Backwoods Alabama & Georgia

The first thing that struck me about the country roads of Alabama and Georgia is that there are very few straight lines or direct routes. It's not as though the terrain is difficult, so perhaps the highways are following old trading routes. Whatever the reason, it means a slower pace and a better chance to appreciate the countryside.

Pulling off Interstate 10 just after crossing the river delta, we headed north on one of these meandering country roads. Near the shores of the Alabama River we found the reconstruction of old Fort Mims, site of an infamous massacre.

With the US invaded by British troops during the War of 1812 and Native Americans being armed by the Spaniards based in Pensacola, settlers in what was then called the Mississippi Territory were nervous. A plantation owner named Samuel Mims built a stockade on his property here, the walls of which have been rebuilt to enclose the 1-acre site.

At least 550 white settlers, territorial army volunteers, slaves and friendly Native Americans (many of them mixed race) were camped here when 700 Red Stick Creeks attacked on 30 August 1813. Nearly everyone sheltering inside was slaughtered. The Americans responded ruthlessly and the ensuing Creek War saw most of the local tribes subjugated; within a generation they were deported to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma.

Leaving behind Fort Mims, we drove through tiny villages with names like Chrysler, Uriah and Mergargel before reaching the courthouse square of Monroeville. A prosperous town and the county seat, Monroeville was the childhood home of Truman Capote and Harper Lee. Monroeville is the 'Maycomb' of To Kill A Mockingbird and its courthouse served as the setting for Tom Robinson's trial.

The courthouse has a small museum for visitors, but it was closed for the day by the time we arrived. Apparently many of the houses where Harper Lee based the book are long gone and there didn't seem to be the opportunity to stroll the streets as Scout and Dill would have done.

Still, it's a beautiful small town and also has the distinction of being the birthplace of the Fruitcake Lady! The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering down more back roads, taking junctions almost at random, which took us through pine forests and past numerous shacks and countryside churches.

At last we pitched up at our motel for the night on Interstate 65 just south of the Alabama state capital, Montgomery, and made the mistake of attempting a night out there.

First, we had to endure several miles of horrific construction along the Interstate highway (narrow lanes, rough roads, thousands of traffic cones, etc). After pulling off into downtown Montgomery, we were aghast. The entire heart of the city was lifeless. Although the roads were ablaze with streetlamps, the tower blocks were dark and silent. The streets were empty of traffic and there wasn't a single eatery, tavern or even a convenience store. We drove blocks and blocks down what is probably a busy commuter route by day, but at night the streetlamps were wasting their electricity.

It was miles before we found somewhere open to eat, a placed literally called Country Bumpkin BBQ or something similar. We got a slightly funny look from the hostess, who perhaps wasn't used to people who could look down and see their own shoes. The meal was not something we'd want to repeat anytime soon. The sauces on offer were watery and tangy, the potatoes tasted like they came out of a tin and the pork was tough, like Class D circus meat.

The next morning we vowed to give Montgomery a wide berth and in circling the city passed through an interesting town called Wetumpka. Sitting in a scooped-out bowl on a hillside above the Coosa River, the town is inside an 80-milion-year-old meteor crater. It is so eroded though it would take a geologist to detect this, which didn't happen until 2002. All the same, it's a lovely town with a quirky street pattern and many old buildings, although little of it can be appreciated in the movie Big Fish which was filmed here.

By now it was raining, so no photos unfortunately of either Wetumpka or our next stop, Auburn. Famous for its university, we circled the campus a couple of times looking in vain for its art gallery. Unlike my alma mater, the University of Kansas, there was no sign of a visitors centre, gateway or campus map. After checking the address in the phone book, it turns out the university gallery was miles away on the main highway.

During our visit they had on display many sumptuous Audubon prints, books and original etched tin plates from his Birds of America, samples of Alabama pottery, a number of African masks and photos taken of iron grillwork in Mobile cemeteries.

The core of the collection is an assortment of American paintings sponsored by public tax dollars just after World War II. Nicknamed 'the cultural Marshall Plan' the State Department's idea was to champion contemporary American artists and for the collection to tour the world, promoting the country's cultural achievements.

But when certain politicians complained that some of the work was 'un-American' for being too abstract and that some of the artists were 'left-wing', the public outcry saw the art collection condemned and put up for sale. The arts faculty at Auburn University dug into their own pockets and bought three dozen of the canvasses for just over $1000. Today it must be worth millions, with Georgia O'Keefe being one of the most famous names. Unfortunately, the gallery does not seem to have the space or inclination to display the entire collection at once, but the museum was worth seeking out and admission was free.

Time now to cross over into Georgia. It was getting near the time to head back to Atlanta, but first we wanted to see Macon which is why we were going to stay the night in the middle, in a podunk town called Forsyth.

The sun was back out and it was a pleasant drive through more pine forests, past even more shacks...

...and churches...

...through county seats with their courthouses...

...and along more red dirt roads. Check in again soon for the cherry blossom capital of the world, some fried green tomatoes and the most boring big city in America (I know that doesn't sound too exciting, but I'm sure you're at least curious to know).