New York man biking across US 'literally feels' Alabama's rich history: 'You get the shivers'
In a unique 'biking across America' series from Fox News Digital, Bob Barnes shares his latest 'eye-opening' experiences
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bob Barnes of Syracuse, New York, who has been cycling to all 50 state capitals this year, said he was "fascinated" and engaged by the rich history of Alabama — and he suggested that seeing its capital, Montgomery, with his own eyes, on his own terms and in his own time, was a far more captivating experience than reading about it in books or textbooks.
His memorable experiences ever since he began his journey are why, Barnes said, he thinks "everyone should travel."
MAN BIKES TO ALL 50 STATE CAPITALS IN ONE YEAR
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It just tells a whole different story. You see everything in a different perspective [when you’re there]," Barnes said. "You don’t necessarily have to do [this] on a bike — but everyone should get out there."
"To actually see it all — you actually feel it. You can feel the history in Montgomery. It’s really an experience."
Barnes, 52, has been sharing his unique and on-the-ground insights with Fox News Digital as he visits each capital city, including Montgomery, which was his 30th stop so far.
‘Eye-opening experience’
Barnes arrived in Montgomery on March 10. He reflected on what he learned while cycling across Alabama.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bob Barnes is cycling to all 50 U.S. state capitals this year. He arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 10 — and felt he walked in the shadow of history. (Bob Barnes)
Barnes arrived in the state of Alabama on March 7 — and told Fox News Digital that before he got there, he did not know what to expect. (Bob Barnes)
Before he arrived in the state, Barnes said, he didn't know what to expect.
Almost as soon as he crossed from Mississippi into Alabama, he said he noticed there was "quite a bit of poverty."
"The towns themselves look impoverished," he explained. He said that in his view, it was "from a property standpoint."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NEW YORK MAN BIKING ACROSS AMERICA REVEALS HIS FAVORITE STATE SO FAR
"You don’t see it in the people. Everybody’s nice and you don’t see any homeless people," he said.
Barnes also noted, "I don’t want to try to sugarcoat everything, because we do see some things that are unfortunate."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Barnes arrived in Selma, Alabama, on March 9, and described what he saw and learned to Fox News Digital. (Bob Barnes)
"When you’re in Selma and then you realize where the march started … you get the shivers," Barnes told Fox News Digital. "You look around and you literally feel the history." The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, is pictured. (Bob Barnes)
It wasn’t just current-day Alabama that surprised Barnes. He revealed that he wasn’t expecting to learn so much about the state’s history during his trip — and feels changed by his new awareness as a result.
In the interest of being forthright and honest, Barnes said, "I didn’t know the Confederacy started in Montgomery and I didn’t know the Civil Rights Movement actually started in Montgomery."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That fascinated me," he added. "And to actually see it all — you actually feel it. You can feel the history in Montgomery. It’s really an experience."
Though Barnes sometimes thinks capital cities are "inert," he said he had "an eye-opening experience" in Montgomery.
"To read [about history] and see pictures is different than seeing it in real life."
"Montgomery‘s got some life to it," Barnes said. "It was a fun town."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Barnes also spent time exploring several statues and historical markers throughout the city, which were "sometimes sad to read."
"But it is part of history," Barnes said, "so you have to know about it."
Though he didn’t embark on any organized tours of Alabama, Barnes said he experienced a great deal just by seeing for himself the places where major historical moments happened.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"When you’re in Selma and then you realize where the march started — you get the shivers," Barnes said. "You look around and you literally feel the history."
"It all comes rushing back to you, all the textbook stuff," Barnes added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Because to read [about] it and see pictures is different than seeing it in real life," he said.
Bob Barnes' bicycle is shown parked in front of the Montgomery, Alabama, capitol building, in March 2022. (Bob Barnes)
Montgomery, Alabama is the 30th U.S. capital that Bob Barnes has encountered during his all-American bike trip. (Bob Barnes)
Barnes told Fox News Digital that the capitol building was "one of my favorites" because it was "very comfortable." The inside of the Montgomery capitol building dome is pictured here. (Bob Barnes)
Enjoying the people – and the peacocks
Throughout his journey across Alabama, Barnes said he didn’t have many interactions with residents — though he did talk with some people traveling through the state.
That included a couple who were on their way to Florida. Once they recognized him, they wound up giving him money for lunch, he said. "They pulled over to chat," he explained on his Facebook page. "They are from Mississippi."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NY MAN BIKING ACROSS AMERICA REVEALS ‘RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS’ IN ARKANSAS
They also recommended a place for him to stop for lunch, given that the place had peacocks on the property that they thought he might enjoy.
"I was like, ‘You say peacocks, I’m there,’" Barnes recalled.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"How often do you get to see peacocks?" he added. "It was cool."
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When Barnes was still in Montgomery, one of his "Bibbery Travels" Facebook followers also bought him lunch and paid for Barnes to spend the night in a hotel.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Barnes said it’s always "really cool when those things happen."
"Montgomery‘s got some life to it," Barnes said. "It was a fun town." He saw this mural of Nat King Cole in Montgomery, Alabama, and snapped some pictures of it. (Bob Barnes)
"You can feel the history in Montgomery. It’s really an experience," Barnes said. A view of downtown Montgomery, Alabama, is shown here. (Bob Barnes)
‘Not what I expected’
Once he left Montgomery, the "amount of countryside" in Alabama surprised him, Barnes said.
"It’s just completely different scenery. And it’s beautiful. It’s not what I expected."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He added, "I almost felt like it’s got the same look as the Midwest or upstate New York. There are cows and it’s just beautiful countryside."
Out in the countryside, Barnes also noticed people’s "expressive" sculptures, mailboxes and birdhouses on their property.
"It speaks volumes about the people who live in the area," Barnes said. "It’s pretty cool."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's just completely different scenery. And it's beautiful. It's not what I expected."
"I feel like I would like whoever lives in these houses," he added.
Surviving bad weather
Despite the beautiful countryside and the fascinating history, Barnes had some trouble with difficult terrain and bad weather during his travels in Alabama.
Barnes said he was surprised by the Alabama countryside. "It’s just completely different scenery," Barnes said to Fox News Digital. "It’s beautiful." (Bob Barnes)
One night as Barnes was preparing to sleep for the night, there was a wind advisory and a severe thunderstorm warning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Given that, he set up camp behind an abandoned gas station. He said he felt fortunate that he was able to keep his belongings dry in the overnight storm.
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"I was kind of proud of myself because I don’t fare too well in the rain that often," Barnes said. "Everything tends to get wet."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I’m not a survivor man at heart. I have to work at it," he added.
"So I was proud of myself."
Next stop: The Sunshine State
Barnes left Alabama and headed toward the beach for his 31st capital stop on his all-American biking tour: Tallahassee, Florida.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On his way, he cycled through Georgia and, because of where Tallahassee is located in Florida, he told Fox News Digital he only expected to spend about 45 miles in the Sunshine State.
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Stay tuned to find out more about his adventures!