We’re spending the week in Austin. I’m looking forward to good food and good music.
Austin Fun Facts
Named for one of the its founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin, the capital city of Texas has a population of a little over a million people.
Austin sits on the Colorado River – not the Colorado River of the Grand Canyon – the one that’s 862 miles long and begins and ends in Texas.
Its official motto is “Live Music Capital of the World” The city has over 250 live music venues.
Its unofficial slogan, “Keep Austin Weird” was coined by a local librarian and later adopted by a business group to promote shopping at local businesses.
Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin in 1980. Purchased by Amazon in 2017 it’s still headquartered in Austin.
Since we’re staying on the Bolivar Peninsula, I thought I would honor the peninsula’s namesake, Simon Bolivar.
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco (whew!) was born in 1783, in Caracas, just after the end of the American Revolutionary War. He grew up learning about the French revolution. In 1805, he swore to end Spanish rule in the Americas. With the help of others, he largely succeeded. The countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela gained independence due to his efforts. Today he is known as El Libertador in much of Latin America.
We’re enjoying our time at the beach. I’m reclining on our couch and looking out at the waves from the Gulf. There is a constant breeze from the water. Neither of us have the energy to much of anything, let alone drive to Galveston, which we originally planned to do today. It’s nice just hanging out here. We had a mix of sun and clouds earlier with temps in the 70’s; it’s now cloudy with some threat of rain tonight. The humidity is ~80% but it feels higher. Everything seems to have a light coating of salt water, including us! In fact, our smoke alarms went off last night, due to the high humidity. (I never knew smoke alarms can be triggered by humidity!)
We’re spending a few days at a campground with the descriptive name “Sun and Fun RV Park” in Gilchrist, TX on the Bolivar Peninsula. It’s a small campground on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Our campsite is a short walk to the beach.
As soon as we finished setting up at the campsite we went down to the beach. Michael took a walk, while I sat and enjoyed the view. I’m hoping the weather is cooperative and let’s us enjoy the beach.
The view from my chair A willet taking a stroll
A willet is a kind of sandpiper that’s commonly found on the Gulf. I got to see its striking black striped wings when he flew away.
Image from The County of Galveston, TX website
Bolivar peninsula is a 27-mile long, narrow strip of land separating East Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. It has about 3,000 residents living in several small communities. In September 2008, the area was devastated by Hurricane Ike with most of the peninsula submerged under water. Most of the current buildings were built after 2008.
California artist Tony Natsoulas created these ~5 foot high ceramics, which are on display at the Louisiana State University Museum of Art. Natsoulas was a fan of the Beatles and described them as the “background music of life when growing up.” After studying ceramics in college, Natsoulas became an artist, focusing on large-scale figurative ceramics. He produced these pieces in 2001, picking a different period of Beatles history for each band member.
George: I, Me, Mine, refers to his quest for spiritual enlightenment and embrace of Eastern religions, specifically Hinduism. John: Tomorrow Never Knows, alluding to the farewell rooftop performance at Apple Studios in London. Paul: This Boy, represents the early days, when the band wore collarless suits. Ringo: Sea of Green, refers to the psychedelic clothing the band wore in the animated film Yellow Submarine.
The Horace Wilkinson Bridge in the distance from the Old Capitol lawn. The Mississippi River Bridge, officially named the Horace Wilkinson Bridge, carries the I-10 from Port Allen to Baton Rouge. Built in 1968, it’s named for a trio of Louisiana legislators—Horace Wilkinson Sr. Jr., and III—who collectively served 54 years in the state legislature.
The Old State Capitol, built in 1847, sits on the Istrouma Bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River. Baton Rouge was under Union control for most of the Civil War, allowing it to maintain control of the Mississippi. Union forces used the Capitol building as a command post and a prison for Confederate soldiers.
After an accidental fire destroyed the interior in 1862, the building was abandoned. It remained in ruins for 20 years. The interior was finally rebuilt in the 1880s, when the building’s most iconic features were added – the cast-iron spiral staircase that leads up through a four-story rotunda with a stained-glass dome.
The Governors Gallery with portraits of all of Louisiana’s governors.This mahogany “Gothic style” German clock has the quatefoil design seen throughout the architectural detail of the Old State Capitol. At one time, the clock stood inside New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, which operated for nearly 300 years until Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005.
