{"id":6206,"date":"2020-11-24T17:27:20","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T22:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/?p=6206"},"modified":"2024-10-17T13:28:37","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T17:28:37","slug":"108-unfinished-ending-at-the-little-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/108-unfinished-ending-at-the-little-white-house\/","title":{"rendered":"108: UNFINISHED ENDING AT THE LITTLE WHITE HOUSE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Vicki was happy; she got to sleep-in an extra hour on Saturday July 13, 2019.  My companion&#8217;s alarm clock went off at 7:00am, and that was due to the fact that we were less than one mile from our first destination of the day &#8211; Franklin D. Roosevelt&#8217;s retreat house known as the Little White House.  The gates to FDR&#8217;s site opened at 9:00am and my photographer wanted to be first in line to get in; primarily so he and I could get to the house for unobstructed photos.  Tom also figured that the absence of other tourists would increase his chances of getting me onto Roosevelt&#8217;s deathbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Once Tom and his wife had the Highlander packed and were on the road, the three of us found ourselves parked at the closed gate to the historic site at 8:40am.  And best of all &#8211; we were first in line to get in.  But five minutes after our arrival, another vehicle pulled up behind us and that concerned my photographer.  At precisely nine o&#8217;clock, a NPS Ranger opened the entrance gate, and Vicki drove our vehicle to the parking lot.  The three of us hustled to the Memorial Museum; and once the entry fee was paid, Tom and Vicki split up.  While my photographer&#8217;s wife wanted to watch the film and see the museum first, Tom headed with me to the Little White House.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">The plan worked to perfection; we had the entire place to ourselves for nearly 20 minutes.  After a long hike from the museum to the front of FDR&#8217;s retreat house, Tom snapped photos of me as I posed near the exterior of the historic site.  Franklin Roosevelt built the Little White House in 1932 prior to being inaugurated as our 32nd President in March of the following year.  FDR loved Warm Springs from the moment he arrived in 1924; albeit he came to the small town in search of a cure for the infantile paralysis that struck him three years earlier.  Although the constant 88-degree, buoyant spring waters brought him no miracle cure, it did seem to help, solidifying his decision to build his retreat home in Warm Springs.  In 1960, John F. Kennedy delivered a campaign speech in front of the house, while Jimmy Carter kicked-off his Presidential campaign there as well in 1976.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"503\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?resize=800%2C503&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?w=4924&amp;ssl=1 4924w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?resize=300%2C189&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?resize=768%2C483&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C644&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2872-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While Vicki and I stayed in the Highlander, Tom captured an image of us at the main gate to FDR&#8217;s Little White House.  Our goal was to be first in line; and at 8:40am, we achieved that goal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?resize=800%2C495&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?w=5661&amp;ssl=1 5661w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?resize=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?resize=768%2C475&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C633&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2882-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This was our first glimpse of the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia.  The guest house could be seen on the left, while the servant&#8217;s quarters were to the right side of the photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?w=4205&amp;ssl=1 4205w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Little White House was constructed out of Georgia pine and consisted of six rooms.  There were three bedrooms in the house; one for the President, one for his wife Eleanor, and one for his personal secretary.  There was also an entrance hall, a living room, and a kitchen.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From my position near the front portico of FDR&#8217;s Little White House, it was as though I could reach out and touch John F. Kennedy as he delivered a campaign speech on October 10, 1960.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"613\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE2.jpg?resize=613%2C563&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE2.jpg?w=613&amp;ssl=1 613w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JFK-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE2.jpg?resize=300%2C276&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With the &#8220;Unfinished Portrait&#8221; of FDR in front of his podium, John F. Kennedy addressed the crowd assembled at the Little White House during a 1960 campaign stop.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?w=4012&amp;ssl=1 4012w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-05.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roosevelt made 16 trips to his cottage in Warm Springs during his Presidency and he usually stayed three weeks at a time because it took one full day to make the trip by train from Washington.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?w=5165&amp;ssl=1 5165w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2886-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> As I stood on a fence located in front of FDR&#8217;s beloved cottage, it was almost as though I could see the President as he arrived for his final visit on March 30, 1945.  Onlookers said he looked &#8220;ghastly&#8221; upon arrival and his cordial waves seemed unusually weak.  He died less than two weeks later at the age of 63.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">As soon as Tom finished his shots of me posing with the exterior of the Little White House, he carried me into the cottage through a side door.  The two of us were alone inside Roosevelt&#8217;s house; with the exception of two young NPS Rangers who sat together in the living room.  