From Camp McCall we drove through Atlanta (again!). This time we met up with our friends Patrick and Elizabeth, and their boys (one of which is 5 weeks old!). They helped us find a place to meet them that had space enough to park and great Venezuelan food! It was lovely to see them and meet both boys. We had visited them last time we went to Atlanta, but we realized that was 6 years ago! (Although it doesn’t feel that long.) After lunch we checked out the fire trucks at the fire station next door to the restaurant. The kids got to go in the trucks and we chatted with the very eager and personable fire fighters. It was great! Unfortunately we didn’t get any pictures with our friends, but we did get some at the park and with the firetrucks!
From Atlanta we drove down to Bama Bison RV Park outside Opelika, AL. We were surprised to discover that we were now on central time. It was chilly in Alabama, but it felt appropriate for Thanksgiving. We woke up, and Matt made pancakes and bacon for breakfast.
We hung out, had the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background, went for a walk, made hand-print turkeys, and did dinner preparations. With everything cooking, we then got to take an ATV ride into the bison pasture with the owner.
After seeing the bison, we finished dinner prep and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast. Grateful for rotisserie chickens and store bought pumpkin pie. We even had collard greens because we were in the south!
We were planning on staying at Bama Bison through Saturday, but we found out we were going to have to move sites, so we decided to head out on Friday. We also found out the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site was open on Friday, so we decided to go.
It was a great experience! We discovered that the airmen consist of everyone who participated in the program – pilots and support staff, who then went out to serve in many different places. They talked of a double victory, where they helped the US/Allies be victorious overseas, and how they earned respect in their own country when the military was desegregated in 1948 (16 years before the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964). But it was compelling to hear stories of African American soldiers fighting with US soldiers for freedoms of people overseas, and then not having those same freedoms when they returned to their own country. Just crazy and sad.
Claire and Reece did the Junior Ranger packets there and upon completion, the ranger gave them 3 badges, stickers, posters, and WWII model airplanes! He was very generous. He had also worked for the NPS for years and gave many recommendations and contacts in the areas where we are headed. Very helpful!
From there we drove to a campground in Montgomery, AL. The next morning we got up and went to The Legacy Sites (the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park). We took boat and bus shuttles between the sites. It was a heavy day, but an incredible experience. If you are every in Montgomery, be sure to visit.
I feel like I will botch the explanation for this moving place, so please check out the website and talk to us in person if you’re interested.
We didn’t get to take too many pictures, but we got a few, and you really need to go experience it yourself.
After the museum we went and saw Rosa Park’s statue at her bus stop near where she was arrested. It felt full circle because we had gotten to sit on her bus at the Henry Ford Museum. We found out Rosa Parks moved to Detroit shortly after the bus boycott. We also found out that she was an activist and involved with the NAACP before she ‘just decided she was too tired to give up her seat’. That narrative is not as accurate as her knowing exactly what she was doing. And there were several women that had done the same thing she did prior to her. But Parks’ attorney and another woman leader in the NAACP organized the bus boycott between Parks’ arrest Thursday evening and Monday morning when everyone need to use the buses – an impressive feat. MLK Jr. was also recruited at this time to speak to the people – at the age of 26. And obviously became a huge player in the civil rights movement.
One thing I’ve appreciated on this trip is to relearn/put together a lot of history that I wasn’t well-versed in. And realize there’s still so much to learn. I love it!
The next morning we left Montgomery and travelled to the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch (another Harvest Host that Matt found) near Moss Point, MS. We saw LOTS of gators at their ranch/rescue, and then went on an airboat ride – crazy fun!
The water levels are crazy low right now, so the cypress knees were rather exposed.
Also, did you know that the incubation temperature in the nest determines the gender of an alligator?! (https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/alligator.htm)
Hopefully you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! Miss you!
And congratulations to my father-in-law for OSU’s win on Saturday…
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