ALABAMA WEEK 3: TUSKEGEE AIRMEN AND BOOKER T WASHINGTON HOME

I am a little behind in posting this blog. We have been on 8 hour round trip road trip, all day flea market shopping, NFL Sunday and was on the out edge of a tornado warring. Also, with the building of the pavilion (make of steel) the WiFi single is getting block/weak to our camping site. We are going out today to fight the cold (mid 50's) and do some grocery shopping at an Asian market, farmers market and regular grocery store. Usually, when we go shopping for food it's an all day event. By the time I get this blog posted we will be in week 4, sorry for being so far behind.

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

The big adventure this week was the trip to East of Montgomery to Tuskegee, AL. This was a National Park  trip where I got my Passport to National Parks stamped with two more place and was also a very educational one too. First, we arrived at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site (NHS). From the roadway you can see a small airfield (that is still in use today) at the end of the road it leads you to two hangers and a few buildings. The main hanger is the entry point to the NHS and there is no fee to enter. As you walk in you will see two pilots portraits made from seeds and wood chips. Just by looking at them it was time consuming and was used in a float in a parade (not sure what parade). As you enter the main hanger, this is the display of the National Park. There are two planes, war room and several other historical displays along with parachutes the pilots used. The self guided tour leads to the back exit where you go outside to view the buildings and what they where used for. The second hanger is not open (they said they are working on restoring it). This is the hanger that has the air control tower. As I took the picture of the two hanger, I could picture how busy it would have been with moving planes out of the hanger, refueling them and taxiing the plane to the runway. 

TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE

Less than 5 miles away we then went to Tuskegee Institute and the home of Booker T Washington (NHS). As we took the tour of the house we where told the the house was built by the students who attended the Institute. The students also built 27 other building on the institute and they are still standing today. From what I understood from the tour, Tuskegee Institute was built in the late 1880's mostly from students who were not accepted to  the main Universities. The students would built these buildings, also make the material to build them (bricks, nails ....ect). After the completion of the building the students would graduate. Some students would server Booker T Washington and his family in the home and then graduate. From this, I understood the Institute was for vocational education where the students learned a trade kill and entered the work force in the South and was the first kind of Institute of its kind.

Besides the 8 hour drive we both were educated from this trip. I would recommend both of these NHS, but also recommend you stay closer than Mobile (the drive was too much in one day).

                                        Update picture of the pavilion as it's getting built.

Good new for Kent State fans hit Alabama this week. Kent State will play Arkansas State on 6 January 2013 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl  to be played at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium in Mobile, AL. I have been wearing my school colors all week. Kent State football (25th in the Nation) will be in their first bowl game in 40 years, first in my life time. Let's go Golden Flash! I AM, KENT STATE!