Birmingham - (Continued)
The Fairfield was very convenient for us. We could walk to all the places we wanted to visit in Birmingham. The races and expo were just a few blocks away. There were restaurants in the vicinity. Major tourist attractions were also within walking distance. Breakfast was included in our stay. I was a little disappointed that the waffle irons were not working but the other items were fine.
It was an easy walk the next morning to the Boutwell Auditorium where the 5k would begin and end. The race began at 8 AM. I thought we would have plenty of time afterwards to eat at the hotel before breakfast ended at 9:30 AM but thanks to my error when walking back to the hotel, we made a wrong turn that took us really far off track. It was 9:15 and had begun to rain heavily by the we made it back. It was slim-pickings at the buffet at that time.
The rest of the day was cold, windy, and rainy. This did not deter our planned sightseeing itinerary. We walked a few blocks to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Traci and I have been to several similarly themed museums across the country; however, this one in Birmingham is very well presented. Our visit began with an eight-minute film explaining the rise of injustice and segregation in Alabama. It began during the slavery days and continued through the mid-20th century - first as unwritten societal rules and eventually law. At the conclusion of the film, the screen lifts and doors open to invite guest into the rest of the museum. The exhibits are displayed in chronological order detailing the tragedies of injustice and segregation to the struggle against injustice and finally the triumphs of overturning segregation laws. The thing I liked about the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is that you are not overwhelmed with too many displays to read or too many films to watch. I thought the amount of information presented was concise and effective. However, there is a section where there is a Ku Klux Klan robe on display. I've seen these at other museums of similar themes and it always makes me wonder who dug in their closet and decided to donate their old clan robe. In this case, I noticed that the donor was listed as "anonymous".
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
We had spent almost 2 hours in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and it was nearly closing time. The 16th Street Baptist Church is located across the street from the Civil Rights Institute but we didn't get a chance to tour it because it was almost closing time there as well. The 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed September 15, 1963 by the KKK. The bombing killed four little girls. The church has been rebuilt since then and is an active place of worship; however, tours of the church are also offered.
Located catty corner to the 16th Street Baptist Church is Kelly Ingram Park that contains monuments and sculptures that tells a story of Birmingham's civil rights struggles. Despite the cold wind and rain, Traci and I took a walk to the park to have a look at the sculptures. We noticed there was also a large tour group they're listening to a tour guide.
16th Street Baptist Church
Kelly Ingram Park
Traci and I continued our exploration by making our way to the Rainbow LED Tunnel. This attraction caught my eye during my research of Birmingham. I found the location of the Rainbow LED Tunnel in Google maps and set off on foot to get there. The tunnel is a pedestrian walkway located under railroad bridge. The rainbow lights give it a psychedelic vibe which makes for fun photo opportunities as the lights change. During our walk back to the hotel, we would learn that there are several these tunnels every few blocks between 14th St. and 1st St. where are hotel was located. Some of these tunnels were brighter and more vibrant than others. This enticed us to visit them as well; however, we were not able to get any photos of them. There were several homeless people sleeping in the tunnels to shield themselves from the nasty weather. We obviously did not want to disturb them. Therefore, I said a silent prayer that their lives would improve and then Traci and I continued our walk back to the hotel.
Rainbow LED Tunnel
We had done a lot of walking that day to explore Birmingham and its attractions. According to Traci's pedometer, we had walked almost 6 miles. She reminded me that she has a half marathon to run in the morning. Therefore, we decided to end our sightseeing, find somewhere to eat, and then return to the hotel so that Traci could rest up before her race. For dinner, we chose a small pizzeria called Trattoria Zaza. Traci had pasta and a salad. I had a delicious slice of three cheese pizza.
We had enjoyed our day out in Birmingham. I just wish we could have had better weather. By the time we made it back to the hotel, our shoes, socks, and pants legs were soaked. Our umbrellas were not very effective against the blowing rain. In fact, my umbrella ended up getting destroyed.
Tribute to Eddie Kendrick of the Temptations
The next morning I walked with Traci to the Boutwell Auditorium for the 7:30 AM start of the half marathon. We were encouraged by the fact that it was no longer raining. On the flipside, it was still surprisingly cold for being this far south. We chatted with runner from Colorado during our walk to the start line. I was amazed that he was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Meanwhile Traci and I, on the other hand, were both bundled up.
Over the years, I have accompanied Traci at the start of many of her races from 5K's to full marathons. One of the more memorable starts was the half marathon in Columbus, Ohio that started with fireworks. Then there was the half marathon in Fargo North Dakota that started with the singing of the Canadian national anthem instead of the U.S. national anthem. This half marathon in Birmingham was the first race that I have attended that started with gospel choir performance. They sounded great. Even better, there was excellent barbecue for the runners at the end of the race. Sadly, it was announced that this would be the last year for the Mercedes-Benz Birmingham Marathon Weekend. I do not know if another sponsor will step in and keep the running events going in Birmingham.
gospel choir performance at the start of the race
While Traci ran, I did my normal routine. I took pictures of her running along the route, I got breakfast at the hotel, and took pictures of her near the finish line. I had downloaded the app that is supposed to let you know where your runner is on the route; however, it was not very accurate. Therefore, I had to rely on my knowledge of Traci's pace and pay attention to the pace of the runners to determine if Traci would be passing by soon.
Traci at mile 3 of the Mercedes-Benz Birmingham Half Marathon
Traci finished the race and received another medal to add to her collection. This one was in the form of the Mercedes-Benz emblem. Traci said the route was more hilly than she expected but she finished and was happy to check off State number 25 in her quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states.
We did not have any sightseeing planned after Traci's half marathon. As fate would have it, the sun had came out and gave us beautiful weather on the day we were leaving. Our flight home would leave at 6 PM that evening and land in Washington DC at 9 PM - meaning we would not be able to watch the Super Bowl in which our beloved Philadelphia Eagles would be playing this year. But first, Traci was able to contact Nicole, a friend from our alma mater, Hampton University. Nicole now lives in the Birmingham area after having lived in Detroit and Chicago several years prior. She came by to pick us up from the hotel and have dinner with us at a restaurant called the Shrimp Shack. It was fun catching up with her and hearing about her life in Birmingham. Afterwards, Nicole graciously agreed to drop us off at the airport for our flight home.
Our flight took off a little after 6 PM and got us back to Washington DC a little after 9 PM. I was encouraged when we first landed. I checked my phone and saw that the Eagles were winning. Unfortunately, I heard on the radio during our drive home that the Kansas City Chiefs had narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Darn! Main Page...
Magnet Purchased on this Trip: (click to enlarge)
Entire fridge magnet collection...