Days 272 & 273 (Fri 4/19/13 & Sat 4/20/13)- Southern Alabama

The small town of Fairhope has two things that make it unique. As you drive into town, both sides of the roadway are lined with flags stretching on for a mile. This nice yet somewhat surprising patriotic gesture is a nice thing to be known for. Having the nation's worst laundry mat is not, with the majority of machines broken and those that "worked," did so only if shredding delicates was what they were designed to do.

Leaving laundry hell behind us, we headed for Orange Beach. Located right on the Florida border, it is a lovely gulf beach, without the cost. We were delighted to wade into warm water. Coming from the Pacific where water temperatures in April could cause hypothermia it was a real treat.

Another nice surprise was the beach's outdoor showers. Though not private enough to spend much time in, it was just enough to meet our hygiene quota.

Orange Beach pelican

Day 271 (Thursday 4/18/13)- Montgomery, AL

We drove downtown for a brief tour, but didn't bother to explore on foot. Before leaving Birmingham we did, however, make one stop, at the nation's oldest baseball park-- Rickwood Field. Here we found sun discolored seats and advertising signs dating back to a different era. A time capsule and one worth a stop.

On the way to Montgomery we made a wise detour at Clara's Soul Food Buffet. But first an obnoxious "routine" traffic stop a half mile from the restaurant in which a cop pulled over everyone in the vicinity, of which we were the only vehicle that had to, in the middle of the road, turn off its engine to use the keys to unlock the glove box to get our insurance, and when it turned out the glove box didn't hold the forms, to "wait just a sec officer" while the driver crawled over the front seat and into the back of the van while she searched her "files" (the Officer finally let us go...embarrassed for us). The food at Clara's was excellent and filling and the restaurant is run by the sweetest of ladies.

In Montgomery we found parking and were able to see a couple things downtown. We visited the former home of Confederacy President Jefferson Davis at the First White House of the Confederacy (he later moved to Virginia to communicate more easily with the Union). The home was full of antiques from the family and was interesting to see. An enthusiastic guide talked with us about how our Civil War is unique considering how the North and South were able to unite following it, an unusual if not almost impossible feat. She also talked about how slavery was only a nominal reason for the war. We found her level of denial troubling, especially since she was so nice.

It was a disquieting juxtaposition to then visit the memorial outside the Civil Rights Institute. There were two marble statues with engravings, one with a moving quote from Dr. King and the other with the major events of the Civil Rights movement and the names of some of those who lost their lives for it. It was a beautiful tribute.

We finished the evening by touring the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts which had an impressive building, a very cool, high tech interactive children's area and a nice collection of art.

Rickwood Field

Day 270 (Wednesday 4/17/13)- Birmingham, AL

Before arriving in Birmingham we made several stops, the first for BBQ. Each southern state has it's own take and unfortunately for Isaiah Alabama's version, though tasty, just didn't bring the heat.

Next we toured the University of North Alabama campus and got to see their famous school lions. Leo and UNA are housed right next to the school's front gates and though not especially active in the warm sunshine they were cool to see.

Isaiah surprised me with a stop at Trowbridge's ice cream parlor. We feasted on several flavors of ice cream and tried a toasted banana and peanut butter sandwich. Though it wasn't quite the King's favorite snack it came close and seemed a healthier option than deep fried. The pimento sandwich was better.

Finally arriving in Birmingham we were about done for the day and opted to explore the next day instead.

UNA

 

Leo

 

 

Frank Lloyd Wright house

 

Day 269 (Tuesday 4/16/13)- Natchez, MS

Natchez is full of lovely historic homes but exploring them would have cost $10 a pop. Instead we opted to tour the William Johnson home and the Melrose Plantation grounds, both owned by the NPS.

William Johnson was a black man born into slavery who was set free by his owner (who was also presumably his father) when he was 11. He became a well known barber in town eventually owning three barbershops, a bath house and, surprisingly, slaves. William died when his neighbor shot him in the back over a land dispute. Though William, with his dying breath, identified his killer, according to the law black people, even free ones, couldn't testify, so the neighbor got off.

We visited the Melrose Plantation grounds which we found particularly fascinating/horrifying. The former slave quarters had been turned into a small museum that detailed the history of slavery. Natchez had been one of the largest slave markets along the Mississippi river.

Here, the reason for our horror:

On the eve of the Civil War the 1860 census showed 4 million Africans were enslaved in America. One third of enslaved children, if they survived infancy, grew up in one-parent homes due to the high death rate of slaves and that 10-20% of families were broken up by sale.

Following the war many freed slaves had no place to go. Many young men signed up for the military but were begrudgingly admitted and treated so badly that 13% ended up deserting and 1 in 3 died from disease. Many women and children ended up in camps run by the Union army with such poor conditions that in one summer over 2000 people died...in one camp.

Following our historic tour we drove along the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. Taking this lush road all the way to Tupelo we spent the night in Elvis' boyhood home but did little beyond a brief tour. The coke couple we met in Clarksdale live here and we found no need to run into them again.

William Johnson's colorful entryway

(the louder the color, the richer you were)

Day 268 (Monday 4/15/13)- Vicksburg, MS

 

 

After a long drive and a failed expedition in the city of Leland we arrived at the Vicksburg Military Park about an hour and a half before they closed. This gave us enough time to watch the video at the visitor's center and make a quick loop of the park.

The lesser known battle for Vicksburg was a turning point in the Civil War. Due to it's strategic location near the Mississippi River it was an important port for supplies and travel and crucial for the Confederacy who fought long and valiantly to thwart General Grant's troops on several different occasions. In a last ditch attempt Grant attacked again and eventually took Vicksburg after a 46-day siege that finally ended the day after the battle at Gettysburg.

As we drove the park loop we found an impressive array of monuments provided by the many states that lost soldiers in the battle, statues and pillars dotting the tops of hills where forts had once stood. It was a beautiful and powerful drive, even with our time constraints.