montgomery – Marie, Let's Eat!

At last, my trip had brought me to Montgomery, and it was time to start heading home. I had decided to go north via US-231, which connects Alabama’s capital with the towns of Oxford and Anniston at I-20, and from there it would be just an hour and a bit home. Now, it’s with this last leg that I really do feel the need to kick myself. Back in part four of this story, I explained that it simply did not occur to me that the sun was going to go down and I would be driving part of this journey at night. Somewhere in Anniston, I am aware that there’s a barbecue joint called Goal Post that has one of the most amazing neon signs of them all. It’s a wonderful, animated thing that has a “football” travel along wires from the roadside sign to the restaurant. (There’s a pretty lousy twelve-second clip of it on YouTube. Hey, look at that. It’s next door to a Jack’s! I told you those things are all over northern Alabama.) I have said that I want to see that darn sign at night, and it just flat out did not occur to me to get directions and go see it as the last stop of the tour. I really am a numbskull. Continue reading “Circumnavigating Alabama – Part 7” →

I heard a story once. Seems there were some pledges at an Alabama fraternity. Two were from Birmingham and two were from Montgomery. The two from Birmingham were waxing eloquent about Pete’s Hot Dogs. This legendary place, which closed last year after the very sad death of its owner Gus Koutroulakis, is part of the hearts and minds of generations of travelers and locals. The fellows from Montgomery were equally insistent that Chris’ Famous Hotdogs was even more magical. As the argument became spirited, the older frat brothers said that the only fair way to settle it would be to provide a taste test, and the four were commanded to leave town, two going this way and two going that, and return in six hours with enough hot dogs for everybody in the house. Continue reading “Circumnavigating Alabama – Part 6” →