March 2023
Alabama is a picturesque state with rolling hills and lots of trees – the hills are California like, though the gas prices are not. And unlike California, the price you pay at the pump is mostly uniform throughout the State. I found prices to hover between $2.19 and $2.29 whereas I am used to price disparities of over $1 in California where searching for the cheapest gas is a sport. I came down after having driven across the southern portion of Tennessee. The first store on crossing in was pawn/gunsmithing/jewelry. Alabama, like much of the south has some deep poverty, with homes and trailers that in California would have been torn down long ago, the land being too expensive. There are of course many churches, including one in Jasper across from where I stopped for coffee. Here I met a woman outside as we waited for the shop to open who asked if I was part of the church hiking group – which made sense given my attire having just come from a campground. We discussed how I was just traveling through on my way to Birmingham and her cross country trip to national parks. I have a bit of regret over not having asked to join them as the “huge” Saturday farmers’ market I was intent on visiting in Birmingham turned out to be disappointing. Then of course I am not sure I would be welcome as a non church member let alone an atheist, as it was a Baptist church. But we may have had some interesting conversation. It brought back hone to me how lonely it can be to be an atheist in much of America. If you are religious, you almost always have a community to plug into in the States. I spent many years in exploration trying to find a god or religion that spoke to me but in the end I remain a Sam Harris adherent and accept that community won’t be so easy to find.
FLORENCE. I stopped in Florence on my way south from Tennessee for breakfast. The town is charming and they have a Frank Lloyd Wright house you can tour. Also the site of where Helen Keller was born. Not sure I would come out of my way to come here but if in the area it is worth a look around.
SEVEN SPRINGS / RATTLESNAKE SALOON. On the recommendation of Tom and Maggie I came to this very cool restaurant built into a rock in the north part of the State and ended up staying for the night (in the campground, not the restaurant). The place is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and is mainly a horse place. All the folks here were so nice, especially the restaurant staff. My waitress has been there since it opened and has never left the area though plans to travel once she launches her kids into the world. The gentleman who seemed to be an all around do stuff person was really nice and got his back story a bit with a way worse hip/femur story than mine. I arrived on a Friday which meant live music (the band was fantastic) outside and because no horse events were going on, I was able to have the 100 RV spot camp almost to myself. If in the area, definitely recommend a visit.
JASPER. I stopped for coffee and a bathroom break and found a nice downtown with a really good coffee shop attached to a boutique with some cute clothes – Lavish. SR 243 to get to Jasper is a lovely drive.
BIRMINGHAM. Lots of people out and about which was nice to see. I went to the “huge” farmers’ market which was disappointing and tiny by California standards and after the 10 minutes it took to park and walk through very slowly, decided to try for another coffee and breakfast. I think they need more cafes and breakfast places. There were lines everywhere and over an hour wait for breakfast. So I ended up with an Acai bowl as no one seemed to want that and I had fueled up on caffeine in Jasper. It was a rare sunny morning so I did not want to be inside as it was slated to rain the next day and get chilly in the afternoon so after touring a few neighborhoods, I drove into the hills to get in a much needed hike before rushing down to Montgomery.
MONTGOMERY. My main goal in Montgomery was to go to the Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. I was told this is a must visit and it is – would be even better if it could be replicated throughout the country for more to see. These exhibits cover all the United States so much more comprehensive than many of the memorials and museums I have gone to throughout the country. I was going to stay the night in Montgomery but the hotels were very pricey that night. I lucked out though and found a great spot for $26 at Gunter Hill, a nearby State campground though to make it to my spot before all the light was gone I had no time to find take out so found a Dollar Store just outside the park for my dinner of cashews. I had intended to go back to Montgomery for breakfast but it being a Sunday, realized most places were closed and I needed food so started my drive down to the ocean.
GULF SHORES. I thought I would stay a night here but all the high rises led to my continuing my drive into Florida hoping it might lessen but also to get to a beachfront campground in Destin (that did not work out so well). It was also windy and raining so hanging out at the beach was not too appealing. I am glad I went here to satisfy my curiosity and realize that the white sand and emerald bay does not make up for the continuing wall of high-rise buildings. I don’t mind tall buildings in cities but not such a fan when they line a beach (even Santa Monica keeps theirs up above the cliff across the street so one can walk on the sand without passing tall buildings preserving the sense of openness). I can see this being a great vacation spot for many, just not for me. Probably were it not a rainy day I would have felt differently. In hindsight I should have stayed put as the weather grew worse on my drive southeast and within a few hours I was halted by a tornado watch.
So that was it for Alabama and the start of a longer than planned visit to Florida.