Can you believe we're only a little more than four weeks away from our much-anticipated pilgrimage? Some of you have already started packing, while others are saying, “Packing? I’ll do that the night before I leave!” Regardless of which kind of person you are, PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN TODAY, SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT ON THIS PILGRIMAGE.
Itinerary
Please note that because of some changes in hours at major museums, we have rearranged our itinerary. We are still starting in Birmingham! However, we’ve flipped our visits to Montgomery and Philadelphia/Meridian, so we’ll now go from Birmingham to Philadelphia/Meridian to Montgomery, and then back to Birmingham. On our final day, we will visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute before having our closing lunch and taking you back to the airport or hotel.
Here are links to the Pilgrimage Map and day-by-day itinerary. We encourage you to click the links in the itinerary to learn more about each of our stops.
Pilgrimage Map
Full day by day itinerary
Making Most of the Pilgrimage Experience
As you can see, the schedule is quite full, and the days are long. Unlike vacation tours when you have blocks of time to explore on your own, this is a sacred pilgrimage where, because of the people we'll meet and the places we'll visit, every minute is precious. We know it asks a lot of us, but we also know, from hundreds of people who have gone on this pilgrimage before you, they wouldn't trade a minute of it. When you return home after this trip, we hope you'll feel the same.
The key is to let the experience flow in you and through you without worrying about the clock. That's our job. We'll keep you informed about what's next and what to expect along the way. Your job is to breathe in as much as you can and let the experience take you where it will.
Communicating with Family, Friends, and your Workplace
Because this is a sacred immersive experience, we encourage you to tell family, friends, and employers that, except for real emergencies, you are not available for these days. Put an out-of-office/away message on your email and your cell phone. Try as hard as you can to reduce distractions. We even encourage you to stay away from the news and social media, except, of course, when you're posting about the Pilgrimage (#LLPJE2022)! It will all be there when you return home. Give yourself these few days; make it as meaningful as you can. We guarantee you won't regret it.
Pre and Post Trip Hotel Reservations
For those of you who would like to stay in Birmingham before and/or after the trip, you’re welcome to stay at the hotel we have reserved for our first night (depending on availability) and get the group rate of $114 plus tax. Here’s the hotel information.
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
5000 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N,
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-909-1999
Please call the hotel the nights you need, tell her you’re with the Living Legacy Pilgrimage and you’d like the group rate, and they make your reservation for you. Please let me know if you run into any problems with making the reservations.
Time Zone
Please note that we'll be on Central Daylight Time (UTC-06:00) throughout the trip so you might need to reset your watches when you arrive (and remember that your phone might automatically reset).
The Weather
This time of year, Alabama temperatures are typically in the mid-60s in the day and 40s and 50s at night (yes, it does get cold in the South!). There’s always a possibility that we will get some rain and maybe even a thunderstorm, so it’s a good idea to bring a rain jacket and/or umbrella. As we get closer, be sure to check the weather forecast for Birmingham and Montgomery. That will give you a good idea of the weather in the region.
Packing
Casual, comfortable clothes are fine. You probably want to pack a long sleeve shirt, sweater, or light jacket if you’re someone who gets cold easily.
Except when crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge (this is optional if you’re concerned about walking), you probably won’t be doing extensive walking on this trip, but we still recommend comfortable, walking shoes.
Please limit yourself to one carry-on size suitcase (which will be stored underneath the bus and inaccessible during travel days) and one bag to carry on the bus with you. A small tote bag or backpack works best to keep your stuff available.
Also, please remember to pack a water bottle. We will have some bottled water for those who need it but, for the environment's sake, we don't want to purchase more than we will consume.
LLP Merch
While you’re packing, don’t forget to pack your LLP wear. Of course, you’ll have to buy one (or several) shirts first. Visit our store to purchase an LLP t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt with the LLP tagline: Inspiring today’s work for racial justice with lessons from the Civil Rights Movement. It’s not only a memento of the trip, it’s an important conversation starter about racial justice.
2022 LLP Wear | Bonfire
Cash
It’s a good idea to have cash to leave a tip for the housekeeping staff. We generally recommend $3-5 per night. If you’re sharing a room, you can split that between you. We also recommend at least $5 per day for a total of $20 for our bus driver. We present the driver with an envelope at the end of the trip with our thanks. Cash is best, but if you want to write a check that’s fine too. If you can afford more that will help those who aren’t able to contribute as much.
You might also want cash or credit cards for incidentals, gifts, etc. That should be all you need.
