Family Travel

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was stricken with polio as a young man.

He spent time away from Washington, DC in Warm Springs, Georgia, seeking pain relief and perhaps some measure of recovery in the area’s spring waters.

The house where he stayed became known as Roosevelt’s Little White House, and he died there of a cerebral hemorrhage in April 1945.

Today it’s a Georgia State Park and open to visitors, with New Deal-era memorabilia and the surroundings as he left them, including features like his famous Fireside Chats recorded and played over a 1930s radio.

Late this summer, park visitors can participate in a unusual treat.

The pool where he swam is normally kept empty for preservation, but for three days it will be filled with naturally warm spring water, and for an extra fee, you can jump into FDR’s swimming pool.

The details for A Dip Into the Past, from the park Web site:

Saturday, August 30, 2008 to Monday, September 1, 2008
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Four 2-hour swim sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. Ages 6 and older.
Reservations suggested but not required.
$15 adults; $10 ages 6 to 17.
[Phone] 706-655-5870.

There are other unique events, like the annual tribute to his Scotty dog Fala (all Scottish Terriers are welcome to attend, on a leash) and a Warm Springs Thanksgiving, featuring music by descendants of band members who used to play for Roosevelt.

Still, the chance to swim in that pool sounds really special.

Any of my readers who live near there willing to dive in and send us a report?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 11:28 am and is filed under Family Travel in Georgia, Travel in the USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.