Montgomery Field Trip with Ruby

 The field trips have almost always fallen to Magan, but since she had done the Montgomery trip already three times...or maybe twice...I think Belle's was missed due to COVID, I got to fill in and visit our capital city with Ruby.  Our day began early in the morning arriving at the school at 6AM to be on the charter bus on our way to Montgomery by 6:30AM.   I loved getting to sit with my good buddy Ru, and that she got to sit right across the aisle from Olivia and her mom.   And with Lauren sitting right in front of Ruby, the three amigos were together.   I would like to say the trip down had some fun moments, but I woke up at Peach Park, and Ruby told me that I had missed the big peach.   

Our first stop was the National Archives where they had a really cool museum of Alabama.   This was definitely not what I expected, as I thought we would have to look thru lots of Alabama documents.   The museum was great, and there were many many other rooms that we just walk right past, because I learned that we had lots to do and little time for everything.   

Next we just walked directly next door to the white house of the confederacy.   Our guide and the guide inside the white house talked up some bloody socks that some guy wore.   It may have been Jefferson Davis.   Ruby and I were both hyped up to see these amazing bloody socks, and there is a picture below, it did not live up to the hype.  We had visited this place once before on one of our trips to Montomery for the marathon.   And I think the same guy was there as the guide when we were there before...He was super excited, a yankee, and could not stop smiling.   I guess he loved his job.   And I'll mention only because it was a problem for the whole trip...we did not have time for bathroom breaks for these kids, and this 44 year old man.  So while I was able to find a spot in the National Archives (bush in the corner of the garden area), the kids had to hold it from THE SCHOOL till now.

And now we were doing a driving tour of the city.   They had told all the kids that the bathroom on the bus was emergency use only, so the kids and Ruby just held it.   I got a picture of the church were MLK preached.  And was told about all the history of the street I had run through several times in the past.   There is a hot dog place on the main street that apparently has been there for a long time.   We were told that Hank Sr once was kicked out due to coming in the restaurant with a little too much "firewater" in him.  But luckily, our tour was over fairly soon, because I could see in Ruby's eyes that the emergency time for the bathroom was almost here.   We walked off of the bus and down to the river, where the teachers started talking about the bathroom, but the kids had already seen it, and there was not stopping them.   A mad dash of 4th graders went up the hill to the bathrooms, and I was not far behind them.   

After the bathroom break, we were able to get on a boat, where we were able to eat ChickFilA while traveling down the river.  All you can drink sodas and 4th graders was a good match on the boat, so they had lots of fun running all over the 3 levels of the boat.   Ruby liked level 2 the best in the front.   It was fun watching Ruby and her buddies, and letting her explore, catching a few pictures every time I happened to walk by her.  And while knowing not to ask, she did let me know that some other kids were getting some candy on the first floor...sweet girl...I couldn't say no, I said, "Well let's go see what they got".   And she picked out some sour straws because she knew she could share them with her friends. 

After the boat ride, we drove over and saw the Governer's mansion.   We did not see MawMaw Ivey, but I think I heard a cough/burp when we drove by that could have been her.   And then we went to probably the best place...Old Alabama.   This is where our guide took us to old buildings from Alabama and told us stories about the buildings.   We learned about an old general store, and the goods sold there.   We learned about why they say "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" from two of the guides.   We learned about the veterinarian named Dunkin that me and Ruby thought was Junkin.   He was also a local doctor, and even helped little Ruby in a scenario that the guide talked the kids through.   We learned about what a shotgun house was, and why it was called that.   

Then we went to the school.   And the schoolmaster was loud, she was strict, and she got those kids in line quick with her paddle.   It was meant to show the kids how difficult the schools were back then and how strict the schoolmasters and teachers were...but to me, it showed a great example of how the kids would get in line quickly and be respectful when it was obvious pain and suffering were the consequences of disrespect of the teacher.   We found out later, these were students from Alabama State that would come over and help as part of history and acting.   That lady was really good.   She even came in later while we were in the church building noticing that some of the kids did not have there feet on the floor in front of them...again, with a quick scolding and smack of her paddle, the kids were in line quickly.    

The final portion of our tour was the State Capital.   This was a first for me, and really cool to be in such an old building where so much history had been.   But we did not have a lot of time, so we came, we went thru the metal detector, we saw, and we left.  Pretty cool experience, but I continued to look (and listen) for Governer Ivey.   Our tour was finally over, but surely, they would let these kids (and me) go to the bathroom before heading home.   Well, they tried by taking us to Old Alabama, but it was closed and locked up.   So off we went back towards Chelsea...again told to only use if it was an emergency.   But as I looked to the other parents, then around at the kids, I knew the ride home would have lots of emergencies.   And once it became a little more normal...peeing on the bus became something everyone had to try before we got home.   

Lauren and Olivia and Ruby would smile and laugh and each of them took turns going back to the bathroom.  All giggling if any bumps were hit while another was back there.   I waited till we hit I65 before I went back, and while manageable, this is not as smooth as you might imagine.   It was definitely a sit down requirement.  Hahaha, and I think Ruby went again in Columbiana.  And I giggled with Lauren and Olivia as we stopped quickly at a red light in town.   But Ruby was ok.   We also captured a picture at the giant peach.   Ummm...I may have been asleep again, but Ruby woke me up "so I wouldn't miss it".  Loved this day with little bit.   Glad mom pushed me to take this one.   

Oh, and our history lesson for the blog.   Who was Horace King?  "Horace King (September 8, 1807 – May 28, 1885) was an African-American architect, engineer, and bridge builder. King is considered the most respected bridge builder of the 19th century Deep South, constructing dozens of bridges in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. King was born into slavery on a South Carolina plantation in 1807. A slave trader sold him to a man who saw something special in Horace King. His owner, John Godwin, taught King to read and write as well as how to build at a time when it was illegal to teach slaves. King worked hard and despite bondage, racial prejudice and a multitude of obstacles, King focused his life on working hard and being a genuinely good man. King built bridges, warehouses, homes, and churches. Horace King became a highly accomplished Master Builder and he emerged from the Civil War as a legislator in the State of Alabama. Affectionately known as Horace “The Bridge Builder” King and the "Prince of Bridge Builders," he also served his community in many important civic capacities"  On this day, we took a boat under a bridge that Horace had built, and we saw the magnificent stairs that he designed and constructed within the state capital.  In a state with some pretty bad racial stories, he had one of the better ones.