Here are some curious thoughts about Alabama

[PJMcK]

While driving to visit my father for Thanksgiving, I had to traverse the entire North-to-South distance of the State of Alabama. It was about 350 miles which was about a full tank of gas. I had no idea Alabama was so big. Here are a few observations.

I didn't see a single political sign during my entire trip through the state. Every person that I encountered-- whether at a gas station, restaurant or otherwise-- was friendly, polite and welcoming. It's a beautiful state.

But it took forever to get south to Florida! I commented to my sister that Alabama is Pennsylvania tipped on its side. But I was wrong and here are the facts:

The total area of Pennsylvania is 46,055 square miles.

The total area of Alabama is 52,419 square miles.

The population of Pennsylvania is 12.78 million as of 2016.

The population of Alabama is 4.86 million as of 2016.

Curious statistics. Draw your own conclusions.

By the way: Fuck Roy Moore. And Trump can suck it when Doug Jones wins the special election.

[sarah FAILIN]

1. I think people would be surprised

Outsiders act like we are all a bunch of banjo picking rubes. Honestly, even the worst republicans here will try to be nice till they find out for sure you're a baby killing dem, lol..

We are actually a good place to retire. With our low cost of living and low home prices, people can sell homes in other more expensive areas, move here and live like kings off the profit. The more that move here, the more dem votes I can get...

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. and no property taxes for seniors on your primary home and land.

Property taxes are low to begin with.

You can get houses for half the cost of the West Coast, depending on where you choose to live;

Medical services all over the place.

[misanthrope]

6. What kind of infrastructure and educational system do those low property taxes buy?

Mobile's abysmal public educational system has only been able to coax the locals into approving increased funding for the public schools by threatening football if the money doesn't come through.

Churches on every corner and fear of the agnostic/atheistic, litter in the streets and waterways, rejection of rationalism in favor of abundant ignorance and anti-intellectualism, surface friendliness that hides a penchant for gossip and prying, hatred for the same federal government locals depend on for disaster relief and roadway maintenance, sweltering and oppressive summers that last for a majority of the year, killer storms off the gulf from June through October and tornadoes in the winter, yeah, Mobile is a real secret garden.

If you have a soft spot for small towns, Mobile can be enchanting. If you find small town culture claustrophobic, mundane or repetitive, then it might not be your cup of tea.

For truly superlative cultural interaction and events, New Orleans is only two hours westward. If classic rock or Americana isn't your bag then even Pensacola has music venues that get better contemporary acts

is everything awful? No, winter can be a perfectly wonderful season but it's way too short. It's possible to find citizens of good character but they are vastly outnumbered by those who empower the worst aspects of the South and of America.

Were I not trapped here by economic hardship created by medical issues, I would have been gone a long time ago.

[sarah FAILIN]

8. Retire here, don't start your family here

I agree the public schools are underfunded. I'm just talking about retirees cashing out of states with a high cost of living to extend their retirement dollars.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Works for a lot of people.

Some of them get to buy beach houses around the Gulf, some like the cities, some like the country, there are a wide range of options.

[sarah FAILIN]

23. I used to go to the beach in winter a lot to the same place.

I always saw the same Canadians with the same dog. They said it was cheaper and nicer to live through the winter at the beach than at home. The condos were 8oo/month for a 2 bedroom on the beach and included power, water and cable. No responsibilities, no snow to shovel and no huge heating bills. I'd do it too if I were them.

[mentalsolstice]

3. Thank you for posting your observations!

No, we’re not all bad. I have lived in Birmingham since 1987, and at least here we enjoy cultural diversity, good food, and many other advantages. We’re not perfect. However, I have traveled throughout the U.S., and have found much the same attitude that stereotypes the south, with divisions about race.

And here in my town, because of the medical and banking industries, I cannot count the times I have befriended a transplant from the north, to only watch them move into the whitest neighborhoods and developments....while clutching their purses and other belongings when they’re forced to come into the inner city. It is what it is.

Yes, this state is full of rubes who will vote because of religion....they feel if they don’t then they’re on the path to hell.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. The only drawback here is horrendous traffic in the cities

Esp. Mobile, which wasn't built for the steady influx of people.
Outside of the 3-4 heavily populated areas, lots of lovely small towns, very affordable.

Did you know that most of Ala. is privately owned?
and rural?
and GREEN.....I was so surprised at how much greenery and trees there are, tho it makes sense that houses have trees all around them, for needed shade. Hurricanes have taken a lot since 2004, but, at least in the southern part of the state, which is semi-tropical, trees grow fast.

[DAMANgoldberg]

7. I have to recommend 3 places in Alabama

Auburn/Opelika - Biased due to graduating from Auburn in 89; big enough to have most of the essentials, close enough to Atlanta for real culture, nightlife, and opportunities, and 6 hours from where I am now.

Huntsville - Intellectually sane part of the state, though light red in politic. big enough for virtually all the essentials, and close enough to Nashville for big city stuff, and 7 1/2 hours from where I am now.

Tuscaloosa - Not because of the Univesity that is going down on Saturday PM, but some of the same dynamics as Auburn, and 1 hour from Birmingham.

vacation spots warm = Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
vacation spots cold = Desoto Falls and Cloudmont Ski Resort in season.

[yallerdawg]

17. A little dispute, please.

The best thing about Auburn/Opelika IS being close to somewhere else.

And an overrated 2-loss team in an overrated SEC East (Florida? Georgia?) is not taking down anybody Saturday.

At least, that's how it looks from beautiful Montgomery, where you don't have to go anywhere for opportunity and entertainment!

