MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: HAMBURGER KING AND ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Every now and then I have to throw in a word about our meals, especially if we go somewhere that's a little unique.

Such a place is Hamburger King on 218 West Main in Montgomery, which gets a 93% rating on Urban Spoon and 4 out of 5 stars on Yelp. The interior decor is definitely nothing special, unless you like diner-style blue-collar joints, and it's location is pretty dicey. If Guy Fiero hasn't visited this place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, someone needs to get him here quick.

 I had the "Cheeseburger All the Works," and wouldn't say it's the best burger I've ever had, but I can see why this place is very popular with the locals. My burger was loaded with add-ons and had just the right amount of greasiness. It was a nice old-fashioned burger served up in a nice old-fashioned joint. Definitely worth a stop.

From the Hamburger King, we made our way to St. John's Episcopal Church, a Gothic revival building erected in 1855 and famous for being the church that Jefferson Davis attended.  It also hosted the Secession Convention of Southern Churches in 1861.

Who gets to sit on the padded bench with the different end caps? The town dignitaries? The visitors? The early birds? That would be serious motivation to get to church early.

The organ loft:

A really lovely vaulted ceiling:

I love the wings on both of these angels:

The best part of the church is the stained glass windows. In a relatively plain, dark room, these really stood out:

I always love a good nativity scene, and this one with a loving Mary and Joseph, three wisemen, and a full complement of barn animals is very nice:

I also like the tenderness of this Good Samaritan:

 I'm not sure what this one refers to, but isn't the sleeping child clinging to the angel beautiful?

This especially richly-colored resurrection scene includes the kind of colorful wings I would choose if I were angel:

And finally, the rather modern iteration of a rose window with its oranges, turquoise, purple, and yellow really appeals to me:

St. John's Episcopal church houses an active congregation, and behind the chapel is a very large activity room. Whenever we visit a church like this, I wonder what hidden gems are in my own community, places I don't think to visit because they are just down the street. One of these days I am going to go check out a few of my local churches.