Inspired Southerner

We tell real stories about the South.

Northerner’s Perspective: Birmingham’s Theatrical Performances Pleasantly Surprise

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Guest Blog Post By Dorothy Bloom LittleVirginia Samford

I am one of those “damn Yankees.”   You know those Yankees who come here and stay. Being from Chicago I have always enjoyed the theatre and hoped that Birmingham would have some type of theatre district. My first experience with theatre in Birmingham was to see Wicked at the BJCC. It was a great performance, one of the many in the course of the musicals offered by the Birmingham Broadway series. After the performance at the BJCC, I attended performances at other theatres. I was totally hooked by the amazing local venues and the incredible performers. Red Mountain Theatre was a treat. The ambiance of a cabaret was delightful but what totally surprised me was the caliber of the actors. The local talent is terrific and the shows are great. Not only have I seen several performances there but I have also taken my grandchildren to the children’s theatrical productions. My granddaughter was enthralled as we sat front row center for one of the performances. Now she keeps asking, “Nana when are we going to that theatre again”.

Another venue I have gone to is the (TNT) Terrific New Theatre. Seeing a performance there is like seeing it while sitting in your living room. It is a small theatre with a big heart. Once again the local talent just blew me away. Actually as I discovered some other venues I have realized that Birmingham has some excellent actors. Musical, comedy, drama Birmingham folks can do it all and do it well.  A couple of other theaters I have had the opportunity to visit are the beautiful new Jemison Concert Hall, the Virginia Samford Theatre and the Alys Stephens Center. I have yet to see the renovated Lyric Theatre, but I am looking forward to my first performance there.

I just could not finish this article without writing about what I consider to be a real gem, the Alabama Theatre. The charm of a previous era is everywhere. The entrance, the seats, the walls, the boxes, the lighting, even the ladies salon, which has red velvet lounges, all of it exudes elegance. As I walked into the theatre and looked around it reminded of a theatre in my hometown, the Chicago Theatre. Although, I must admit it surpassed the Chicago (dare I say it) because it has that awesome Wurlitzer organ. This Queen is the frosting on the cake of the theatres here. And to me the best is going to any performance and knowing that the actors will never disappoint. Kudos Alabama.

Birmingham: A True Southern City That Has Embraced a Heartbreaking Past So It Can Thrive in the Future

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Birmingham BenchThis fall will be exactly 10 years since I moved home to Birmingham from Washington, D.C.  I spent most of the early 2000’s living there including 9/11.   I don’t regret the decision of moving home for the most part, but I would not be telling the truth, if I didn’t say I miss living in D.C. sometimes.  The main reason for the move home was to be closer to my parents, and especially my mom who was faced with and now managing an illness.

My life in Birmingham before moving was a lot like my life now, I volunteered for several community organizations.  Operation New Birmingham was one organization that worked I with on a regular basis.  The mission of Operation New Birmingham was to promote commercial activity in Birmingham’s city center and interracial cooperation in public affairs. The organization also had a master plan for the revitalization of downtown Birmingham.  I recall sitting in a number of meetings that discussed the plan for transforming downtown.  Something that I believed was desperately needed if we were going to be a competitive Southern city.  This plan in my view was just a lot of discussion and no real action at the time.  Admittedly I was just a volunteer and not in the inner circle of those who would ultimately make this plan a reality.   I felt like many people probably felt at the time that these were just dreams that would never come true.

To my surprise since I have moved back I see Birmingham is undergoing a Renaissance.  Some of the things we discussed in our meetings at ONB are now becoming a reality.   I have always been a cheerleader of Birmingham.  Always.  Growing up here, you know that the images of the dogs and water hoses that are constantly portrayed in the national news media are not what this city is all about in today’s world.  In my opinion, we are a true Southern city with a past that is making a remarkable transformation into a city of the future. Everyone is working together for the most part to make this city a great place.

Just this last week, we saw the reopening of the Lyric Theatre, a landmark that was almost lost to decay and threatened at one time to be destroyed.  We have a number of businesses opening in the north area of downtown.  We have the beautiful Railroad Park to the south of town that with along the recent announcement of the movement forward of the 750 Mile Trail around Birmingham will make us one of the cities with the most parks and greenspace in the southeast.  Regions Field has sparked a wealth of development also in that area of downtown. The Avondale neighborhood’s economic development plan has placed the city on the map for new and hip restaurants, coffee shops and music venues that have been written up in national publications and blogs.  And then there will be opportunity for Birmingham to shine on the world stage in 2021 when we host the World Games.

From what I see we are a city that has learned to embrace our heartbreaking past so we can thrive in the future.   I’d say we are thriving in big way and I am happy to say that it is much more than I thought we ever would when I volunteered all of those years ago.

