After dropping the camper off, we drove to Birmingham, AL. On the way, it turned out that Matt had to go to Springfield, MO for work. So the next day we dropped him off at the airport in Birmingham.
Then the kids and I went to the Civil Rights National Monument which is comprised of several sites. We went to the Kelly Ingram Park where there is a walking tour with a timeline of the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham. This park is where the Children’s March/Crusade happened in May 1963 and it is kitty corner to the 16th Street Baptist Church that was bombed in September 1963. We also walked by the A.G. Gaston Motel (closed on Tuesdays) and got hot beverages at the coffee shop on site. The discipline and strength it took to peacefully protest in the face of all the hatred and violence is truly inspiring. (And unfortunate that it was needed. Why do we treat other humans that way? Why do we vilify whole groups of humans?)
We enjoyed BBQ pork sandwiches at SAW’S BBQ in Birmingham before hitting the road to Tupelo, MS. I didn’t realize that northern AL and even northern MS are the foothills to the Appalachian Mountains. It was another beautiful drive.
When we arrived in Tupelo we went to Elvis’s birthplace. We walked the grounds and learned a bit more about his life. There were a couple neat statues and a reflection pond – not at all the crazy opulence that I’ve heard Graceland is. And Reece shares a birthday with Elvis, so that was part of the draw of this stop.
After a night at the hotel with Christmas movies and swimming, we went to the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center. It had a great video and displays about the history of the parkway. The Natchez Trace is a scenic drive from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN (444 miles) that is run by the National Park Service. We picked it up in Tupelo and took it to Nashville. It was a beautiful day and nice change of pace to drive 50 mph on a scenic drive without a gas station or store in sight. We stopped several places along the way to see some historic/significant spots.
We ended at Loveless Cafe and met our friend, Sarah, there for some southern dinner which they are known for – especially the biscuits! We were full after eating, but someday we may go back for homemade banana pudding – complete with homemade vanilla wafers!
We spent the next several nights in Nashville with our friends, the Scotts. They used to live right down the street from us and Sarah worked at the Dale House. We regrouped the first day we were there and dyed the tips of Claire’s hair (an early birthday present). (A new skill that’s totally of my wheelhouse, but between Sarah and I, we figured it out and it turned out alright!)
The next day we went to Fort Negley (in Nashville) and ended up helping with an archeological dig that the city was running before doing improvements at the Fort.
After that we picked up Matt at the Nashville airport and had lunch at the Tennessee State Farmer’s Market food court. It is located next door to the Tennessee State Museum which we visited after lunch. We didn’t realize how large it was and had woefully little time there, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out, playing, and doing house projects. Also on Saturday we went back to Fort Negley with our friends and got to experience some living history – including soldiers, Abraham Lincoln, and live cannon fire. We also played some Civil War period games and dug for fossils at their display. A great time and a beautiful day!
Sunday morning we left early and drove to drop Matt off at the Indianapolis airport for a work trip. The kids and I continued on to cold, snowy MI. We’re glad we have a warm house to stay in and not a camper!
We celebrated Claire’s birthday and finished up our last week of school here. And we are picking up Matt from the airport/his work trip tomorrow.
We’re grateful to be spending the holidays with family and be off the road for a little while. It will be a good transition period before returning south and heading west next semester.
I probably won’t blog again until we hit the road in mid January. Hopefully you all have a lovely holiday season wherever you are! May you experience light and hope in this chaotic world. Love to all!
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