Day 2: Tuskegee, Secession, and a March

Auburn AL to Tuskegee AL

Today was another day of many miles traveled. We ate a hearty complimentary breakfast and then got on US 29/80 about 8:30 am for the short drive to Tuskegee. We arrived at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at the opening time of 9:00 and toured for about 30 minutes.

 
Then we got back on US 80 west to the town of Tuskegee to Tuskegee University, formerly the Tuskegee Institute. After some frustration and confusion, we found the George Washington Carver Museum at 10:30 but chose not to tour it and instead took the 30-minute tour of The Oaks, the house of Booker T. Washington, who established the institute.

Tuskegee AL to Montgomery AL

It's 11:00 and on to Montgomery (via US 80 west)! We arrived in town at 12:00 and parked near the Alabama State Capitol. We admired the grand memorial to the Confederate soldiers on the state house grounds. This thing is big!

We then climbed the steps of the Capitol and took a picture of the spot on the portico where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office of the presidency of the Confederate States of America in February 1861. (Robert's shoes included)

After entering the front door of the Capitol,

we toured the building to find the original Senate chamber where the delegates from the earliest secessionist states met to form the CSA.

We walked over to the State Archives and Museum of Alabama to quickly see an excellent exhibit of Alabama history and a display of photographs from the Selma to Montgomery marches of March 1965 and the rally in front of the Capitol addressed by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Montgomery AL to Selma AL

We ate sandwiches in the car made from provisions we are packing in a cooler, and at 1:30pm, we got back on the road for Selma. We traveled US 80 west in the opposite direction of the historic Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights in March 1965. We rode over the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge and into downtown Selma.

Selma AL to Jackson MS

US 80 west from Selma to the Mississippi state line took us through some desolate country. It's a good road to make good time, but pack your provisions. Ours were boiled peanuts, of course. At the Mississippi border, we connected with I-20 west which took us into Jackson, MS. It is the first time in Mississippi for both of us. Got gas and arrived at the hotel about 6:00 pm. No complimentary drinks nor food in the evening like the other Hampton Inn, but we resourcefully made sub sandwiches for dinner. After a gin and tonic, we were not leaving the hotel. Is it only the second day?

Day 1: Fried Chicken and FDR

Orangeburg SC to Social Circle GA

We got started driving fairly early this morning at 7:30 and headed west from Orangeburg, SC, drove around Aiken, SC, and headed west on I-20 toward Atlanta. I had researched some good road food fare on Roadfood.com to avoid the ubiquitous fast food and found a recommended restaurant in Social Circle, GA, a few miles east of Atlanta and just off I-20. We arrived at the Blue Willow Inn at 11:00 am and sampled a fantastic buffet of Southern home cooking with the best fried chicken I've ever had and a selection of excellent desserts.

Social Circle GA to Warm Springs GA

We got on the road about 12:00pm and took the loop around Atlanta to I-85 south. Then we drove down Alt US 27 south to Warm Springs, GA (3:00 pm) to tour the "Little White House" where FDR sought treatment for his paralyzed legs due to polio from 1924 to 1945, and where he died on April 12, 1945.

We also stopped by the springs and pool facility which was built in 1928.

 Warm Springs GA to Auburn AL

 

After the tour, we headed west through FDR State Park (a couple of surprisingly stunning views) and back onto I-85 south and into Alabama. At 4:00 pm (now central time), we arrived in Auburn, AL, at the Hampton Inn. We took advantage of the complimentary light supper and beer at the hotel.

Getting ready

When I was in Orangeburg for Christmas, Mom suggested that we take a road trip out to the Midwest to visit her sister Jane in eastern Kansas and my father's sister Mary Lou in Missouri. When my sister and I were children, we would make this trip every other summer or so. Usually, our path would take us from South Carolina and through Asheville, Knoxville, Nashville, Paducah, St. Louis, and Kansas City with one night out.

But I've been given the responsibility of planning the trip, so I've stretched out the time and changed the route. Instead of traveling through the upper South, we are driving through the Deep South to visit states and sites both high (Vicksburg) and low (Graceland) that I've wanted to visit but never had. We'll take the traditional route coming back and stop in Nashville, a city I've traveled through many times but never toured. The trip will take a total of two weeks, and I'll be updating this blog every evening with a summary and pictures.

Armed with an itinerary, maps from an AAA office raid, and some boiled peanuts, we're on our way!