HELLO BIRMINGHAM!
Welcome to the South! Its definitely very..."southern!" Birmingham has some interesting history, maybe a little sad and hard to swallow at times. Its important to see and experience all of our history, its what helps us remember to not make the same mistakes in the future.

CIVIL RIGHTS DISTRICT
Its so heartbreaking, but necessary. Knowing the terrible things that people are capable of, its just hard to even imagine. The beauty of technology is that people just can't lie about stuff the way they did back then. This all happened before I was alive. Hopefully all future generations can understand the history so it won't ever happen again. We are, as they say, all in this together.

VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM
The Vulcan is a staple in Birmingham. It represents hard work, which is what their community was established on. When I say hard work, I mean extreme, unsafe working conditions, and this-will-kill-you-one-way-or-another.
People had such extreme anger and hate back then, its hard to understand.
There was a guy that was convicted and forced to labor to pay for his crimes. He passed out while working, and they accused him of being lazy and whipped him then threw him into a large pot of boiling liquids where he died. They then tried to unsuccessfully cover it up. Its just nuts. This is the history, and hopefully it isn't destined to ever repeat itself.
The site has some really beautiful views of the city. You can go up in the tower of the statue, and the floor has open glass slots where you can look and see right now. My advice? Don't look down!

16th STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
The church is right next to the Civil Rights Museum. We walked into the church, and there was a memorial for the four young girls that died. Its really sad. Its definitnely an experience that makes the tragedy real. I read reviews about it being an unsafe area, but I didn't really get that vibe. What I did feel was the weight of the past here, people still remembering the hate, and in reality it wasn't that long ago.
I would highly recommend walking to the church, then checking out the Civil Rights Museum, then walking across the street to the park and audio tour. Its import for us to remember, lets make the future better!

BIG BAD BREAKFAST
I LOVE breakfast. Pretty much the best meal ever...and everything here was good. All high end meats, all well made. I wasn't a huge fan of the sausage and gravy for the biscuits, it was a bit too spicy for my taste, but I did love the atmosphere! Next time, I'll try different gravy.

MARRIOTT BIRMINGHAM
The lobby here is STUNNING! It smells lovely here, which is important... not a fan of smelly chemicals! I'd say 4 stars, only becase I think its high time to upgrade the beds! They do have a really lovely gym, which is nice because 2015 is all about being the best ME. :) Overall, really nice and would return.

LOCKED IN BIRMINGHAM, ESCAPE GAME
Amazing! VERY fun! This is like stepping in to a real life action movie. You have a limited amount of time to find the right information. The key is to work together and have fun in the process! I had sooo much fun, I wish I was here longer so we could do it again! This is a completely unique experience, and unlike anything we've done in any other state! This was really well put together.

HOT & HOT FISH CLUB
Good food, and excellent desserts! We got the chocolate souffle and the 3 donuts...and wow! I would eat dessert here every day if it was possible...

BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE..brought tears to my eyes...
Its really easy to dismiss the history because I was not alive, and because, well, what's the big deal, it was forever ago, right? Well, going through here, and seeing that many of the people in the stories are still alive...there are just no words.
There was one picture where people hung two young black males less than 20 years old. The crowd, their faces, it was so disturbing that I had to look away. The complete lack of humanity... it was just pure indfference. How could people be so evil?
This museum realy made the history come to life. Its hard to see people treated the way they were, the things people did, they were just like...if not worse than the Natzis. There isn't enough time to correct all the wrongs that happened here.
One of the ladies that worked here told us her husband became a fireman and people used to put glass in his shoes, and he never wanted to be in the front of the pack when they went in to put out a fire because he didn't know what his fellow firemen would do to him. She said that when people hold marches and rally on TV now, she can't even watch because it takes her back to a very dark place.
I highly recommend to visit this museum, however sad it is! Take the time to read the plaques... its very impactful and a must see. We can't change the past, but we can definitely protect the future.

FIVE
The best thing we had was the appetizer! It was a shrimp dish and it was an explosion of deliciousness. The main courses were pretty good. Its in a nice part of town, a very popular and hip area. This is a great place to to get dinner then hop over the their bar or any of the others within walking distance.

SLICE STONE & PIZZA & BREW
Its not the best for food, but its not bad! Its good for appetizers, we got meatballs and the duck egg roll. Everything was decent! Loved the outdoor setting, very nice decor. Seems like a great place to grab a beer and chat with friends.

SAW'S JUKE JOINT
This is an "upscale dive" as they call it. For the "dive" part, the tables and chairs are not exactly spotless. I'm pretty sure Chef Ramsey would have a cow if he walked in this place. Also, they serve plastic plates and forks, which seems a bit wasteful?
For the upscale, its REAL southern food! I was a bit lost looking at the menu, but the waitress gave some great recommendations. Fried okra and pickles? Sure, why not! Sweet tea chichken sandwich? Ok, sure! Its all YUM.
I would love to see some real plates though, lets reuse a bit? And maybe just a bit cleaner? Otherwise, well worth the trip. For anyone that enjoys barbeque, this is the place for you. Also, the staff is a big part of the experience and our waitress was as sweet as pie.

BOTTEGA RESAURANT
Wow, PARMESAN SOUFFLE HEAVEN. I've only seen cheese souffles on TV! This was a first and I've heard its so rare because its extremely difficult to make. You have to get the souffle to rise, and at that perfect moment, take it out becuase its very easy for the cheese to burn. It should be gooey in the middle! This souffle was cooked to perfection! and so was everything else we had... the wine recommendation, spot on! Pretty much the best wine we've ever had. The ambiance was amazing, heck even the restrooms felt like little rustic paradises! The staff was fantastic, and the waitor was a fellow soccer fan so pretty much a perfect experience. This place should be in the Top 100 restaurants in the USA, no question!

FINAL THOUGHTS...
Wow, amazing history and a little sad but also makes you really grateful that people made the sacrifices they did to make the world a better place.