My photographer wanted to take advantage of the fact that no other tourists had made it to the house yet, so he quickly carried me to the two most important areas for our photos &#8211; the living room where FDR suffered his stroke and his bedroom where he died.  Around noon on April 12, 1945, Franklin Roosevelt sat in his favorite leather chair in the living room of the cottage while artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff began her watercolor portrait of the President.  A short while later, FDR said to the artist: &#8220;I have a terrific pain in the back of my head&#8221;.  Those words were no more out of his mouth and he slumped forward, unconscious in his chair.  After his aides carried him into the bedroom, Roosevelt never regained consciousness and died at 3:35pm that day.  FDR&#8217;s attending cardiologist determined the cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage.  Shoumatoff never finished the portrait; that work of art, known as the &#8216;Unfinished Portrait&#8217;, was on display in the Legacy Exhibit alongside the museum.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Following his death, the Little White House was willed to the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation and the house remained exactly the way it was the day FDR died.  Tom held me up and shot numerous photos of me in the living room; he especially made sure FDR&#8217;s favorite chair was in most of the images.  I laughed to myself because I knew that my photographer itched to place me onto Roosevelt&#8217;s chair, but that wasn&#8217;t going to happen with the pair of rangers in the room.  Tom also figured that one of the rangers would follow us into the bedroom as well, which would put the kibosh to me standing on the deathbed.  Roosevelt&#8217;s bedroom adjoined the living room and when I was carried into the small room, my photographer waited for one of the young rangers to follow us in.  But they didn&#8217;t &#8211; they stayed together and chit-chatted in the living room.  Not wanting to waste any time while we were alone, Tom approached FDR&#8217;s bed that was in the center of the room, and he carefully placed me onto the white comforter that covered the historic artifact.  During that moment, I couldn&#8217;t believe where I was standing.  At first, I envisioned the unconscious President as he took his final breath in that bed; and that thought made me very sad.  After all, Roosevelt had just begun his fourth term as President, and he dedicated his final years of life to our country.  But then I thought about all of the other times that he laid there; possibly dreaming about Eleanor (unlikely) or perhaps the top-secret Manhattan Project.  When I was removed from FDR&#8217;s deathbed, Tom took full advantage of still being unsupervised; he quickly placed me onto the President&#8217;s desk that was situated directly across the room from the bed.  Seconds after my photographer snapped the final images and removed me from the desk, one of the rangers came into the bedroom.  I nearly soiled my breeches when he popped in; but the youngster simply wondered if Tom had any questions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?w=3086&amp;ssl=1 3086w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;m standing alongside FDR&#8217;s favorite chair in the living room of the Little White House.  Roosevelt was sitting in that chair on April 12, 1945 when he suffered a fatal stroke.  The ship model above the mantel was built by FDR during an earlier stay in the cottage. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"705\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-LIVING-ROOM-2.jpg?resize=705%2C510&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-LIVING-ROOM-2.jpg?w=705&amp;ssl=1 705w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-LIVING-ROOM-2.jpg?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sitting in his favorite leather chair in front of the fireplace in April 1945, this image was taken just a few days before his death.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-LIVING-ROOM-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I was only a few feet from FDR&#8217;s leather chair and I wanted to stand on the seat cushion or perhaps next to his ash tray on the card table.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?w=3476&amp;ssl=1 3476w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">It was an honor for me to stand on FDR&#8217;s bed where he died on April 12, 1945.  I was surprised that Tom didn&#8217;t remove the sign before he took the photo, but I knew that our clock was ticking and he didn&#8217;t want to waste any time.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?w=2849&amp;ssl=1 2849w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DEATH-BED-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While I had stood on the deathbeds of Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson, and Rutherford B. Hayes in the past, my time on FDR&#8217;s bed was the most special.  It was a moment in time that I will never forget.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?resize=800%2C618&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?w=4055&amp;ssl=1 4055w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?resize=300%2C232&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?resize=768%2C593&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C791&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC08606-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I was somewhat surprised by how ordinary and plain FDR&#8217;s bed appeared.  He was rich, plus he was the President of the United States; I expected to see something a bit more elaborate.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?w=4304&amp;ssl=1 4304w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As I stood on FDR&#8217;s desk in his bedroom, I wondered which speeches he had written on that historic piece of furniture.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=5158&amp;ssl=1 5158w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-DESK-IN-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Less than 30 seconds after this image was captured, one of the NPS Rangers entered the room.  Luckily for me, and even more so for Tom, I had already been removed from the historic desk and I was smiling inside the camera case.