November 24, 2009. Day 128 Montgomery AL.

Today we moved from Birmingham AL to Montgomery to see the capitol. It was a short 88 mile trip and we camped at The Woods RV Park just south of town 4 miles. After getting set up and finishing school, we went to the Montgomery Visitors Center at the Old Union Station building. Our RV camp host suggested we go there and then ride the Trolley around town. For only $1 per person you can get off and on a Trolley that takes you all around downtown. Since it was after 1 in the afternoon we rode straight to the Capitol and got off. On the way the Trolley has a recording that plays for you telling about the different buildings and places you’re passing by. It gives history and other interesting facts. At the Capitol we took a self guided tour. They apparently don’t give guided tours. It’s hard to describe their capitol without sounding critical and that’s not our intention. All we’ll say is it was quaint and modestly decorated. For us that was just fine. There was a very unique dual stairway toward the front entrance that went up three flights. It’s one of those stair cases that seem unsupported. It took you to the first level that you could see the rotunda. The rotunda was impressive in color and paintings but not in size. The Capitol is no longer used for the purpose it was built because in 1985 they moved the House and Senate out to a bigger building. The Governor also is located somewhere else. All in all this capitol just gave us a less than “Wow” experience. Still, that is fine. They all shouldn’t be the same, aren’t the same and that’s good. After touring we went out to take our picture in front of the capitol. Then we walked a short distance to the 2nd Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached from 1954 to 1960. We then got back on the Trolley and finished riding around downtown and back to the Visitor’s Center. We saw many significant historic sites along the way. We recommend this as a method to see Montgomery. The only thing we regret not seeing was the Civil Rights Museum we passed. It was almost 5 PM when we went by it and the Trolley stops running at 5:30 so we would not have had a ride back and it was getting dark. Maybe if we move to Alabama we’ll come back to see more. Tomorrow we’re off to Pensacola for Thanksgiving with our son, Thomas who’s in the Navy. He’s going to be a third generation Air Traffic Controller. We’re so proud of him and are excited to see him.