handlebars that have never been attached. (Open: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday. $5. 70 Broad St., prestonopportunities.com).
Foto Excursion Museum is located in the alleyway and the Bullochville courtyard - Evans has set up a mini-town to link the Art in Motion to the Foto Excursion Museum, which opened in April.
The doors to the museum allow visitors to roll in their own bikes for photos in front of painted murals ranging from the Grand Canyon to biker haven Sturgis, S.D., to Route 66.
Another room is filled with BSA motorcycles standing on the floors and shelving, dating back to 1939 and boasting less than 10 miles on them. In one corner one of the museum's best scenes recalls the famous motorcycle jump in "The Great Escape". Here a Harley-Davidson bike is outfitted with an original Thompson machine gun, and is positioned as if it's jumping a wire fence, as depicted in the film. More than 25 bikes join jukeboxes in a former house filled with stained glass and chandeliers. (Open: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday. $5 - includes the right to take personal photos; sessions with a professional photographer start at $20 - 78 Lil Sturgis St. prestonopportunities.com).
FDR's Little White House
The state historic site is less than a mile from the motorcycle museums, antique shops, gift shops and restaurants in Warm Springs village.
Guests can visit President Roosevelt's six-room house, completed in 1932, and find exhibits with original furniture, automobiles and an unfinished portrait of the president, who suffered a stroke while posing for the artist.
Special events throughout the year allow the public to swim in the therapeutic pools filled with warm spring water and used by Roosevelt (next scheduled Sept. 5-7, $15 adults, $10 ages 6-17). Site open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. gastateparks.org/info/littlewhite/.
Visit exploregeorgia.org for more information.