The 4-lobed quatefoil is a common motif in Gothic architecture, a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
A 1/3 scale replica of the Bienville Monument that stands in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville is considered the “Father of New Orleans” and an early governor of French Louisiana. Bienville is shown with a French priest and a Native American, representing Louisiana’s early colonial history. The 20th century sculptor, Angela Gregory, was a Louisiana native who was nationally recognized in a field dominated by men.
They had a major exhibit about the controversial Louisiana governor Huey Long. I’d heard of him, but didn’t know much about him.
Huey Long (1893–1935) was governor from 1928–1932 and served in the Senate from 1932–1935. He was planning a run for president against FDR, when he was assassinated by the son-in-law of a political rival. Long was 42 when he died.
When Long took office, Louisiana ranked at the bottom of every measure of economic and social progress. He spearheaded a massive modernization program. In the process, he overthrew the ruling political class and built a mightier political machine from the one he toppled. Supporters called him a champion of the common man. Critics called him a dictator seeking ultimate power.
“After his election to the Senate in 1930, Huey refused the oath of office. He didn’t want Lt. Gov. Paul Cyr to succeed him. When Cyr declared himself governor, Huey ordered the police to prevent Cyr from entering the governor’s mansion.”
The exhibit presented Long’s political story through the eyes of both his advocates and his adversaries and asked visitors to draw their own conclusions.
We also visited the LSU Museum of Art that was walking distance from the Old Capitol. The museum had an exhibit called “Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall. ” Chagall was asked to illustrate the Greek novel Daphnis and Chloe written by Longus in the 2nd century C.E. He spent nearly a decade illustrating and printing the graphic series, which was eventually published in 1961 as a limited-edition book. All of the illustrations were on display.
Le bâton rouge – French for “red stick” – is what the early French explorers called the region with the red colored poles the local indigenous people used for boundary markers.
Red Stick sculpture at the Mississippi River WalkThe Mississippi River
About Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s 2nd largest city – New Orleans is bigger – has a population of about 230,000 people.
Baton Rouge is located on the eastern side of the Mississippi River on the Istrouma Bluff (a native word meaning “red stick”). In 1849, the capital was moved from New Orleans to the higher elevation of Baton Rouge. The bluff protected the city from the flooding that often happens along the Mississippi River.
Baton Rouge is one of 2 state capitals located on the Mississippi River; the other is St. Paul, Minnesota.
Completed in 1932, the current State Capitol building is the tallest in the country, standing at 450 feet with 34 floors.
The country’s first bus boycott protesting the segregation of city buses began in Baton Rouge on June 18, 1953 organized by Rev. T.J. Jemison, minister at Zion First Baptist Church. The week-long campaign resulted in a change to the seating policy on Baton Rouge buses. It was the model for the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-56.
On August 10, 1967, two young activists from Bogalusa, Louisiana marched 105 miles from Bogalusa to the State Capitol in Baton Rouge in what became known as “the 105-Mile March for Civil Rights” to raise awareness of the rash of violence against African Americans nationwide and to protest against discriminatory hiring practices in Louisiana. They picked up over 600 marchers along the way. The march directly led to improvements in employment practices .
The “Castle on the River”
The Old State Capitol building was completed in 1852. State capitols typically mimic the style of the US Capitol building, but the architect of the Louisiana capitol wanted a unique design. Replaced in 1932, the Old Capitol now houses the Museum of Political History .
Fun fact: Prior to 1940 there were no bridges that crossed the Mississippi at Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge is the last major city on the Mississippi before New Orleans. Our campground is just west of the city in Port Allen, across the river from Baton Rouge. When we arrived here, I noticed that the area was mostly industrial, with very few residential neighborhoods. Once I learned that there wasn’t a bridge before 1940, I realized why.
The city of Baton Rouge really was named after a red stick. French explorers found a red stick (or pole) that marked the boundary between two tribes’ hunting grounds. The French established a colony at that site in 1721.
We toured the city a bit today. Baton Rouge has a nice multi-use trail that starts in the city and meanders with the river for about 14 miles. If the weather cooperates, I might take a bike ride on it.
No Kings, Mobile, AL
Last Saturday I attended the No Kings rally in Mobile. It was a festive occasion with people carrying signs, lined up and down one of the main streets in town. Cars drove by honking in support. I wondered how the rally would be received in such a red state. One protester told me that Mobile is probably the most liberal town in Alabama. There weren’t any counter demonstrators and the rally felt safe. After the street demonstration, people went to a nearby park where there were tables with various progressive literature. There were a few speakers and everyone went home feeling that they had done something important. It felt good to be there.
