Blogs
January 17th, 2009 - 8:12 P.M.
January 18th, 2009 - 2:03 A.M.
January 18th, 2009 - 10:13 P.M.
January 20th, 2009 - 1:54 A.M.
January 21st, 2009 - 10:40 P.M.
January 22nd, 2009 - 12:30 A.M.
January 22, 2009 - 9:18 P.M.

January 17th, 2009 - 8:12 P.M.
Somewhere Between Baton Rouge and Atlanta.

Salutation friends, my name is Chris Rahlwes. I am a Junior at Sam Houston State University. I am a member of the Political Science Junior Fellows, the organization that helped organize this trip. Being a history and political science nut, I am overjoyed to be participating in the inauguration of the first black president of America.

Today at around 9 A.M. Professor Yawn, Megan, Justin, and Blake picked me up and we started toward Baton Rouge, the state capitol of Louisiana—which Mark Twain called “The Monstrosity on the Mississippi.” We arrived in Baton Rogue in time for a late lunch. The restaurant at which we ate, Chelsea’s, was hidden under a bridge and we casually joked that there would be trolls under the bridge. There were no trolls but it was definitely an artsy, college-type restaurant. The food was solid and Megan provided entertainment when she spilled her diet coke. We had a good laugh.

After lunch, we headed to Louisiana’s capitol building. To my regret we were not permitted to go up to the tower of the capitol building, but we did tour the first floor. Most impressive was the site of Huey Long’s assassination. A bullet hole from the gun play is still visible today.
We also explored the capitol building’s grounds. The most spectacular site was an aged Magnolia tree, with limbs descending to the ground and bending back upward—a perfect climbing tree. This tree was like a wise, old giant, who demanded respect.

After paying our respects, we jumped back into the van and drove to an old plantation home, the Magnolia Mound. Built in 1791, it is one of the oldest homes in the area.
We are now approaching Mobile, Alabama, where we will all take a break to eat.

-Chris

January 18th, 20092:03 A.M.
Somewhere Between Montgomery and Atlanta.

The oyster bar in Mobile was actually very good. They had some of the best steamer oysters I have ever had.
The highlight of our post-meal travels was Montgomery, Alabama, the state’s capital. The capitol building was nice. It was not as big as Louisiana’s capitol building but it had a type of southern comfort to it.

As we ventured through the city the rain began. Fighting the weather, we explored the Confederate Whitehouse and the Civil Right’s Memorial. These monuments, reflecting conflicting ideals in America’s history, make it all the more poignant that an African American has been elected president.

-Chris

Sunday, January 18th, 2009: 10:13 P.M.
Somewhere Between Georgia and Virginia

The day started after each of us attempted to grab a handful of sleep. It took a few hours for us to get moving for brunch. We decided to grab some good old southern country food and explore the sites of Georgia.

We planned to visit four sites: Martin Luther King Junior’s Gravesite, President Carter’s Library, the Georgian State Capitol, and the CNN building, which we sadly missed.

We first stopped by MLK’s gravesite. This site captured the pain and struggle involved in the fight for civil rights in the United States. Although certainly interesting in its own right, this memorial was made more poignant by the fact that tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr Day—and, of course, the fact that America will soon inaugurate its first African-American president.

We followed the MLK gravesite with a trip to the Carter Library. I have previously seen the LBJ and Clinton Presidential Libraries. Sadly, the Carter Library was probably the least interesting—except for the Japanese Garden in the back. The weather was perfect in the garden. We could not resist taking photos around the pools and waterfalls. The first picture near the waterfall was successfully, taking place without mishap. The second picture did not go as well. My right foot slipped into the water for a brief moment. It really was not too bad; my shoe was just slightly moist. But, for the third picture the same foot slipped deep into the abyss of the pond. My shoe was soaked with water and I think some mud may creeped in as well. Blake, one of my fellow travelers, laughed so hard I think it must have been the highlight of the trip for him.

Our last destination in Georgia was the state’s capitol building. We spent less time at this one than the previous two, which was okay by me, given that I was still suffering from “swamp foot” and squishing as I walked.

The states are beginning to run together now. Who decided where South Carolina would end and North Carolina would begin? The group drifted in and out of sleep while our faithful driver, Megan, managed to get us to an Indian restaurant in North—or maybe South—Carolina. I love to try new foods, and I jumped at the opportunity of trying various Indian dishes offered on the buffet. In fact, I tried every single item. As I continued to engulf the spicy Indian food, my fellow travelers looked at me askance and commented on the long ride we have to Richmond. But I feel fine. The food was good, my foot is dry, and in a couple of days, I will see history in the making.

January 20, 2009: 1:54 A.M.
In Richmond, Virginia

Today is the day of Martin Luther King’s birthday. On our way to see Mount Vernon today, we listened to heart-wrenching tales of the victims of civil-rights abuses in the 1960s. Tomorrow, we will see the first African American inaugurated. From the first president to the 44th, a lot of progress has been made.
There was quite the crowd at Mount Vernon. The wait was an hour and a half or so, but it was worth it. The simplicity of the house’s exterior belies the complex interior, with twenty-one rooms. Outside the home is a wonderful museum, where we learned about the country’s creation and Washington’s history-altering influence. By the end of the tour, the sun had settled into the corner of the sky and night was setting in.

