Alabama

7/1/26 - We passed through Selma, Alabama, on the way to our campground near Montgomery, AL. We parked the rig on a street and walked over the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

We had, of course, heard about the March 7, 1965 events, but we learned more about the violence before and after the marches.

Storyboards, this mural, and a local told us about the murders of the Selma activists (two of three were white)

Our remaining drive followed most of the Selma-to-Montgomery March route that was successfully completed on March 25, 1965.

Gunter Hill Campground (west of Montgomery) provided another outstanding location...in the large trees overlooking the Alabama River Lakes

7/3/26 - We drove about 1 hour to visit the Tuskegee Institute / University.

We had been reading an inspiring book written by Booker T. Washington (1856-1915). He explains how he was born into slavery, became educated after the Civil War freed him, and started the Tuskegee Institute in a shack. Now it has an impressive campus with ~3000 students.

We walked around the campus, which had buildings dating to 1889 (made with bricks the students manufactured) and more recent additions including an Engineering building. Pictured here is Tompkins Hall; built in 1910 and now contains a modern student dining hall.

The National Historic Site on campus had a museum focused on George Washington Carver, a teacher at the Institute 1896-1943, who became well known for his work to educate students and locals on how to improve agricultural methods. He developed many ways to use sweet potatoes and peanuts.

As we were walking around the campus, a vehicle pulled over and the driver welcomed us! He said he was the president of the University. We looked him up later and were very impressed with his resume!!

Our next stop was Moton Field, where the Tuskegee Airmen began their training to become WWII pilots.

We learned about their training process and successes in battle

7/4/26 - In the evening, we went to the Montgomery Speedway (right next to our campground) to watch stock car racing and the fireworks that followed.

7/7/26 - We sought out "Alabama BBQ" (smoked chicken served with a tangy, mayo-based white sauce) before visiting the state capitol building.

Guided tours aren't normally provided but we accepted when one was offered. The building was mostly historical...only the governor still conducts business there. The other branches of government had moved into nearby buildings. We wondered about Alabama taxes since all of the buildings and grounds were lovely, and they are constructing a new building for the legislature...when they get paid ~$67,000/ year for 4 months of work!!

We walked by the church where Martin Luther King Jr preached from 1954 to 1960 and saw several markings to show the final route of the Selma-to-Montgomery Civil Rights March. On the way back to the RV, we drove by the Governor's Mansion.

On the other days, we had "a lie-in" (Scottish for "sleeping in") and we enjoyed our spot in the woods.

We enjoyed sitting in the clamshell, especially when it was raining

I started planning our 2027 RV trip (through British Columbia and into Alaska). We enjoyed running in the campground because it was quite large and the trees provided shade and views of wildlife. We saw many birds, squirrels, and some deer. We both heard a noise that sounded like a small dog barking...I thought it was a turkey. Pat found out it was a...

Our next stay is near Tallahassee, Florida.