Michael Tropp has met seven presidents and visited all 39 presidential gravesites. This presidential history buff just paid his respects to Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter liked to eat at the Pit Stop in Thomaston, Ga. That was where the future president met a boy who would grow up to be a state trooper.

Carter’s long public goodbye began Saturday in the state where the 39th U.S. president was born, lived and died.