Sunset view from our RV window in Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, AL
Our RV travels usually break out into phases. The start of this trip was delayed by the 36 inches of snow that hit Providence in late February. Once we got on the road, we visited family in MD, DC and NC and are now exploring the Alabama Gulf Coast and Mobile.
Mobile, Alabama
For the next phase we are going west to explore the Utah national parks. We will spend a month or so traveling thru Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. When we planned the trip, I expected the weather in April wouldn’t be too oppressive in these states. Well, it looks like Mother Nature had other ideas. We will likely have hot and humid days as we travel west. Hopefully there will be a break in the weather before the Southwest experiences the full summer heat.
I’ve wanted to visit the ‘Mighty Five’ in Utah for several years. Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef, Arches and Canyonlands are so unique with stunning views and incredible rock formations. I want to see these wonders for myself and scratch the itch I have to visit. Hopefully, the plans I’ve made will allow Cathie to see many of the highlights in these parks as well.
And then? Well we’re not sure. After Utah we want to spend some time in Santa Fe. By late May we will be ready for the next phase of the trip. Since we probably won’t be out west again, maybe we should do some exploring!
The marshes of Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, AL
Gulf Shores and Mobile have been so pleasant. The weather has been wonderful, with highs in the 70’s, cool nights and no rain. Mobile is pretty low key; today we toured some of the city and sat in Bienville Square, a pretty park in the center of Mobile, named after the founder, Jean-Baptise Le Moyne, Sieur de Beinville. (Bienville was a colorful character, who also founded New Orleans and is often described as the father of Louisiana.) The campground where we are staying is 15 minutes from Mobile, in the upper marshes of Mobile Bay. There is a boardwalk over part of the marsh where you can see the wildlife.
Our last stop in Alabama as we head west is Mobile, the oldest city in Alabama. It was founded in 1702, when France’s North American colony, New France, stretched from Newfoundland to the Gulf Coast. Mobile was the first capital of French Louisiana. It gets its name from the indigenous Maubila tribe that lived in the region.
The city of about 200,00 sits at the top of Mobile Bay, a 35-mile-long waterway that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the center of the ping-ponging between French, Spanish, and British control in the region for over 100 years before becoming part of the United States in 1813. It’s Alabama’s busiest port.
Fun Facts
The first Mardi Gras celebration in the New World was held in Mobile in 1703.
Mobile has flown under six flags: French, Spanish, British, Republic of Alabama, Confederacy, and United States.
During the Revolutionary War, Mobile became a safe place for people loyal to Britain.
The city is on the Mobile River Delta, the second largest delta in the U.S. (the Mississippi River Delta is the largest. ) This biologically diverse area is dubbed “America’s Amazon.”
Mobile Bay is only one of two places in the world that experience the rare, naturally occurring phenomenon known as “jubilee;” the other is Tokyo. The right set of weather factors come together – warm water and air temperatures, lack of wind and a rising tide – resulting in decreased oxygen levels in the water driving fish and crustaceans to the shore. Jubilees occur between the months of June and September.
During Mobile’s Mardi Gras parades, beads aren’t the only treat tossed from floats – you might also catch a MoonPie, the snack cake. In the 1940s, looking for something softer than Cracker Jack boxes to throw, organizers settled on the tasty MoonPie .
On New Year’s Eve, midnight is rung in with a 600-pound electric MoonPie dropped from the RSA Building; At 35’ it’s the state’s tallest building.
Mobile Bay’s shipbuilding industry peaked during WWII, turning it into a major maritime production hub.
In 1964, the USS Alabama – the battleship known as the “Hero of the Pacific” – was saved from the scrapyard by a grassroots fundraising campaign; Alabama schoolchildren raised nearly $100,000 towards the effort. Today, the USS Alabama is a ship museum and a memorial to WWII veterans.
Mobile is one of the rainiest cities in the US averaging over 65 inches of rain a year.
That’s the slogan for Gulf Shores, Alabama, where we’ve stopped for a few nights. The weather’s been sunny and in the 70s.
The small fishing village on Alabama’s coast known as the “Little Lagoon” had just 120 residents in the 1950s. But the area got a boost with the completion of the Intracoastal Waterway in 1937. Increased access to the area and the post-WWII economic boom made the area attractive for family vacations. And in 1958, the little community officially incorporated as the Town of Gulf Shores.