Oh - Montgomery is a Democratic stronghold. We're just 'gerrymandered' to hell by the rural rubes, including those "Mike Hubbards" in Auburn/Opelika.

[JimGinPA]

9. Back In The Mid-Eighties I Lived In Atlanta For A While

Some friends of mine had gone to dig a pond on a farm belonging to relatives of theirs outside of Phenix City, Alabama. One of their bulldozers broke down they called and asked me to pick up a gasket set from the Caterpillar plant and said they'd pay me if I'd bring it to them.

The directions I was given were a little spotty and when I got close I had to stop and get directions. The first guy I asked said, "Well, ya can't get there from here. Ya need to go up the road a couple of miles and take ya a left and go a about a mile and take ya a right and follow that road till ya see the road yer lookin' for." I tried to follow his directions but when I couldn't find the road I stopped and asked another guy I saw out in his yard. He said, "Well ya can't get there from here. Ya need to turn around and go back down the road about a half mile and take ya a right and the road yer lookin' for ain't marked so take the first right ya see off that road." Well, I'd never heard "Ya can't get there from here" before.

When I finally found the right road and the mailbox I was looking for I pulled into the driveway (farm road?) I noticed the dirt changed three times. The first 1/4 mile or so was the white sandy, broken shell dirt you see in Florida. Then it changed to the red clay dirt that you see in Georgia. Then when I got closer to the house it was a gravel driveway but dirt on the sides was the blackest, richest soil I've ever seen.

Anyway, it was late enough in the day we decided I should stay over night in one of their Winnebagos. About a half hour later this old station wagon pulled up. It was their aunt and she said, "I brought you boys some food." The back seat was down and the whole back of the station wagon was full of covered dishes, Tupperware and plates, pans and bowls covered with foil. There was like six of us there and we all had to make several trips to get it all in. It covered all of the counters and completely covered the huge kitchen table. There was like 3 different kinds of chicken, 4 different kinds of pork chops, beef, ham, a couple different types of Bar-B-Que, hamburgers, a couple kinds of sausages, fish, salads, slaws, and every kind of vegetable you can think of (and some I'd never heard of), breads and corn bread and muffins. Plus all kinds of pies, cakes and cookies.

I remember this all so vividly because, though I've eaten at some of the best restaurants all over the country, I think that was the best meal I've ever had.

[Hortensis]

10. Lol. Great story. I wish I'd written down some of the directions

I got when I was looking for a house here in the south. Some were Foxworthy worthy without any editing at all. I came from Los Angeles, where I drove with an excellent inch-thick map book next to me.

In Georgia, directions always (as in, even on well engineered and labeled state highways) involved dips, rises, bridges, animals, trees, turns, pastures, and any number of specific buildings and businesses. Of course, roads here often change names without notice or indication any number of times, which helpful people always felt required lengthy explanations even if the road turned out to be one single track from here to there. I have a lousy memory and usually managed to get lost.

I'm sorry to say that GPS's and cell phones in every car have changed the culture so that stopping by the side of a road to figure out where I am no longer guarantees some nice person will pull up to see if I need help, and of course stay to chat a bit.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. I was given directions which included.."you'll see a herd of milk cows on your right"

Actually very good directions.
Not bad if you are driving next to the pasture in the daylight.

But not after milking time.

You can take the boy out of the city...........

[PJMcK]

12. "Ya can't get there from here"

I guess you've never been to Maine!

[DFW]

14. I was gonna say!

The only place I ever heard that phrase being used WAS Maine!

Only in Maine, it's, "you caan't get theyah from heyah."

[PJMcK]

15. That's the accent! (n/t)

[DFW]

18. I know. I've been theyah! n/t

[Aristus]

22. Growing up in the South, as I did, you get used to the 'all-purpose Southern directions'.

The most common, after "You can't get there from here": "Ya git inta the far lane. Go down 'bout a mile yonda, then cut left at the yalla."

Now, don't ask me 'Yellow what?' Yellow light? Yellow sign? Yellow line?

I don't know. Nobody knows. All I know is: "Ya cut left at the yalla."

[GulfCoast66]

11. Though the residents try to keep it a secret, Fairhope AL is one of the nicest towns on the gulf

Look it up and if driving across I-10 turn South one the east side of Mobile Bay. You will not believe you are in Alabama.

It is worth swing by for lunch.

Funny story. My wife and I discovered Fairhope while driving from Central Florida to New Orleans while avoiding interstates. We planned to stay in Fairhope and I called ahead to make reservations in a well reviewed mom-and-pop hotel on the bay. The man answering the phone had a very strong southern accent which being southern myself was no big deal. Made the reservation. The next day I had a personal stereotype turned on its head when I met the man with the accent. He was 2nd generation from India whose parents had immigrated over and bought the hotel. I can still remember the shock I had when I first heard him talk! Taught me a lesson about stereotyping! Turns out we actually knew mutual people due to an internship he had done at my company 20 years earlier. Small world.

I have little hope for Jones but I do know there are many good people in Alabama trying to turn the page.

[PJMcK]

13. A friend of mine got married in Fairhope

His fiancee was from Gulf Breeze, FL but they chose Fairhope for their nuptials. The ceremony was timed so that the sun was setting in the bay as they were reciting their vows. It was a lovely town. Sadly, they divorced several years later.

[GulfCoast66]

16. Ironically my good friend from Fairhope

Got married on Saint George Island, Florida! Luckily they are still together.

Have a nice day.

[steve2470]

21. I could probably live in Alabama but...

I love love love big cities like Atlanta. Birmingham or Montgomery would really have to wow me with what they have to offer. Otherwise, Atlanta is my go to choice if I ever move. I just love Atlanta. Southern yet educated and sophisticated and big city!