Tuscaloosa Today
by Robert Painter
What do Bear Bryant, Mercedes-Benz, Rommel’s Afrika Korps, Moundville (at
one time the largest city north of Mexico), great BBQ ribs, a premier
collection of American art, Miss Universe, the Bama Belle Riverboat, FDR’s
PWA, the SEC, houndstooth hats, Italianate architecture and Nick’s in the
Sticks have in common?
 Did you guess that they
are all part of the fascinating history of Tuscaloosa, Alabama? I’ll begin
with what may be the most obvious fact. Paul “Bear” Bryant, easily
recognizable for his sartorially correct houndstooth hats was the legendary
coach of the U of A football team. The Bear was a winner and his record
proves it. In 38 years as a college football coach he had only one
losing season and that was at Texas A. & M. Two years later that team
won the conference championship. Over the years at various schools he
amassed a phenomenal record, taking 29 teams to bowl games, while winning 15
conference championships. The Bryant Museum on the campus of the University
of Alabama chronicles the history of Alabama football for over a century.
And, if you didn’t already know, Coach Bryant picked up the “Bear” nickname
as a youth by wrestling with a bear at a carnival, or so the story goes.
Alabama, of course, was, and still is, a powerhouse of the Southeastern
Conference (the SEC.)
 And where does Miss
Universe come into the picture. Sylvia Hitchcock Carson is the only
University of Alabama student to be selected as Miss Universe. Sylvia
was only the fourth Miss USA to go on and win the Miss Universe crown. I
know all this from several years of working with Sylvia in the modeling
business in Florida. Even though she was raised in Florida she often spoke
enthusiastically about Alabama and once was quoted as saying that she was
never in awe of people she met – with the exception of, you guessed it, Bear
Bryant.
 Were you aware of the
Mercedes-Benz factory down the road from Tuscaloosa? When you visit
this wonderful little city be sure to put the factory tour on your agenda.
You’ll marvel at the robots doing the welding and assembly. I particularly
enjoyed watching the robotic arms placing the windscreens and rear windows
in the vehicles. It takes just seconds and the robots always seem to
get the right windows for the right cars. Each car is assembled to
order and the pieces have bar codes which the robot reads in order to select
the correct parts. I didn’t catch them making any mistakes!
There is also a really nice little museum there with a selection of
perfectly restored older Mercedes vehicles as well as a few new ones,
including a C class racing car. And, adjacent to the autos you’ll find
a small gift shop with lots of very nice Mercedes-Benz memorabilia and
gifts.
 As long as you’re touring
the county you will be well served to visit the Aliceville Museum in
Aliceville. You can visit the site where Field Marshall Rommel’s Afrika
Korps troops were held in captivity. Between 1942 and 1945 as many as 6,000
German prisoners where held at Camp Aliceville, one of the largest POW camps
in the U.S. Maybe you didn’t know that there were 511 POW camps
holding nearly 400,000 German prisoners in the U.S. during World War II.
The museum holds paintings, sculpture, photos and other objects from the
period. A fifteen minute video contains eyewitness accounts by former POWs,
guards & civilian employees.
 Oh, and Nick’s in the
Sticks is a restaurant/bar/saloon that is an institution in Tuscaloosa. You
can staple a dollar bill to the ceiling if you wish. I’m not fond of giving
away my money, but you can sign it, draw pictures on it, put hieroglyphics
on it – whatever you want. Just keep it clean and someone will bring a
staple gun and you’ll become an instant part of the local tradition. They
even serve food so bring your appetite. You won’t believe the onion rings.
Excellent steaks!
And those great BBQ ribs can be found at Dreamland BBQ, serving since
1958 so they’ve got to be good. They serve some sides dishes, but
concentrate on the ribs – they’re served with white bread and lots of great
BBQ sauce. Just skip the bread and chow down on the ribs.
 Back in the city it’s
time for a visit to the Bama Theatre. I was raised in the small town movie
business and love these old movie “palaces” from the 30’s. This one
was a Public Works Administration (PWA) project built through FDR’s New Deal
Program. It opened in 1938 and was the first building in Tuscaloosa with air
conditioning. It retains its original “Bama” name and has a beautiful
interior, a reproduction of the courtyard of the Davanzati Palace of
Florence, Italy. The orchestra and balcony sections are decorated as a
Spanish courtyard and the twinkling stars and clouds on the night sky
ceiling offer an open-air feeling. Now serving as a performing arts center
it is also equipped with modern projection equipment for viewing movies.
 For a different view of
Tuscaloosa, take a cruise on the Bama Belle, an outstanding replica of
paddlewheel riverboats that churned up and down the Black Warrior River in
the early 1900’s. I didn’t have time during my visit, so you’ll want to look
it up on the internet for more information.
 There are some fine old
historic homes and buildings that you can drive past beginning with the
Jemison Van de Graaff Mansion. This is a perfect place to begin a
driving tour of the city for a couple of reasons. The fact that it is the
first stop on the Greater Tuscaloosa Convention & Visitors Bureau’s
Tuscaloosa Driving Tour is reason # 1. Number 2 is the fact that it
houses the visitor’s bureau and this is where you can pick up a map of the
driving tour. The Mansion is a splendid example of Italianate architecture
so get your camera ready – it is a beautiful structure. And, if you remember
the Van de Graaff name from your high school science classes, the famous
physicist, Robert, was the youngest son of the Tuscaloosa Van de Graaffs. So
stop in, meet some friendly folks and then proceed on your exploration of
the city.