Special dietary needs
We make every effort to accommodate special dietary needs that you've made known to us. Our meals are not always at the same time every day, so if you need to eat on a schedule, or if you require anything else that you're concerned about not getting, please bring it with you. And remember to bring a water bottle.
Staff and Passengers
We expect to have about 37 people on our R&B Transportation bus including four Living Legacy Pilgrimage staff and our driver:
COVID-19 and Other Health Considerations
We are currently in the process of revising our COVID-19 policy to reflect current CDC guidance. At this point, we’ll still be requiring masks onboard the bus and other crowded indoor spaces. This might be modified as we determine what infection rates are in the cities and towns we’ll be visiting.
Although we are not requiring the updated (bivalent) vaccine booster released this past week, now is a good time to get it if you’re so inclined. The updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters are designed to give you broad protection against COVID-19, including better protection against the Omicron variant.
We will have COVID-19 at home tests with us for your use (which we hope will not be needed), but you might want to bring a couple of your own tests if you have them.
You also might want to bring extra vitamins, zinc, Airborne, or whatever you use to fortify yourself.
Scents
We also ask that you limit scents, i.e., perfume, cologne, and any extra scented things. If people have a sensitivity to scents, the close quarters of the bus could activate them. Also, be sure to check with your roommate before spraying anything in the room, burning a scented candle, etc.
Sleeping Aids
And if you’re sharing a room, remember to pack your eyeshades and earplugs to manage lights and sounds that might impact your sleeping.
Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is an integral part of developing relationships. We encourage you to bring thank- you cards with you and find other ways to express gratitude to those you meet along the way.
Social Media/Writing/Photography/Video
If you're into social media, we appreciate all the tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming, TikToking, YouTubing, and blogging you want to share. We invite you to document as much of your journey as you want, from packing until you return home again, for the folks back home, for future pilgrims, and for your own memories, by following these guidelines:
If you registered after September 21, you might not have received our first bulletin with recommended resources and other information. Just in case you're concerned you missed something, you'll find all our bulletins here at this link: Informational Bulletins.
Thanks for listening!
Annette
Annette Marquis
Director of Operations
Living Legacy Project
Itinerary
Please note that because of some changes in hours at major museums, we have rearranged our itinerary. We are still starting in Birmingham! However, we’ve flipped our visits to Montgomery and Philadelphia/Meridian, so we’ll now go from Birmingham to Philadelphia/Meridian to Montgomery, and then back to Birmingham. On our final day, we will visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute before having our closing lunch and taking you back to the airport or hotel.
Here are links to the Pilgrimage Map and day-by-day itinerary. We encourage you to click the links in the itinerary to learn more about each of our stops.
Pilgrimage Map
Full day by day itinerary
Making Most of the Pilgrimage Experience
As you can see, the schedule is quite full, and the days are long. Unlike vacation tours when you have blocks of time to explore on your own, this is a sacred pilgrimage where, because of the people we'll meet and the places we'll visit, every minute is precious. We know it asks a lot of us, but we also know, from hundreds of people who have gone on this pilgrimage before you, they wouldn't trade a minute of it. When you return home after this trip, we hope you'll feel the same.
The key is to let the experience flow in you and through you without worrying about the clock. That's our job. We'll keep you informed about what's next and what to expect along the way. Your job is to breathe in as much as you can and let the experience take you where it will.
Communicating with Family, Friends, and your Workplace
Because this is a sacred immersive experience, we encourage you to tell family, friends, and employers that, except for real emergencies, you are not available for these days. Put an out-of-office/away message on your email and your cell phone. Try as hard as you can to reduce distractions. We even encourage you to stay away from the news and social media, except, of course, when you're posting about the Pilgrimage (#LLPJE2022)! It will all be there when you return home. Give yourself these few days; make it as meaningful as you can. We guarantee you won't regret it.
Pre and Post Trip Hotel Reservations
For those of you who would like to stay in Birmingham before and/or after the trip, you’re welcome to stay at the hotel we have reserved for our first night (depending on availability) and get the group rate of $114 plus tax. Here’s the hotel information.
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
5000 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N,
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-909-1999
Please call the hotel the nights you need, tell her you’re with the Living Legacy Pilgrimage and you’d like the group rate, and they make your reservation for you. Please let me know if you run into any problems with making the reservations.
Time Zone
Please note that we'll be on Central Daylight Time (UTC-06:00) throughout the trip so you might need to reset your watches when you arrive (and remember that your phone might automatically reset).
