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Episode 1:
We left Hamilton at about 3:00 in the afternoon Monday. The worst part of the trip so far has been getting out of the Cincinnati metro area! The combination of rush hour, construction, and people who are afraid to drive on 0.5" of snow left us with a 2 hour trip from Hamilton to I-71 in Kentucky. Our intentions were to drive to Nashville and decide there whether we would go to New Orleans by way of Memphis or Montgomery. We got to Nashville about 10:00. It was too late to see much, but we drove around downtown for awhile. Went through Music Row, which was very cool. Saw all the record companies. Nashville has a pretty thriving downtown. An area near the river with lots of bars, restaurants, etc. Missy was impressed that there were billboards advertising Roy Orbison records. The downside: Hooters was the most thriving establishment. Worth the visit for the music stuff and country music museum.
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After Nashville, we headed toward Montgomery. We were pretty beat, so we pulled off for a nap at a friendly, neighborhood truck stop somewhere in Tennessee. (Parent disclaimer: we parked in a well-lit, safe area.) Started out again at about 5:30 am. Passed through Birmingham. Got to Montgomery about 10:00. Our mission in Montgomery was to see a civil rights monument designed by Maya Lin, the woman who did the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington, DC. It was very cool. The cone-shaped part has a series of dates that mark people that were killed in the 50s and 60s during the civil rights movement. There's a constant stream of water running over both parts of the monument. Took a drive through Montgomery after seeing the memorial. The state capital there was the first Confederate capital and Jefferson Davis was elected President there. Montgomery is a very tired-feeling town. Lots of history (Rosa Parks, MLK, etc.), but no arts culture (Missy says). Drove through some very dilapidated neighborhoods and housing projects. |
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