Friday 4:30am, crazy long lines thru airport security. Spring Break in Colorado, who knew? Uneventful flight to Atlanta, rental car pick-up, lotta traffic – 2 hours later, Alabama, my next marathon destination.
Bib pick-up downtown at Riverwalk Stadium – home of the Montgomery Biscuits, the capital city’s Minor League baseball team.
Overcast rainy day – next stop, Selma. During the hour ride from Montgomery, listened to local radio discussing the recent riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Sadly 50 years later, nothing’s really changed in rural South Alabama.
Literally driving to Selma to visit Civil Rights memorials, listening to callers discussing why black people in Ferguson were at fault for being outside after being told by white police officers to stay indoors. Seriously? Felt like I was being punked.
Crossed historic Edmund Pettus Bridge & parked at the Selma Interpretive Center. Watched old black-n-white clips of white police first using tear gas, then whipping black people for congregating outdoors. Only allowed to meet inside churches & homes in 1965 – never outside in groups, that was their crime.
Watched film footage of “Bloody Sunday”, of human abuses endured. Absolutely unbelievable these crimes occurred in the United States. Experience akin to visiting the Holocaust Museum in DC or Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Powerful & shocking; emotionally moving.
Yes, we commemorate MLK once a year – but a majority of us treat the day as a fake holiday. Because we don’t understand.
MEDIA: Postpone the ‘Dream’ speech & air ‘DISGUST’ next January. Educate our future so we don’t forget the past.
If ever in Alabama, visit Selma. Walk the route from Brown Chapel, thru downtown Selma over Edmund Pettus Bridge. Visit Lowndes Interpretive Center. You’ll leave forever changed.
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- Home to the Montgomery Biscuits (& tomorrow’s Marathon Finish)
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- downtown Selma, as it stands today – like going back in time
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- Brown Chapel AME Church – staging point for marches to the county courthouse & for the final 54-mile march to Montgomery
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- “Bloody Sunday” marchers crossed this bridge as they left Selma; on the other side they were beaten back by state troopers blocking US Highway 80 (March 7 1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9MKXR4gLjQ
Kicked off my 2015 running calendar & ‘Hillbilly Spring’ in Jackson, Mississippi. After multiple flights, arrived just before noon Friday, picked up my rental & drove 45 minutes west to Vicksburg. Today’s destination: Vicksburg National Military Park – commemorating the historic siege of Vicksburg in 1863.
The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mississippi River and drove the Confederate Army of Vicksburg led by Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton into the defensive lines surrounding the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The Confederate surrender following the siege at Vicksburg is sometimes considered, when combined with the defeat at Gettysburg by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade the previous day, the turning point of the war. It cut off the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas from the rest of the Confederacy, as well as communication with Confederate forces for the remainder of the war.
The Park is near overloaded with monuments – first Union mausoleums & pillars, then Confederate commemorations. Most interesting stops – the U.S.S. Cairo [pronounced K-Ro by locals] & National Cemetery.
The iron-clad U.S.S. Cairo sunk in December 1863, 12 minutes after hitting rebel mines. Discovered in 1956, the ship was raised years later & moved to its current location for public display. Fitted for cannons – super interesting.
A ranger at the Visitors Center recommended I visit the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Vicksburg, along with a few antebellum homes of the era. The Old Courthouse Museum was relic jammed with Vicksburg past – mostly Confederate items, including Jeff Davis photos & furniture (President of the Confederate States). Since Gone with the Wind, had held romantic notions regarding the Confederate flag. In person however, I found the flag itself disturbing. Additionally, found their exhibit ‘Negro Wedding’ offensive. I love history but in this instance, some things are better buried in the past.
Visited 4 nearby antebellum homes in historic Vicksburg. The interior tour of Cedar Grove was interesting but again, found the back history disturbing so ended the day there. Done.
Sorry for the negativity folks. I met many friendly people in Mississippi – probably just not a great fit for me personally.
