Rome, Georgia continues to fascinate me, especially as I dug in deeper preparing for this article recently posted in BabyBoomster.com.

On Thanksgiving Night of this year, Steve and I stayed at The Claremont House, a gorgeous Victorian mansion-turned-B & B on 2nd Ave.  We were at the very top of the stairs and the ONLY GUESTS staying in the main house that night.  It’s a good thing neither of us believe in ghosts.  Gulp!  It was after dark when we arrived, but we found a key taped to the back door and made our way carefully and quietly following the directions left behind.  We found a large room with a canopied king-size bed, and a clawfoot tub/shower.

(Click each image to get a closer look).

Elizabeth Room in the Claremont House.

The owners were away for the holiday weekend but left some capable young ladies behind to prepare breakfast and answer hundreds of questions for us.  They served a spinach egg scramble, bacon, fresh fruit and biscuits to us and to the 3 people who had stayed in the detached cottage the night before.  It was delicious, and they were gracious hostesses.

The girls told us about owners Chris and Holly who combined their last names to become McHagee.  She’s an anthropologist.  He’s a sociologist.  She cooks.  He’s the event coordinator and handyman.  They’ve owned the B & B since they were 24 years old.  A remarkable fact, don’t you think?  They have a young daughter who lives with them in one end of the house and are expecting their 2nd child.  I found myself wanting to talk Steve into buying a house to convert into a B & B.  He immediately nixed that idea.  No surprise there.

Front door of The Claremont House

Breakfast Room of The Claremont House

Exterior of the Claremont House.

Those girls were very enthusiastic about Rome and all of its uniqueness.  They told us about Rome’s present tennis prominence and how it impacts the town by filling every hotel room during tournaments.  Scouts from major colleges and universities come, so it’s a huge deal for high school players in particular.  Rome is braced for a giant economic impact when the Rome Tennis Center of Georgia is completed which is now halfway through Phase 1.

They told us about Myrtle Hill Cemetery and some of the famous people buried there.  We went by for a quick look but will definitely plan a more leisurely stroll through it on our next visit to see daughter Laura and her family.  They also shared some of the interesting facts about Berry College, Oak Hill, and downtown’s Broad St.

View from the top of Myrtle Hill Cemetery

Did you know that Hernando de Soto went through Rome?

Did you know that Sweet Home Alabama wasn’t filmed in Alabama but had many scenes filmed in Rome, especially the wedding scene at Oak Hill Plantation (known in the movie as “the Carmichael Plantation”)?

Can you name the largest college campus in the world?  What about the most beautiful?  Yep, right there in Rome.  Here’s a big hint.

Berry College “Gate of Opportunity”

Do you know what The Cotton Block is?

Can you list the 3 rivers that converge in Rome?

What about Rome’s role in the Civil War or the shattering event of 1886?  Remember.  Here’s a good source for finding the answers.

Brush up on your history, read the article linked above in Baby Boomster.com, grab your camera and spend a few days in Rome.  I believe you’ll find a LOT to enjoy.

Did I mention that Rome, GA even has a Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House?  What are you waiting for?  Go!  Go!