Kolomoki Mounds State Park - Blakely, Georgia

One of the most remarkable sights in the South is the first view of the massive Temple Mound (or Mound A) at Kolomoki Mounds State Park near Blakely, Georgia.

The huge mound rises nearly 60 feet into the air and still retains the distinct pyramidal shape created by its builders. It was once the center of what some researchers believe was the largest Native American civilization north of the Aztec culture in Mexico.

Kolomoki Mounds was the centerpiece of a major culture that grew and thrived in Southwest Georgia from around 350 A.D. to around 600 A.D. It was a culture that achieved stunning advancements in art, architecture and astronomy, but also one that practiced human sacrifice.

The well-preserved mounds at Kolomoki form a giant prehistoric observatory and calender. On the longest day of the year, for example, the sun rises from directly behind the giant Temple Mound. Other mounds appear to be aligned with various constellations.

Archaeologists believe that the culture that was centered at this ancient capital spread out into both Alabama and North Florida. Smaller mound and village sites of the same era dot the region and it is believed that these supported the large capital city with food and other necessities of life.

The site today is the centerpiece of a beautiful state park that also features nature trails, two lakes, picnicking, camping and more. The park museum encloses part of one of the burial mounds and visitors can follow wooden walkways that lead into the heart of the mound for a chance to learn about an ancient burial ceremony. Stairs lead to the top of the main Temple Mound and the other mounds can be explored as well.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/kolomoki1.

Spring Travel Part Twelve: Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge

Even though it suffers from vandalism and the adjacent park from neglect, Southwest Georgia's historic Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge is still one of my favorite spring travel destinations.

Surviving covered bridges are rare and this one is unique because it is the southernmost original "kissing bridge" in the United States.

Built in 1891 at a total cost of $490.41, the old bridge crosses a small waterfall on Coheelee Creek in Early County, Georgia. Located off Highway 62 West about nine miles southwest of the county seat of Blakely, the bridge is less than 30 minutes east of the city of Dothan, Alabama.

Of the 17 original covered bridges still surviving in Georgia, it is the only one located south of Macon.

To read more about the Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/coheelee1.

Spring Travel Part Four: Historic Blakeley State Park

One of the least known major battles of the Civil War took place in the sandy pine woods of South Alabama (or as they like to say around Mobile, "LA" or "Lower Alabama").

The Battle of Blakeley, sometimes called the Battle of Fort Blakely, was fought in April of 1865 and lasted for several days.

Blakeley had once been one of the most populous towns in Alabama and had vied with Mobile in importance during the state's early history, but yellow fever epidemics had virtually destroyed the town by the time of the Civil War. The site was of strategic importance, however, and the Confederates fortified it with artillery batteries, earthwork forts, rifle pits and miles of breastworks.

Although a siege had been underway for several days, the final assault began on the evening of April 8, 1865. The next day, Union troops stormed Redoubt #4 and broke through the Confederate lines in a bloody battle that left 216 men dead and 955 wounded.

The battlefield today is a fascinating and pristine state park that preserves an impressive network of breastworks, fortifications and battery sites, including the Union attack trenches and batteries. In addition, Historic Blakeley State Park protects the site of the original town of Blakeley, the old town cemetery, Native American sites and more. To learn more about this fascinating place that I consider one of the finest destinations of its type in the South, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/blakely1.