Spring Break and Southern Roots - Itinerary
Day 1 Saturday
Arrive into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport between 11am and 4pm and meet up with your group. Then settle in with some hot Southern cooking and have orientation, get to know the team, and see a little bit of charming Birmingham, Alabama. Settle into the hotel for the evening, watch a documentary, and get some sleep – it will be a big day tomorrow!
Day 2 Sunday
Get going early! Head to the farmers’ market with the team and get what you need for the day – find freshly baked bread and seasonal veggies that grow beautifully in this climate! Take a walk through a park, check out some of the sights that make Birmingham special, and have a picnic with the group in this sweet Southern city. In the afternoon, learn a little history at a museum dedicated to American rights and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Get your bearings, hear some stories, and learn about why Birmingham was a center for activists and scholars of the time. In the evening, check out a local barbecue joint for dinner and watch the sun set on the big Southern sky.
Day 3 Monday
Today you will start your service! You will head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which was hit by tornadoes in early 2011 that destroyed a huge swath of the city. After a safety lesson and a little background on the area, grab your gloves and help rebuild homes and parks that were damaged by the strong winds. Spend the day contributing to the cause, getting a little dirty, and helping your neighbors in the South. After a long day of work, settle into your bed for the night and get some rest for the next few days.
Day 4 Tuesday
Continue the work you started yesterday, doing cleanup and rebuilding damaged lots and homes. Pick up some new skills now that you’re comfortable on the worksite, and start talking to locals about what you have seen so far in this fun, welcoming town. After the workday, spend the evening playing soccer with your new friends and checking out what’s going on in the rest of town.
Day 5 Wednesday
Today will be your last day doing recovery work on homes in Tuscaloosa. Now that you’re a pro, get right to work and get as much done as you can! Teach some new volunteers who are coming in and spend more time with the neighbors and community members who are rebuilding their lives the disaster. Catch a movie in the evening and try a local diner where everyone in town eats.
Day 6 Thursday
Wake up and head to Montgomery, a critical place in the American civil rights movement. Montgomery was the home of Ms. Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many other famous Americans who made their mark in defining and obtaining equality for citizens. Take in the sights, enjoy some hearty Southern cuisine and spend the night out with live music.
Day 7 Friday
A quiet morning in Montgomery will give you a chance to see more of the city before you head up to Tuskeegee, the university where Booker T Washington taught and acted as president. Then head back to Birmingham for a relaxing afternoon enjoying the beautiful Cahaba River that runs by the city. In the evening you will have a final dinner with the rest of your group.
Day 8 Saturday
Spend the last morning having breakfast, packing up, and saying goodbye to the new friends you made and to your Southern neighbors in this beautiful part of the country.
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
