Day 259 – Atlanta to Athens
Sunday morning we slept in, then packed up the van to head east (essentially for the last time on the trip). We stopped along the way for lunch in the van, then continued on to our destination, Athens. Michael had always wanted to visit because his favorite band, R.E.M., got there start there. First, we walked by the 40 Watt Club, the center of the music scene in Athens. Then we walked through downtown and down the hill to the last remaining section of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (the steeple), where R.E.M. played their very first show. Finally, we visited Wuxtry Records, an excellent independent record store.
We got checked into our hotel room, which included a full kitchen, so we made dinner and relaxed to enjoy a quiet New Year’s Eve. We did not stay awake until midnight.
Day 260 – Athens
Monday was a holiday so not much was open, so we stayed at the hotel to work, do laundry and take advantage of the kitchen by making more meals. We watched football, of course, since the “home” team (the University of Georgia) was in the college football playoffs
Day 261 – Athens to Columbus
Tuesday we had a fairly long drive, so we started the day with some work, then hit the road, officially beginning our journey back to West Coast (but only as far as Columbus).
Day 262 – Columbus
The weather wasn’t particularly nice on Wednesday, so we stayed in the hotel for a day of work and rest.
Day 263 – Columbus to Selma
We had another long-ish drive planned, so the day was spent with working and then making our way into Alabama to Selma.
Day 264 – Selma
After working Friday morning, we watched the movie “Selma” then went for an afternoon walk around the town to see some of the landmarks of the Civil Rights battles that were fought here. We walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and visited the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, which was the starting point of the Selma to Montgomery marches. It was a really moving experience.
On the way home, we found a local BBQ joint and grabbed some excellent food on our way back to the hotel.
Day 265 – Selma to Mobile
Saturday was another driving day, but since Michael didn’t have to work, it was a relatively lazy day and a fairly easy drive to our hotel in Mobile. Once again the weather wasn’t great, so we stayed in the hotel and relaxed.
My first year in the Army was at Ft Banning. Columbus GA…….zany days indeed.