One of Georgia’s most unique state parks isn’t really a park at all-it’s the SAM Shortline, a train featuring 1949 cars that runs through south central Georgia. The train follows an old train route that today runs through several historic towns and sites. The SAM Shortline offers a few different options on how to ride the train, but most begin from Georgia Veterans State Park. From there, the train runs through Leslie, Americus, Plains, and Archery, with short or longer stops at each depending on what option you have chosen. Leslie and Americus are historic towns with shopping and sightseeing. Plains offers some of the same, but is also the home to the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Here, visitors can see President Carter’s campaign headquarters, the school in which he grew up, and learn about his life. Archery is where Jimmy Carter’s Boyhood Home is located. Visitors are able to see how President Carter grew up, which is an interesting experience because of the vast difference between how he grew up and how children grow up today.

 

We did not ride on the SAM Shortline, so we cannot speak to the journey itself. However, we did visit the same towns the train does and see the depots at which the train stops. Doing this, we got a sense for what the area would have been like during the train’s heyday. Either a tour of the sites and depots or the train ride itself is a great way to experience the history of this area of Georgia.