In Birmingham, they love the governor

November 5, 2015
She's from Birmingham (bam-a-lam) way down in Alabam' (bam-a-lam)

Leaving the coast of Florida, we ventured West and found ourselves driving into Alabama. There are a lot of songs written about Alabama, and I couldn't help but sing a few as we entered.

Dolly parked in front of Jerry & Lynne's home in Ozark

We have some friends and family in Alabama. First stop, Ozark - where we pulled up in front of my cousin Jerry Krometis' home. We parked Dolly right on the street. Jerry and his wife Lynne were gracious hosts and we got to hang with them and tell stories. Jerry has spent his life in or working for the military. He flew helicopters in Vietnam and now is an Apache helicopter instructor at Fort Rucker. We had a great time talking about growing up in our family.

Julie & Cheri reunited

From Ozark, we headed north to Birmingham, where one of Cheri's best friends lives. Cheri and Julie have known each other for many years, and they had a lot of catching up to do! We went to their lovely historic home in Birmingham, went out to eat at a fabulous Mexican restaurant in the restored warehouse district, and Cheri and Julie got to explore First Thursday, the art walk sponsored by the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama

We stayed in a lovely park in the hills that surround Birmingham. Oak Mountain State Park is a deeply forested park, full of lakes. The trees are still holding most of their leaves, and we got to once again experience the Fall colors in these Appalachian foothills. The forest is alive with the sounds of crickets and tree frogs. The symphony of sounds lulled us to sleep every night on our comfortable bed in our RV.

I didn't know what to expect. The city of Birmingham had some negative press in the '60s, but Birmingham is a fascinating place. It was once called the "Pittsburgh of the South" as it was the major industrial city in the south with the city relying on steel and iron production. While steel production is still part of the fabric of Birmingham, the economy is now supported mostly by medical research and bio-techology. This new business focus has energized the city, and now much of the city is being revitalized. Fashionable, sustainable foodie restaurants are popping up throughout Birmingham. And we had no problem finding healthy, organic groceries at the area's stores.

Ruffner Mountain and Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham sits in a valley, surrounded by mountains. The town itself is quite hilly, which was a surprise to me. Inside the city, you'll find mountain peaks, like Ruffner Mountain, just east of the heart of the city. It's home to one of the largest urban nature reserves in the US. And the city limits stretch out over a large parcel of land and water - over 150 square miles! Compare that to the city of San Francisco, which only covers 7 square miles.

One story I heard from several people while visiting Alabama - how the City of Birmingham pulled a huge goof in the 1940s when it raised the aviation fuel tax just as Delta Airlines was looking for a Southern hub. Birmingham was the choice to be their hub, but because of the high tax rate at the Birmingham airport, they chose Atlanta instead. Everyone just imagines what could've would've happened if Birmingham had become the huge hub that Atlanta has become. The story goes that Birmingham officials didn't understand how significant a large aviation hub would have been to the overall economy and growth potential. So the pundits agree, Atlanta got the growth that was meant for Birmingham.

The sun sets on Birmingham

We had a great time visiting Birmingham. The people were extremely friendly. I found a great chiropractic clinic called The Farm right near our camping site and got a great adjustment - my first since embarking on this trip in June. And Satch and Bebop got to explore a new area full of fun new scents.

Tomorrow morning, we pack up Dolly and head South to the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!