Jackson, Mississippi – 2/16/2017 – http://fulltimetimeshare.com/blog

February 16, 2017 (Thursday)

Slept okay. We’ve agreed that once we get into Williamsburg (for two weeks), Michael is going to go to the Urgent Care we went to a few years ago and have his shoulder checked. It’s really been bothering him and it’s time to get it checked out.

We got up and Michael immediately started working on the blog. He really wants to get it caught up and it’s hard since we’re on the go all the time. We need to hole up in a hotel with really good internet and just do the blog. Can’t do that for awhile though.

We were glad to see some blue skies and a little warmer temperature as we left. The Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi was only about five miles away. We had a hard time finding the parking lots and were told two different times by Capitol Security not to park where we were. It’s a little bit different in the South.

Approaching we thought it was Winged Victory on top of the dome.

A tribute to the daughters that bind the wounds.

We can’t help but reflect on how the role of woman has evolved so much. This honors their ministrations to the wounded. Today, we honor those that paid the ultimate price in service.

We approached the Capitol from the rear and thought it was a replica of the headless “Nike” winged victory. A security person told us it was an eagle. They have given it a goose like neck, not what you see in the wild at all. This representation of the eagle is very common in government portrayal.

I have to look up the history of the placement of all these replica Liberty bells.

Anyway, they were nice and we finally made our way to the Visitor Entrance. (As usual in most of the Capitols we have been to, there is construction going on.)

We entered and went through security and went to the tour area.

Beautiful brass that is personalized for the state with a giant M on the knob.

We were able to meet up with a tour that just left (only five of us) with the tour guide, Sarah Waters. She was soft spoken so it was hard to hear her at times, plus there was a lot of activity going on.

Columns, faux columns and capitals everywhere in the Capitol.

It was funny because as we entered the rotunda there was quite a bit of clapping. I thought how nice and how special that they would clap for us as we entered the rotunda. Come to find out they were having a really big press conference with the Governor and a bunch of people from Toyota. Too funny. Kinda exciting in that we got to see the Governor and hear part of his speech.

Governor Phil Bryant addressing a crowd announcing a new museum to be built.

We also got to see the Senate in session. We went into the House but they must have all been at the press conference as it was pretty empty.

Looking from one wing to another through the dome opening.

Entrance to the house gallery. Includes a metal detector and a security person.

The mini-domes in the house and senate are very ornate and nice as well.

Class of kids across the way. Pretty comfortable seats for the representatives.

View from as high up as we could walk. The Governor’s presentation finished.

These appear to be incandescent. I would recommend they replace 1/5 with led bulbs. Apply the energy savings to replace the other 4/5’s with the escalating energy savings each year until all are converted.

The detail even at the top of the dome is very fine.

Very pleasing views of a very well maintained and clean Capitol.

Long ago left the Capitol and got their own building.

Those Greeks have their style copied everywhere in the US.

Nice Capitol with some interesting stained glass and murals.

We left the Capitol and stopped quickly to get some coffee (around 12:30 PM and still hadn’t had our coffee). We decided we would drink it on the way to Montgomery, Alabama – about 250 miles (4-1/2 hours). The drive was quite lovely with gently rolling hills and lots of green. The roads were pretty good.

As we were driving we talked and wanted to take a little detour and go over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. We really didn’t remember much of the details about what happened but knew it was an important civil rights place. As we were driving over the bridge, we noticed banners along the way saying that the 52^nd anniversary was coming up. I think we were both a little shocked that it was relatively recent and during our lifetime but we didn’t really know that much about what happened. We remembered bits and pieces but that was it. I guess being from California we were shielded a little bit from it.

What an appropriate bridge to have such a horrific clash of views. Edmund Pettus was a Confederate Brigadier General and the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.

We wanted to see the bridge and that put us on the historic trail of the civil rights march.

We drove across the bridge and continued on for awhile and Michael saw a sign for the Lowndes Interpretive Center. We decided to go and were so glad we did! What a great place and so much information. It’s a National Park so it didn’t cost us anything, which was even better. The place was a font of information and we found out what had happened in 1965. Both Michael and I cried that this was allowed to happen in our lifetime, or at any time!

It is a huge free museum of the issues surrounding the Selma to Montgomery march and the major players.

A very thoughtful presentation. 1965 where 90% of the county population is black and there are 0 registered black voters.

Sheriff Clark is a key player in his actions and words. He lived and spoke the standards of his community which shocked the larger community of the world.

It makes us sick to our stomachs to watch what was going on not that long ago.

A sentiment we still wrestle with today.

We got into our Wyndham rewards points hotel (Baymont Inn) in Montgomery, Alabama after we stopped to get dinner at Hardee’s (Carl’s Jr.). Very nice and spacious room that is modern and clean.

That was our day. Hope yours was great!