The Long Way Home

On our way to Tuscaloosa the other weekend, I saw a billboard that said, "SEE VULCAN!"

So I said, "OK!"

Because I had never, ever been to the top of Red Mountain.

I knew that was the location of the major Fourth of July fireworks show, plus the home (at one time anyway) of all the local news towers, but I had never gone.

We just didn't do anything like that.

Since we left Tuscaloosa so early on Sunday, I figured we had time to stop and visit ol' Vulcan on our way back to my parents' house, and since Lilah is up for any kind of adventure (when presented to her in a positive manner), off we went!

Inside the visitor's center is a very interesting museum that discusses Birmingham's iron history and the creation of the Vulcan statue.

If you are not three-years-old.

If you are three-years-old, then inside the visitor's center is THE BIGGEST FOOT EVER.

I like how she looks like she's just claimed the big toe in the name of the Queen.

Also inside the visitor's center - I was thrilled to find - was a squishy penny maker.

If you know anything about me, then you know I started collecting squishy pennies when I was about seven-years-old and to this day will pick them over just about any other available souvenir.

I let Lilah do as much of the squishing as possible for this one.

She was so amazed; she couldn't believe that was the same penny I'd put in.

"But it's FLAT," she protested.

I told her to hold it up and see if it looked like the design we had picked.

It did.

Then we headed out to the statue itself.

 It kind of sucks that there is no good angle at which to get a picture of the front of Vulcan.  Or maybe there was, and the Earth Day Singing Kids standing down front all dressed in white and getting yelled at by their coach were in the way of it.  But this was the best I could do.

Lilah had no fear of going to the top.

"Let's get on that elevator!"

So on the elevator we got.

She was exhilarated.

I was nauseated.

I don't consider myself afraid of heights...I just couldn't stop having this slightly panicked feeling the higher we went.

I didn't want to show Lilah I was afraid, because I was afraid that would scare her, but I also knew if I didn't close my eyes, I would vomit and/or pass out before we hit the top.

So when she asked, I told her I wanted it to be a surprise.

White lies:  They are sometimes necessary to keep you from freaking out and/or vomiting on your child.

Once at the top, we stepped out on the observation deck and the wind was so ridiculous it nearly blew the sunglasses off the top of my head.

This is the only picture I got of the view, because Lilah was freaking out and I was freaking out and so we decided to just get the heck out of there.

She's fine with heights.

It's the being blown off them to her doom she didn't so much care for.

Safely back at the bottom, I convinced her to take a picture with me.

I think overall she had more fun that her face suggests.

If she didn't, she wasn't saying.

She was asleep within five minutes of getting back in the car.