Furry running companions led us through through the sleepy streets of Fort Payne and past the spooky, abandoned hospital.
Birmingham, Alabama greeted us with green. The lime green of the newest spring leaves. My eyes, still used to the browns of winter from the north took refuge in the green. After touring the museum across the street from the infamous church it felt strange to linger in warm sunshine and lush greens. My mind wrestled with the hurt and hate documented in the museum while listening to the laughter of Charlotte and Joseph as they posed with the statues.
Grandad and Nana met us with the biggest hugs when we arrived...at 10pm Saturday night. I felt truly welcomed. Spring in Vicksburg is lovely. The blossoms sent their petals spinning through the afternoon air showering us with my favorite kind of "snow" storm.
Southern-style pigtails for our alligator swamp tour. The hungry boors and friendly racoons were my personal favorites.
I felt like a teenager when Elise and I snuck out of the hotel with Karen, Glen, and Joseph at 9pm to explore New Orleans at night. We ate warm beignets at Cafe Beignet on Royal St to the sound of live jazz. Spontaneous parades of bicycles of blinking lights and glow sticks surprised us; the riders blasted music from a boombox. Darth Vader danced to music on a side street. We averted our eyes or made quick detours out of some of the more "colorful" stores.
A tour of the McRaven House with the girls on our last day in Vicksburg. We pried the tour guide for ghost stories even though it wasn't the official ghost tour.
A few more highlights:
Walking across the Selma bridge.
Sonic stops. Many of them! Jackpot of extra cookie dough mix-in.
Karen's food finds including Clumpies ice cream.
Grandad driving over an alligator in the middle of the highway...and feeling the bump as we did the same!
Southern food: hush puppies, fried catfish, and fried green tomatoes on our last night in Vicksburg.
