For nearly 70 miles, Vicki navigated the back roads from Warm Springs down to Plains, Georgia in the early afternoon of Saturday November 29, 2025. During the first half of the trip, I couldn’t get Franklin Roosevelt out of my mind. After all, the 32nd President had played such a huge part in the lives of so many people, young and old, who were afflicted with the horrible debilitating disease known as polio. Not only did I visit the Rehabilitation Institute FDR had founded to help find a cure for polio victims, but I also spent time in the small cottage where Roosevelt resided during his many trips to Warm Springs. At one point during my visit, I got to stand on the historic Living Room table used by the President when he suffered a fatal stroke. It got even better when I was also placed on the bed where FDR died on April 12, 1945. For me, it was an indescribable moment when I paid my personal tribute to one of America’s greatest Presidents at the place where he spent his last moments of life.
But the closer we got to Plains, the more my thoughts had transformed from FDR to Jimmy Carter, even though I had been to Carter’s hometown twice in the past. My first visit to Plains came in July 2019 when Tom, Vicki, and I had the honor of meeting President Carter at the Maranatha Baptist Church. Even though the President had just recovered from recent hip surgery, the 95-year-old was welcoming, kind, gentle, down-to-Earth, and made the three of us feel at home in his place of worship. I also couldn’t help but notice Carter’s patented smile had filled his time-worn face when my photographer introduced me to the President.
While visiting the small town of 573 residents in 2019, we also spent time touring a large handful of Carter sites which spanned nearly all of the President’s 95 years of life – taking us from his birth, through his childhood, and culminating with his incredible post-Presidency. Although Jimmy Carter has never been considered one of our greatest Presidents, his 40-plus years of compassionate service after he left the White House has placed him near the top with some of the greatest Americans to ever walk this Earth.
Our second trip to Plains came five years later, in April 2024, when the three of us re-visited all of the Carter sites. We also saw a few additional sites we had missed during the previous trip. But during those five years between our visits, a lot happened in the lives of the Carters. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter had passed away on November 19, 2023 at the age of 96, and President Carter’s incredible life was winding down as well. At a little over five months shy of his 100th birthday, Jimmy Carter was a year into home hospice care where he was made comfortable living out his last days surrounded by his family and friends.
Eight months and one week following our last visit to Plains, and nearly three months after his 100th birthday, President Jimmy Carter passed away at his home on December 29, 2024. Carter’s state funeral followed, which took the President on a five-day whirlwind tour of tributes before his remains returned to Georgia for a final funeral service and burial at his home in Plains on January 9, 2025.
On July 11, 2025, a little over seven months after Jimmy Carter was buried alongside his wife Rosalynn, the gravesite of the President was opened to the public by the National Park Service. And since that day, Tom and I have been chompin’ at the bit for a return trip to Plains just so we could visit the site where the Carters were laid to rest.
Since the day when the two of us paid our respects at the grave of George H. W. Bush on July 25, 2019, we’ve boasted about the fact that we had visited all 39 Presidential gravesites; and most of them more than once. But there were 40 now, and within the hour, that void was finally going to be filled. In fact, the visit to Carter’s gravesite was so special to my photographer and me, the two of us were sporting the same shirts we wore when we met Jimmy Carter at his church in 2019.
After passing mile after mile of cotton fields, some of which were picked clean and others that were not, we arrived at the Maranatha Baptist Church, which was located a little over a half mile North of downtown Plains. Even though it was only a few minutes past one o’clock, we had only a few hours of daylight left – which was one of the reasons Tom wanted to focus his efforts on visiting sites that were centered around Jimmy Carter’s funeral and burial rather than try to cram every historic Carter site into the rest of the day.
The Maranatha Baptist Church was built in 1978 after 29 members, including President Jimmy Carter, had left the Plains Baptist Church due to racial integration issues. After Jimmy lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, the Carters returned home to Plains where they resided for the rest of their lives. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter not only worshipped at the Maranatha Baptist Church, but the former President also taught Sunday School there for many years as well. It was at that church, on July 14, 2019, when Tom, Vicki, and I met President Carter after the Sunday service – and that was a day the three of us will never forget.
