2020 Jan 28, Day Trip to Guntersville, Alabama Parks, & Harbors

Hubby and I rode to Guntersville, stopping at the Guntersville Dam and looking for waterfowl, but we did not see any.

We stopped at Guntersville Harbor & Guntersville Municipal Park, where we saw hundreds of seagulls,& double-crested Cormorants.

We stopped at Dollar General for sweets.

It was getting near lunchtime, so we rode to Winzell’s Oyster House, where hubby and I  split a Sea Food Broil. $26.69 meal, which consisted of premium white fish, oysters, shrimp, stuffed crab, and scallops.

After a delicious meal, we rode to Guntersville State Park.

Double-breasted Cormorants 

Double-breasted Cormorants 

Seagulls 

Lunch at Winzell's  

Seafood Boil

 (12 shrimp, 4 oysters, 1 fish, 1 crab cake, & 5 scallops) 

A couple of deer come in for a closer look.

Lazy Billy goat

We rode to Lake Guntersville, which is located on the banks of the Tennessee River, where we saw hundreds of American Coots.

We saw a herd of deer grazing on both sides of the road near the campground area. 

We also saw an area with a small enclosed pond along with friendly petting animals such as donkeys, emus, and goats. 

We were hoping to see an eagle or two but saw none. 

The park at Guntersville was desolate, too cold for swimming, but a few were camping.

My sister-in-law had a transmission put in her car, so hubby and I rode to Decatur, and hubby drove the car home. 

I stopped at Jack's, on my way home, in Decatur for a couple of strawberry cheesecake pies. 

Had a pleasant day in Guntersville.

👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳👩‍🍳2017 March 4, Saturday, Burritt Museum, Cooking on the Mountain Huntsville, Alabama

From 11:00 A.M. to 1:15 P.M., I was at the Burritt on the Mountain, where they were having an event called Fire on the Mountain.

Blacksmiths

Blacksmiths

Demonstrators were engaged in open-hearth cooking throughout the park in different cabins.  

I sampled a biscuit with homemade apple butter and chocolate cake. 

Other demonstrators were cooking sweet potato pie, roast, and blackberry pie either in open hearths or old cookstoves. 

Demonstrators cooking biscuits on an open hearth

Cooking Chocolate Cake

Cooking on a Cook Stove

None of the cabins had utilities, just as our ancestors did. 

The Blacksmith demonstrators gave the public a chance to see history in the making. 

A child was asked what happens when the rods get hot. She replied that it softens.

The buildings I visited were the Meals Cabin, built in 1845, the Gardiner Cabin in 1845, the Candler House, the Smoke House, the Bernstein Spring House, the Joel Eddin's House, the Smith Williams House 1969, the Burritt Barnyard 1890, the BlackSmith Shop 1860, the Sorghum Mill and Furnace, the Balch House and the Madison Church 1884.

Barnyard Animals

The Burritt Mansion was the last building that I toured. 

Two rooms of the mansion were dedicated to Maria Howard Weeden's paintings, poems, and art. 

Weeden Art 

Burritt Mansion 

Inside the mansion, I saw a Music Box 

Burritt's Desoto 

I traveled down Monto Santa Mountain to VBCC in Huntsville, where I was attending the Home and Garden Show.

I bought my ticket and was given a bag to fill with goodies.

I spoke with several vendors, collected a few items, and then walked back to my car. 

I had to cross over to Big Spring Park, where I saw goldfish swimming. 

Goldfish in Big Spring Pond

Called Hubby and they said to meet me in Rogersville for the first Saturday Fish Fry.

Our meal consisted of one piece of fried catfish, four jumbo shrimp, fries, coleslaw, onion, two deep-fried hushpuppies, and a drink.

Catfish Meal 

We bought two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies as we were leaving the Fire Department. 

After a full day of driving, walking, and eating, I was ready to relax. 

A long, hot shower stretched out on the sofa. 

🚙2017 January 31, Tuesday, Day Trip to Guntersville

We left home around 9:00 A.M., stopping at Helping Hands Clinic for a B-12 shot.

We stopped at Foodland to get a Diet Coke and a Diet Mt Dew canned drink out of the vending machine.

Next, we stopped at Dollar General for a package of Fig Newtons made with real fruit and no high-fructose corn syrup, only 110 calories.

Being later in the morning, traffic was not too bad as we rode north-west on I565 to 231 NW into Guntersville.

Our first stop was at the small Guntersville Airport to visit the Homer B. Wilson Vintage Museum, but no one was there.

Glover Hotel
Built in 1933 by Campbell Wallace Glover, it was sold in the 1950s and used as the Department of Pensions and Securities for 15 years.  In 1987, it was sold to George Kappler, and he opened a restaurant that is now for sale.

As we rode through Guntersville, we noticed that many of the old store buildings had been remodeled and were occupied. The Glover Hotel (built around 1950) was up for sale.