 

 

Southern Treasures in My Own Backyard: Decatur, Alabama

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Joe Wheeler ParkI don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I do have goals each year that I attempt to reach.  One goal for 2016 is to be more adventurous to travel and explore different parts of the Southeast Region.  It is liberating to get a deeper understanding of the region where I spent my childhood.

A friend and I took an adventure yesterday to Decatur, Alabama, which is about 85 miles north of Birmingham and 25 miles southwest of Huntsville.  Decatur is known as the River City because it is located on Joe Wheeler Lake and the Tennessee River.  My friend had never been to Decatur, but wanted to go because it was the last day of her friend and world -renowned artist Tim Stevenson’s exhibit at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center located on Church Street. The Center has a unique history in that it was a library for about 70 years.  From the Center’s Website:  completed in September of 1904, the Carnegie Library of Decatur was one of the 2,509 libraries built by the millionaire philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. At the turn of the century, Carnegie began donating money to non-profit, educational organizations. Starting with a large library system in Pittsburgh, with a donation of $1 million, Carnegie began to fund libraries throughout the nation. The Decatur Library was housed in this facility for more than 70 years before being transformed eventually into the Visual Arts Center in 2003. Tim’s artwork was beautifully displayed throughout the Center’s main floor and included my favorites, his landscapes, along with his still life pieces.

After going through the exhibit we decided to go for lunch. While driving we were sidetracked by a stray dog walking along a busy road. We tried to catch him so that we could take him to the animal shelter.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t, he was too timid, so we had to put our super hero capes away and hope that someone else may have more success in catching him.

While on the way to lunch a boutique caught my eye. This, of course, is not a surprise because I love boutiques in small Southern towns.   Cricket by the Creek is the name of this boutique and It just so happened that today they had a sale in their upstairs room; clothes were $15 and shoes were $20!  Believe it or not, I scored a pair of Donald Pliner sport wedges for $20.  I thank God I wear a small size and I love a good bargain. The ladies who helped us were pleasant and helpful.  This boutique is definitely on my list for a return visit.

After this other detour we ended up at Big Bob Gibson BBQ for lunch.  I am ashamed to say I have never been to the restaurant and was grateful that my friend indulged me.   The restaurant was built from Big Bob Gibson’s pit barbecue where he cooked in his backyard. The restaurant has lasted 75 years and four generations.  His barbecue has won many awards and has  been featured in several magazines including, Southern Living, Garden and Gun Magazine and was also featured on the Food Network.   I had the BBQ pork plate, which is listed as a 10- time World Champion for pulled pork plate, with mac and cheese and green beans.  My friend had the same except with baked beans.  Everything was homemade and fresh.  I especially liked the world famous white sauce. Of course, we couldn’t leave without splitting a delicious homemade pecan pie. Oh my, you definitely don’t go hungry at Big Bob Gibson’s so be sure to bring along your appetite.

Joe Wheeler Refuge On the way out of town we stopped at the Joe Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge because it was the Whooping Crane Festival.  My friend and I braved the chilly temps to catch a glimpse of these beautiful birds and take a short stroll through the wooded area. Once again the beauty of nature was amazing.

I am guilty of this like most of us, sometimes we never really know or appreciate the wealth of beauty and history in our own backyard. It was an interesting day of exploration of the River City.  Yesterday was the start of my 2016 goal to  be more adventurous   It was a great day!  What could be better than seeing great art, getting super deals and eating awesome food.

 

Road Trip: A Day in Mentone, Alabama

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Many people do not realize how beautiful the State of Alabama is. The State’s beauty can be summed up and seen in the many natural resources and natural beauty, so when I describe the state to people who are not familiar with it, I like to say that we have mountains in the north, beautiful lakes and rivers scattered throughout and the beach in the south. Fall happens to be my favorite time of year.  I love the changing leaves and there are many arts and crafts festivals that can be found in towns small and large across Alabama.  When I was with Governor Hunt’s office I had the rare opportunity to travel with the campaign across the state and, so I got to see the beauty and wonder it has to offer.  However, we never had the time to stop long enough to enjoy the uniqueness of each town or see the natural beauty that surrounded them.  I am embarrassed to say that I have fallen into the trap of not enjoying what the state has to offer by constantly saying to myself  “oh I will get around to visiting this place or that.   What it amounts to is that I have not taken time to re-explore some of the areas I got to visit on the campaign trail.

Last weekend my friend Dorothy and I decided to take a day trip to Mentone.  Mentone is a quaint, mountain village located in Northeast Alabama in Dekalb County that sits, according the city’s website, in the west brow of Lookout Mountain.  I have only been to Mentone once before to visit the Mentone Springs Hotel, a lovely Victorian-style Bed & Breakfast that was built in 1884. Unfortunately, the town lost this beautiful landmark to a fire a year ago.  That trip was brief and I didn’t really get to walk around the town or eat in any of the restaurants.

