This vintage train will take you to all these quirky and cool Georgia sites

Watch 'Georgia's Hidden Treasures,' Wednesday night at 8 on Ch. 2

Many of us have traveled all across Georgia, exploring all of its attractions and charm. But chances are you haven't discovered the SAM train.

The Historic SAM Shortline Railroad runs along an old rail corridor that originally connected Savannah, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama. SAM stands for Savannah, Americus and Montgomery, the three biggest stops along the original route.

These days, the train has been restored and is bringing back a piece of the magical Old South: A vintage engine from 1949 now chugs back and forth between Cordele and Archery (Jimmy Carter's hometown) in southwest Georgia.

Depending on the theme of that day's ride, guests can stop off at some of the state's quirkiest and coolest attractions.

The old saying "the journey is the destination" is another big reason to hop on board. The SAM train is sort of like a rolling national park where guests can take in the lush west Georgia countryside on one of three nifty vintage train cars (each with its own decor and theme).

Here are some places to stop along the way:

A "haunted" theater, Americus:

The Ryland Theatre in Americus dates back to 1921 and was once the local hotspot for Vaudeville and silent films.

Of course, no 96-year-old venue of any sort is complete without a resident ghost.

The mischievous spirit at the Rylander is named Frank. Workers say he is the spirit of a former caretaker and likes to break dishes when no one is looking.

Georgia Rural Telephone Museum, Leslie:

Yes this is a thing. And it's actually really, really cool: The 2,000-square-foot museum is home to the largest and oldest collection of antique telephone memorabilia in the world. It also showcases other cool vintage things like cars, telephone booths and clothes.

Considering how fast the landline telephone is disappearing from our lives, a dedicated space for housing old phones feels appropriate.

A hotel where Al Capone and Teddy Roosevelt stayed, Americus:

The gorgeous, Victorian-style Windsor Hotel was built in 1892 and hearkens back to a period when Americus was the one of the richest towns in Georgia.

Notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone stayed at the Windsor as did Franklin D. Roosevelt and famed aviator Charles Lindbergh.

Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village, Americus:

Maybe you’ve never considered what a traditional family home looks like in Ghana or Papua New Guinea, but it's pretty eye-opening.

Habitat for Humanity's Global Village features recreated homes from impoverished parts of the world and simulations of what the nonprofit home-builder has to do fix them. The village is a fascinating, but at times heartbreaking, stroll through how people live in third-world nations.

Georgia Veterans State Park & Resort, Cordele:

This is only site in Georgia to honor veterans from all wars. The site has everything military from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War including a bunch of vintage planes, a helicopter and armored tanks.

Titan I Missile, Cordele: 

Speaking of cool military things in Cordele, a massive, real-life missile towers over the streets smack-dab in the middle of town. Don't worry, it isn't live, but the town of Cordele wants you to know it definitely isn't a replica.

A 13-foot-tall smiling Peanut, Plains:

It's nearly impossible to separate peanuts from peanut-farmer-turned-president, Georgia's own Jimmy Carter. So someone decided to combine the two, natch.

The huge statue was created for a parade in Indiana while Carter was visiting there and later moved to where it now grins at drivers from in front of an E-Z shop.

The boyhood home of a president, Archery:

OK, so if you're a good Georgian you know President Jimmy Carter grew up here. It's still worth the trip to see the quaint farm where he lived from the time he was 4 to when he went to college.

At the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Archery, you can see the president's childhood home, his family's country store and a tenant house -- all carefully frozen in time.

The place that launched the only presidential win for a Georgian, Plains:

It seems almost impossible that a bid for president would start at such a tiny crossroads of a place, but that's exactly what happened. Jimmy Carter's original campaign headquarters were in a train depot in nearby Plains. Plains is also home to Carter's high school (now a museum dedicated to Carter) and the Carters current home.

Though their home is closed to the public, the Carters are beloved members of the Plains community and often spotted around town.

Cox Media Group