Civil Rights.............

This is the stuff we were brought up on and would see on the evening news every night............ just like the Vietnam War. The institute/ museum was really good and thank goodness we've progressed so far in only 50 years. The beatings, hangings, separate lines and places for whites and blacks, attack dogs, fire hoses.............. these people bravely stood up for equality and it worked. Walking around town in Birmingham is just like any other city- races are mixed in all public places without a thought of segregation.
see it at- www.bcri.org

Across the street is the 16th St. Baptist Church that was bombed in the 60s by racists/ KKK, killing 4 young girls in the church.......
We also walked around Univ. of Alabama Birmingham........it seemed to have a heavy concentration of medical buildings/ hospitals

I couldn't resist another BBQ lunch- this time at an old time place called Dreamland. It was really good!!

I don't know of any other place that serves you white bread and BBQ sauce as the appetizer!!

back to Birmingham....for more snow!!

We were welcomed into Birmingham with another snow storm........really rare for both Georgia and Alabama. What happened to the good traveling weather?
Maybe we'll stay in tonight...........

traveling the backroads of Georgia and Alabama

We drove the back roads through Georgia and into Alabama into Birmingham. Every larger town seemed to be the county seat with a court house square, like this one in Ashland, AL. We got into a habit of parking and walking the square for interest and a little exercise.
Talladega is a big name in NASCAR and, of course they have a large race track there.

Talladega court house square......... The weather was a little nippy but the country side was beautiful.

Love that Georgia "Q" !!!!

We drove around the countryside enjoying snow covered GA.
Aaron knows all the good BBQ places, so we stopped at the Speedi Pig in Fayetteville. Aaron and I had these huge plates of chopped (not pulled) pork BBQ, Brunswick stew, Texas toast and slaw- it was really good!!!

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.........in Georgia??

Here's Aaron as the snow begins.


And it did snow.........

And we came to Georgia for.....??!!

As it snowed, I drove out to Hanna's Mill, one of my favorite sites in Thomaston.

Michelle and Preston missed the snow, as they flew to Tacoma, WA to see Evan (home from Afghanistan), Illissa and their new born son Konner.
Here are Preston and Konner- that's Konner in the stocking cap.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

Tonight we went for Mexican food at Thomaston's own "La Fiesta"- compliments of Michelle's father, Ray. That's Ray next to Michelle- thanks, Ray!!
Every Wednesday night at La Fiesta, they have a trivia contest and our team name was D & S. Our team consisted of (from left to right)- Aaron (AJ), Michelle, Ray, Christie, Dan, Shonda, Fran, me and Carol. It was a tight race, and we lead going into the "Jeopardy" (last) question. The final question was about board games and we won knowing the number of hits needed in the game "Battleship" to sink the air craft carrier, patrol boat, submarine and battleship.
It was a great win and really fun.............thanks for letting us join in team!!!

Thomaston Court House Square

Carol and I walk around Thomaston for exercise and today we walked to the center square. Thomaston is the main town in Upson County and is its county seat, actually it may be the only chartered town in the county.
The court house has monuments around it, mostly from past wars. Notice the top of the columns left and right on the monument to WWI.

Of course, there's a monument for the soldiers lost during the Civil War.

Now, this is the first canon ball fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, starting the war between the states.

Documentation that this was the actual canon ball.............

At the south east corner of the court house.

just peachie....

We're back in Georgia and it's another trip to the lunch buffet at "The Bullock House" in Warm Springs. Now, of course, most things are deep fried here in the south.........but, deep fried Macaroni & Cheese bits!!!???

And, yes, that's the same Warm Springs that FDR spent time at when he was at the "Little White House".

Michelle continued the Georgia/ Southern dinner theme with ham hocks and beans with southern corn bread- yum!!! Then a little salad for the California two.