gotta love the USAF!!!
May 1, 2008
state capital building
Well obviously the air force knows what's best for us! They decided that my husband and I did not need a week in Utila indulging in beautiful crystal clear water, seeing gorgeous coral reef, and drinking exotic beverages on the beach! Instead they decided that my husband needed to go to Montgomery, Alabama for a five week TDY (temporary duty station). Starting from April 14 thru May 16, yep our week in Utila was supposed to be from May 10-17 well working on our tan lines is overrated anyway! So, I decided to join him here for the last two weeks of this TDY with the little one. After all I have never been in Alabama so; I might as well check it off my list now!
So, what can I say about Alabama the birthplace of the civil rights movement a heritage Alabamians are obviously proud of! Yet is this a new south or is there still a bit of the old south lingering here? I drove all around Montgomery, Wetumpka, Prattville, Auburn, and even into Birmingham and I found a fair share of rebel flags still being displayed! Now I’d like to think that the majority of people here are not still thinking we should go back to the days of segregation but, then again what’s up with flying those rebel flags? Hopefully there is more of a historic value behind them than a belief system! By the way if ever in Montgomery do stop in at the civil rights memorial center, talk about being shocked by history! Everyone has heard of Marthin L.
rebel flag
King Jr. but, this place really opens your eyes to what went on and has a memorial to all those who lost their lives in those dark times of American history!
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Alabama. It is a beautiful state with rolling hills and lush green tall trees everywhere, the drives where definitely very scenic. Montgomery where we stayed had quite a bit to offer in the way of shopping, places to eat, culture & the arts. Skyler and I had a different destination daily! We went to the zoo, the children’s museum within the Shakespeare grounds, the civil rights museum, a farmers market, and several other places which you can read about within my reviews. The road system was a bit crazy to figure out at first for an out-of towner! However once you got used to it, it was not so bad. Perhaps maybe even simpler they have only two major roads that everything connects to I-65 and I-85 here in Montgomery, it was just set up differently.
Alabama River
I’m sure when Alabamians come to Texas they probably think our road system is nuts, and if not our roads for sure our drivers (we are all speed racers!) Oh because that is one thing I definitely noticed around here everyone drove about 20mph less than me, and they love to drive slow side by side on the interstate too (just slightly frustrating!)
Overall my stay here was very enjoyable, perhaps not as enjoyable as a week in Honduras would have been but........ I’m not bitter about this at all, REALLY!
state capital building
rebel flag
Alabama River
Alabama judicial building
court square fountain
old building
more old buildings
some of the base housing for the
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Rosa Parks Museum
the only part you can take a pic
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church where Martin L. King Jr.
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first white house of the confede
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Hank Williams, the legend!
wildflower field
on the road to Birminham
see what I mean about side by si
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yep 5 minutes later they are sti
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up in Wetumpka, AL
aren't these the kind of woodsy
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on the drive back from Wetumpka.
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can we afford for this part of our history to repeat itself?
Most people have heard of Martin Luther King Jr. but, have you ever heard of Emmett Till? His murder is what started the civil rights movement in 1955. The story of his gruesome murder inspired Rosa Parks to not give her seat up on that bus in Montgomery. This story and other equally disturbing stories are told thru a mini film at the Civil Rights Memorial Museum. I personally believe that it's inmportant to know your history both the events that were good as well as the bad! After all, they all helped shape the future of our country!
Some times the bad events can be disturbing but, if we ignore them they can happen again! If ever in Montgomery stop by this place what you can learn there can be insightful as well as inspiring. The place is small so, we were in and out within 45 minutes but, what you learn there will be unforgettable!
M.L. King Jr. famous quote inscr
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this table contained dates and n
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phenomenal childrens wing!
The museum of fine arts in Montgomery located within the Wynton M. Blount cultural park, has a phenomenal childrens wing. It's free to the public a donation box is placed at the entrance however. The entire museum was pretty cool but, my favorite part was the childrens wing. My little one and I spent hours there because it was just so interactive. They have a huge kaleidescope you can walk into, as well as many opportunities to watch your little "budding artist" create works of art! On the second floor they have a play area where little ones can build "kitchens" with large legos, put on a puppet show, and lots of books for you to read to your tiny ones. Of course you have to clean up after your little one though!
Afterwards, we went to the gift shop were Skyler chose an art book for children. Absolute fantastic experience!
Skyler and me, or our silhoutte'
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yes you can play with the stuff
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my "budding artist"
making stamps
our concept of "hiding!"
giant kaleidescope from top floor
abstract racing!
lots to see and do here!
The Wynton M. Blount cultural park AKA the Shakespeare Festival grounds, is a 300 acre park with lots to see and do. The park houses the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Carolyn Blount theatre, and the Shakespeare Gardens. Several duck ponds and plenty of beautiful landscaping make the park ideal for picnics, morning runs, or just an afternoon of hanging out.
Even the grass is cool here, covered in a white blanket of chamomile reminiscent of an English countryside! My 3 year old and I had an exceptional time at the museum of fine arts, followed by a nice stroll thru the gardens, and finally ending our day by the duck pond where I seriously took over 200 pictures of my daughter running in the vast and fragrant white covered grounds!
the theatre
geese Xing
the gardens
sculpture of children playing
chamomile covered grounds
some monkey business, to attend to!
I really loved the Montgomery zoo! Everything about it was great for one it was not an overwhelmingly large zoo, it was quite small in comparison to other zoo's I've been to. Skyler and I walked around the whole zoo in just a little over two hours. That time included picture time, and getting in out of stroller time, as well as a cool little train ride around the whole park! However it's size did not mean lack of variety! We saw all the usuals there elephants, giraffes, rhinos, but we also saw animals that were a little more unusual that you would only expect to see in a big zoo such as the ocelot! As well, it was very well maintained and not at all stinky (like some other zoo's I've been to!) The entry fees are very cheap as well it was $4 for Skyler and $7 for me.
This zoo trip is perfect if you have a child under four, for which a long day at any park can be extremly tiring and therefore causing cranky babies and moms!
checking out the giraffes
roaaar!
hey look at us!
soooo cute!
all here except the bears!
pink, one of my fave colors!
the ocelot, had you ever even he
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