Following Jimmy Carter’s death on December 29, 2024, the President’s final funeral service was held at the Maranatha Baptist Church on January 9, 2025. Although all five living Presidents attended Carter’s State Funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral earlier that day, the service in Plains was a more intimate event and focused on family, friends, and the local community.
Vicki stayed in the Jeep while Tom carried me to the front of the historic church, which was bathed in sunlight beneath a cloudless blue sky. For me, our visit to the church brought back a flood of memories from our day with the President six years earlier. Then reality and a sense of sadness sunk in as I envisioned President Carter’s flag-draped coffin as it was carried through the front doorway. He was gone – but Jimmy Carter’s legacy will live on forever at the Maranatha Baptist Church; a place where he touched so many lives, including mine.
Back in the Jeep, which was parked almost in the same spot as the hearse was located on January 9, 2025, the three of us began the one-mile journey through downtown Plains and on to the burial site of President Jimmy Carter. The route Vicki took was exactly the same for the funeral procession – we drove slowly past the Plains Baptist Church, Plains High School, Billy Carter’s service station, the Plains Historic Inn, and the Plains Methodist Church where the Carters were married in 1946. When my photographer’s wife reached Woodland Drive, which had been barricaded by the Secret Service since the late 1970s when Carter became President, she turned onto the street and found a parking place near the front gate to the Carter’s now-vacant home and next to the newly established Memorial Garden.
Upon arrival, I was able to see the President’s modest homestead beyond the iron security fence because the numerous trees in his yard had lost most their leaves. But the gravesite, on the other hand, was hidden from view by bushes and shrubs that had been planted near the road and close to the pathway that led into the Memorial Garden.
But there was a problem – the three of us we were not alone. There were two other vehicles parked along Woodland Drive and in close proximity of the burial site. The last thing Tom and I needed was to have other people in the area when we carried out our covert operation at the Presidential gravesite. And it’s not that we ever do anything whatsoever to damage, deface, or disgrace the headstone or grave, but some folks don’t understand when we take certain liberties to get our desired photographs.
The Memorial Garden where the Carter’s were laid to rest was designed by Rosalynn Carter herself. The garden overlooks a pond the couple had built together, while several butterfly gardens occupy other parts of the large, park-like setting. The simple granite headstones, modeled after those of President and Mrs. Nixon, reflect the Carter family’s humility. The pair of gray markers are located on a small hill with shrubbery and flowers, laid out in an arch formation, planted behind them.
I had to admit; my resin body shook with excitement as Tom carried me along the pathway towards the burial site while Vicki walked a few steps behind us. Just as the pair of granite markers came into view, I saw four people standing on the walkway in front of the burial site. But suddenly, almost as though the four visitors could read my mind, the small group left the site and were headed back towards the entrance to the Memorial Garden. The three of us were finally alone with Jimmy and Rosalynn – and it was time for action.
It was a historic moment, at least in my eyes, when Tom walked onto the site and placed me on President Carter’s headstone. I believe I might be the first and only bobble head to have visited all 40 Presidential gravesites, and I am extremely proud of that accomplishment. Even though there were small signs along the edge of the burial site that instructed visitors to remain on the pathway, there was no way I was going to be denied the opportunity to pay my personal respects and tribute to President Carter by saluting his accomplishments from graveside.
From my vantage point, I had a great look at the wording etched onto both headstones. On the President’s marker, I saw his full name, James Earl Carter, Jr, along with the dates of his birth and death. A list of his four major accomplishments was inscribed below the dates – those were Georgia State Senator, Governor of Georgia, President of the United States, and Co-Founder of the Carter Center.
Etched onto Mrs. Carter’s headstone, which was situated only a few feet to my left, I saw her name, Rosalynn Smith Carter, as well as the dates of her birth and death. Like it was on her husband’s headstone, there was a list of Rosalynn’s accomplishments inscribed below the dates. Those cherished achievements were First Lady of Georgia, First Lady of the United States, Founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, and lastly, Co-Founder of the Carter Center.