With thirty-two miles of white-sand beaches and the calm, turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Shores, and the neighboring town of Orange Beach, became popular beach destinations. The city’s current population is about 18,500 – up 20% since 2020. The beautiful beaches, low property taxes and mild, sunny winters attract retired people, remote workers and young families.
The beach is gorgeous!
Gulf Shores State Park
Our campground is less than 5 miles from the Gulf Shores State Park. It’s a huge park, over 6,000 acres, along the Gulf coast. It has 28 miles of paved trails and boardwalks, through seven different ecosystems, including coastal dunes, wetlands, and freshwater marshes. So we got the bikes out and enjoyed the beautiful weather – mid 70s and sunny and the occasional breeze.
A Cabbage palm, Sabal palmetto, native to Southeastern U.S.The tall trees are Slash pine, Pinus elliottii Texas live oak, Quercus fusiformis, native to the Southern coastal regionSouthern live oak with Spanish moss That’s me!
Organized in 1873 as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham, Sixteenth Street was the first Black church in Birmingham. In 1880, the congregation moved to its present location.
Because of segregation, black churches in Birmingham served many purposes – as a meeting place, social center and lecture hall. Sixteenth Street was known as “everybody’s church” because of its role as a center for educational and intellectual activities. Due to its prominence in the black community, and its central location, Sixteenth Street served as headquarters for the civil rights mass meetings and rallies in the early 1960s.
On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, as the congregation prepared to hold a Youth service, 19 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device placed under a stairwell located on the east side of the church exploded. The dynamite had been placed there by 4 Ku Klux Klan members in an act of domestic terrorism.
Five girls were in the basement hurriedly getting ready for the Youth service. Addie Mae Collins, Carol McNair, Carole Robertson, all 14, and 11 year old Cynthia Wesley were killed; 12 year old Sarah Collins Rudolph, Addie’s sister, survived, but was seriously injured. Twenty-two other people were injured.
The bombing was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. The murder of four young girls catalyzed national outrage, intensified pressure for federal action, and directly mobilized support for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
We walked the Freedom Walk in Kelly Ingram Park
Kelly Ingram Park, originally named West Park, sits diagonally across from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The four-acre park was part of the original plan for Birmingham. It was renamed in 1932 for local firefighter Osmond Kelly Ingram, who was the first sailor in the United States Navy to be killed in World War I. It was a central staging area for demonstrators in 1963 and became known as a “Place of Revolution and Reconciliation.”
This statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. erected by citizens of Birmingham as an indication of their esteem for him and in appreciation of his sacrificial service to mankind.
“…yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace…”
The Freedom Walk is a circular walking path through the Park of sculptures highlighting key moments of the 1963 marches.
Birmingham police and firefighters, under Eugene “Bull” Connor, Birmingham’s Commissioner of Public Safety, used brutal tactics, including aiming high-pressure fire hoses at demonstrators and unleashing K-9 attack dogs to attack civil rights demonstrators, including children.
The violent imagery was televised globally, shocking the public and pressuring the federal government to intervene, ultimately accelerating the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Firehosing of Demonstrators”
High-pressure hoses were used to stop the young marchers when the jails became too full to hold more arrests. The water pressure was set high enough to “peel bark off a tree.” The force of the water tore clothes, threw people against walls, or swept them down the street.
“Foot Soldier Tribute”
This sculpture is dedicated to the foot soldiers of the Birmingham Civil Rights movement.
An Associated Press photographer captured a photograph of a police dog lunging at the abdomen of a 15 year old demonstrator. The image appeared on the front page of the New York Times. See the original photograph: https://high.org/collection/police-dog-attack-birmingham-alabama/
“Four Spirits”
A bronze sculpture positioned to look across the street at the Church, are life-size figures representing the four girls killed in the bombing. The girls are shown in a playful, innocent moment around a park bench, which has enough space for visitors to sit and interact with the memorial. Six doves are featured in the sculpture. Four represent the girls, while the additional two honor Virgil Ware and Johnny Robinson, two teenage boys who were also killed in racial violence in Birmingham later that same day.
Michael’s picture of MLK, Jr. looking out towards the Church
We visited the oldest professional baseball park in the country
Birmingham’s baseball history starts in 1885 with the Birmingham Coal Barons playing in the Southern Association League. By 1901, the team became known simply as the Birmingham Barons. The team got it’s own ballpark, Rickwood Field, in 1910. In 1920, the Black Barons were organized and played in the Negro Southern League. The 1961 Birmingham Barons were the last all-white Barons club.
