Georgia's On Our Mind, But We Are Going With the Flow

 

We were excited! It was time to start heading north after spending five months in Florida. When we began making plans for our journey, Doug had one request. Since we had spent so much time on the beach recently, he wanted to take a more inland route as we explored the eastern United States. So I did my research. Central Georgia has hills, and hiking, and lots of history ... sounds like my kind of place! And while we were hoping to have ''Georgia on our Minds'' for the next few weeks, a change of plans taught us to go with the flow as we discovered ''Sweet home Alabama''.

I am a planner, and I had devised a great travel itinerary. Visit a Civil War national historic site, check out Jimmy Carter's hometown of Plains, see the ''Grand Canyon of Georgia'', find the small town where Doug's grandmother had acquired her beautiful southern accent, stop by FDR's Little White House, reconnect with cousins who were excited to show us Atlanta, and check out the mountains of northern Georgia. 

The best laid plans ... sometimes need to be changed.

We were able to visit Andersonville and see Grandma's hometown of Waverly Hall, Georgia, but few days into our journey, we began to hear about gas shortages affecting the southeastern United States. When we started to personally experience empty gas pumps, we knew that we may need to rethink our travel plan. Gasoline is kind of a major player in our lifestyle. Fortunately, the ability to be flexible brought us to a few historical sites while allowing us to enjoy some ''sweet home'' moments in Alabama.

(Google gets this photo credit since I wasn't quick enough

with the camera when we crossed the state line)

Alabama, we had read, was not hugely impacted by the gasoline shortage like its neighbors to the east. And upon crossing the state line, we saw that it was true. At our first gas stop, it was business as usual. With our tank once again full, we continued west to cross off another state capitol building for me, and also discover a city with a rich yet contentious history.

Montgomery, Alabama

We were originally going to just get a quick picture and walk around the state capitol building, but after passing by the Confederate White House and talking to a tour guide, we sensed that there was more history to check out while we were here in downtown Montgomery.

But first things first ... our search continues for BBQ ribs as good as Grandma's. According to Trip Adviser, Dreamland Bar-B-Que is the #1 BBQ joint in Montgomery, and it just happened to be right down the street. Let's check it out! We shared the rib and pork plate, and while the pork was flavorful and the sauce had a unique burst of flavor, the ribs were far from ''fall off the bone'' tender. We know that it will be hard to beat the memory of Doug's grandmother's ribs, but these, unfortunately, did not even come close.

After lunch we walked around downtown, checked out the riverfront, and found plaques that highlighted a city rich in history. 

Located on the Alabama River, the city of

Montgomery grew as the river helped boost

not only its cotton trade,

... but also made it a major slave trading market.

In more recent history, Montgomery is considered

the birthplace of Civil Rights, beginning with Rosa Parks

and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955,

... and continuing with the Salma to Montgomery marches

to secure voting rights for all in 1965.

There are numerous museums in Montgomery dedicated to the history of the struggle for Civil Rights. My travel partner scored some ''good guy'' points when he researched our options and suggested a visit to The Legacy Museum.

This museum is located on the site that once warehoused enslaved people awaiting to be sold at auction. Admission to the museum is free, but it is advised to reserve tickets ahead of time as space can be limited. We were fortunate to be able to reserve our tickets as we waited in line. After donning our masks and passing through security, we were ready to enter into the somber museum that highlighted the legacy of slavery, lynchings, and racial segregation.

(The Legacy Museum gets this photo credit as

photography is not allowed in the museum)

As we entered, we were immediately drawn into the tragic history of this place. Holographic images of enslaved people in slave pens fearfully shared their story as they waited to be publicly auctioned off. These and subsequent interactive displays, movies, and personal stories of slavery, lynchings, and wrongful incarcerations drew us into the plight of racial injustice and invited us all to work together to be a part of the solution. 

A mile down the street was the second part of the museum  ... the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Sculptures, quotes, and plaques visualized the struggles that people of color face in our country.

In the center of the garden was a building with 800 monuments that bore the names of the 4000 Americans who died as a result of public lynchings between 1877 and 1950. 

As we walked past these six-foot tall steel pillars, the floor began to slant down, and the pillars appeared to rise up, giving the subtle effect of the horrific acts that these monuments were recalling.

On a couple walls were the personal stories of the injustices that were not limited to the Southern states but occurred in the North as well.

While this was not the way I had envisioned a visit to Montgomery, I am sure glad that we didn't just take the picture of the capitol building and leave. The emotionally powerful museum and memorial provides a place where all people can not only reflect upon the past but also resolve to improve the future of our country by working together to achieve justice for all.

New Friends on the Shore of Lake Mitchell

Because we changed our plans on the weekend, we needed to find a ''spur of the moment'' place to spend the night. Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts once again came to our rescue. The delightful family that runs G.R.A.C.E. Marina allowed us to park on their property on Friday night, and a small town brewery was our host on Saturday night.

After settling in, our Boondockers Welcome hosts generously offered to take us on a sunset pontoon ride around the 8000 acre lake/reservoir that their home and business is located on. Their southern hospitality quickly made us feel like old friends as we got to know their family and shared travel stories. The name of their marina incorporates the first initial of each family member, because during their twenty years on the lake, each member has contributed to its success. RV travelers in the off season, they suggested a couple of Alabama state parks that we might enjoy.

As the sun began to set, they took us to the opposite side of the lake where a tornado had severely damaged many homes just two months prior. As they attested, the ''grace'' of God had kept their home, family, and business safe. It was a joy to watch their six-month-old grandson's smiles until the gentle wave action rocked him to sleep. 

The next morning a family of ducks were excited to greet their new friend as Doug shared some of his treats with them.

And we were grateful to experience the joys of exploring new places and meeting new friends ... which is only possible when we (mostly meaning I ... the planner) are willing to go with the flow.

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