This trip to Mentone was to primarily attend the Colorfest arts and crafts festival, which was set up along the mountain-top alongside rental cabins and homes that overlooked the picturesque valley.  We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful fall day for the trip the air was crisp and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  After walking through the festival, we walked downtown where there are a number of shops and restaurants.   There were so many people in town for the festival so eating was challenging.  There was festival food, but we decided to eat at the Moonlight Bistro right in the heart of Mentone.  It was a charming bistro with a variety of options on the menu.  I chose the bison burger (sidebar: I love bison).

One of the highlights of the day for me was a visit to DeSoto Falls State Park.  The 104ft falls and park are located just outside of Mentone.  When you arrive to the park, you immediately see the beautiful falls.  To get a better view you have to walk down stairs to the overlook, however, once you are there you can walk along the top of the falls. With the changing leaves as a backdrop, they were absolutely gorgeous. It also was so peaceful and relaxing.   Since the visit I have done a little research on the history of the falls; according the Explore Southern History website,  the falls have been a landmark for thousands of years and were frequently used by Native Americans long before Europeans landed in America.  They were a special place for the Cherokee Indians who once inhabited the area.  The website goes on to say that the recreation area near the falls was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression.  This was my first visit to the falls, but it won’t be my last.   One of the things I regret and what I have discovered since the weekend, is that we failed to take the scenic drive in Little River Canyon.  That definitely has to be one of the top must do’s on my next trip to the area.

Most people and native Alabamians alike probably don’t notice what’s on the signs when you cross the state line into Alabama…. for as long as I can remember, those signs have had the slogan:  Alabama the Beautiful.   Those words remind me that I need to make it a habit to take the time to enjoy all the beauty it has to offer on a more regular basis.

 

Guest Post: Alabama by Way of New York

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Birmingham skylineDorothy B. Little

Born in New York, raised in Chicago and spent several years of my adult life in Cleveland categorizes me as a Yankee. The loss of my husband and my mother made me realize that I wanted to be near my children. This was a dilemma since one son lives in San Diego, the other son lives in Richmond, Virginia and my daughter lives in Birmingham.   Well, my daughter won the lottery and got her mother as the prize. So I packed up my house and headed down south.

It was an excellent choice. Not only was I able to spend time with my daughter and her family, but I also fell into the warmth and congeniality of the South. I remember walking into a department store in the mall one day and heard someone say “good morning”. I looked around to see who had greeted me and was shocked when I realized it was a salesperson and that was the only the start. People smiled, made eye contact, and greeted me wherever I went. These small gestures made for such a pleasant transition to my new home, Birmingham, Alabama.

Of course, the various landscapes took my breath away. The beauty surrounded me. It was nothing like the plains states from which I came. Hills, valleys, blue skies, flowering trees and shrubs presented a picture which instilled a peaceful calm within me. Although the rather windy roads and lack of street signs definitely sent me on some rather interesting and unplanned side trips.

Birmingham is such a great place. It is centrally located to other parts of the state. Only a five- hour drive and I am at the Gulf Coast. Many people do not realize that Alabama offers a varied topography. The state has rivers and mountains in the North and the beaches in the South and Wiregrass areas to the east. Once at the gulf a calmness again came over me as I walked on the white sand and waded in the clear blue water. I watched beautiful sunsets and ate some really great seafood. The shore keeps calling me back and I have answered and returned several times. Of course, I plan several more visits to the water.

Since I have been here, I also have discovered “the Shoals” and absolutely fell in love with the area. There are so many hidden treasures such as Tom Hendrix’s wall that sits just off of the Natchez Trace Parkway. His story of his great grandmother and her plight moved me in such a way that it touched me to my very core. When she was 16 years old she and her sister were rounded up to walk the Trail of Tears from northern Alabama to the reservations in Oklahoma. Once there she escaped by herself to return to the “singing river”. The Wall represents her journey to the reservation and her journey home. Mr. Hendrix keeps her story alive through this stone wall. His work of love has been placed on the National Historic Register.

And then, of course there is the music. It is alive and well in the Shoals, Muscle Shoals in particular. It gives another example as to why the Tennessee River is called the “Singing River”. Being a bit of a music junkie, I had to tour a couple of the old recording studios, 3614 Jackson Highway (Muscle Shoals Sound) and Fame studios. It’s hard to believe so many singers and songwriters came to or are from this area. Aretha got her start there and so many stars recorded in these studios, like the Stones, Wilson Pickett and Cher just to name a few.

I have only been in Alabama for 6 years and am constantly learning more about this wonderful State in the South. It is really a best -kept secret.

War Eagle, err Roll Tide……… go Bears!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We tell real stories about the south. ~Kara Kennedy, Publisher