The city has maintained a professional team for most of baseball history, making it one of the longest-standing minor league franchises. Today, the Barons are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They play in Regions Field which opened in 2013.
The original entranceI love this old Coke ad.
The phrase “Relieves Fatigue” is one of Coca-Cola’s most famous historical slogans, appearing in ads from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
There were several local high school teams playing a round robin tournament when we visited.
The park had lots of memorabilia on display.
Such a great picture
Satchel Paige warms up at New York’s Yankee Stadium before a Negro League game between the Kansas City Monarchs and the New York Cuban Stars. Paige was a pitcher with the Monarchs from 1939–1947.
Baby Ruth played an exhibition game at Rickwood Field in 1933. He famously hit a grand slam. Here he’s having his picture taken with young fans.
We checked out City Walk
City Walk BHAM is a 10-block, linear park located directly underneath the I-59/20 interstate bridges. The park is organized into color-coded sections, each offering distinct activities. There’s a 58,000 square foot skate park, an outdoor roller rink, a 50,000 square foot dog park and a beer garden with outdoor seating. It transformed the neglected space under the highways into a social hub.
I joined Michael on the swing and we took a selfie
The idea that the city should memorialize its civil rights history originated with David Vann in 1978 during his only term as Mayor. Vann lost re-election to Richard Arrington, Jr., Birmingham’s first Black mayor. Vann went on to work for Arrington as special counsel. Mayor Arrington committed his energy and public funds to pursuing Vann’s vision. Vann was a founding member of The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI).
The Institute opened its doors in November, 1992 with the stated mission “to enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring their common past and working together in the present to build a better future.”
The BCRI consists of 5 galleries, each focused on a piece of Birmingham’s segregation history and civil rights reckoning. The first gallery was the Barriers Gallery; Birmingham was a city divided into two worlds in the early 20th century.
“Jim Crow” laws, passed in the 1920s, created 2 separate worlds, including segregated movie theaters, public restrooms, the ball park, lunch counters, even elevators. But within their own communities, Black people created, nurtured and supported their own social, economic and cultural institutions.
(The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 effectively outlawed segregation in public facilities and discriminatory voting practices nationwide. Several states still have “Jim Crow-style” provisions—such as restricting voting rights for individuals with criminal convictions—on their books.)
Rickwood Field hosted two baseball teams – the all white Birmingham Barons and the Black Barons, champions of the Negro American League in 1943, ‘44 and ’48. The Black Barons’ most famous alum was Willie Mays who began his career in Birmingham at 16. The Black Barons had many White fans, but attendance dropped in the 1940s when segregation laws were strictly enforced.
The White power structure in Alabama made it nearly impossible for Blacks to exercise Americans’ most basic right: the vote. The state constitution was changed in 1901 largely to deny Blacks the right to vote. In 1903, only 3,000 of the 180,000 eligible Black males were able to register to vote.
The Confrontation Gallery is designed to immerse visitors in the climate of violence and the “confrontation” between the Civil Rights Movement and its opposition in the 1960s.
The Movement Gallery focused on the the history of the Civil Rights Movement between 1955 – 1963.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The names of the other women who played a significant role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott deserve to be known as widely as Rosa Parks:
The plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle:
Aurelia Browder, a seamstress and mother of six, was arrested on April 29, 1955.
Mary Louise Smith was 18 when she was arrested, jailed and fined for refusing to give up her seat to a White passenger on October 21, 1955.
Claudette Colvin was only 15 when she was arrested on March 12, 1955 for defying segregated seating laws.
Susie McDonald was a widow in her 70s when she was arrested in October, 1955. She was light skinned enough to pass as white. When bus drivers cautioned her against sitting in the Blacks Only section, she proudly informed them she was “a member of the darker race.”
Other significant names:
Johnnie Carr, an early civil rights activist and childhood friend of Rosa Parks. She was actively engaged in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and succeeded MLK Jr as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association until her death in 2008.
Jo Ann Robinson was president of the Women’s Political Council. She created and distributed 35,000 hand bills in a matter of hours following Rosa Parks’ arrest, encouraging citizens to boycott Montgomery’s buses.
