Big travel day today ... Chattanooga to Slidell (near New Orleans) via Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Actual driving time is about 6.5 hours, but we made a couple stops, one of which was off the main highway. It literally rained the whole day along our route; it got quite heavy between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. So thankful that other days have been so nice. And the next two days’ forecast in New Orleans shows no rain.
From Tuscaloosa we took a detour off the highway to visit a pre-Civil War plantation home, one purported to be haunted no less. The home, Gaineswood, is located in a (quite) small town, Demopolis, Alabama. The drive off the main highway to Demopolis was a treat. Highways are great for getting from Point A to Point B, but they certainly don’t give one a feel for the communities and countryside nearby. We enjoyed our time off the highway. It’s always a joy to see some small, local areas. We passed a variety of farms, and got to see some livestock, including cattle and goats. Many of the properties featured lakes and ponds which made for beautiful views as well.
The tour at Gaineswood was interesting. We heard stories of the owner, General Gaines, and his family. The general was musically and artistically inclined.
Our first real stop was at Tuscaloosa, the midpoint of the drive. It’s home to ‘Bama, aka the University of Alabama. Andrew’s a fan so we picked up a souvenir for him. We took a drive through the ‘Bama campus. Like other universities we have seen on this trip, it contains beautiful brick buildings which lend a real feeling of stateliness to the visit.
From Tuscaloosa we took a detour off the highway to visit a pre-Civil War plantation home, one purported to be haunted no less. The home, Gaineswood, is located in a (quite) small town, Demopolis, Alabama. The drive off the main highway to Demopolis was a treat. Highways are great for getting from Point A to Point B, but they certainly don’t give one a feel for the communities and countryside nearby. We enjoyed our time off the highway. It’s always a joy to see some small, local areas. We passed a variety of farms, and got to see some livestock, including cattle and goats. Many of the properties featured lakes and ponds which made for beautiful views as well.
The tour at Gaineswood was interesting. We heard stories of the owner, General Gaines, and his family. The general was musically and artistically inclined.
From there, we completed our road trip circle by driving back to Slidell, Louisiana where we spend the night in the same hotel we stayed in upon our arrival to the South. We had dinner at Cracker Barrel, next door to our hotel.
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