We spent our five nights in Alabama at Oak Mountain State Park just outside of Birmingham. It is hands-down one of the nicest state parks and RV/Camping facilities we have been to. Aside from all the nature and typical hiking, biking, and fishing activities afforded at most state parks, this one has so much more to offer.
There are horse stables and an equine center, archery, a cool BMX track, three lakes to swim, paddleboard, and kayak in, one of which offers a fun, giant, blow-up water slide contraption, like you would see on that TV show Wipeout.
One morning we biked a lovely Greenway trail which connects all these little towns around the city. I easily did the 8-mile loop – I guess I should mention that I received an E-Bike for my birthday this year. Even with the power assist, I was still happy with my ability to easily bike an 8-mile trail. My next goal will be to complete ten miles with ease. Gary has a goal for me to go 20 miles. We’ll see.
That afternoon found us hiking a two-mile trail to supposedly witness a pretty waterfall. The hike was the roughest two miles I’ve done in a while, traversing over rocks, gorges of dirt and mud and high elevations. We never got to see the waterfall, deciding rather to save our tired bones and muscles and just be happy with getting in a good hike. Afterall, we have witnessed countless waterfalls in our travels around the world, and this one certainly wouldn’t be in the top ten.
Our last day in Alabama, we spent exploring the city of Birmingham itself, a city ripe with history and with secrets. Of course, when you think of Birmingham, you think of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, the rampant racism and cruel enforcement of the immoral Jim Crow laws. I was a teacher of History and thought I knew a lot about the Civil Rights movement, the dates and names of the key events. But being there in that place where these horrific acts of prejudice took place is wholly different.
We stood across from the 16th Street Baptist Church, which was dynamite bombed in 1963, killing four young black girls. The heinous act was carried out by a white supremacist group. I knew about the incident but hadn’t known the complete stories. Like how it took decades to close the case and bring to justice all the men responsible. I hadn’t known that the city of Birmingham had once been founded post-Civil War by blacks and whites working together to build a new city, mostly relying on the coal and steel mill industries. And that it wasn’t until the company towns came in that the segregation really kicked in.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a wonderful and interactive museum and learning center that immerses you into the era and gives powerful juxtapositions of video, artifacts, audio, and photographs set against stunning architectural and artistically designed stages and backdrops.
In today’s climate of political divide and animosity, it is hard not to make comparisons to then and now. People identifying one another based on political affiliations, on their gender, on their race or ethnicity.
It is not a stretch to see where these trends lead, to pitting people “us” against “them” and how dehumanizing and minimizing that can be. How ultimately destructive that is for our society.
Perhaps you don’t need to travel to the deep south or to a storied city like Birmingham to refresh your history knowledge or renew your sense of urgency that we, the people, need to stop and need to reassess our attitudes.
Traveling this beautiful country of ours does give me hope, though, because ultimately, Gary and I get to witness mostly the best of us all.
Cathy, I have enjoyed reading your blog about the different places you and Gary have been to so far. This makes me want to do something similar with friends when I finally retire. It’s great to read that you are enjoying your retirement life 😀