Sit-ins
Frustrated by the slow pace of integration, four students from North Carolina A&T University decided to “sit-in” at a lunch counter in downtown Greensboro. On February 1, 1960, after making small purchases at a Woolworth’s, they requested and were refused food service. Their simple act touched off a wave of sit-ins that pushed merchants to desegregate.
The four students who initiated the action were David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair and Joseph McNeil.Two White waitresses ignore Blck students
Many Nashville students attended nonviolence workshops before their first sit-in. Their protests began in support of Greensboro, and the students were attacked by onlookers before being arrested. After their attorney’s house was bombed, they marched to city hall and confronted the mayor. When he refused to defend segregation, merchants gave in to the student demands.
Freedom Rides
The initial group of 13 (including John Lewis) grew to over 400 Black and White activists. Riders encountered violent attacks, particularly in Alabama, where a bus was firebombed near Anniston and riders were beaten by mobs in Birmingham and Montgomery. Due to the violence and international pressure, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the Interstate Commerce Commission enforced stricter guidelines, banning segregation in all interstate travel facilities by November 1, 1961.Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) president Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed throngs of people at a civil rights rally at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church prior to marching in Birmingham. (1963)
The Milestones Gallery bears witness to significant events in the struggle for civil rights, including the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.
March on Washington
On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people gathered in Washington D.C. to march for freedom and jobs. The marchers were from across the U.S., and represented all races, ages, religions and faiths. Their diversity symbolized hope as well as unity.
A film of MLK’s “I Have A Dream” speech was on repeat. The BCRI sits across the street from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, an active church today with over 1,000 members.Addie Mae Collins, age 14; Carole Robertson, age 14; Denise McNair, age 11; Cynthia Wesley, age 14; the girls were in the church basement dressing for Sunday school when the bombing happened. Twenty-two other church goers were also injured in the act of domestic terrorism planned and executed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.Four suspects were quickly identified. But it took almost 40 years before the men responsible were prosecuted and convicted, primarily due to deliberate obstruction by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who believed the Civil Rights movement was subversive. The case was only fully resolved in the early 2000s after the FBI files were finally declassified. Three of the men died in prison, the other died before he was charged.
The fifth gallery, the Human Rights Gallery, offered interactive audio, video, and computer programs describing the international scope of the movement for human rights.
We toured the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Site
Sloss Furnaces was a blast furnace plant first fired in 1882. It was one of the earliest and most significant manufacturers in Birmingham, setting the stage for the city’s industrial, pig-iron-producing history. The large industrial complex was situated near a rich deposit of iron ore and coal, bordered by rail lines. It quickly became one of the largest producers of pig iron in the world. It operated until 1970.
The plant was slated for demolition following its closing, but a citizens group, recognizing its historical importance, lobbied to save it. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1981 and officially opened as a museum in 1983. The museum serves as a community center for metal arts education, concerts, and educational tours.
The Sloss boilersThe Pyrometer House where the measuring devices, called pyrometers, were housed. Pyrometers were used to track the high heat of the blast furnaces.
The maze of pipes that carry gasses and air to and from the furnaces. Ladle carts traveled on the tracks below, now a walkway, transporting molten iron to the pig iron casting machine. Each ladle could hold up to 125 tons of molten iron.
Sloss Furnaces runs one of the largest iron arts programs in the world. It offers public workshops, classes, artist residencies, youth apprenticeships and hosts metal arts exhibits.
Some of the metal art
Nature finds a way
Tree of Heaven saplings, Ailanthus Altissima, take root in pockets among the furnaces.
We visited Vulcan
Photo from Encyclopedia of Alabama
The 56-foot-tall, over 100,000 ton statue of Vulcan lives in Vulcan Park and Museum. The 10-acre WPA funded public park sits atop Red Mountain, a long Southern Appalachian Ridge just outside of Birmingham. The ridge contains prominent iron ore seams giving it a rust-stained rock face. From his perch, Vulcan can look out over the greater Birmingham area.
We ate our lunch at the park, looking out over the city. Then checked out the small, but interesting museum.
Our view of Birmingham as we ate lunch
Then it was time to take the elevator up through the 124′ pedestal to check out the view from the observation deck that sits at Vulcan’s feet. Michael’s not a fan of heights, so I went up by myself and what a great view it was.
The view from the topMore of the viewIt’s a weird angle, but it’s the best picture I could get of Vulcan from the observation deck
We spent an hour at the Birmingham Museum of Art
We had some time after visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, (more about that later) so we squeezed in a stop at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Free admission invites you to drop in to check out an exhibit or just sit and take in the beauty – the best deal in town.
