Many cities across the American South have connections to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, but perhaps none more so than Montgomery, Ala. There are several sights spread across the city, so visitors can choose to see as many or as few places as time permits. It is possible to spend several days diving into the sights around town or see the highlights in half a day. So whether you are making a daytrip or spending a long-weekend in the city, here is a guide to the city’s Civil Rights sights. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church (454 Dexter Ave.) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has connections…
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A guide to Hank Williams sights in Montgomery
The death of legendary country music star Hank Williams is shrouded in mystery. However, there is no mystery behind visiting some of the most notable sights associated with Williams in his adopted hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. In 1937, Hank, his mother, and his siblings moved to Montgomery from nearby Georgiana. It was in Montgomery that 13-year-old Hiram Williams started using “Hank” as his stage name. After winning a local talent show and landing a twice-weekly, 15-minute radio show, Hank dropped out of school in 1939 and began touring with The Drifting Cowboys. He eventually moved to Nashville as his career gained momentum, but Montgomery remained close to his heart. He…
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A Minor League Baseball road trip through Alabama
People who enjoy baseball, and especially Minor League Baseball, regularly plan their summer vacations around visiting ballparks. These trips are often based around individual goals, whether it’s to visit new states or new ballparks or to watch top prospects or even the most ambitious goal of seeing all 159 active, affiliated Minor League baseball stadiums. With good timing, visiting all of the Minor League ballparks in Alabama can be done in a matter of four days. I undertook this adventure earlier this summer with my wife Katie. The Basics Currently, Alabama has three Minor League Baseball teams: the Birmingham Barons, the Mobile BayBears, and the Montgomery Biscuits. From north-to-south, the…
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Alabama Memorial Day weekend road trip preview
As the summer travel season is almost upon us, my wife Katie and I will be making our first extended trip of the year over the Memorial Day weekend. The inspiration for our upcoming trip is baseball and craft beer, as we are setting out to see every Minor League Baseball team that plays in Alabama while also visiting more of the state’s craft breweries. Our schedule is built around attending MiLB games, but we will assuredly be visiting craft breweries and seeing other local sights. Here is our schedule… Saturday, May 26:Biloxi Shuckers at Mobile BayBears, 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, May 29:Jackson Generals at Montgomery Biscuits, 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, May…
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My photo has been published in a baseball book
Since I started this blog, I’ve begun to interact with a lot of other baseball bloggers. I’ve referenced some of them in my posts like Craig Wieczorkiewicz (Twitter: @MWLtraveler) and Malcolm MacMillan (Twitter: @BallparkGuide), and most people know about MiLB.com’s Ben Hill (Twitter: @bensbiz). In addition to interacting with these other bloggers, I’ve also made interacted and wrote about a baseball travel writer who has written numerous books about visiting Major League and Minor League stadiums: Josh Pahigian (Twitter: @joshpahigian). You can find an inventory of all his books on Amazon.com here. Last April, he contacted me about his latest project and asked if he could include a photo I…
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My night with the Montgomery Biscuits – Aug. 8, 2012
On my way back to Stillwater, Okla., for the school year I took a scenic route to watch some baseball games and see some sights. After seeing some National Park Service sites in Tuskegee, Ala., my first baseball game was a Montgomery Biscuits game at Riverwalk Stadium. The ballpark is built into a former railroad building, which is clear from the signage at the corner of Coosa and Tallapoosa streets. The building still bears decorative signage dating from 1898 as home of the Western Railway of Alabama. The view from home plate does not provide fans with a spectacular view. There is a nice scoreboard in left center and fans…
