Good Morning! We started our trip out in Birmingham, Alabama this am. Visited downtown Alabama where we walked the freedom trail.. a circular park with art you walk through. Attacking dogs, waterhoses, children marching, police with a dog attacking a young black man. The kids go it and so did I. We entered the Civil Rights Institiute when the doors opened. I preped the kids with a story about a teacher who told her classroom kids with brown eyes were stupid and not as nice, while children with blue eyes were sweet and smart. The teachers way of teaching them racism via a class experiment. They understood quickly how much that taught the children (Tori thought it was mean of the teacher!) and how the kid's interactions played out.
A short movie sets the tone. The exibit was very powerful. I did a lot of explaining the best I could, Nicholas was quiet and contimplative, Tori quickly came to sobs. I tried to tell myself it is important for them to hear this but it was hard to see their faces. I hope it pays off in the long run. We were going to go to a plantation in NC after but I could not bring myself to have Tori and Nicholas slammed with more facts. So instead we are going to the Biltmore to see something pretty :-)
We had another picnic lunch at a reserve in Georgia. It was a perfect location right off the highway with a homestead from the 1920's and a wonderful new play park.
Dinner at a Thai restaurant in South Carolina. Yum!
Hotel by 8:30 where we all jumped in the pool and then the shower. Slept in a comfy bed
Eileen took time to find us a great deal on an awesome hotel in Asheville!
Tori wants me to tell you we are having a great time here and she wishes we can see you soon!
Nicholas says "happy to be here! That's all".
We will stay with Courtney B. and her family tonight in Richmond, VA. Courtney and I are friends from Grad School. I can not wait to see them!!!!!