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">As we left the Little White House and headed towards the museum, Tom wanted to see and photograph the &#8216;Unfinished Portrait&#8217; that was on display in the Legacy Exhibit.  When my photographer removed me from the camera case as we stood in front of the famous watercolor, the framed portrait had an immediate impact on me.  I knew in my heart that the artwork was near Roosevelt during his last conscious moments on Earth; and when I looked into his eyes that Shoumatoff&#8217;s brushstrokes had created, it was as though they spoke to me.  I couldn&#8217;t take my eyes off of FDR&#8217;s and I quickly became mesmerized by the image in front of me.  All I could think about was FDR saying: &#8220;I have a terrific pain in the back of my head.&#8221;  In a separate display case that was nearby, we saw a second watercolor portrait of FDR that artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff had done from memory after Roosevelt&#8217;s death.  Outside of being finished, the only other difference from the original was the color of FDR&#8217;s tie.  We met up with Vicki who was still viewing the displays inside the museum.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">During our time there, I posed near some of the artifacts; some of which were very cool.  My photographer&#8217;s wife shook her head when she heard that I had stood on FDR&#8217;s deathbed, which followed the usual lecture: &#8220;You two are lucky you didn&#8217;t get caught and arrested.  And I&#8217;m not going to bail your butt out of jail, either.&#8221;  When we finished our tour of the museum, Tom and I accompanied Vicki to the Little White House.  Although my photographer snapped some additional pictures during his second visit, I didn&#8217;t have to pose for any of them. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1213\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?w=3068&amp;ssl=1 3068w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1164&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?resize=676%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 676w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2908-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Standing directly below the &#8220;Unfinished Portrait&#8221; of FDR was the highlight of my time in Warm Springs; with the exception of posing on the President&#8217;s deathbed. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?w=3633&amp;ssl=1 3633w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-115.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">To me, Roosevelt&#8217;s eyes in the watercolor were mesmerizing and somewhat haunting.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?w=3847&amp;ssl=1 3847w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 732w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-124.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Talented artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff painted a second portrait of FDR after his death.  The difference with this finished portrait was the blue necktie.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?w=3638&amp;ssl=1 3638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-AND-BRACES-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FDR&#8217;s wheel chair and braces were made at the Warm Springs Foundation Brace Shop and were designed to Roosevelt&#8217;s own specifications.  The President hand-painted the bottom of his braces black to make them less conspicuous.  <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?w=2619&amp;ssl=1 2619w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WHEEL-CHAIR-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This was about as close as I would get to standing on a wheelchair used by FDR.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?w=3086&amp;ssl=1 3086w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?resize=731%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 731w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMMING-SUIT-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While FDR wasn&#8217;t exactly Michael Phelps, it was still cool to stand near his swim suit.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"737\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMSUIT-2.jpg?resize=737%2C546&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMSUIT-2.jpg?w=737&amp;ssl=1 737w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMSUIT-2.jpg?resize=300%2C222&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-SWIMSUIT-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 737px) 100vw, 737px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">My only thought was: &#8220;It&#8217;s better than a Speedo!&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-TABLE.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This display in the museum featured a table and chair set that FDR and Eleanor used on the Sun Deck of the Little White House.  The china on the table was used by Roosevelt when he stayed at his first Warm Springs cottage while serving as New York&#8217;s governor.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This 1938 Ford Phaeton, with specially designed hand controls, was the last car that FDR drove in Warm Springs.  Driving provided freedom for Roosevelt as he navigated the clay roads of the area.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CAR2-2.jpg?resize=640%2C420&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CAR2-2.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CAR2-2.jpg?resize=300%2C197&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Roosevelt, with First Lady Eleanor in the back seat, drove visitors around Warm Springs in his Ford Phaeton.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?w=4142&amp;ssl=1 4142w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-LAST-CAR-HE-DROVE-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From the passenger side of FDR&#8217;s Phaeton, I had a great look at the hand controls that allowed the President to drive the vehicle.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=5493&amp;ssl=1 5493w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-RECORDS-AT-LITTLE-WHITE-HOUSE-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;m standing above two phonograph records that Roosevelt enjoyed playing while at the Little White House.  I was disappointed to see that neither was recorded by KISS; but then again, Gene Simmons was born in 1949 &#8211; four years after FDR&#8217;s death.