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
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