Back in Jackson, [Mississippi Blues] bib pickup & pasta dinner with Marathon Maniac peeps. Temps expected to dip under 30 overnight – deep freeze in the Deep South, perfect race day weather 🙂
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- Mississippi Blues – first marathon of 2015
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- fall of Vicksburg (1863) marked a Civil War turning point
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- Illinois Memorial
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- U.S.S. Cairo
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- this iron-clad Civil War gunboat hit a mine & sunk in 12 minutes
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- President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis
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- the mighty Mississippi
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- Cedar Grove (circa 1840) – hit 41 times but survived the fall of Vicksburg, served as a Union hospital
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- home of John & Elizabeth Klein
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- the Grant Room
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- John’s Smoking Parlor
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- Corners Mansion (circa 1873) – built by John Klein as wedding gift to daughter Susan
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- Annabelle (circa 1868) – built by John Klein for son Madison
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- Belle of the Bends (circa 1876) – named for paddlewheel steamship that brought Teddy Roosevelt to Vicksburg in 1908
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- Deep South deep freeze – perfect race day conditions!
Delmarva weekend started after yesterday’s run in Rehoboth Beach, my last marathon of 20-14.
Delmarva is a large peninsula occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia.
After my post-race shower at Quality Inn, headed south on Coastal Highway (Delaware 1). Spent Saturday night in a no-frills Ocean City MD hotel located in town harbor. Like many beach towns, most store fronts & hotels were closed during winter.
Grabbed an early diner breakfast, then south 30 minutes further to Assateague Island. Windy winter day but saw sunshine – not the norm for Nov-March on the East Coast…so counted myself lucky 🙂
Assateague Island?
Wild ponies have inhabited Assateague Island for hundreds of years. While some have suggested that the wild ponies on Assateague Island trace their origin to horses released to forage on the Island by early settlers, the circumstantial evidence suggests that they are indeed the descendants of the survivors of a Spanish galleon which wrecked off the coast of Assateague. A fence along the Virginia/Maryland State line separates Assateague Island’s ponies into two herds. The Maryland herd is owned by the National Park Service. The Virginia herd is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The US Fish & Wildlife Service allows the Fire Company to maintain a herd of approximately 150 adult ponies on Assateague Island.
Called ahead to secure a pony tour – closed. Kayaks – closed. Nothing open & available ‘til next April. UGH!
Oh well…still great to see the ocean – even in winter. Would start off on Assateague, then an extra hour to Chincoteague to visit the lighthouse & NASA Visitors Center. (NASA Visitors Center: closed on Sunday – bad luck, huh?)
Crossed the bridge to Assateague & near swerved off road in excitement – PONY!
Took a tens of pics of the lone pony, thinking this my one opportunity. Nope. Not only had the park to ourselves (not a lotta December beachcombers – HA!), but saw several wild ponies grazing near the tree line. WOW, what luck!
Not sure how wild the ponies are – one came to the car window. I did not feed but guessing tourists past have broken this rule. Beautiful animals. Took rural roads to Chincoteague, short hike to the Lighthouse, more ponies & a beach walk.
Whatta year – grizzly bears in Montana & the wild ponies of Assateague Island. Crazy blessed life; life is good.
Autobahn’d back to BWI in under 3 hours, crossing the [Chesapeake] Bay Bridge into Baltimore. Thought I had overcome my fear of high bridges – NOT – spanning almost 5 miles over water, felt white-knuckled near the end.
5 weeks off ‘til marathon season picks up next year in Mississippi. Fingers crossed — snow on Christmas 🙂
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- wild ponies of Assateague
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- sizing up the situation
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- getting curious
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- up close & personal
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- salt & snow
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- winter beach day
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- had the beach to myself – surprise, surprise 🙂
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- last pass at the ponies before Chincoteague
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- big fan of lighthouses
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- 10 degrees warmer on Chincoteague
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- held pose — seemingly still in the gusting wind
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- sea foam sudsing, rolling on the surf
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- love the ocean – even in December!