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-WARM-SPRINGS-CARRIAGE-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This stagecoach was built in the late 1800s and was nicknamed the &#8220;Tally-Ho&#8221;.  When FDR bought the resort, the coach was part of the property.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?resize=800%2C1120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?w=2881&amp;ssl=1 2881w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?resize=768%2C1075&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?resize=732%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 732w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;m standing near one of FDR&#8217;s cloaks that he loved to wear.  He was wearing this cloak while sitting for his final portrait in the Little White House.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-2.jpg?resize=800%2C636&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-2.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-2.jpg?resize=300%2C238&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-CLOAK-2.jpg?resize=768%2C611&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roosevelt was photographed wearing his cloak while on his way to address Congress just nine days before he left for his final trip to Warm Springs, Georgia.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?w=5599&amp;ssl=1 5599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-109.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">During our second visit to the Little White House, Tom focused on the site instead of me.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?w=1846&amp;ssl=1 1846w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-123.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This six-inch fence lizard was sunning itself as we prepared to enter FDR&#8217;s cottage.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?w=5374&amp;ssl=1 5374w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-117.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Roosevelt&#8217;s stove was situated in the Little White House kitchen.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?w=5599&amp;ssl=1 5599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/2019-TEXAS-TRIP-118.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Another view of FDR&#8217;s living room and the chair where he was sitting when he suffered his stroke.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"671\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?resize=800%2C671&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?w=4573&amp;ssl=1 4573w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?resize=300%2C252&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?resize=768%2C644&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C859&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2920-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Franklin Roosevelt&#8217;s favorite leather chair that he used while at his retreat.  It almost appears as though his &#8220;butt prints&#8221; still indented the leather seat.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?resize=800%2C519&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?w=5974&amp;ssl=1 5974w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?resize=300%2C195&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?resize=768%2C499&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C665&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2922-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The small dining area took up one part of the living room.  FDR&#8217;s bedroom and desk can be seen through the doorway on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?resize=800%2C560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?w=5688&amp;ssl=1 5688w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?resize=300%2C210&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?resize=768%2C538&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C717&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2924-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vicki just shook her head when Tom reminded her that I had stood on that bed roughly 45 minutes earlier.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2925-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Roosevelt&#8217;s bathroom, which was located between Franklin and Eleanor&#8217;s bedrooms.  I laughed to myself when I saw the brown toilet paper.  &#8220;What a great invention!&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2926-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eleanor Roosevelt&#8217;s bedroom in the Little White House was the last room we visited before we headed outside.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">FDR\u2019s Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia was a place that my photographer and I had wanted to visit since we began our \u201cPresidential Tribute\u201d project in 2013; and it lived up to all our expectations.\u00a0 The best part for me: the house was a time capsule.\u00a0 That small cottage and its museum opened a portal into the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that not many Americans knew about during his Presidency.  It also afforded me the honor to get an up-close look at where that life had ended as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">It was 10:45am and we had finished our tour of FDR\u2019s retreat house, but we weren\u2019t finished with Roosevelt sites in Warm Springs.\u00a0 Our next stop was at the Historic Pools Museum, which was located a little over a mile North of the cottage.\u00a0 Those pools were where our 32<sup>nd<\/sup> President swam and used the 88-degree natural spring mineral water as therapy for his polio-stricken legs.\u00a0 I was excited because I wondered if the spring water would help ease the pain in my glue-filled, cracked legs as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">The Historic Pool Museum was operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; even though it was connected to the entire Franklin Roosevelt Historic Site; which included the Little White House.\u00a0 While the small museum had some artifacts associated with the history of their therapeutic pools during the polio epidemic, my photographer decided to by-pass the museum to take me outside to the actual pools that FDR had used in the early \u201830s until his death.