During the few minutes I stood on President Carter’s headstone, it was a moment of silent reflection where I thought about the man who came from humble beginnings and worked hard to make a difference in his community, state, country, and the world. While Carter’s Presidency faced numerous ups and downs during his four years in office, it was Jimmy Carter’s life after the White House that saw his legacy be solidified into greatness, which culminated in 2002 when the former President won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Carter worked tirelessly to advance human rights and to alleviate human suffering. As a former President, he also helped monitor elections worldwide; did what he could to eradicate diseases in developing nations; and he promoted peace through conflict resolution. In his “spare time”, Jimmy Carter authored over 30 books and traveled the nation as he gave lectures that focused on peace, democracy, and human rights.
If that wasn’t enough, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter also helped organize and then work selflessly for Habitat for Humanity. The loving couple didn’t just supervise or use their ‘star power’ to raise money. Instead, the pair picked up hammers and helped build homes for people in need with their blood, sweat, and complete devotion.
Just as Tom’s first round of images he captured of me standing alongside the Carter’s grave markers had come to an end, my photographer asked his wife to hurry and grab me from between the tombstones because there was a woman headed our way, and she appeared to be on a mission. Vicki hustled onto the site and snatched me from the ground, but before she could return to the path, it was too late – the woman had arrived, and Vicki was still standing a foot or two from the President’s headstone.
The woman appeared to be in her mid-to-late 50s and reminded me of someone the grandkids might refer to as a “Karen”. As Tom’s wife pretended to be reading the inscription on Carter’s headstone, the woman said in a scolding tone, “Do you realize you’re not supposed to be walking out there. According to these signs, you’re supposed to stay on the path.”
When I looked up and saw the stunned look on Vicki’s face, I knew she was instantly irritated by the woman’s unwelcomed approach and attitude. But my photographer’s wife kept her cool and replied, “I needed to get closer because I wanted to read the inscriptions on the two headstones. I couldn’t see the wording very well from the path, but I made sure not to step on the actual gravesites. I walked around to the side and back of the headstones, just to avoid walking on the graves.”
But the woman was determined to get her point across, and she continued her vocal reprimand. “If you want to read what’s written on the tombstones, there’s closeup photos at the information stand near the entrance – so there’s no need to walk out there.” Funny thing was – what the ‘Buttinsky’ failed to realize was she should’ve left well enough alone.
While Vicki stood in stunned silence next to the pair of grave markers with me still clasped tightly in her right hand, Tom came to his wife’s rescue, and he didn’t hold back in his verbal assault on the woman. I watched as my photographer walked towards the woman and snarled, “Are you from the National Park Service or a member of the security detail here. If not, then I suggest you mind your own damn business and leave us alone.” Just as Tom finished, I wanted to add the phrase, “Before someone drops a house on you; you old, wicked witch”, but the woman hurriedly left the area before I could get the words out of my resin mouth.
After that incident had subsided and our anger had diminished, my two companions wanted to enjoy the ambiance of the entire Memorial Garden setting. Since the temperature around two o’clock hovered near 60 degrees, Tom and Vicki brought me to a park bench that was situated alongside the Carter’s large pond – which was dug by the President himself in the early 60s.
I took a moment to look around at our surroundings because this was Jimmy and Rosalynn’s property; the grounds where the Carters would often take leisurely evening strolls. Behind me was their large pond, where the President often fished or took family members for recreational boat rides in his small aluminum boat called the ‘Troller’. Funny thing was, the ‘Troller’ was the same vessel used by Carter on April 20, 1979 when the infamous “killer rabbit” incident happened on that very pond behind me – an incident that damaged the President’s reputation and possibly changed the tide of the 1980 Presidential election.
While at his home in Plains during a small vacation away from Washington, the President was in his boat fishing when he noticed a rabbit was swimming towards him. Carter said the swamp rabbit was “hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared.” Surprised by the critter, Carter reacted by splashing water at the rabbit with his paddle to scare it away, and it subsequently swam away from him and climbed out of the pond.
