Selma To Montgomery//Montgomery To Selma

Selma To Montgomery//Montgomery To Selma

Jack and I made the trip that Martin Luther King, Jr. made during the '60s Civil Rights Movement in reverse. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched from Selma to Montgomery. Jack and I drove this historic road and bridge going from Montgomery to Selma after touring the state capitol, the visitor's center in this historic railroad building above and the Hank Williams Museum.

As we drove we came to realize that we were in probably one of the poorest parts of one of the poorest states in the union. We noticed so many abandoned unpainted farmhouses and rusted out machinery lying in the fields. They looked like they had been there for over forty years. Jack and I commented that this historic road and bridge needs another march for economic development.

How can you tell if you are in a depressed area? One, there are very few chain restaurants and two, there are no Starbucks within miles. Jack and I dearly love a Starbucks break when we are traveling on the road. We discovered that in some parts of Alabama you are not going to get a barista fixing you a nice latte.

Who Is This?

This is a bust of a country singer who hailed from Montgomery, Alabama.

He died in the back seat of his blue Cadillac convertible car in 1953 of a heart attack

at the very young age of twenty nine.

He recorded the hit song Your Cheatin Heart.

Who was he?

Look below.

While in Montgomery, Alabama we spent a half hour touring this small quaint museum

dedicated to promoting the memory of Hank Williams.

Kawliga

Are you old enough to remember when every joint and honky tonk bar had a jukebox? It was a social gathering. Today everyone has their own music on their Ipod so they don't have a chance to gather like folks in the last century used to do around a jukebox. Too bad.

Former State Capitol Building Of Alabama

Former State Capitol Building Of Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama

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Look at this beautiful building. It looks as big as the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. We toured this capitol and learned that it was here that the articles of confederation of the Confederate States of America was created.

Here's another view of the front with its two upper wrought iron porches.

On the lawn of the old capitol building is a statue of President Jefferson Davis, the one and only president of the Confederate States of America. Read more about this on the plaque below.

April 12, 1865 General Robert E.Lee of the Confederate State of America surrendered to General Ullyses S. Grant at Appomatox Courthouse in Virginia. The reason why the United State flag was raised over the capitol. The south had lost the war and they were once again apart of the United States of America.

This is one of the circular staircases in the capitol building.

Here is a view of the capitol building's beautiful and ornate dome.

A view of one of the old chambers of the state legislature from the visitors' balcony.

The state has restored the chambers to look like the era before the start of the civil war. Notice the brass spittoon on the floral carpet.

And here is a nice potbelly stove to heat one of the chambers.

On the first floor I found a painting of Mississppi's past Governor George Wallace and a painting of George's wife, Lurleen Wallace. Take a look above and below. I don't have fond memories of George Wallace's fight against civil rights in the 1960's.

My World Tuesday = Bellingrath Gardens 1982 and 2011

My World Tuesday = Bellingrath Gardens

Bellingrath House and Gardens

First Tour July 1982

Second Tour March 2011

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Sometimes it is fun to return to a tourist site that you had visited long ago. In the summer of 1982 Jack and I with our two young daughters were fortunate to be able to spend two weeks in New Orleans while Jack was on a trip for the federal government. Jack took leave from his job coming and going to New Orleans. I remember that we took four days to get to Jack's job in New Orleans and that on the way we made several tourist stops.

One that we have always had very fond memories of was our stop in Theodore, Alabama to tour Bellingrath House and Gardens. In the photo above and the first five below you will see how Bellingrath looked in 1982. In the last series of photos you will see how Bellingrath looked in 2011.

This home was built after the gardens were created so the gardens have always been the main focal point. But my how the trees, shrubs and perennial plants have grown and multiplied in thirty years time. If the house was nestled in the landscaped in 1982, then it is almost hidden by the landscape in 2011.

Bellingrath House and Gardens

July 1982

Jeanine and Jack climbing the stairs from the lake garden.

Jeanine touching the Rebecca At The Well monument in the garden.

Yours truly standing by one of the early water features of the garden.

Jack helping the girls cool off in the Japanese garden.

Jack and the girls cooling their heels in the koi pond.

Bellingrath House and Gardens

March 2011

A French Colonial Style House Surrounded By Trees, Flowers, and Bayous

Take A Look Below

Jack discovered the azealeas now were taller than he.

People were still enjoying the old water features.

This path still led to a dock where you could pay to ride a boat on the bayou.

The camillas were in bloom in March but not in July.

They look pretty like a rose but they don't smell like a rose.

They hardly smell at all.

Spring flowers were in bloom now.

I like blue flowers.

The former carriage house still had the world's largest display of Boehm

porcelain wildlife figures and china plates.

Here's more Boehm porcelain on display.

These are porcelain Boehm birds.

I thought of Old Man Lincoln of Brookville, Ohio when I took this photo of the birds.

Abe Lincoln is quite a bird photographer.

Jack admired the terrace gardens near the house.

I enjoyed taking a sunny break on the old and highly decorative wrought iron furniture.

These flowerpots leading to the house had red dianthus in bloom

and Easter lilies about to bloom.

This view of the house was as pretty as ever.

This small personal catholic chapel was not open to the public in 1982.

The grand lawn was still grand and still in bloom.

Here is another view of the grand lawn.

Pink azealeas bordered parts of the edge of the bayou.

Here's a view of the bayou walkway.

This is the same water feature that I stood by in 1982.

Japanese wisteria was in bloom in March.

The water fountain was still bubbling.

Here's where Jeanine touched the Rebecca At The Well monument in 1982.

I enjoyed this red archway in the Japanese garden.

I don't remember seeing that in 1982.

I don't remember this grove of bamboo in 1982 either.

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Well, like I stated at the beginning of this blog it sometimes is fun to visit a tourist site that you visited long ago. Thank you for visiting my blog. Now please go visit some other My World Tuesday memes by clicking on the My World Tuesday sign up on the right hand side of this blog.