Abraham Lincoln Display Timeline

We rode to 1215 Rayburn Ave to the Guntersville Museum & Cultural Center (once the Rock Armory)

The museum is a unique historical setting featuring both permanent collections and current exhibits. The museum is free to visit and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 A.M.– 4:00 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 P.M.– 4:00 P.M.

The door is locked from the inside, and you have to ring a bell for service.

You are greeted by a museum curator, who provides a brief history of the museum, the location of each exhibit, and informs you that you are welcome to visit all day if you wish.

Once inside, the walls were covered with plaques about the history of Guntersville.

 A boat was on display that represented all the activities one can do on Lake Guntersville. We saw Crusader, the Mechanical wonder Horse on which many a child had ridden. We saw a sign advertising "Bargain Days every Tues and Wednesday. Adm "10 & 15 cents" including tax, along with adjoining theater seats.

We saw an old spinning wheel, a piano, a trophy from the Boat Race, wooden benches, a character reading machine, a fire hose cart, and a cardboard cutout of Will Rogers (he is the grandson of John Gunter, a namesake of Guntersville's).

The next rooms were TVA and the making of the land. This one is for the birds, offering a glimpse into the past with Native American artifacts, local art, and notable sons and daughters of Guntersville. 

The grand room was a display about the life of Abraham Lincoln, featuring a cardboard, life-size statue of Abraham and a sculpted head inside a glass case.

We stopped to visit the Culbert Cabin, located next door to the Guntersville Museum, and across the street was the Guntersville Theater.

Guntersville Theater

Chicken Plate (3 chicken fingers, coleslaw, biscuits, a Chocolate chip cookie, and a drink) 

I shared a chicken dinner with Colonel Sanders at KFC

We traveled along 227 into Guntersville State Park, passing through Short Creek, Hurricane Creek, Town Creek, and Minky Creek. We stopped at the lagoon in the state park to visit the donkeys, emus, goats, and ducks.

We stopped along the waterways to take pictures of Mabrey's Rock of Ages, Guntersville Lake, and the waterfowl. (saw no Eagles)

Mabrey's Rock of Ages

There were hundreds of ducks bobbing in the water

We stopped to take a picture of a deer. He looked right at us, turned around, and began grazing. He knew we would not shoot him.

We continued climbing the mountain to the top, stopping at the State Park Lodge and chalets overlooking Lake Guntersville.

I walked down to a rest area to take pictures of the view below. There, I met a woman eating her lunch. She said her husband had gone fishing and she was going to enjoy the day at the park.

She said that before the tornado came through this area, you couldn't see the RV Park or the camping Area below. I also saw a couple Zip-lining. 

View of Campground from the Guntersville Lodge atop the mountain

Our last stop before heading home was Bucks Pocket State Park, located on Sand Mountain in the community of Oak Grove. 

The road and picnic area had seen better days. The fencing around the cliffs was good, and the view was fantastic. Currently, the thousands of trees below are bare, but in the fall, they will be vibrant with color.

Sunset over the Rocket at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville 

The sun was setting as we traveled into Huntsville, and by the time we reached Athens, it was pitch black.

We could see the stars above and a crescent moon.

We ordered a to-go meal from Taco Bell.

It had been a beautiful day, not too hot or too cold, a perfect day for traveling and hiking in the State Parks. 

CHAPTER 4, Going to Africa

Chapter 4

John was on his way to Africa along with Sally and the boys.

Living in Africa would be very different than living in the states but they were all up for the challenge.

The African children were thrilled to meet the boys and the boys fit right in.

The boys could speak many foreign languages and most of the African children could speak some English.

No more suits and ties, Burma shorts and tee shirts. This was life!

They would be living near the Atlantic Ocean and the boys loved to swim, fish, and surf.

Fun in the sun all day but first the boys had to do their chores.

Living in Africa would be hard work because there was no modern farm equipment to use.

The boys did not mind as long as they could spend there free time at the beach.

John spent long hours planning his techniques to teach the locals.

Sally spent most of the time getting the small schoolhouse ready for the children.

Sally would not only be teaching history but many other subjects.

The children would have to share books for Sally had not brought enough books to go around.

No, I Pad here!

In the distance, you could see and hear gunshots and missiles

In parts of Africa, there is a lot of violence.

I hope that the rebels will keep their distance.

The rebels hate Americans and Europeans.

You do not want to be captured by the rebels.

The big cats have been driven out of their land and farmers have found carcasses their cattle and goats.

The big cats have not harmed humans yet!

The raining season has begun and many animals have started migrating toward the once dried up water hole that now is overflowing with water.

Now is the right time to start planting crops.

Unexpectedly appears Billy!

What is he doing here? 

This is so out of character for Billy!

Billy always wears a suit, but wait what is he wearing?

Had Billy come to stay?

Had Billy come to ask Sally for a divorce?

Did Billy know that John was here with his wife?

What a dilemma for John!