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| 01 Aug 2006 09:45:46 pm |
 Chris' Hot Dogs By : Driven  | Comments [0] |
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Chris' Hot Dogs is a unique dining establishment because, other than the more common restaurant chains 5 or 6 blocks over, there is no where else to eat near the capitol in Montgomery.
Like other places that we had eaten in on the trip, the eatery was slotted between two other buildings, and was long and quite narrow. The interior probably hasn't changed much since 1965, and neither has the menu.
 
Click to enlargeAs you might imagine, the cuisine leans heavily towards the hot dog. When they come to you, they are laden with one of the strangest combinations of toppings that I can recall. Unfortunately, I didn't inscribe it in my notes, but my recollection is of mustard, onion, sauerkraut, and Chris' Famous Chili Sauce, the latter of which could be purchased by the gallon. ...More |
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Category : Alabama
| By : Driven |  Comments [0] |  Trackbacks [0] |
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| 30 May 2006 09:35:09 pm |
| Civil Rights Memorial By : Driven | Comments [0] |
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This day stands out for me as one of the high points of our entire adventure, because of the richness of the material, its importance, and because I found out more about my own values. It is sort of cliche, but there are moments that you will remember all your life, and being in Montgomery, a place I had not been and would not be again, was a moment like that for me.
There is nothing particularly beautiful or elegant about the architecture in downtown Montgomery. It is all very tired, and shop worn. We had abandon the muddy trailer park for a hotel, and the grittiness of the people living within these rented rooms impacted me. The place was in such disrepair that the shower head popped off as soon as it had built up enough pressure to actually use. It was a big contrast from looking at the furnishings in the First White House of the Confederacy.
All of this led me to find the Civil Rights Memorial even more aesthetically beautiful than I might have under other circumstances. It was very peaceful, and evocative, and the on site security guard did not detract from the contemplative aspects. ...More |
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Category : Alabama
| By : Driven | Comments [0] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 21 May 2006 10:53:56 pm |
| Montgomery's Present Past By : Driven | Comments [0] |
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The First White House of the Confederacy was moved from its original location to where it now sits, across from the state capitol building, by 'The White House Association', who had hopes of restoring it to its former glory. Jefferson Davis resided in this home at the beginning of the Civil War until the capitol was moved to Richmond. Looking out from the front porch, I could look over the steps of the capitol, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "Our God Is Marching On!" address. Right there, I was able to comprehend the countless thousands of men who perished in the pursuit of Union, and those who fought to protect their way of life.
When I concieved this trip, I wondered about this moment, because my thoughts were, had Lincoln lived, things would have happened very differently, and that's part of what I came to find. So this house stands as a sentinel both to watch and to represent a cautionary tale.
Click to enlargeWhatever the society that supports the residence might have wanted, the building suffers from a more-than-genteel decay. ...More |
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Category : Alabama
| By : Driven | Comments [0] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 14 May 2006 06:43:11 pm |
Civil Rights Memorial By : Rider  | Comments [0] |
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My favorite part of Montgomery was the civil rights memorial. First, we looked at the memorial, which was a circle with water running down the sides, which was to make you think of the quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
Quote : ...until Justice rolls down like waters and Righteousness like a mighty stream
Then we went in. We entered a room with a phone bank and a computer where it talked about the individual people, including children, who died in the struggle for civil rights. For example, there was one girl who was so tired of the way people were separated that she sat down and wrote a book called 'The Boy who wanted a pet' where the children were all different colors of skin. She was later killed when her church was bombed. This makes me feel sad, because she was only a kid, and for the things that might have happened if she wasn't killed....More |
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Category : Alabama
| By : Rider | Comments [0] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 08 May 2006 09:12:12 pm |
| Old Alabama Town By : Driven | Comments [0] |
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When we got to Montgomery, it was much earlier then we would usually be arriving in a new place, and so I was motivated to check in and try to get some touring done before we set up Dobbin for the night. We had The Woods RV park almost entirely to ourselves. The most remarkable thing about it being that there were no woods. You could tell that this was a newer place, because it was dramatically unpaved. We jokingly refer to it as the RV park from Mars, and in the short amount of time we walked around, we had red dirt tracked all over the inside of Dobbin.
The manager was the one who suggested that we tour Old Alabama Town. It was getting on towards midafternoon by the time we arrived, and the person selling tickets assured me that we would be able to finish the entire walking tour in the couple of hours that we had, but I felt rushed from beginning to end.
It seems to be the fashion in the South to donate your unwanted historical buildings to the state. We had already experienced this at the Cracker cabin in Florida, and now it took on a greater meaning, because Old Alabama Town houses several historical buildings that have been hauled from all over to make up a two block walking tour....More |
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Category : Alabama
| By : Driven | Comments [0] | Trackbacks [0] |
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