Although the entire incident was over in seconds, the story took on a life of its own, thanks to the media and possibly the Reagan campaign committee. Ten days later, a Washington Post front page article was titled, “Bunny Goes Bugs: Rabbit Attacks President”, which was accompanied by an illustrated parody of the Jaws movie poster which the paper called ‘Paws’.
Ironically, as Tom, Vicki, and I sat on the bench and absorbed the much-welcomed afternoon sunshine, we encountered our own version of PAWS. Two dogs, named Lilly and Lucky, were on a walk with their owners Thai and Nanda Dao from Fleming Island, Florida. Since my two travel companions love to interact with friendly canines, the Dao’s stopped and joined us pondside. For the next 20 to 30 minutes, I listened as my photographer told stories about our Presidential travels, as well as a few other interesting tidbits. Although Thai seemed quiet and not overly interested in Tom’s stories, his good-looking wife seemed quite intrigued – and at one point, I saw Nanda take a picture of my photographer’s KISS tattoo.
When the three of us finally bid farewell to Thai, Nanda, Lilly, and Lucky, we spent another fifteen minutes or so walking through the Memorial Garden before we made our way across the street where I got a fairly good look at the Carter’s home.
The one-story ranch style home was built by the Carters in 1961 and they lived in the modest dwelling for the rest of their lives. While Jimmy and Rosalynn paid $10 per square foot for the home, it was recently assessed to be worth around $167,000. Years before their deaths, the Carters had planned to donate their home to the National Park Service with the intention of transforming the dwelling and adjacent grounds into a museum for the public to visit. Although the Memorial Garden across the street from the house was opened to the public on July 11, 2025, the house was still being renovated by the NPS and not yet open for visitors. And who knows? With all of the cuts and NSP workforce reductions made by the current Trump administration, the house may never open during my camera man’s lifetime.
Just as the clock was striking three o’clock in the afternoon, the three of us were back in the Jeep and headed towards the center of town where the Plains Historic Inn was located. But our destination wasn’t the Inn, as our lodging for the night had already been reserved by my companions at the Windsor Hotel in nearby Americus, Georgia. Instead, Vicki wanted to pay a visit to a place called the Carter Warehouse, which served peanut butter flavored ice cream – a delicacy that my photographer’s wife had enjoyed on our two previous trips to Plains.
After Vicki ate her small dish of peanut butter ice cream, and Tom wolfed down a large bowl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, my photographer carried me onto Main Street where I posed near the spot where Jimmy Carter had been photographed walking and greeting townsfolk on July 30, 1976.
To me, it’s always an incredible experience to visit Plains because no matter where we go in that small town, it’s likely I’m standing in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter. The President was born there on October 1, 1924; he grew up on a farm two or three miles outside of town; he went to school and worshipped in Plains; he worked at his dad’s peanut business in town; Jimmy got married to the love of his life there; and he owned the same home in the community of Plains for 64 years until he passed away there on December 29, 2024. Plains is Jimmy Carter country – and Jimmy Carter is Plains, Georgia; and it’s without a doubt one of my favorite towns I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.
Although there were numerous Jimmy Carter sites that we could’ve re-visited during our time in Plains, there was only one left that figured prominently during the funeral for the 39th President – and that was his boyhood farm near the community of Archery.
While the 2.7-mile drive to the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm was West of downtown Plains, it was also going to mark the furthest point South for us on the entire trip. The three of us couldn’t lollygag, either, because the farm and its grounds were operated by the National Park Service and the site was scheduled to close for the day at five o’clock.
By 3:35pm, my photographer’s wife had the Jeep parked in the lot and within minutes, Tom and I were on foot towards the historic farmhouse. Even though I knew my camera guy couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit Jimmy Carter’s room inside the house, the primary reason for our visit was for me to stand on the spot along Old Plains Highway where the hearse bearing the coffin of the President had paused in a touching tribute by the National Park Service on Saturday January 4, 2025.
After the hearse had passed through downtown Plains on that Saturday morning, it arrived at the farmhouse where NPS Rangers stood alongside the highway and saluted the President who passed away at his home a week earlier. After two long-time Rangers rang the farm’s bell 39 times, the hearse continued its journey on to Atlanta where Carter laid in state at his Presidential Library.
