Friday May 2 to Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (Days 21- 25)
Many of you know that Susan and I have become Indy Car racing fans. In addition to the Portland Grand Prix over the last five years, we attended the Toronto Grand Prix and Iowa races in 2023 and the St. Petersburg (FL) Grand Prix in 2024. Before the RV adventure became a real thing, Susan said she wanted to attend the race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Could the May 4, 2025 Children of Alabama Grand Prix fit any better into this travel adventure?
We made the 80 mile drive from Tuscaloosa and arrived at Oak Mountain State Park in Birmingham around 4:00pm. We continued to hone our winding mountain road driving skills and trailer backing abilities with yet another back-in site. While Susan rested I explored the park and a nearby stretch of the lake and completed my walk/hike just as another thunderstorm greeted us. I cooked cheeseburgers and instant mashed potatoes in recognition of our 33rd wedding anniversary while reminding Susan that she had agreed to “for better and for worse” on this day in 1992. I was playing the long game even back then.
Saturday we packed our raincoats, and camp chairs and headed to the race qualifications at Barber Motor Sports Park. There are no grandstands at the park, but a banked hillside amidst a grove of evergreen trees provided a picnic-like atmosphere with thousands of race fans. The stormy skies parted for a dry qualifying session. As the storms approached again, Susan and I toured the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. What an amazing collection of every type of motorcycle one can imagine! An Apple Maps restaurant search for a steak and seafood dining option, led us to a mall foodcourt where we settled for a Chinese Rice Bowl (think Panda Express). – Anniversary Dinner Strike 2.
Sunday was race day back at the park. We got photographs and autographs from Scott McGloughlin who finished third behind Alex Palou who won his 4th race of the season (in 5 events.) While it’s fun being at the race, we have to rewatch it with the benefit of the announcers to really understand what we couldn’t see. Children's of Alabama Highlights
We decided to spend two additional days to explore Birmingham. We’ve come to realize that many attractions are closed on Mondays following busy weekends hosting guests. Therefore, Monday was an “explore Oak Mountain State Park” day. Andy hiked about 12 miles with a full pack as a training run for the pending Appalachian Trail days. Susan completed the first 5-mile loop before bidding Andy adieu in lieu of an afternoon siesta.
Monday was a full day in Birmingham. We started at the Sloss Iron Furnaces which provided a great historical lesson on the industrial roots of Birmingham. It’s actually a well-done self-guided tour of a decaying and rusting iron facility. I now understand why the annual football intrastate rivalry between Alabama and Auburn is coined the Iron Bowl! We took our picnic lunches to Kelly Ingram Park where we followed another Let’s Roam Scavenger Hunt. Most of the hunt followed the Civil Rights Trail. It was a tremendously educational 2-hour walking tour of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham.
Our day continued at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Arriving at 15 minutes prior to closing time, the garden stroll was a bit rushed, but we enjoyed the serenity of the beautiful gardens. We did manage to explore approximately 1/3 of the park. We concluded the day with dinner at CharBar No. 7 (CB7) for anniversary dinner attempt #3.
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