We left Galveston and began our USA road trip! The first three nights on our trip were spent catching up with Reuben’s friends from when he lived in India.  Our first stop was Tyler, Texas, where we stayed with Danny and Lori and their family, saw the beautiful rose gardens and enjoyed some great conversation after an amazing home cooked meal.

The next day we drove through Texas, Lousiana and Mississippi to arrive in Birmingham, Alabama (4 states in a day). We stopped for lunch and tried some great Cajun food – gumbo, a traditional stew, and blackened chicken salad – it was excellent!

Once we were in Birmingham, we were treated to the hospitality of Clark, Liz and their extended family – as well as a great barbecue and a thrilling thunderstorm.

The next morning, we headed into Birmingham to visit the Civil Rights Institute. This was a brilliant museum – it brought the story of civil rights in the south to life in an extremely compelling way. The videos, recording, images and interactive exhibits were outstanding and very moving. We spent a couple of hours here and would totally recommend it. If you are interested in learning more, check it out here.

From Birmingham, it was on to Auburn, Alabama, where we had a really wonderful time connecting with Reuben’s friend Leslie and her parents Jeanine and Eddie. Leslie had made us a welcome basket, which included that black gold…marmite!!! Sweet goodness! We loved being able to catch up with them.

We had a fabulous time catching up with old friends (and for Karen, meeting them for the first time).