Once Tom had carried me to the front of Carter’s boyhood home, he couldn’t resist the temptation to photograph me while I posed on the historic structure. After all, the President lived in that home from the age of four in 1928 until he left for college thirteen years later in 1941. Not only did Carter help with the farm chores on that farm, but the rural life also helped shape him into the hard-working, compassionate leader he eventually became.
While at the farmhouse, it didn’t take long for Tom to prove me right when my photographer carried me inside the home where I once again stood on the bed in Jimmy Carter’s boyhood bedroom. It was the third time in the past six years Tom had placed me on that bed. When we had finished our photoshoot in the bedroom, I was shocked when my photographer decided to stay on task and not tour any of the other rooms in the house. Since the farmhouse was filled with period furnishings, plus the fact I toured the home twice in the past, Tom’s decision was okay with me.
In my mind, there was a good reason to cut the home tour short. That reason was because the two of us needed to stick with the theme of visiting the Carter funeral and burial sites during our time in Plains.
And that was exactly why I was carried onto Old Plains Highway – Tom placed me on the spot where the hearse carrying the President’s flag-draped coffin had paused a little over eleven months earlier. For me, it was a surreal moment while I stood in the road and envisioned dozens of uniformed NPS Rangers standing at attention in front of me as they honored their fallen President. In the distance, the pealing of a bell resonated from the far side of the Carter Family Store. Could it be Randy Dillard and Karen Barry, the two longest-serving NPS staffers in Plains, ringing the nearby farm’s bell 39 times in honor of our 39th President. I was about to find out.
As a final gesture to commemorate the legacy of our beloved President Jimmy Carter, Tom placed me on the stand which supported the farm’s bell and pulled the rope to make the bell ring. At first, I thought my fat friend would ring the bell 39 times to honor Jimmy Carter. But instead, he rang it only three times, which Tom said was in honor of Thomas Jefferson – our third President. I was relieved when my photographer decided not to ring the bell 39 times because I believe my ears suffered some hearing loss after the third toll. When Tom had finished, I thought to myself, “For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for me – the deaf bobble head.”
We had finished our tribute to Jimmy Carter in Plains, but we weren’t finished with Carter sites in the area. Not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, we had reservations to stay the night in the Carter Presidential Suite in the Windsor Hotel, located in downtown Americus, Georgia. The coordinates to the historic hotel, which was reopened in 1991 with a ceremony attended by President and Mrs. Carter, were inputted into Tom’s Siri app on his phone, and we were ready to make the 13-mile drive Northeast to Americus.
But first, my photographer had something up his sleeve besides his arm. I watched as Tom opened up his YouTube app on his phone, he typed in a few words, and before I could say “The Jazz Singer”, I heard a song by Neil Diamond begin to play. Of all the songs and artists Tom could have chosen, I thought the one he picked was perfect for the occasion – and of course, I had to change some of the lyrics to fit the moment.
“Far – we’ve been traveling far. Without a home, but not without a car. Free – only want to be free. We huddle close, hang on to a dream. In our Jeep from the town of Plains, we’re headed to Americus. Never looking back again, we’re headed to Americus.”
“Home – to a big and shiny suite, make our bed and we’ll rest our feet. Freedom’s light burning warm. Freedom’s light burning warm. Everywhere in Jimmy’s world, we’re headed to Americus. Every time that flag’s unfurled, we’re headed to Americus. Got a dream that’ll take us there; we’re headed to Americus. Got a dream we’d love to share; we’re headed to Americus.”
“Ol’ Carter ’tis of thee, he’s the man of liberty, of thee I sing. Of thee I sing. Today!”
As Vicki rolled her eyes while her husband amused himself and me, the three of us headed for Americus. The twenty-minute drive took us along the backroads of Sumter County; and at a few minutes before five o’clock, we were parked across the side street from the historic Windsor Hotel.