\u00a0 It was disheartening when we were told by the two tour guides that the pools were empty; which was largely due to the lack of funds to properly maintain them over the years.\u00a0 In other words, they leaked and they&#8217;d seen their better days; plus nobody wanted to pay for the upkeep.\u00a0  Carol Morrison, one of the tour guides, mentioned that even though the pools were dry, we could still feel and smell the natural warm spring water as it bubbled up from a basin that was fastened to one of the empty pool bottoms.  As a bonus, Tom purchased three small corked bottles that he could fill with the historic water and bring home as souvenirs.\u00a0 I smiled to myself when I heard my photographer mention to Vicki that each bottle would be filled and taken back to Michigan \u2013 one bottle was for himself, while the other two were for Rick Bieth and Earl McCartney.  Rick was one of the inspirations for this blog site; while Earl says he loves to hear about my adventures, but he goes out of his way to find lame excuses not to read about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Tom carried me outside and down a walkway that went alongside one of the three large empty pools.\u00a0 The concrete walls of the pools that were once painted pure white were now stained by time and neglect. We walked down a set of steps and into the dry pool-bed where dilapidated old wooden chairs, ramps, and angled therapeutic devices were fastened in place.\u00a0 I was speechless; those pools were the heart and soul of what President Roosevelt believed in and they had been left in decayed ruins.\u00a0 As I stood on one of the wooden ramps, I envisioned FDR as he floated nearby; only his head was above the water.\u00a0 He smiled as the warm natural spring water made the pain in his legs subside; as it did for the dozens of polio-stricken children that he had invited to join him.\u00a0 After Tom had filled his three bottles with the water, my photographer carefully placed me into the waist-deep basin where the 88-degree water bubbled around my legs.\u00a0 Maybe it was due to my imagination, or perhaps it was the legend of Franklin Roosevelt himself, but my legs felt good for the first time since my 2015 Iowa trip when they first developed cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?w=5600&amp;ssl=1 5600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?resize=768%2C548&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While I stood on a wooden device that was secured to the pool bottom, I could easily see the disrepair and neglect of the historic pools<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?w=5599&amp;ssl=1 5599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-02.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">During my time standing on the resting platform, I wondered if FDR had used that therapeutic device while in the pool.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?w=5599&amp;ssl=1 5599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I found what appeared to be a relaxation platform with a head and neck rest.  It didn&#8217;t look very comfortable to me.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?w=4316&amp;ssl=1 4316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-04-1.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As I stood poolside, I could see the basin near the far wall and I couldn&#8217;t wait to get into the warm water.  The ramp in front of me was used by FDR to enter the water with his wheelchair.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?w=4032&amp;ssl=1 4032w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?resize=120%2C90&amp;ssl=1 120w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_0893-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">My photographer wanted to fill the souvenir water bottles before I was placed into the basin; mainly because Tom figured I would pee in the small pool.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?resize=800%2C571&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?w=4895&amp;ssl=1 4895w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?resize=1024%2C731&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-01.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At first, my photographer had difficulty keeping me upright due to the stream of water that was bubbling up from the basin.  But when he found the right spot, I stood there and relaxed in the mineral water.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"727\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-POOL-2.jpg?resize=727%2C563&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-POOL-2.jpg?w=727&amp;ssl=1 727w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-POOL-2.jpg?resize=300%2C232&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Franklin Roosevelt enjoyed the buoyant mineral pools in Warm Springs as therapeutic relief to his polio-stricken legs.  <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?resize=800%2C572&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?w=3911&amp;ssl=1 3911w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?resize=300%2C214&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?resize=768%2C549&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?resize=1024%2C732&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-MINERAL-POOLS-IN-WATER-03.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At first I wasn&#8217;t sure what affect the warm water would have on my resin body; as well as the Gorilla Glue that held my legs together.  As it turned out, the water felt amazing!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"588\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?resize=800%2C588&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?w=5367&amp;ssl=1 5367w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?resize=300%2C221&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?resize=768%2C565&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C753&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2988-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Carol Morrison loved me and seemed proud to hold me near FDR&#8217;s historic pools.  Carol worked for the State of Georgia and I met her in the museum.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">We had spent roughly 40 minutes hanging out with Carol and visiting the pools that were first made famous by FDR in the 1930s.\u00a0 Once I was placed in the backseat of the Highlander, Vicki navigated our vehicle for eight miles along a winding two-lane highway that eventually led us up the Pine Mountain Range to Dowdell\u2019s Knob, which sat nearly 1,400 feet above the valley below.