Montgomery Trip. Part 2

Montgomery here we come...

Or at least one of us was aware that we were going somewhere.

It seems that the two very, very exhausted children napped their way to Montgomery.

Once we arrived they were awake, hungry, and ready to be adventurous. And one very tired mother was going find the energy to try and keep up.

Our hotel was in downtown Montgomery and we decided to head out to the Riverfront Park before eating dinner. It was only steps away from the hotel.

Set on the banks of the Alabama River, the park offers some interesting historic sites, amphitheater, and more.

Of course the first thing that Callie wanted to see was the Harriot II riverboat. A part of American history, Harriot II was built during the 1800s. It still in operation and offers the opportunity to eat and enjoy the idea of what it would have been like traveling down the Alabama River.

History Lesson, see below

As you can see Jackson was thrilled to be part of the history lesson.

But it wasn't over. Riverfront offers some other neat glimpse into the history of the river. So off to the next thing!

There's a small hill near the riverboat that was not only fun to climb, but offered some insight into not only the fact that people actually lived here during the Colonial Period, but about the way cotton was transported during the late 1800s.

History Lesson, see below 

With all that adventuring around the Riverfront, the kids were starving. It was late and they were ready to eat. Montgomery has changed tremendously in the last few years and downtown was very nice to just stroll around in.

We headed to The Alley, a small section of restaurants and shops. We debated between places to eat, but didn't want to go somewhere we could eat at home (and one that wasn't overly crowded), so we tried Jalepeno's. It was pretty good.

Afterwards, we strolled back to the hotel to get some rest, because tomorrow was going to be a busy day too!

History Lessons. What the signs said:

Major Charles W Davis:

A native of Montgomery, Major Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor as Executive Officer, "For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on Guadalcanal Island. On 12 January 1943, he volunteered to carry instructions to the leading companies of his battalion which had been caught in crossfire from Japanese machine guns. With complete disregard for his own safety he made his way to the trapped units, delivered instructions, supervised their execution and remained overnight in this exposed position.

"Above and Beyond"

The following day, Davis volunteered to lead an assault on the Japanese position holding up the advance. His rifle jammed, he drew his pistol and led the assault. Electrified by this action, his soldiers followed and seized the hill. The capture broke Japanese resistance and the battalion was then able to secure its objective." During a distinguished 32-year career, he served on the Army General Staff and graduated from the National War College. Among many important assignments, he commanded the 503d Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division. During the Vietnam War, he advised the South Vietnamese Army in combat. Retired as a Colonel in 1972, he died in 1991. He is buried in Arlington.

High Red Bluff

(Chunnanugga Chatty in Creek Indian Language):

Also called Hostile Bluff or Thirteen Mile Bluff, this spot located in a deep bend of the Alabama River was once the key to the Southeast and a strategic point in Colonial days. The first steamboat, the Harriet, arrived at this point in 1821, and the first railroad came in 1880, making Montgomery a transportation hub for people and commerce. When cotton was king, millions of bales were shipped from the wharf here by steam boat to Mobile and thence to the mills of England. The tunnel under the railroad tracks was built in 1879 so that horse-drawn wagons of cotton could be brought to the wharf without crossing the tracks.