Spent all day last Friday riding around and going to a variety of locations in Bibb, Hale and Perry Counties to unveil the signs for the Lower Cahaba Heritage and Recreational Corridor. Good day and a great project: www.lowercahaba.com.
tourism
Alabama Byways On the Radio
Well, I must admit that, although I love to talk, I’m not sure I’ve ever been crazy about hearing my voice once recorded. It was with a great deal of reluctance that I went to Montgomery a couple of weeks ago and took part in a radio interview with my friends Joey Brackner of the Alabama State Council on the Arts (the instigator of this whole interview) and Colette Boehm of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Visitors Bureau (who I worked with on Alabama’s Coastal Connection–the byway that was recently named a National Scenic Byway).
Anyway, here’s a link to the interview. The first half is me talking about the Alabama Scenic Byways program, what it is about and a little history. The second half is Colette talking about the Coastal Connection.
http://alabamaartsradio.blogspot.com/2009/11/alabama-arts-radio-podcast-joe-watt-and.html
A Project on the Lower Cahaba
I’ve been working on this project for several years, now. We’re in the process of putting together a website, we’ll be erecting several signs throughout the area and this small rack card (hopefully, several additional brochures in the next few months as well) will be distributed to rest areas and other locations. So many things to see and do in the Lower Cahaba–from the Cahaba lilies and canoeing down the river to touring Brierfield and Tannehill–and, of course, one of my favorites Old Cahwaba. Check it all out! Website should be up and working in about 3 weeks.
Reflections on a Trip South
Last month, Ann and I spent several weekends traveling to and from the beach (San Destin). Beautiful weather both times in some regards–the first weekend was hot, with highs in the 90’s and the second weekend was really pretty chilly, with highs in the 50’s.
Took some photos, ate way more than I should, drove around some of the small communities, walked in the footsteps of The Truman Show in Seaside, etc. But the real telling thing to me was the trip back each Sunday morning.
What’s happening in our rural communities? The roads were dead. I guess that’s to be somewhat expected anywhere on a Sunday morning, but the church parking lots weren’t crowded either. There were so few young people to be seen anywhere. It may well have been something as simple as a strange weekend, an odd coincidence, or just some incorrect assumptions on my part. I just find it worrisome that lower Alabama has so very much to offer in some regards and so little to show the world in others.
We have extraordinary rivers, forests, historic mansions, delicious food, spectacular farm land, wild animals and so much more. We have a traditional Southern culture and language that is amazing. We have art, literature, music…. Some of the greatest writers in the world have come from the South. Some of the best music certainly so. Where are these folks now? Will we continue to produce this amazing literature, these haunting songs and this soul-stirring art?
Let me add that I’m not condemning or praising the area where I grew up. These are questions that I’d love to have answers to; thoughts that I haven’t come to terms with yet. I find a great deal of hope in the Black Belt and a great deal of beauty. I do worry, though. What is the future? Anyone?
Two Tourism Brochures for Southwest Alabama
Put these two brochures together for Southwest Alabama Tourism right before heading for Paris. It was a quick job, but I think they turned out looking pretty good!
Our Trip to Paris
What a great time! More on the trip in the coming week, but I’ve posted some photos to flickr. Just visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/joewatts/sets/72157622180323164/. I really need to add a link to flickr on my blog. The trip was certainly fun–loads of it, to be honest, but it was also a great experiment in travel. Going to another country to experience their wayfinding techniques and fumble our way around in a country where we didn’t speak the language was a great way to gain perspective on people that might come to Alabama as tourists.
We saw lots, ate lots, walked LOTS and LOTS and took lots of photos. Between the two of us, we took 1200 photos (don’t worry, I won’t post them all!).