Originally built in 1892 with roughly 100 guest rooms, the Windsor Hotel is a five-story Victorian hotel that’s architecturally designed with a tower, balconies, and a three-story open atrium lobby. After the hotel closed due to economic struggles in the early 1970s, the place eventually fell into disrepair.
But along came former President Jimmy Carter and his Habitat for Humanity team and they saved the historic structure from certain demise. Once the renovations were completed, the hotel re-opened in 1991. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter first stayed at the hotel in November 2002 as guests of owners Sharad and Ila Patel. Before the Carters spent the night in the suite that now bears the President’s name, they had dinner in the hotel’s Grand Dining Room.
Over the years, the Carter’s stayed at the Windsor Hotel whenever they were in town. The President celebrated his 75th birthday on October 1, 1999 with a party at the Windsor; a party attended by Pat Boone, Rosie Greer, and the McGuire Sisters. Carter and his wife also attended a New Years Eve party at the hotel in 2005. And finally, on June 15, 2010, Jimmy Carter cut the ribbon at the Grand Re-opening ceremony held at the front entrance of the hotel. When the ceremony had concluded, Jimmy and Rosalyn once again stayed in their usual room – the Carter Presidential Suite.
But Jimmy wasn’t the only Presidential connection with the historic hotel. On a cool February day in 1928, soon-to-be Governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt, conducted a meeting with the local Chamber of Commerce in the second-floor boardroom, then he delivered a speech on the adjoining balcony.
The Windsor Hotel is filled with the historical stories and incredible memories of two of our Presidents. Their spirits are evident throughout the building, especially in the Presidential Suite. But the hotel is also known to host several other spirits as well – spirits who once had a connection to the historic building. That’s right, the Windsor Hotel is reputed to be haunted and is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in all of Georgia.
The most popular ghost story at the hotel is of a housekeeper named Emily and her young daughter Emma Mae. Emily is reputed to have had an affair with a local politician, and when they were arguing in the third-floor hallway one day, the politician angrily pushed Emily and Emma Mae into an empty elevator shaft – killing both of them. Emily and Emma Mae are said to haunt the third floor. Guests report hearing the sounds of a little girl running and giggling in the hallway. At times, guests also see a mysterious woman in black roaming around the third floor.
The second paranormal entity who allegedly hangs out at the Windsor was a former bellman and elevator operator by the name of Floyd Ardell Lowry. In 1928, during Franklin Roosevelt’s visit, Lowry personally had FDR’s suit pressed for his meeting with the Chamber of Commerce. But following the 77-year-old Lowry’s death in 1982, Floyd continues to work at the hotel – or at least his spirit does. According to some believers, the friendly spirit of the bellhop moves luggage or belongings and haunts the lobby with a playful demeanor.
After Vicki registered in the impressive lobby, the three of us made our way with the full luggage cart to the third floor where we found our room at the end of a long hallway. A plaque outside of our door read: Carter Presidential Suite. That’s right; Tom, Vicki, and I were spending the night in the same room where Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter spent many nights while visiting Americus. The funny thing was – while my photographer might be considered to be cheap or thrifty by some, including me, he had no problem shelling out $270.94 for a one night’s stay in the Presidential Suite. But the more I thought about it, it’s not every night he gets the chance to sleep in the same bed used by a national treasure like Jimmy Carter!
Please take a moment to check out the images Tom captured inside and outside of the historic Windsor Hotel on the evening of November 29, 2025. Will you see someone or something that we didn’t notice during our visit?
As soon as my photographer and his wife were unpacked and settled into our suite, I posed for several images in our room because it was truly a Presidential site – and that was proven with a photo we found of the Carters and the Patels in the same room in 2002. Although the bed appeared to be a match with the one in the photo, some of the other furnishings, including the sofa where the President was photographed, had been changed over the past 23 years.
After Tom and I went outside to capture some night images of the illuminated hotel, the two of us had dinner with Vicki at the Windsor’s small second-floor establishment called Floyd’s Pub – named after Floyd Lowry, the famous bellhop-turned-ghost. While we didn’t cross paths with the spirit of Floyd inside the pub, we did find Thai and Nanda Dao seated at a table. But where was Lilly and Lucky? It turned out the Florida couple had planned on staying at the Windsor Hotel but couldn’t because the establishment wasn’t “dog friendly”. I thought to myself, “This damned place is ghost friendly, but not dog friendly? I know I’d rather get licked in the face by Lucky instead of Floyd!”
