With tropical storm Karen lingering off the Florida coastline we thought it best to stay one more day and watch developments. It turned out to be a very good idea since Karen dumped a lot of rain in Montgomery and Birmingham but practically nary a drop in Decatur. The rains predicted for Decatur vaporized and we enjoyed a nice cloudy but cooler that normal day while it rained cats and dogs down south where we had originally planned to head.
The next morning we broke camp after spending 12 relaxing and enjoyable days in Decatur and drove about 175 miles south to the town of Montgomery, the state capitol of Alabama. We pulled into a passport America Park called The Woods RV Park and Campground. It is mostly a large parking lot just off the highway but just right for us for three nights as it is close to Montgomery, a town we wanted to explore.
Interestingly although they are a Passport America park they do not accept reservations unless visitors agree to pay the full rate of $30 or the Good Sam's rate (10% off). Sigh. Thus we decided to drive in and take a chance at a Passport America site with plan B in mind should there be no availability. The normal rate of 30 per night which is high in my opinion considering there is little to no ambiance in the park. Upon check-in we were told there were plenty of available 30 and 50 amp sites but their policy dictated we couldn’t use the $15 passport America rate for 30 amp site since they don’t allow reducers for converting from 50 amp to 30 amp. Gee whiz. As a result we were upcharged an additional $5 per night for 50 amp that we could have done without given the cool nights predicted. We found this to be a little cheesy on the part of the park but still for $20 per night this park is worth that rate since it also includes Wi-Fi and free cable TV including HBO…
We still had a little time left in the day when after settling up so we took a drive as we wanted to get our bearings. Our route meandered through neighborhoods, then past beautiful Montgomery country club next to Huntingdon University. Seeing some of the student athletes practicing softball and baseball,we decided to check out the university. This small Christian university founded in 1897 had some neat early 1900’s buildings and lush green space so we lingered awhile as we always enjoy the vibe we feel on campuses.
From there we proceeded downtown and found some easy parking near the state capitol. Montgomery became the state’s capitol in 1847. The Alabama State Capitol has loads of history associated with it so we wanted to check it out. As we walked up the beautiful steps to the entrance of the building we came across a bronze star embedded in the walkway that pointed 
out that this was the location where the President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis spoke after his inauguration. Thus was born the Confederates States of America. Standing in that same spot invoked a bit of a historical flashback to times long ago…
And yet a mere century later the front portico was also the site of the famous Selma March led by Reverend Martin Luther King. The cause was about voting rights if it had slipped your mind… Pretty cool to be standing where so many significant historical events occurred. Since it was getting late we drove over to the only brewery in town called the Railyard Brewery. They have a pretty decent Alabama IPA on tap but the down side is that you have to pay to park out front just to go inside and buy a beer… But all in all a good start to our short stay here in Montgomery, Alabama…
I have heard the National Voting Rights Museum is worth seeing--even though you are not big on museums. However, It may be closed due to the gov't shut down.
ReplyDeleteWe felt similarly moved to be standing where MLK was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The civil rights events in the south were something I just remember seeing in the news growing up. It is pretty incredible to imagine the courage it took to take a stand for equal rights in what had been such a racist environment.
I enjoyed my time in Montgomery, but then I was lucky enough to get a personal tour by some blog readers. :)
ReplyDeleteWe stayed at the woods too! Some other travelers told us it is the best place in the area. You are almost in Florida. I hope we see you soon!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you are enjoying yet another interesting city.
ReplyDeleteWhen we check in we just tell them a 30 amp hookup because we only have a 30 amp surge protector.
Have never hooked up to 50 amps in all our years on the road. Our reducer is in the compartment so cannot be seen.