What a day. I got to sleep in and then headed downtown Montgomery. Katrina allowed me to park at her parking deck, which is a parking garage, and that made life so much easier and cheaper. She is so generous and helpful.
My first stop was the MOOseum at the Alabama Cattleman’s Association offices. When I read about a museum for kids about beef I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a nice surprise of a very well done museum. Although small it had great information on cattle, the history of cattle farming in the U.S, typed of cattle, types of horses, how cattle is used, and a large area just for kids about rodeo and eating beef.
My next stop was the First White House of the Confederate South before it moved away. This was interesting to see, had a free self guided tour, and reminded me that I should brush up on dates and facts from the Civil War.
I then made my way to the Civil Rights Center of Montgomery. All the while I had been walking among the beautiful old states building.
Once at the Center I stopped and read about the forty people who dies during the civil rights movement on the memorial. The same girl who designed the Vietnam Veterans Wall in DC designed this and she did a great job.
Although this center is smaller than the one in Birmingham I am very glad I went to this one. It surprised me that the two are not affiliated and now I wonder what the other one has to offer. I joined a tour with a group of leadership students but had to cut out early. The tour guide was very engaging and passionate. She seems like she would a be a cool person to get to know.
I left the Center to meet back up with Katrina. We headed to Martin’s where we met Allison for a Meat-n-Three. I guess this is a bog southern thing and Martin’s does it great. So… each day has four or five meat options and about eight different sides you can choose from. You pick one meat and three sides. You also get real corn bread and sweat tea. Yum.
After my huge yummy lunch I wondered around the city in a down pour and finally made it to the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. I also got to see Troy University. The Museum is set up beautifully and caters to the different learning styles. It had some unique features, like the bus, and next door at the Rosa Parks Children’s Wing this strange time machine. I am not sure why the children’s wing one was separate. It was right next door and not just for kids. Instead of $6 for each they should combine the two. That way more revenue would come in for them and more people would experience this cool time machine that gives a great overview of all black struggles leading up to Rosa Parks.
Once I left the Rosa Parks area the sun was shining and there was almost no evidence it had rained. So… I sat in the sun. Here I got to see convicts in their black and white jumpers doing work outdoors.
I then walked a little bit more. I saw the statue of Hank Williams but forgot about his grave. Oh well. I made my way to the gorgeous capital building and walked around it for awhile while chatting with Kayla about the Lost Luggage Place. The capital was neat. It had a gift shop with stuff only made in or about Alabama. They also had it completely open to the public so you could see the grandeur of it from the inside as well as the historic rooms. I only have one other capital building to compare it to but it seems if you like buildings you can visit many of them and compare. That’s a neat idea for another road trip. Capital Buildings.
I made my way back to Katrina’s just before the next down pour hit. We made strawberry jam, then Katrina made homemade biscuits, homemade sausage gravy, cheese grits, and eggs. YUM! We ended the night relaxing and watching TV. Good times and good food in the South!
It’s interesting that Montgomery has so much historical sites and information to offer but the locals all prefer Birmingham. They say there is more to do there. I think Montgomery is great for tourists where Birmingham may have more shopping and activities.
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