The BMA is a young institution, like its city, founded in 1951. But its predecessor, The Birmingham Art Club, was formed in 1908.
Beautiful glass art
We checked out the “So Close to Heaven: Sacred Sculpture of Asia” exhibit. The exhibition presents Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sculpture and is particularly rich in sacred works from Tibet and Nepal – near the top of the world, so close to heaven.
Nonviolence Over All: Jain Religious Art
The Jain religion focuses on the practice of nonviolence and renunciation in order to reach release from the cycles of rebirth. Jainism arose about the same time as Buddhism. With over 4 million followers, it’s the 6th largest religion in India.
Jains believe that an immortal and indestructible soul resides in every living thing, no matter how small and that rebirth is governed by karma – the results of all past deeds and actions.
Standing Four-Armed Saraswati, Goddess of Learning (about 1150 in Gujarat, India) The quality of the white marble suggests it was originally part of a Jain temple.
Hinduism
Hindus worship many gods and believe in reincarnation to attain nirvana, the highest level of Enlightenment. One of the world’s oldest religions, it’s based on karma (action, word, deed) and dharma (duties, rights, laws).
Seated Two-Armed Ganesha, God of Success (921-944 in Buriram province, present day Thailand)
One of the most popular gods in Hinduism, Ganesha is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and is invoked at the start of new ventures.
Buddhism
Buddhism teaches that by realizing that life and everything in the world is an illusion, people can escape suffering and the cycle of death and rebirth.
Eight-Armed, Eleven-Headed Avalokitesvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion (1768-2008, Nepal) In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who forgoes nirvana in order to help others. Why does Avalokitesvara have so many heads and arms – the better to see, hear and help.
In an attempt to avoid rush hour before heading back to the campground, we hung out at the Good People Brewing Company. Across the street from Regions Field, Birmingham’s minor league baseball park, it was a lively meeting place. It seemed popular with young families and pet owners and their dogs. Everyone was enjoying St. Patrick’s Day. The green beer was flowing.
I read a depressing story in the NY Times today. There is an Islamic school in Homewood, Alabama, just south of Birmingham and close to the Vulcan statue Cathie mentioned in her post yesterday. They want to purchase a building for the school in Hoover, the next town over. These are towns we drove thru from the campground on our drive to Birmingham. There is an uproar regarding the purchase, and the permit to purchase the building was denied. The article mentions several leading figures, including the “esteemed” Tommy Tuberville, US senator of Alabama, who made racist statements about the school.
It’s different here. Sometimes I try to minimize that fact when we are traveling. But it’s always there, hiding just below the surface. I’ve felt it whenever we have been to the Deep South. There is a racist past and a racist present which I find hard to forget.
Masjid Al-Rahman, the Muslim Center of RI, is on Central Avenue in Pawtucket, RI. We drive past it on our drive to the RV storage facility. The community has moved twice since they were founded in 1999. I don’t think there was significant controversy regarding their moves. They are now on a busy street, seen by many in a working class community of our state. I’m sure the Muslim center members have suffered from Islamophobia. The world isn’t perfect. But there is at least some amount of acceptance of the ‘other’ where we live.
I guess Randy Newman said it best in his song, Rednecks.
Our first big stop is Birmingham. We’re staying in a campground in Pelham, 20 miles south of the city. For most of the 20th century Birmingham was Alabama’s largest city; as of 2025, it has an estimated population of 196,357. But based on the 2020 census, Huntsville now has that honor. Fueled by the aerospace, defense, and technology industries, Huntsville is one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
The area that’s now Birmingham is the ancestral home to several indigenous tribes, including the Cherokee, Muscogee Creek and Chickasaw. The area was first settled by Europeans in 1813.
Birmingham sits in the foothills of the Appalachians and its rugged terrain, lack of waterways and soil unsuited for cotton production kept it mostly undeveloped in the antebellum era (about 1815–1861.) The discovery of massive mineral deposits and the arrival of two railroad lines changed that.
Birmingham was founded as a mining town in 1871 by a group of businessmen/investors who wanted to capitalize on the discovery of one of the world’s richest deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – essential for steel production.
Birmingham is considered part of the “New South,” the term that refers to the economic shift from the agrarian, plantation based “Old South” to the post Civil War society that embraced industrial development. It’s named for Birmingham, England, the center of the Industrial Revolution.
