Comfort Suites Montgomery

... fun. After the show, we went to lunch with the crew at the wonderful hometown restaurant next door called Lunde's. They stayed open past their normal lunch hours just for us. I had a fried catfish po'boy, and was full for the rest of the day. The guys then invited us to their house this Saturday on our drive up to Decatur, AL from New Orleans. We'll see if we make it, but I bet it would be fun if we do.

... with a waterfall in the background.

It was profoundly moving to be in Montgomery with the trolley and the many placards placed around the city, refreshing our recollection of this difficult time in our country's history. I am so glad Marney gave us one of the most memorable and educational experiences we've had in almost two years on the road.

That night, to top it all off, Marney made us dinner and had two of her ...

... easy to feel the center and heart of family life in this wonderful old home.
Young hunts and fishes bringing dinner to the table and filling their freezer every year with venison. Suzy and Young are as down to earth with their hunting and gardening and canning as they are elegant in their beautiful home. They represent the two worlds with ease as they arrange for us to go to their farm, "Glen Thistle"
Off we go in the SUV about an hours drive to a long unpaved driveway. Through ...

... a birthday dinner made us feel important! I am taken by the closeness of family. The whole family and many of their children live right near or within a few hours drive. In my immediate family there are thousands of miles between me and my siblings and children. Where these guys jump in their cars to see each other, I take a plane!

Marney and Suzy have combined their culinary talents to create a tantalizing Southern, fresh-from-the-garden, meal. Suzy ...

... More later..

Once in Montgomery I decided to take a ride through town. I'm glad I did. I visited the state capital and the church that Martin Luther King preached at. More importantly that same church was the meeting point for many of the rallies in support of the the bus boycott which was sparked by Rosa Parks. I also visited the Rosa Parks museum and the spot where the bus bench sat.

I also rode by the first white house the Jefferson ...

Believe it or not, there are 54 Championship Holes at the Capitol Hill Golf Course in Prattville, AL that are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Jerry took the opportunity to get in a round of golf and was amazed at the beauty and pristinely maintained course.

While Jerry was hitting a small ball around Prattville, Alex & I spent some time in the pool to cool off. Bella used to jump into the pool to me when she was a puppy, but I couldn't ...

We left the Gulf Coast today and headed into Alabama to visit with Aunt Kathy and Uncle D. I used to live with Aunt Kathy and Uncle D in Florida. But I haven't been to visit then in Alabama for the last 5 years. What a great reunion.

My cousin Jackie cooked up some homemade lasagna and these ...

... time at nearby Capitol Hill golf course (three 18's and part of the highly rated Robert Trent Jones Golf Circuit throughout Alabama). We didn't want to wait for the premier "Judge" 18 (rated top 10 public courses in the US) and so went with the nearly equally difficult "Legislator". Course kicked our asses - I will go back and play the entire circuit at some point - hopefully when I learn to play properly. We head for barbeque ...

Sadly we had to leave our friends and headed off quite early (although not as early as originally planned). The trip went very well with no real holdups along the way. However it was a very long day and we were very glad to get to our destination, get something to eat and then some sleep. Fortunately the kids were all able to have their own beds as the room rates were quite reasonable. The most interesting sight was when we turned of ...

... We walk around the outside and snap a few photos. I learn what a sycamore tree looks like and watch the flags of every state waving in the breeze except Oregon's. We're such nonconformists. I was thinking that the flags would be standing in the order that they joined the union, but they are in fact placed in a semi-circle at the front of the capitol in alphabetical order. This being Alabama, it makes some sense. I still haven't learned the significance ...