Vacation - Day Six

This morning we said a sad goodbye to the beach and headed out after first stopping and adding our final contribution to the Walton Beach tax base by buying souvenirs.

Garmin once again chose to take us on the smallest roads possible through Florida and Alabama to Fulltondale which is just outside Birmingham. We stopped for gas in Brantley, Alabama where gas is 25 cents higher than either of the towns ten miles before or after Brantley. The gas station doubled as a fireworks stand but the monumental attribute of this station, and possibly the town was their unique approach to bathroom facilities. Upon entering the station/fireworks stand you see the prominent sign pointing you to the bathrooms. I was very glad to see this sign as I greatly needed to go to the bathroom following the multiple cokes I had consumed at Boogey's in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. I was less sure about the whole endeavor when I realized that the men's bathroom was actually a urinal posted on the wall in the back hall, there was a partial partition which still permitted everyone up front buying groceries, or fireworks, to clearly see you at work. I debated just how full my bladder was, quickly analyzed the possibility of this town having an actual private bathroom, and then went ahead and put aside all modesty. Also in the hall/bathroom of the gas station/fireworks stand was a doorway with a sign that said "Danger, Do not Open this Door", directly below the sign was another sign that said "If you open this door you are Stupid!". I stood there really wanting to know what was behind this dangerous door but also not wanting the world, who had just watched me go to the bathroom, to know that I was indeed stupid. I chose to retain a bit of dignity and did not open the door, a decision I somewhat regret as I am writing this blog. On the way out of the gas station/fireworks stand there was a canister on the counter that had yet another sign on it that said "Donations for bathroom supplies". I was going to the ask the lady behind the counter exactly what "supplies" the donations went for since I had seen no supplies in the hallway/bathroom, or if the "supplies" include an actual door but when I looked at her I was filled with great fear so I chose to pay for my 25cent higher gasoline and an individual bag of M&Ms...it was the largest bag of individual M&Ms I have ever seen possibly giving Brantley, Alabama yet another claim to fame.

We finally arrived in Fulltondale and checked into our hotel, thanks to Grandma for giving up all your final reward points to pay for hotels in Louisiana and Alabama! In the elevator going up to our third floor room we were joined by Alma from South Carolina who was sharing with her husband that she heard that someone had pooped in the pool. "They really let it rip!" she said. I am not sure what bothered me more, the fact that there may have been poop in the pool or that almost 70 year old Alma from South Carolina said "let it rip".

We then headed to dinner choosing to try to stick with our "local" restaurants theme we have had throughout the trip so we passed Chic-Fil-A and headed to a "world famous" resturant that turned out to be Cajun themed in a building that looked like a former Braums (I realize that they do not have Braums in Alabama....or at least none that we saw). We did not realize until entering that this was a Louisiana Cajun restaurant which had everyone giving looks when the notebook size menus were thrown on the table. The kids chose the authentic Cajun dishes of Pizza, Fries, and Grilled Chicken with a dessert of Ice Cream. Andrea and I had to stick with our "You need to try new things" lectures so I ate probably the one type of food I have never been drawn to.....yes, Jaimie and Andrew, I ate your Louisiana food and I am still alive. I asked the waitress what "Dirty Rice" is, a question I thought was totally appropriate since it was on the menu, and she told me that every morning the cook comes in and puts all the rice on the ground and walks around on it and then puts it in the oven. I ate the Dirty Rice proving to the kids that I will even eat food from a state where the preparation involves putting it on the floor.

As all the Dirty Rice and Shrimp Creole was almost gone from my plate, or at least pushed around so it looked eaten, we began to talk with the waitress and the other customers in the restaurant who all seemed to be related to the waitress. I was asking about attractions we should see in the area and all anyone could think of was the IMAX. Realizing that I was in a Louisiana Cajun restaurant in Alabama I could not help but see how this group of southern white folks felt about the civil rights significance of their area. I asked about 16th Street Baptist Church (where the four girls died in the early sixties after the KKK placed 19 sticks of dynamite under the auditorium) and the Civil Rights Institute and Museum in Birmingham. There was a quick pause and the conversation changed, it was very obvious. "I think there is an art museum down there also," was her response. It was very interesting.

Not sure that we will have time tomorrow before heading to Nashville we went ahead and drove downtown by the church. It was the most ordinary site you could imagine, making it all the more chilling. Our kids got the speech, the kids defined it as a lecture, about labeling people and taking on hate. We talked about Hitler, minorities, gays, etc stressing that the labels can come from anywhere including people that we respect and admire.

When we got back to the hotel we went ahead and took a chance on the possibility of poop in the pool allowing the kids to suit up. I grabbed my new Donald Miller book and Andrea grabbed her latest health book, we may never get to eat anything tasty again. We sat down by the pool while the kids got in.....there was no poop anywhere to be found.

Tomorrow we head to Nashville where we are going to go to the Grand Ole Opry tomorrow night, unsure what is next.....I am on vacation.

Here I Dwell,
Rick