Following our tour, we had dinner in Old Town Alexandria. We met with the former President of the Political Science Junior Fellows at a Thai restaurant. She currently works on Capitol Hill and was able to pick up our tickets from Congressman Brady’s office. It was good visiting with her, but receiving the ticket was the real treat. I felt like Charlie when he discovered the golden ticket.

We won’t have a chance to sleep tonight, so I know I will be tired tomorrow during and following the inauguration. But I hope I have this same feeling of discovery and elation.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 10:40 P.M.
Somewhere between Virginia


The inauguration was insane. We left our hotel in Richmond at 4:30 AM. Methodically, we went to a bus station and then to the Metro. Five hours after we departed, we arrived in Washington, DC. The five-hour trip had frazzled some of the travelers, but we were in good shape. All we had to do is get to our ticket gate in the next hour and forty-five minutes.

We brightened up as we saw the excitement and eagerly anticipated finding our area. We walked around the capital, searching for the elusive ticket gate. We kept walking. Then we started running. We ended up running the last mile or so, only to wind up separated and just short of our destination.

Separated from the group and largely without phone service (the crowds overburdened the phone system), I was forced to accept the crowds and become one of two million people at a historic event. Around me, some people cried out of happiness. Others argued, apparently letting the stress of the crowds and chaos get to them. A little girl was lost, crying for her mother. But most of the two million people were transfixed on the inauguration. The excitement and pride were palpable. I could barely hear the speech over the cheering.

After the speech, the group reassembled. Each member had different reactions to the event, but we were all cold. We began our search for warmth, walking approximately two miles to the Watergate hotel, where we had lunch.

After a few false starts, we made it back to the hotel. Most of were asleep by midnight, thirty-eight hours after we last slept in a bed. It was our first true night’s rest of the trip.



Thursday, January 22, 2009, 12:30 A.M.
Virginia

Wednesday, the day after the inauguration, we awoke well rested. Having seen Obama be inaugurated the day before, we decided to take a more historical approach, touching up on our founding fathers. We visited the Ashlawn-Highland home, James Monroe’s home. The scenery was amazing. Rolling hills laced with large trees. Later, we drove to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. This building was incredible and the building was well complemented by the trees and gardens. Many of the trees were more than two hundred years old, further tying us to the past.

Departing from Monticello marked the official beginning of our return to Huntsville. We still had plans to see landmarks, but they would be en route to home.

One of these stops was in Wytheville, a small town with a large historical district—and snow. As midnight approached, we were touring the historic homes in the district and making occasional stops to play in the snow.

But it’s getting late and we still have six hours until we are in Birmingham.

.
Edit: As a side note, Barack Obama was not the only star at the inauguration. Yo-Yo Ma performed prior to the swearing-in ceremony. Hearing the world’s greatest cellist was a nice bonus.

January 22, 2009: 9:18 P.M.
Almost in Texas

This morning we fled from the cold and headed south for the heartland of Texas. The hours merged together until we arrived in Birmingham. I was over-excited. My father is a big Greek and Roman mythology nut and his love on this subject spread to me. Birmingham had a massive statue of the god Vulcan. He towered over Birmingham. We climbed up the mountain and arrived at the feet of the great blacksmith god, who represented the steel companies of Birmingham. After we paid our respects we returned to our path back to Texas.

When we arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, we had to stop by a final capital. This capital was not extremely impressive, but it marked the last historical landmark before we would return to Huntsville. With the image of the capital floating in my head I was able to back track to the first day of the trip---Baton Rouge. Through my thoughts, my mind returned to three continuous themes in our trip: civil rights, historical homes, and food.
The theme of food was a strange and exotic experience ranging from soul food to Thai food. Every day was a struggle within the group as to what we were going to eat. Factions would break apart to try new foods and foods that we felt more comfortable with. I tended to be on the side of trying new things and this side normally won, largely because this was the side Professor Yawn was on, too. So, we could try Thai and Indian food, but my sided did not always win and we ate some southern cuisine. Either way, I enjoyed it.

The theme of historical homes reverberated with the Junior Fellows’ research on local Huntsville homes for their “Huntsville” Then & Now” art exhibits.  With some basic knowledge of simple architecture I felt we appreciated the homes of presidents---especially Monticello. We even, from time to time, explored random town’s historical houses. This allowed us to compare homes through out the state and actually appreciate them.

The theme of civil rights was offset somewhat by the southern Confederate monuments.  It was a strange contrast, moving from the Martin Luther King grave site to the Confederate Whitehouse.  The larger theme, though, was the progression of Civil Rights.  In our visits, we traced the struggle of African-Americans from slavery to civil rights to the inauguration of the first black president.

It was a great trip.