First stop, the Bluebell factory in Sylacauga. Without even knowing it, we got our Alabama Airbnb within 30 minutes of another Bluebell factory! So of course... we went!
At the doors! A couple of the blue-bell hats made it all the way here from our Brenham visit!
Can you guess my favorite of these slogans? It almost persuades me to apply!
We met Paige, the director of production for this plant, and Wanda who worked both the parlor and the gift shop! They were both super-nice and helpful!
It was really cool to talk to Paige. We peppered her with questions and she told us info like how far out they schedule production (about 3-4 weeks--she had just finished the 14-Jan week schedule), all about how they determine which flavors to make each day, about their distribution channels (they use no third parties--their own employees deliver and stock their ice cream in every store where Bluebell is sold! The only exception is where restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse serve Bluebell Homemade Vanilla.), how their regions are set up, and more. She's worked for bluebell for 20+ years and her husband has worked here even longer! When they opened up the Sylacauga plant, her and her husband moved out here from Texas to get it off the ground. They've been here ever since!
My favorite moment though... oh this is good! So good, I've gotta get some back story. Many of you know that I'm a Ben & Jerry's fan. I love ice cream in general, but Ben & Jerry's is my favorite! Bonnie loves Bluebell, which is great! But I've tried to explain many, many times, that Ben & Jerry's is a premium ice cream. It's in a higher tier. It's a denser, creamier, richer ice cream fundamentally. Bonnie has guffawed at that more times than I've said it. :-)
So sweet was the moment when Bonnie mentioned, without my comment, that I'm a Ben & Jerry's fan, and Paige replied, and I quote: "Well, we're not a premium ice cream like Ben & Jerry's." I couldn't handle it! I gave Paige a big hug! My grin stretched from Brenham Texas to Waterbury Vermont! And OH how I laughed!
Bonnie said "well, I still think Bluebell tastes better." Which I'm totally good with! I love that she loves Bluebell! I was never trying to claim Bluebell was bad or even less desirable than Ben & Jerry's, only that Ben & Jerry's makes a higher quality--a premium--ice cream! Oh I loved that moment! *sigh* 😂😆😇😂😋
Cheese!
Happy faces in the parlor. We were almost the only ones there for the hour or so we stayed.
Double scoop for $1.00. Um, yes please. I'll take... well, I had three. And then I finished off some kids' too. All part of a balanced breakfast!
They didn't have the full-size statue like the headquarters in Brenham, but the statue was not to be missed all the same!
Next we headed out to Rickwood. Now, if you're like me, that means... absolutely nothing to you. Well, at least it didn't to me until today! Turns out, Rickwood is the oldest standing ballpark in the entire United States! There's a lot of amazing history here!
Interesting Historical Marker -- Note some of the names of who played here!
Tribute to Jackie Robinson
Rickwood field was home to the minor league team, the Birmingham Barons. While still a Double-A league White Sox affiliate, they now play in a larger stadium except for the Rickwood Classic, a once-per-season game when they come back to play at Rickwood field.
The stadium holds about 10,000 fans and hosts around 150-200 games per year! Most of these are high school, college, and amateur league games.
The dugouts are quite low and the field is raised, creating a situation where players in the dugout can't actually see the field.
The pitchers mound is very tall--higher than regulation. Pitchers love it, but batters tend not to so much. Amy's ready to go!
Alvin, the groundskeeper and our tour guide, was a good, kind man. I didn't want to get my feet muddy and Rebekah was feeling stuck, so he went out and held her hand to walk her back to the grass.
Out behind that right field wall there used to be another section of bleachers with a very specific purpose. There were two teams of Birmingham Barons back in the day--the Birmingham Whites and the Birmingham Blacks. When the white team took the field, whites were given the main stadium seating and blacks were segregated to the section in right field. When the black team took the field, blacks were given the main stadium seating and whites were segregated to the right field section.
I admit that this actually surprised me a bit. After what we've learned about civil rights, racism, and segregation in the south, I wouldn't have guessed that a seemingly equal exchange would have occurred.
This book, "Every Other Sunday," talks about this piece of history and is now on my to-read list!
The field is now maintained by an organization called "The Friends of Rickwood." More information, including merchandise or donations, can be found on their website rickwood.com.
We left the field to head into downtown Birmingham and attend a Christmas cartoon triple feature at the gorgeous Alabama Theater! The Alabama Theater was built in 1927 primarily for movies, but it has all the regal feel of a fine theater of the era, complete with mezzanine and balcony seating!
View from the front
I really liked these lights along the sides, directly under the mezzanine seating.
Then this beauty rose out of the floor to play some Christmas sing-along songs!
This organ that they affectionately call Big Bertha connects to 32 ranks, a total of 2,336 pipes! And while that's cool and all, we were mostly excited about how ornately red and fantastic the thing looks! Not to mention how it rises onto the stage!
I couldn't get the kids to sit still for anything. Excited much? So this is the best pic I could get before the show.
Well, except for this beauty!
Leaving the theater, we drove by Kelly Ingram park, host of many civil rights statues and memorials. As it was nigh on dusk, Bonnie jumped out to take pictures. Shortly after she jumped out of the car, I began to feel some concern. I quickly became aware that this was not the best part of town. It was an uncomfortable moment for me. Thankfully, she was confronted only once, and that simply by a request for money.
It's been said the memorials are very provoking and Bonnie agreed. Many protesters were children. If parents protested, or if it could be determined whose children were protesting, the parents would lose their jobs, be black-listed so they could not obtain other work, and worse. As a result, much of the retaliation to the protests fell upon youth and children.
Finally, it was time to head home... but not without one final stop along the way!
During our time in Texas, we repeatedly mentioned going and getting some donuts from Shipley's where Bonnie used to go as a child. We never made it happen. However, Birmingham has a Shipley's! So we made it happen!
And that was both a sugary beginning and a sugary ending to a very full and fascinating day!
Keep up the good work. I know things aren't always easy but it will be worth it all in the end.
ReplyDelete