The last few months have been so busy that we severely overlooked the amazing route we decided to take through our native roads en route to NM. After seven years in Atlanta, we are ashamed to say that we have left much of the South untouched. You need not look much further than I-85 South a few hours to find yourself in unfamiliar land. And for those of you in Atlanta (none of our friends of course) – who travel but never leave – go see your countrymen/women in Alabama. They’re good folk.
We departed Atlanta bright and early Tuesday morning headed for the bustling town of Montgomery, AL. Our intention is not to bore you all with a history lesson in the Civil Rights Movement but hopefully some of these ring a bell – Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church, Ms. Parks, SPLC, The First White House of the Confederacy (as an aside, first person who posts or emails with a definition/explanation of all of these gets something special in the mail. Please include a mailing address. We’re keeping score.) Montgomery was much as people described – not a lot going on. There is, however, a fascinating juxtaposition of Civil War history and the Civil Rights Movement. There is certainly something that leaves you shivering when, on one street, you stand pinned by two very different notions – ‘freedom for all’ and ‘the south will never die’. As this was our first stop, we have plenty of great photos of Wyatt learning about history and contemplating his role in the fight for equality and justice. And that’s only 2 ½ hours in…
Fifty miles west and we arrived in Selma, AL. Again, not to bore everyone with the history lesson, but, seriously, look it up. Out of all our domestic travels, we were most excited about this. The bridge, the church, the ideals we were certain must surely linger on the riverfront… To be certain, those things are in Selma but are severely broken down. We were incredibly surprised to see these tremendous declarations of civil rights in our country in serious disrepair. The Edmond Pettus Bridge is a fantastic entry point to the city and Wyatt enjoyed walking around the various civil war era buildings. Farther into town, however, the house where SNCC, SCLC and the DCLV gathered in 1965 to organize the Montgomery Marches was as abandoned and shot through as anything we’d ever seen. There was one sad sign out front that dismissingly acknowledges its significance but it is hard to see through the overgrown yard. The AME Church, again a reality check for us both, is not like an historical site you might have expected. It is in a tough neighborhood that we’re certain many visitors haven’t the stomach for. Of course, while trying not to be such obvious tourists, Wyatt decided to lose his tail bandage (cut his tail a few days earlier) and we had to perform emergency surgery in the street alongside numerous suspicious onlookers. You’ll all be relieved to know that Jaci can do a mean wrap job and Wyatt’s tail is making a full recovery.
After Selma, we used state highways to head toward Mobile, AL. Uncertain of where we would sleep, our intention was to soak in as much of the countryside as possible. Again, more beautiful and unexpected scenery. High trees, kudzu canopies, Spanish Moss and the proverbial ‘more churches than people’ vistas. Also, good folk sitting on porches, waving us by, and enjoying the weather. We were the Locomotive… We ended the day at the I-65 RV Campground where we scored our tent plot for $12.50, pitched our home, played with the pup, and reminisced about the day. More South please…
Click HERE for more pictures.
We departed Atlanta bright and early Tuesday morning headed for the bustling town of Montgomery, AL. Our intention is not to bore you all with a history lesson in the Civil Rights Movement but hopefully some of these ring a bell – Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church, Ms. Parks, SPLC, The First White House of the Confederacy (as an aside, first person who posts or emails with a definition/explanation of all of these gets something special in the mail. Please include a mailing address. We’re keeping score.) Montgomery was much as people described – not a lot going on. There is, however, a fascinating juxtaposition of Civil War history and the Civil Rights Movement. There is certainly something that leaves you shivering when, on one street, you stand pinned by two very different notions – ‘freedom for all’ and ‘the south will never die’. As this was our first stop, we have plenty of great photos of Wyatt learning about history and contemplating his role in the fight for equality and justice. And that’s only 2 ½ hours in…
Fifty miles west and we arrived in Selma, AL. Again, not to bore everyone with the history lesson, but, seriously, look it up. Out of all our domestic travels, we were most excited about this. The bridge, the church, the ideals we were certain must surely linger on the riverfront… To be certain, those things are in Selma but are severely broken down. We were incredibly surprised to see these tremendous declarations of civil rights in our country in serious disrepair. The Edmond Pettus Bridge is a fantastic entry point to the city and Wyatt enjoyed walking around the various civil war era buildings. Farther into town, however, the house where SNCC, SCLC and the DCLV gathered in 1965 to organize the Montgomery Marches was as abandoned and shot through as anything we’d ever seen. There was one sad sign out front that dismissingly acknowledges its significance but it is hard to see through the overgrown yard. The AME Church, again a reality check for us both, is not like an historical site you might have expected. It is in a tough neighborhood that we’re certain many visitors haven’t the stomach for. Of course, while trying not to be such obvious tourists, Wyatt decided to lose his tail bandage (cut his tail a few days earlier) and we had to perform emergency surgery in the street alongside numerous suspicious onlookers. You’ll all be relieved to know that Jaci can do a mean wrap job and Wyatt’s tail is making a full recovery.
After Selma, we used state highways to head toward Mobile, AL. Uncertain of where we would sleep, our intention was to soak in as much of the countryside as possible. Again, more beautiful and unexpected scenery. High trees, kudzu canopies, Spanish Moss and the proverbial ‘more churches than people’ vistas. Also, good folk sitting on porches, waving us by, and enjoying the weather. We were the Locomotive… We ended the day at the I-65 RV Campground where we scored our tent plot for $12.50, pitched our home, played with the pup, and reminisced about the day. More South please…
Click HERE for more pictures.
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