It was interesting to me that Birmingham didn't really exist as a city until the south began to industrialize after the Civil War the the railroad lines starting being built. It became a hub for steel production. That legacy is celebrated in the enormous, 56' tall, Vulcan statue. This was originally built for the 1904 St. Louis world's fair to proclaim Alabama's steel prowess, but found a permanent home on top of a hill overlooking Birmingham. You can take an elevator up the tower and enjoy a view overlooking the whole city. We also toured Sloss Furnaces which is a huge, well-preserved compound of an old steel plant that allows visitors to walk and climb all throughout the industrial complex. It was interesting to learn more about the furnaces and production process.
Reed wanted to do something fun for the day on Wednesday, so we ended up driving an hour west to Tuscaloosa to play mini golf at Pop Stroke - a franchise run by Tiger Woods. It was a good looking set up and had two 18-hole courses. My favorite quote of the day was from Reed, "How did you get so good at mini-golf, mom?" LOL! I think patience is key. I love the way it reminds all of us to slow down and not rush. We drove through the university area to get lunch and saw the giant (100,000+ seat) University of Alabama football stadium. It was quite impressive and the campus had nice buildings, green grass, and lots of big trees.
No comments:
Post a Comment