\u00a0 Tom grabbed his camera with one hand, and he carried me in the other as we walked from the car to what seemed to be a scenic overlook.\u00a0 It tuned out that when FDR visited Warm Springs, there were times he instructed his aides to drive him up to Dowdell\u2019s Knob for an outdoor barbecue.\u00a0 Situated along the edge of the overlook was an old stone grill that Roosevelt once used to cook his food.\u00a0 Over the years, the historic grill had been filled-in with concrete as a way to preserve it.\u00a0 As I stood on the top of the stone grill and looked to the West, I couldn\u2019t believe my painted eyes &#8211; the view was breathtaking.\u00a0 I understood exactly why FDR loved it up there as it was far away from any civilization, although a small handful of other tourists had made their way to the site during my visit.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"543\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?resize=800%2C543&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?w=5649&amp;ssl=1 5649w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?resize=300%2C204&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?resize=768%2C522&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C695&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_2998-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I&#8217;m standing on the stone grill that FDR used during his picnic barbecue&#8217;s at Dowdell&#8217;s Knob.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3010-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Although the view was breathtaking from &#8220;The Knob&#8221;, I was concerned about slipping on the grill and falling to my death.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1115\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1115&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?w=3315&amp;ssl=1 3315w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?resize=215%2C300&amp;ssl=1 215w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1071&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?resize=734%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 734w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3016-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The life-sized bronze statue of FDR at Dowdell&#8217;s Knob was the only one known to show Roosevelt wearing leg braces.  I&#8217;m standing on the sculpted back seat of FDR&#8217;s car that was removed for him to sit on while picnicking.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?resize=800%2C1200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?w=4000&amp;ssl=1 4000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3025-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There was no better place for my photographer to eat his first Georgia peach than on top of Dowdell&#8217;s Knob at FDR&#8217;s grill.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?w=6000&amp;ssl=1 6000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/DSC_3029-2.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The scenic and rocky landscape of Dowdell&#8217;s Knob left no doubt in my mind as to why Franklin Roosevelt loved this secluded place so much.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Franklin Roosevelt was driven by the Secret Service to Dowdell&#8217;s Knob for the last time on April 10, 1945.\u00a0 Usually when FDR made the trek to this spot, he fired up the grill for a barbecue and a picnic lunch.\u00a0 But that day was different; the President wanted to be alone.\u00a0 After the agents were asked to walk back down the road, Roosevelt sat in total solitude in the backseat of his car \u2013 he basked in the warm sunshine and gentle breeze.\u00a0 FDR was likely transfixed on the view to the West, the same view that I had just enjoyed from the grill.\u00a0 Our 32<sup>nd<\/sup> President sat in the car for two hours before he honked the vehicle\u2019s horn &#8211; a signal for the agents to return.\u00a0 Two days after he returned to the Little White House from that excursion, Franklin D. Roosevelt died at the age of 63.\u00a0 The townsfolk of Warm Springs honored their fallen friend and neighbor and said that FDR often struck up conversations with others he encountered at Dowdell\u2019s Knob.\u00a0 And according to local legend, some of those people that he encountered never realized that they had talked with the President of the United States.  More than anything, Roosevelt wanted to be just like everyone else and to simply blend in.  It sounded as though he accomplished that in Warm Springs, Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"989\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?resize=800%2C989&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?w=2234&amp;ssl=1 2234w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?resize=243%2C300&amp;ssl=1 243w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?resize=768%2C950&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?resize=828%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 828w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FDR-IN-LWH.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The last known photograph of Franklin Roosevelt captured on April 11, 1945.  A day earlier he sat alone atop Dowdell&#8217;s Knob and the following day he sat for the &#8216;Unfinished Portrait&#8217;. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vicki was happy; she got to sleep-in an extra hour on Saturday July 13, 2019. My companion&#8217;s alarm clock went off at 7:00am, and that was due to the fact that we were less than one mile from our first&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[1238,1240,1241,446,1236,447,62,1239,1234,1237,25,1235],"class_list":["post-6206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-1938-ford-phaeton","tag-carol-morrison","tag-dowdells-knob","tag-fdr","tag-fdrs-deathbed","tag-franklin-d-roosevelt","tag-jefferson-bobble-head","tag-roosevelts-historic-pools","tag-the-little-white-house","tag-the-unfinished-portrait","tag-thomas-jefferson","tag-warm-springs-georgia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6206"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43426,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206\/revisions\/43426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyesofjefferson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}