SP Road Trip: Snow in the Southland

Plantation columns and blankets of snow are not often heard in the same sentence uttered in the Deep South. If a southerner sees snow at home during his lifetime it is as rare as, well snow in the South land. And actual accumulation is even rarer. The recent snow storm that swept across the Lower South (or Gulf Coast) lived up to prediction. Around noon last Friday, it was evident that this would be an extraordinary event, so I grabbed the camera, (ok,  iPhone) and headed out to capture some of my favorite scenes in my hometown in Southeast Alabama. Great houses in the Deep South are most likely seen surrounded by pink azaleas in full glorious bloom; it is a rare treat to see these grand old dames up to their hoop skirts in snow. So without many wise words, this post is merely an excuse to share a piece of my world that is so rare I thought it was worthy of a post.

Country – Oak Bowery Plantation is one of the last great houses still standing (and still functioning) in Southeast Alabama. The first thing I thought of when I woke up to the snow falling is I have to capture Oak Bowery in the snow. I navigated the car through the falling snow and drove way out into the country to see what I knew would be a spectacular sight. This great old place is one of the very few plantations still standing and functioning and open to the public. Available for events and offering bed and breakfast, Oak Bowery gives visitors a glimpse of an Old South that does not exist anymore. Except within the walls of these grand houses.

Town – Victorian houses in town equal the splendor and grandeur of those of the plantation society and were usually owned by members of the same family. Here is Miss Lucinda’s house in the historic district.

Natural - The South is known for lush countryside. Azaleas, Crepe Myrtles, Magnolias, Gardenias and trees trees trees. But to witness the peak of this colorful explosion one must brave the suffocating heat because the South is truly at its finest in the oppressive summer months. The winters are generally considered bleak with bare trees, brown grass and a gray pall hovering over the landscape.  So when I awoke the next morning to this frosted winter wood, I thought this has to be seen. And here it is.

One of the statements I hear most often when I am travelling is “I’ve never been to the South. Where should I go?” I respond that the South of most peoples’ imaginations is a place indeed gone with the wind. The South available to visitors and passersthrough today is primarily comprised of hideous strip malls massed alongside bare highways. There are a few old towns that escaped Urban Renewal in the 1970’s and a rare few of these are being rediscovered through conservation efforts. The majority of the great old houses are literally falling down into the dust and dirt, abandoned by the families for newness and proximity. The South of romantic perception still exists in Charleston, Savannah, Natchez, New Orleans and a few of the historic little towns clinging to their heritage. Admittedly there are some difficult and embarrassing passages in any book written about the South, and this is something no self-respecting (and educated) Southerner will run away from. But there are ineffably beautiful chapters in this book and this is something that Southerners should never shy away from. And I for one never will.