I don't know how much longer I will stay in Alabama. I have a year long lease, so at least another 11 months, but after that...who knows where God and my life will take me?
Because of this, I have vowed to take the next 11 months to see Alabama. Do Alabama. I am going to treat our lovely state as though I were a tourist. I don't want to leave (IF) and miss out on all of the wonderful events and places and foods and people of the place I have called home for the past 5 years.
I started today. CJ and I started out about 9am. We drove to York to see The Coleman Center for the Art, a small gallery smack in the middle of a little town (run by 2 people whose last name is Munoz!!). Alas, there was no exhibit, so we peaked into the window and explored York. Did you know that there is a Progressive Childrens College of Common Sense? According to this article, it is "which will serve as a launching pad for a preschool education program". That is one hell of a name!
Downtown York (also see the above article) is lovely, with everything from a beautiful basket weaving shop, stained glass and mosiac studio to a store called "the Watch ma call it" shop, where CJ spotted 'Nsync dolls, right next to vintage vases. We also spotted what we think is a bike shop, and a blues bar in the midst of renovation. Took some great pictures of bldgs and the train (which I considered jumping on and seeing where I end up...). all in all, a cool little place that I would never have seen but am glad that I did.
By the way, York is called "The City on the Move.".
Back in the car to drive another hour through small towns and past farms and cottages and struggling communities to Faunsdale...for a Crawfish boil! I grew up on Crawfish, and eating them is comfort food for me. We hunkered down on overturned milk crates and ate etouffe, boiled crawfish and beer. Wandered, listened to conversations as well as BAD country music (has it gotten worse lately?...it was gross). Then we did what probably looked funny to everyone there. We pulled out books, found a shady shop a bit hidden away took off our shoes (I had another fire ant incident, so was itching and stinging like crazy. sigh.) and read. We had our beer, we were reading books and we were happy. It was great. Stayed for a few hours and hopped back into the car home. We both lament the fact that they had not set up the mechanical bull yet, we had dressed accordingly!
On the way home, CJ introduced me to Northport and we stopped in the Kentuck studio and perused the wares. I am learning the the art community in Alabama is large and varied, but a small, interconnected community. Very cool. The drive home was stunning, with small farms and cows lounging all around us. The interstate was flanked on both sides by a lovely rose colored plant. I came home exhausted but happy.
First day of Year of Tourism: successful. Tomorrow: Old 280 boogie in Waverly, AL. This is year 2 for me and I LOVE this festival. Waverly is a cool town with great people and a kick ass festival. Check out Standard Deluxe print shop and eat at The Yellow Hammer. A 2 hour drive that is well worth the drive.
So here we go. I have some places in my mind (Rural Studio, Tannehill, Kentuck festival, Black Warrior River, Ava Maria Grotto, etc, etc), but I clearly do not know all the secrets that Alabama has to hold.
Are there places you want to go? Somewhere you have been or heard of? Somewhere that I simply must go? Please tell me! I will probably be chronicling my trips and experiences here. I know that I will not get to them all, but I am sure going to try.
This keeps popping to my head as I write this,
"If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one your with."
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4 comments:
Lake Martin, Mt Cheaha, and Gulf Shores are three places that come to mind. Of course it would be sort of hard to show you my Wind Creek (the campground at Lake Martin) because I'd have to have at least half a dozen weekends (and a boat and my dad) so you could go water-skiing, listen to my dad's stories about growing up on the lake, see all the different moods of the water, and sit by a campfire watching the water gently lapping along the shore. Also, go swinging on the tall swings. My dad loves tall swings, and he'd go swinging with us.
Mt. Cheaha -first place Allen and I ever went camping (my first time in a tent). Gorgeous in the fall. Since that ridge is really the only high group up there you really do feel on top of state. Allen's folks (long ways back) once had land out there.
Gulf Shores is where we went for Thanksgiving a lot of times. We'd take Thanksgiving dinner down there in our RV, ride bikes, and play on the beach. The snowbirds put up Christmas lights around then, and it was fun to walk around at night and look at them. There's a place down there with the best sweet potato french fries.
The unclaimed baggage store is pretty neat. Only been there once...
Cloudland Canyon is another cool place to go camping (or even for a day trip).
Can you tell I grew up camping a lot?
You should go see the copper studios north of town. "Copper Bob" has a small studio in an abandoned quarry up there. You must also go see an iron pour at Sloss. I mean, I won't be pouring this summer, but it is still the coolest thing I've ever seen.
We'll go with.
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park near Alexander City. A beautiful place on the Tallapoosa River with lots of wildlife, plus you can learn all about how Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Stick Creek Indians and took 23 million acres from them that we now call home. Then you can go see Fort Mims down near Bay Minette -- it's a mess surrounded by a trailer park, but nearly 300 people were killed there in the worst massacre by native Americans in US history. (Now you know why Andrew Jackson was so angry with those Creeks!)
Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan for the twin Civil War-era forts, plus the fishing.
I want to go play (er, watch others play) at Sloss, too!
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