The city’s founders believed that with the right investment and infrastructure, Birmingham could rival Northern cities in manufacturing and production. And they were right. By the late 1800s, Birmingham had developed a steel and iron industry that earned it the nickname the “Pittsburgh of the South.” Its population grew from about 23,000 in 1880 to over 100,000 by 1900.
Fun Facts
Birmingham is the only place in the world where all three raw ingredients for steel — coal, limestone, and iron ore — occur naturally within a ten-mile radius.
Birmingham is home to the oldest professional baseball park, Rickwood Field, built in 1910.
Birmingham’s Red Mountain Park is one of the biggest urban parks in the country. At 1200 acres, it’s bigger than Central Park’s 843 acres.
The world’s largest motorcycle collection is in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham. Recognized by Guinness World Records, the museum houses over 1,600 vintage and modern motorcycles.
The city has the largest cast iron statue in the world – a 56-foot-tall statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge. The statue weighs over 100,000 pounds and sits atop a 124-foot pedestal in Vulcan Park. It was created in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair, representing Birmingham’s roots in the iron and steel industry.
We started our latest RV trip just over a week ago. We were delayed a few days because of the snowstorm. Getting out of town proved to be an adventure. Let me explain.
A few weeks ago I had new tires installed on the RV. I knew there were some issues with the wheel covers but didn’t realize the significance of the problem until a couple days before we left. In short, we needed to go to a Goodyear Commercial tire center in order to have the wheel covers placed properly or I wouldn’t be able to fill one of the tires or check on its tire pressure. I found out that I could take it in on Thursday, the day we were leaving. Also, the facility was on the way, so that was good.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cathie called me to say her car (the one we were taking with us) hit a pothole and the tire was leaking air. Fun. She went directly to a local Firestone store. They thought they would be able to look at it on Wednesday, but alas, they ran out of time.
There we were on Wednesday night. We were ready to do our final prep but we didn’t know if the car would be ready in time for us to leave the next day. Was it just a patch or new tire or was the wheel damaged? Thursday morning we got ready, assuming the best, and drove to the tire store. It needed a new tire. Yay! After the repairs we drove home, packed the car and drove to the storage facility to get the RV. Fortunately, the Goodyear store resolved the wheel covers issue and by ~1pm we were on our way.
Family Time
Visiting Tessa and Dan in DC
After an overnight stop in northern NJ, we spent the first week visiting family in Maryland, DC and Raleigh, NC. That part has been a bit of a whirlwind, so we scheduled some relaxing time next. We are now in Birmingham, AL for a week, where we hope to visit the city and just hang for a few days.
Weather forecast for Monday night
But there is no escaping wild swings in the weather this year. On our first night, we were parked next to a snow bank. By the time we were in Raleigh, the high was in the 80’s. The next night, the low temperature was in the 40’s. Now we are in Birmingham and on Monday night the low will be in the 20’s! We haven’t camped in temperatures that low. I’ll have to disconnect the water hose, lest we have freezing pipes.
We planned to start our late winter/spring RV trip on March 1 but Mother Nature had other ideas. With over three feet of snow last Sunday night/Monday, there was no chance for us to be ready. Instead, we’re hoping to get out on March 5th, as long as we don’t get another major storm between now and then.
We went out to the RV yesterday and it wasn’t pretty. Piles of snow on either side of the RV. After clearing the snow from the front, I tried to move the RV forward, so we could open it up and bring in things. I was stuck in a rut! Couldn’t go forward or back! I had to clear the snow from the sides so I could get to the rear tires. Then I put a couple of levelers under the tires for traction. Fortunately, I got out, destroying the levelers in the process.
These are the levelers I used to get the RV out of a rut.
Thursday can’t come soon enough!
I’ve been singing the song below for the past week or two. I decided it needed new words for the current situation.
In the coldest part of the city Where the snow refuses to melt People tell me the shoveling ain’t going well. Now my wife she keeps on waiting Stuck inside another day Is she going to leave this house before May? Every day I wake up crying I got to shovel another day I’m working and slaving my life away. Oh yes, I know it
I’ve been shoveling so hard I’ve been shoveling late Every night and day Yeah yeah yeah yeah We gotta get out of this place If its the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place ‘Cause girl, there’s a better life For me and you.
The Cruznick Adventures 