The
octagonal building is comprised of 854 panes of glass and recreates a tropical
rainforest environment. Callaway Gardens
"Set in the rolling, pine-clad hills of west central Georgia, Callaway Gardens is a safe, relaxing resort that families return to year after year. It was started in the 1930s by Cason Callaway, who converted 14,000 acres of worn-out cotton fields into a rambling mix of gardens, woodlands, lakes and golf courses. Scattered throughout the acreage are many attractions hardly typical of a resort. These include the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, with world-class floral displays; the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, where up to 1,000 butterflies flutter about; a pioneer log cabin; and Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden, where tomatoes and peaches ripen in the sun." Some website for a travel company.
Cason Callaway is quoted as saying, "All I've done is try to fix it so that whereever someone might look, he would see something beautful." He and his wife Virginia succeeded. We spent more than an hour just driving around the grounds, enjoying the scenery. But the highlight had to be the Butterfly House, or more properly, the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center Tropical Conservatory.
The
octagonal building is comprised of 854 panes of glass and recreates a tropical
rainforest environment.
This is home to more than 50 species of butterflies which flit hither and yon
while tourists look on.
One of the frequent fliers took a break and sat on my cap for ten minutes as I
walked around the place.
There were three parrots who spent the better part of their day sitting on tree
limbs snapping at butterflies but never catching any.
I doubt I'll ever get close enough to butterflies like these to take the photos
I did that day.
Pam points to the elusive Blue Morpho butterfly. We tried and tried to get
a photo of these brilliantly blue creatures but never really got close to one
that would stay put long enough for us. I take that back. Once, we
found a Blue Morpho at rest on a leaf but it had its wings folded together with
the undersides of the wings showing. They're brown with black spots on the
tips. You'd never guess by looking at it that the top sides of those wings
were so pretty.
This is my favorite shot of the whole trip.
Outside, there were many plants I'd never seen before.
Bees were pollinating like crazy.
Not only is Callaway Gardens a peaceful resort with lakes, flowers, and butterflies, it will also host a PGA Tour event this fall. I'd love to go back for that.
We left Callaway Gardens and traveled to the other side of Pine Mountain to the Little White House, where Franklin Delano Roosevelt vacationed for several years.