When Tom finished his shrimp Po’boy and his wife had downed her chicken tender wrap, Vicki headed off to our room while my photographer decided to take me on a ghost hunting expedition throughout the hotel. For the next 30 to 45 minutes or so, I kept my eyes and ears peeled for anything out of the ordinary – like a woman in a black dress walking the third-floor hallways, or a small child giggling near the elevator, or perhaps an unexplained orb in the reflection of a mirror.
One of the rooms where we spent quite a bit of time was called the Rosalynn Carter Tea Parlor, which was located on the hotel’s second floor. While the tea parlor had been part of the hotel since it opened in 1892, it wasn’t until Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter attended the parlor’s grand opening and renaming ceremony in 2008 before it became a significant Presidential site.
Tom saved the best for last – at least according to the urban legend of the haunted Windsor Hotel. For roughly ten minutes, my photographer and I roamed the hallways of the third floor with the hopes of spotting Emily or her daughter Emma Mae. Even though the two of us never saw or heard any signs of paranormal activity, Tom hoped something unexplained would appear in his photos. But that never happened either.
Perhaps it was because the night was still too early and the hauntings occur after the stroke of midnight. Or maybe the spirits of the mother and daughter knew my past connection with ghosts, and they didn’t want to infringe on my relationship with James Garfield. Either way, my camera guy and I returned to the Presidential Suite without any credible photos to show or ghost stories to tell.
Vicki was already fast asleep when Tom opened the door to our room. Once inside, he immediately placed me alongside the television set before my photographer took a seat on the sofa – Tom sat in the same spot where President Carter had been photographed in 2002. For the next two hours, the two of us watched one of our all-time favorite movies – National Treasure.
When the movie finished with Ben Gates and his friends finding the Knights Templar treasure, my photographer extinguished the lights around 10:15pm and he crawled into bed alongside his snoring wife. I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not the 66-year-old Jimmy Carter and his 64-year-old wife Rosalynn messed around in that same bed. If I was a bettin’ bobble head, my money would be on ‘Hell-to-the-no’. I’m guessing when Jimmy and Rosalynn had crawled into that same bed in 2002, they were instantly enthralled in what’s known as “doggie style”. That’s right, Jimmy sat up and begged, while Rosalynn rolled over and played dead.
But then out of nowhere, it happened; and although the unexplained phenomena lasted for only a few seconds, I was instantly scared to death.
At roughly 3:05am, right around the time I was standing in the darkness and envisioning my photographer as he unrolled the Declaration of Independence inside the Rosalynn Carter Tea Parlor for the former President and his wife to see, Tom got out of bed and walked slowly through the dark room. My photographer seemed to be on a mission; a mission that took him right past me and into the bathroom.
I heard Tom close the door, which was followed by the click of the bathroom light. But just as the sound of water trickling into the toilet bowl had begun, I heard what I could only describe as a loud moan or groan, which was followed by two fairly pronounced thuds. I was instantly concerned – my photographer had either passed out and fell to the floor, or Tom wasn’t alone in that bathroom.
A minute or so of silence passed before I heard the toilet flush. Seconds later, my photographer emerged from the bathroom, and he walked past me towards the bed where his wife was still sawing logs. At one point, I thought I heard Tom mumble in a low whisper, “That was weird”. But his wife never woke up.
Was the noise caused by one of the third-floor ghosts? Or was it something more natural, like a creaking sound from the aging water pipes that lead to the toilet? The funny thing was – that was the first time Tom and I heard the strange, unidentified noise, and we never heard it again.
One thing was for certain, at least in my mind; the noise I heard while Tom was peeing couldn’t have come from Emily. Had it been the housekeeper, there’s no doubt she would have giggled out loud.
** This post is dedicated to the memories of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. May they rest in peace – together! **
