Day 8 - Tallahassee to Birmingham, AL

Left Tallahassee by 10am and drove north-west - 200+ miles / 5 hours to be covered today. Crossed the border into Alabama and a new state was duly ticked off. We were not driving on an interstate for a change so we at least saw things on route - flea markets, the National Peanut Festival grounds in Dothan (alas only holding a gun show today), high school basketball players hosting a car wash. All fascinating vignettes of real life. Vijay served me in a petrol station (not gas) in the middle of nowhere and was telling me about his brother in.... Southall!? Whilst I was filling up J bought fresh local satsumas from a stall in the car park - gorgeous. All very random. And bizarrely had to turn watches back an hour as time zones changed - gained an hour though.

Paused in Montgomery the state capital and parked up in a deserted downtown. Duly had a personal tour with a guide of the Capitol building given nobody else was around - as usual fascinating. Also saw Martin Luther Kings church where he was pastor - most cities in Alabama were intrinsically involved in the civil rights era. Lunch in the Dreamland BBQ in downtown, served by the delightful Rodney who was curious where we were from. Complimentary banana pie served up after our delicious pulled pork sandwiches as it was our first time there!

Then hit the road again and continued north to Birmingham arriving by 5pm - funky hotel in the Homewood district a vast improvement on last nights. Healthy salads had in a local bistro for dinner before crashing out.