2014: Rolling thru Amerika on 18 Wheels. Volume IX Alabama to Georgia.

2014: Rolling thru Amerika on 18 Wheels. Volume IX Alabama to Georgia. 

Heading for Mobile, Alabama on I-10. The motto here is, "Alabama the Beautiful." We shall see. So far it looks just like Mississippi, which looked just like Louisiana... I realize I'm being overly general about this though...

Mobile, Alabama. Same old shit as the rest of the scenery on America's highways through cities: motels, strip malls, car dealerships, fast food, churches (southern Baptists here), ugly billboards... 

Neat bridge over Little Lizard Creek giving a neat view over the 'savannah.' The Mobile, Alabama River Delta is huge. Just passed a Confederate memorial battlefield. Getting into some intense American history here now.  Lots of riding law mowers on the side of the roads. We have left the Gulf and traversing southwest to northeast through the state on I-65 North. The landscape is drier now and there are more pine tees. Elevation-wise, there are more rolling hills. It is a slow, steady rise to the Appalachian Mountains from here on in I think.    

My driver wishes to stop st a casino here for a mandatory break... I can turn that into a pee break and a nap. The landscape today is so interesting, and the fact that I've never driven through these parts of the US has prevented me from taking my mid-day nap. Maybe the casino will have some cool swag though... 

We are entering the Creek Indian Reservation- hence the casino. Yep, exit 57, the a Creek Gaming Center, WindCreek Casino and Hotel in Monroeville, Alabama. 

I won $28 on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine!  I think, for me, the lure of the casino is really just to people watch. This one was smokey. I've noticed that I've seen more people smoking in Alabama than anywhere else so far. Guess it's the influence of the tobacco industry here in the South. 

Burnt Corn Creek

We are now heading for Montgomery, Alabama. It's close to 6:30 pm and will stay light until 8 maybe. We plan on making a run for the Georgia border by quitting time tonight. 

Murder Creek

Lots of deer grazing near the highway at sunset and beyond. Some dead raccoons on the road. Apparently there are black bears all around who are becoming a little too comfortable living among Homo Sapiens. Said Homo Sapiens round them up and bring them back out into the deep woods. Why would bears even want to come close to us. We are pretty vile creatures - comparatively... 

Montgomery, Alabama seems like a sweet, small city. Just outside the city proper new freeway under/overpasses are being built. The city must be expanding. They are also widening the highway. When I think about it, ever since we hit Texas there has been steady roadwork, more or less. 

The temperature feels nice right now. It wasn't too humid of a day today. I opted to walk back to Truck from the casino instead of take the shuttle. The inactivity of truck life is kinda the deal breaker with this whole gig. I mean you can walk around the truck stop at night and in surrounding areas, but is it safe enough? The truck stops seem fine perhaps, but a chick will definitely get some unwanted attention. I don't know that I would want to chance it. Just getting up in the middle of the night and walking to the bathrooms inside can be daunting enough. Truckers are fine and harmless, but tweekers tend to hang at truck stops. This is just a generalization of course, but...

We are in the Tuskegee National Forest. One of the road signs mentioned the site of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. They were a squadron of African-American pilots during World War II. They assisted/escorted fighter pilots in North Africa and Europe. They never lost a plane apparently, and became one of the most decorated squadrons. The story (told by mr. J. S.) reminds me of the 442 Battalion (Japanese-Americans from Hawaii)  sent to fight on the front lines in Germany, etc. 

I think we are close to the Georgia border now. It is 8:30 pm. It's been another good, long haul today.  

10:00 pm Georgia border