We'll see how this post goes - my internet keeps cutting out and I lose it. No good Charter, no good!
Along with internet issues, this semester started out NUTS. I wasn't expecting that. Between the normal getting back from vacation fun, gathering everything for class, mandatory mock interviews and a case competition I'm beat. This does not bode well for the rest of the semester...
Anyway, back to the trip! There was a huge backup on I-65 south of Louisville. Gas station rumor was that there was a series of accidents caused by the first one - you know how these things go. After sitting on the highway for an hour we made it to an exit which just so happened to be the home of Ryan's second true love (after Aaron Rodgers of course) Jim Beam, or more specifically Red Stag. They may or may not be common law at this point. The air literally smelled like bourbon, it was unreal. The tours were over but the tasting room was still open! They had a lot of informative signs around the grounds so it wasn't all drinks, there was some learning too. Promise.
We made it into Nashville late and went out to a few bars on Broadway to see some music. It was hard to decide where to go, pretty much everywhere has an act playing. Each one that we decided on was fantastic, we could have spent a few more days there. Definitely a return-to spot!
Day two: drove through Franklin, TN which has a very cute downtown area and nice shops. This classiness was followed up by Time Magazine's number 1 roadside attraction in Cullman, AL: Ave Maria Grotto. Short version is that a monk who lived there made 125 miniatures of various buildings and shrines from around the world, and they were all placed on this hillside for people to visit. Despite the cold, it.was.glorious. Some examples are St. Peter's Square (naturally), the Gardens of Babylon, and the grotto pictured below. It's very easy to get to and highly recommended if you're in the area and amused by this type of thing. They've been maintained very well and the detail is fascinating.
Stopped briefly to see the sun set over Birmingham.
Last stop of the night was Montgomery, AL. The most... interesting/surprising/inspiring? I'm not entirely sure what word to use honestly... thing was just how close MLK's church and the organization of the bus boycott was to the state capitol building. Maybe this is something I was supposed to know but actually seeing it was impressive.
Also sobering was the Civil Rights Memorial. It was designed beautifully with names and dates of those who died during the movement along with important legal events. It was an excellent reminder of what people in this country went through not that long ago. I can't even imagine what life had been like at that time or the courage it took to stand up for their rights.
Day 3 coming soon! (provided my internet holds out)
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