The Weather
This time of year, Alabama temperatures are typically in the mid-60s in the day and 40s and 50s at night (yes, it does get cold in the South!). There’s always a possibility that we will get some rain and maybe even a thunderstorm, so it’s a good idea to bring a rain jacket and/or umbrella. As we get closer, be sure to check the weather forecast for Birmingham and Montgomery. That will give you a good idea of the weather in the region.
Packing
Casual, comfortable clothes are fine. You probably want to pack a long sleeve shirt, sweater, or light jacket if you’re someone who gets cold easily.
Except when crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge (this is optional if you’re concerned about walking), you probably won’t be doing extensive walking on this trip, but we still recommend comfortable, walking shoes.
Please limit yourself to one carry-on size suitcase (which will be stored underneath the bus and inaccessible during travel days) and one bag to carry on the bus with you. A small tote bag or backpack works best to keep your stuff available.
Also, please remember to pack a water bottle. We will have some bottled water for those who need it but, for the environment's sake, we don't want to purchase more than we will consume.
LLP Merch
While you’re packing, don’t forget to pack your LLP wear. Of course, you’ll have to buy one (or several) shirts first. Visit our store to purchase an LLP t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt with the LLP tagline: Inspiring today’s work for racial justice with lessons from the Civil Rights Movement. It’s not only a memento of the trip, it’s an important conversation starter about racial justice.
2022 LLP Wear | Bonfire
Cash
It’s a good idea to have cash to leave a tip for the housekeeping staff. We generally recommend $3-5 per night. If you’re sharing a room, you can split that between you. We also recommend at least $5 per day for a total of $20 for our bus driver. We present the driver with an envelope at the end of the trip with our thanks. Cash is best, but if you want to write a check that’s fine too. If you can afford more that will help those who aren’t able to contribute as much.
You might also want cash or credit cards for incidentals, gifts, etc. That should be all you need.
Special dietary needs
We make every effort to accommodate special dietary needs that you've made known to us. Our meals are not always at the same time every day, so if you need to eat on a schedule, or if you require anything else that you're concerned about not getting, please bring it with you. And remember to bring a water bottle.
Staff and Passengers
We expect to have about 37 people on our R&B Transportation bus including four Living Legacy Pilgrimage staff and our driver:
- Reggie Harris
- Dr. Janice Marie Johnson
- Rabbi Jonathon Kligler
- Larry Rubin
- Driver to be named
COVID-19 and Other Health Considerations
We are currently in the process of revising our COVID-19 policy to reflect current CDC guidance. At this point, we’ll still be requiring masks onboard the bus and other crowded indoor spaces. This might be modified as we determine what infection rates are in the cities and towns we’ll be visiting.
Although we are not requiring the updated (bivalent) vaccine booster released this past week, now is a good time to get it if you’re so inclined. The updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters are designed to give you broad protection against COVID-19, including better protection against the Omicron variant.
We will have COVID-19 at home tests with us for your use (which we hope will not be needed), but you might want to bring a couple of your own tests if you have them.
You also might want to bring extra vitamins, zinc, Airborne, or whatever you use to fortify yourself.
Scents
We also ask that you limit scents, i.e., perfume, cologne, and any extra scented things. If people have a sensitivity to scents, the close quarters of the bus could activate them. Also, be sure to check with your roommate before spraying anything in the room, burning a scented candle, etc.
Sleeping Aids
And if you’re sharing a room, remember to pack your eyeshades and earplugs to manage lights and sounds that might impact your sleeping.
Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is an integral part of developing relationships. We encourage you to bring thank- you cards with you and find other ways to express gratitude to those you meet along the way.
Social Media/Writing/Photography/Video
If you're into social media, we appreciate all the tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming, TikToking, YouTubing, and blogging you want to share. We invite you to document as much of your journey as you want, from packing until you return home again, for the folks back home, for future pilgrims, and for your own memories, by following these guidelines:
- Use hashtag #LLPJE22 so we can identify your posts and share them on the Living Legacy Pilgrimage platforms.
- If you're bringing a camera, even one on your phone, please be respectful of our guests. Give our speakers a chance to settle in before snapping photos.
- Do not tag photos of other people on the bus without obtaining permission from them.
- Talk with a staff member to get permission before taking video or audio recordings of our guests.
- If you're a blogger or do other writing, please send us your blog posts and writing so we can share them.
If you registered after September 21, you might not have received our first bulletin with recommended resources and other information. Just in case you're concerned you missed something, you'll find all our bulletins here at this link: Informational Bulletins.
Thanks for listening!
Annette
Annette Marquis
Director of Operations
Living Legacy Project
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