We found our way to a spot on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail: The Legends at Capital Hill overlooking the Senator Golf Course. It was roughly a three-hour ride from Birmingham to Montgomery and we were happy to relax and unwind a little. This hotel was a little on the quiet side, but as we soon discovered August is not the high season for golf.
We looked forward to relaxing and enjoying dinner in the Magnolia Room, overlooking the golf course. Mint Green walls and wood paneling provided a peaceful atmosphere, while Sinatra music lulled us into a Zen-like calm and we watched the sun set. Don tried the shrimp and grits, feeling obligated to have grits at least once in Alabama. I had the pork tenderloin and both were good choices. The waiter recommended Alabama sweet tea and I realized "sweet tea" is a country sounding name for iced tea. Our meal was terrific and the atmosphere was enjoyably calming. Don couldn’t resist going out on the patio to take a few pictures of some lone trees in the middle of the golf course, set in a golden glow. It was picture perfect!
After a good night’s sleep, we set out to find Historic Union Station, where Montgomery’s Visitor Center is located. The train station was built in 1898 and still contains the original stained glass. The visitor’s center, besides having the mandatory friendly and helpful "information ladies," has an informative film about the city for any newcomer. The film has a catchy theme song –"Just imagine yourself with dreams to share, where people really care – Montgomery, imagine that." The film continued to highlight some of the town’s main attractions: local shops, galleries, restaurants and, of course, the ever growing Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
It’s here that we met our city guide for Montgomery – JoJo. We toured the city by car and passed the Riverwalk Stadium, which is home to the Montgomery Biscuits; the Winter Building, where the 1841 telegram came through announcing the beginning of the Civil War; the Hank Williams museum; the historic State Capital and the War Memorial. JoJo narrated as Donald drove. The downtown area is undergoing extensive revitalization, but was relatively empty on this Saturday morning so travel was easy.
Our first stop was the Dexter Parsonage Museum. It is a museum next to the home, where Dr. Martin Luther King lived from 1954 to 1969 while he was pastor. The Interpretive Center showcases a 10-minute film about the life of this esteemed Civil Rights Leader, before you tour the house. Here the heart and the brain tries to grasp his monumental task of teaching a nation right from wrong.
Our tour guide, Avis, explained that the churches were the only institutions that blacks could operate and control, so they not only served as a spiritual center, but a social center for the congregation. The house at 309 Jackson Street became the focal point for church meetings and social events. Dr. King came here as a young idealistic 24-year-old minister with a commanding and oratorical voice, who was very soon leading the Montgomery Improvement Association.
His views on unity and civil rights caused enemies to develop, entrenched in the idea of racial segregation. In 1956, the parsonage was bombed (the crater remains as proof of the act) and Dr. King was well into receiving over 40 death threats each month. In 1960, Dr. King left the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which began as an idea formulated a few years earlier at this very table, in this very house.
From the parsonage, we traveled a short distance to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, built in 1885 situated on a wide historic street, with the state capital, a stone’s throw away at the foot of the block. It’s easy to see how Dr. King and the congregation were directly "in the face" of Governor Wallace. We were told that Governor George Wallace often stood on "his steps" and looked over to the church where Dr. King was greeting his congregants on "his steps." The church is one of a relatively simple and ordinary design that had a destiny with history, as did Dr. King. Touring the church left us with a quiet sense of reverence and historical greatness.
The next stop on our "Civil Rights Tour" was the Rosa Parks Museum, which was established only two years ago. The museum experience begins with a film that presents a short history of segregation, the racial history of our country, and the events leading up to the historic day when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus. Up until that time, black folks had to sit in the back of the bus, drink out of water fountains designated for "colored only" and submit to other dehumanizing laws. After a long day at work, Rosa Parks, a quiet unassuming woman, uttered one word that catapulted Montgomery, AL into the national limelight, and that word was "NO!" The Montgomery Bus Boycott began the night of Rosa Parks’ arrest. A ground-swelling movement started and over 52,000 leaflets were printed and distributed. The boycott lasted a long 13 months before victory.
The Rosa Parks museum, through films and displays and photos, pays tribute, not only to a strong woman, but to a city of strong people.
Montgomery has more to share than its civil rights story, but only in embracing its history and looking to its future, does it seem to be able to progress.
We headed back to the visitor’s bureau and had a late lunch at Lek’s, a Thai Restaurant situated in the old train station. Montgomery is full of surprises and having a Thai restaurant was one of them. Our brief day tour of Montgomery was too brief.
The Parsonage where Dr.Martin Luther King lived
When in Alabama, I would recommend the civil rights sights, Civil War sites, the local shops, and galleries and restaurants. This town has more to offer than their association with the integration struggle, they have the strength of the people to build.
