2013 ~ Thursday, October 11, Day Trip to Montgomery, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Montgomery and left the house at about 8:30 A.M.

Ate roast beef sandwiches at Arby's in Athens.

We stopped in Clanton, Alabama, and filled up with gas at Jet Pet pump number 16. The pump held 13.34 gallons at $3.30 per gallon, which cost $44.00.

Freshly baked peach pie topped with homemade peach ice cream

We then went to Peach Park, where we shared a sizeable peach cobbler ($4.75) and peach ice cream ($2.75).

Hubby ordered a drink, a hotdog ($2.75), and onion rings (2.00).

Hank Williams Museum

We went each to Hank Williams Museum, Alabama's Troubadour, at 118 Commerce Street, Montgomery, Alabama, for $10.00.

The museum is filled with Hank Williams memorabilia, including his baby-blue Cadillac, 17 Hank Williams Suits, two life-size portraits owned by Hank and Audrey, some of his boots, ties, overcoats, hats, horse saddle, 1947 Gibson Guitar, and many more items.

Hank Williams

Historic Markers inside the museum

In 1938, young country singer Hank Williams won a contest on the stage of the Empire Theatre. Born in Butler County, south of Montgomery, on September 17, 1923, Williams learned to play the guitar and sing on the streets of Georgia. Writing songs and performing, he made his way to Nashville, wherein, in 1949, his "Lovesick Blues" stopped the show at the Grand Ole Opry. Other acclaimed compositions include "Your Cheatin' Heart," Jambalaya," and "Kaw-Liga."

Williams died on January 1, 1953, and is buried in Montgomery's Oakwood Annex Cemetery.

St John's Episcopal Church

We were given a grand tour of St. John's Episcopal Church in Montgomery, organized in 1834 by a small group of pioneer settlers.

The church has many interesting memorials, including ceiling medallions, 1885 bell chimes in the tower, and stained glass window art by Charles Connick of Boston.

Capitol building's dome.

We took a self-guided tour of the Capitol building, where we saw the 52 governors of Alabama hanging on the walls. It has a cantilevered stairway that spirals up to the third floor. We saw the old Senate Chamber, the House of Representatives chamber, a sculpture of the only woman governor of Alabama, and the dome overlooking the rotunda on the first floor.

Outside, we saw the Confederate memorial, several statues, a rose garden, and an avenue of flags.

It's not a fancy building by any means.

I met a family from Wisconsin. They were meeting their daughter in Montgomery and taking his parents to Florida. We talked about the magnolia trees, the pecans that lay everywhere on the ground, and how our pecan trees at home were making but falling off the trees with blight.

Montgomery's Capitol Building

We walked up and down many streets, taking pictures of historic markers in downtown Montgomery.

Montgomery City Hall / Funeral for Hank Williams

Montgomery Theater

The Elijah Cook/City of Montgomery vs. Rosa Parks

St. John's Episcopal Church Organized 1834

Montgomery Freemasonry

Montgomery's Slave Market

Montgomery's City Hall was built 1936~37

Montgomery Learning from the Past

Brigadier General Richard Montgomery/

St Johns Episcopal Church Montgomery Labyrinth Gardens

Black Members of the Alabama Legislature Who Served During The Reconstruction Period of 1868-1879

Murphy House

A Nation Divided/Cradle of the Confederacy

Starke Alabama School 1888~1968 "Omnia Vincit labor~ Work Wins"

History of Alabama State Bar-Dexter Avenue

Court Square

Professor John Metcalfe Starke" Fessor Starke 1860~1941" / Starke University School 1888~1968 located Dexter Avenue

City of Montgomery

Marquis Lafayette

Lucien Dunbibben Gardner Twenty-Second Chief Justice - 1940-1951 next to RSA Dexter building

James Edwin Livingston, Twenty-Third Chief Justice 1951-1971

Howell Thomas Heflin Twenty-Fourth Chief Justice – 1971-1977

Clement Clay "Bo" Forbert, Jr, Twenty-Fifth Chief Justice 1977-1989

Ernest C. "Sonny" Hornsby Twenty-Sixth Chief Justice-1989-1995

The Alabama Appellate Court

Battle Flag of the Confederacy-located four corners of the Confederate flag

First National Confederate Flag (Stars and Bars)-located four corners of the Confederate flag located four corners of the Confederate flag)

The second National Confederate Flag (Stainless Banner) is located on four corners of the Confederate flag.

The third National Confederate Flag is located on four corners of the Confederate flag.

Alabama Confederate Monument 1861~1865 Consecrated to the memory of the Confederate Soldiers and Seamen ~Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, and Navy.

Albert L. Patterson-Capitol lawn

Camellia Designated Alabama State Flower-capitol lawn

United States flag Raised over Alabama Capitol April 12, 1865 – capitol lawn

Alabama First Capitals/Alabama State Capitol-capitol lawn

Jefferson Davis June 3, 1808, December 6, 1889/Soldier Scholar Statesman-capitol lawn

John Allan Wyeth Marker-Capitol lawn

Selma to Montgomery March N. Bainbridge Street, north of Dexter Avenue

Black members of the Alabama Legislature who served during the Reconstruction Period of 1868-1879

Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Organized at 1877 Dexter Ave

Grave of Hank and Audrey Williams

We rode to the Oakwood Annex Cemetery, where Hank and Audrey Williams are buried.

There were many markings on his tombstone, Including his hat, his guitar, and his boots.

1.      Now I am so happy. No sorrows or insight.

2.      Luke the Drifter

3.      Hey Good looking

4.      Kaw-Liga

5.      Jambalaya

6.      Cold, Cold Heart

7.      Lovesick blues

8.      I just told Mama goodbye

9.      Men with broken hearts

We met a young man sitting at Hank Williams's gravesite. He said, "I just had to stop and have a drink with Hank." He had a can of beer in his hand, and he was sharing with Hank.

He was traveling from Florida to Southern Virginia.

Montgomery Confederate Hospital

We rode through the Oakwood Annex and St Margaret's cemeteries, where I took several pictures of tombstones of Confederate soldiers and several historical markers.

It was a very interesting day, with lots of historic places and makers. We visited the tombstone and museum of Hank Williams, toured the Capitol building, toured St. John's Episcopal Church, and walked up and down many streets, taking pictures. We also toured St Margaret's Cemetery.
We had a safe and uneventful ride home.