 For a fine dining
experience with wonderful evening and nighttime riverfront views the Cypress
Inn is your best bet. You can sit at your table and watch the tugboats
pushing barges up and down the Black Warrior River or walk out on the
lighted deck for an even better sunset view. Advertising the “Best Happy
Hour in Town,” you might want to follow up with an aged Hereford Ribeye or
the Cypress Inn Special – ground chuck wrapped in bacon, topped with cheddar
& mozzarella cheese, smothered with sautéed onions, mushrooms, bell pepper
and fresh tomatoes. That sounded really good to me, but I had already
decided on the Jumbo Gulf Shrimp before I got that far down on the menu.
Finish the evening with the Black Warrior Mud Sundae, Peanut Butter Pie or
Bread Pudding glazed with homemade whisky sauce.
 You probably don’t know
that one of world’s finest collections of American art is to be found in the
countryside of Tuscaloosa. I would guess that there are art collectors, art
dealers and museums all over the globe that know of Jack Warner’s fabulous
collection, but I have to confess that I had never heard of it before.
Or, at least, I don’t recall hearing of it. And I collect American art,
although mine is a fairly narrow range, including primarily Native American
and Southwestern art.
 This astonishing
collection of works by Winslow Homer, Jamie Wyeth, Albert Bierstadt, John
Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hicks, Thomas Cole and many, many more
is proudly presented by Mr. Warner. At the age of 90 and after 40 years of
collecting he enjoys recounting stories from his days spent at auctions
outbidding others in the process of amassing this unprecedented collection
of American art. One of my favorite artists, Dave McGary of New Mexico has
several bronzes gracing the gardens surrounding the museum, proof that Jack
has recently been acquiring new pieces for his gallery.
 If you are a true art
lover, or even if you’re not, you might enjoy staying at the Warner Lodge
adjacent to the Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art where you’ll find
fine accommodations with complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi in every room,
fitness center and plenty of Southern hospitality.
Photo # 1969
Should you happen to be in town during a production of Theatre Tuscaloosa
be sure to catch a show. You’ll find yourself in a beautiful, modern theatre
with all the latest equipment and technology for a finely produced event. I
managed a back stage tour and was impressed with the stage, the stagehands,
the wardrobe department – the whole works! But, I was a couple of
weeks too early to see Driving Miss Daisy. Maybe next time.
A great way to learn about a community’s personality is to find a copy of
the local magazine. Most cities have one and smaller cities seem to
key in on the character of the city and it is often done by examining one of
the “characters” of the city. I picked up a copy of Tuscaloosa and a
story about a local gymnastics coach who, along with her husband, has led
the U of A team for 32 years, taking them to four NCAA Championships and 23
NCAA Regional Championships. Her first quote in the story relates to Bear
Bryant and the philosophy of “always doing the right thing.” My
impression of the people of Tuscaloosa is that this philosophy is one that
appears to be widely held in the community. I think when you visit
Tuscaloosa you’ll see what I mean. And, in case you’re wondering, that
coaching couple is Sarah and David Patterson. Maybe you’ll get a chance to
meet them when you visit.
 There is one more stop
that, in my opinion, is mandatory before you leave Tuscaloosa County.
National Geographic described Moundville as “The Big Apple of the 14th
Century.” Thirteen miles south of Tuscaloosa, the Moundville Archaeological
Park of The University of Alabama is a fascinating conglomerate of
Mississippian era Indian mounds. It is a National Historic Landmark and
includes over 300 acres with 28 large flat-topped mounds. It is
possible to climb to the top of Temple Mound to get a panoramic view of the
entire site. Photo # 2096
 There are campgrounds,
nature trails, and a conference building available. The University is
involved in ongoing excavations of some of the sites and a new museum has
just opened that is very impressive. Included among the many artifacts
from the site are life size replicas of life at the height of this great
civilization. Be sure and ask to see the famous stone Rattlesnake Disk. If
you can visit in October you will be treated to the Moundville Native
American Festival. Enjoy the drums, have your children’s faces
painted, do some shopping, devour some Native foods and join in the dancing.
Keep on Traveling.
 Story and Photos by
Robert Painter, Adventure Travel Editor
When You Go:
www.bryant.ua.edu: Paul W. Bryant
Museum- Learn all about the “Bear” and Alabama football.
http://www.mbusi.com: Mercedes-Benz,
Tuscaloosa – soon to be manufacturing C class autos.
http://www.cityofaliceville.com/MuseumMain.htm: Aliceville POW camp
information
http://www.tuscarts.org/bamatheatre.html: Bama Theatre and Arts Council
information
http://www.warnermuseum.org:
Watch the 10 minute video – it is impressive!
http://moundville.ua.edu/home.html: Includes a video tour of the park.
The museum has been upgraded considerably since this video was made.
http://www.bamabelle.com.
Riverboat information and reservations.
http://www.tcvb.org: Visit Tuscaloosa -
check events, weather, accommodations, dining, etc.
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