2024 May 20, 21, 29, Sites we took AVA

Ava in a Space Suite 

 2024 May 20, Monday, Trip to Space and Rocket Center 

Today, we rode to Huntsville to the Space and Rocket Center 

We took Ava, and she loves museums.

We saw Science on Orbit and Space Craze. Your mission begins here, Huntsville, Rocket City, Home of the USA's Redstone Arsenal. There were games to play, rides, a space shuttle, rockets, helicopters, planes, and pictures of every astronaut who has flown in a rocket or shuttle. There was a lot of construction, and many visitors were not allowed to enter the area.

Ava got inside one of the modules, where you had to lie down with your feet propped above your head. We looked inside "Ch-47D Chinook Helicopter. Two soldiers were guarding the shuttle(they were statues)

We saw Saturn's Brain and steering. Several school groups were present, and we met a family from Sweden.  

 

We ate lunch at Culvert in Madison.

We were going to Cracker Barrel but got caught by a train, so we turned around and went to Culvert. 

My Hubby and I shared a three-piece, hand-cut, hand-battered fried cod meal with onion rings and Coleslaw. We also have the yogurt Snickers swirl, which is the day's flavor.

We ordered a kid's chicken fingers meal with fries and a drink for Ava.

She also ordered one scoop of chocolate yogurt, but was brought the Snickers Swirl, which she would not try.

So, Hubby ate hers, and we bought her a chocolate yogurt 

They also forgot that our coleslaw was out of stock, and we had to go to the counter to get one. They were out of coleslaw 

I guess they didn't want to go back to find more

They had a new employee. Everyone was ready for bed that night. 

Ava and the Space Shuttle 

2024 May 21, today we took Ava to the Muscle Shoals Municipal Court Building, Spring Park, and the Tuscumbia Train Depot  

To see the TVA display and learn about Muscle Shoals.

We saw cicadas covering all the Crapes Myrtle trees.

Inside, I met a city worker from Muscle Shoals, and we discussed the area's history. He told me there were graves of American Indians with stone markers, and you cannot read the names. He said there were graves all over the shoals that were unclaimed and destroyed. He said I had worked here for years before I took the time to read all the history here. He said I didn't care much for history growing up, but he knew a great deal about the area. He said he and another worker had to fix the sewage off the cliffs he supervised once. Someone else went over the cliffs. He said that he found old bottles dating back to the 1800s. He gave one to him and said I am going back to collect the rest.

Upon entering the Municipal building, you will see a Chandler four or five-arched gateway leading to and inside the museum area. 

Inside the Museum, we saw Welcome to "Pathways…A Walk through the History of Muscle Shoals."

Explore these exhibits and discover a city rich in history.

See original artifacts from the real estate boom when Henry Ford said he would "employ one million workers and build a city 75 miles wide," to when Muscle Shoals was known as "The Hit Recording Capital of the World."

Muscle Shoals has become one of the most progressive cities in Alabama, a place where thousands call home.

Ava and Hubby at  Muscle Shoals Municipal Court Building

History of FAME Recording Studios and its owner, Rick Hall. 

A light pole with street signs of Wilson Dam Highway and Sheridan Avenue. 

Cases full of the History of Muscle Shoals, the first Mayor of Muscle Shoals, George Lewis McBride, and his wife, Susie. 

Pictures of President Roosevelt and Eleanor hang on the walls.  

There was a lot of information about the TVA Wilson Dam building. We walked outside, and the Crape Myrtles were covered in Cicadas. 

Ava in the Little Red Caboose 

After we left Muscle Shoals, we went to the Tuscumbia Train Depot. 

Paid five dollars each to go inside 

The curator shared the history of the depot with us.

They had the original carriage that Helen Keller rode in as a child 

We walked around outside, looking at all the train cars. 

Next, we rode to Spring Park. 

The water was turned off going to the waterfall

So there was no fresh water entering the spring 

There were a few ducks and geese in the water 

It was lunchtime, so we rode back to Florence and ate lunch at Cracker Barrel.

Ava ordered Confetti pancakes with bacon.

Ava ordered confetti pancakes with bacon and a doctor pepper to drink 

I ordered grilled chicken fingers with pinto beans, a slice of onion, cornbread, chow chow, and iced tea 

Hubby ordered steak, eggs, and hash browns with biscuits and iced tea to drink

Hubby bought two large chocolate chunk candy bars 

2024 May 29, Wednesday, McFarland Park took AVA 

Today, we rode to McFarland Park to let Ava play on the playground 

I listen to bird sounds 

We got our B12 shots and paid the utilities 

We rode to Sheffield to pick up our monthly check

We rode to Champy's for lunch

Hubby and I split a Catfish meal

Of the 4 pieces of Catfish fries, Hush Puppies, and coleslaw, I ordered 2 chicken finger meals with fries. 

We rode to Aldies for a few groceries 

Then we headed home 

Catfish, fries, slaw, onion, and Hushpuppy

Ava at Champy's 

2020 Jan 27, Enjoying a warm winter's day

It was so nice to finally see 👀the sun today, with a nip of cold air still about. I have not been out much because of the cold winter rain. 

I rode to the Rock Pile at TVA Dam, hoping to see an eagle and maybe some waterfowl.

I saw a few waterfowl but no eagles. 

I met  Steve Lovell, a great photographer who has a website on Facebook where he posts some of his photographs.

TVA Dam & Waterfowl 

I stopped at the TVAM to view the art on display that was donated by Wanda and Bill Isom. 

Every room was filled with art that they had collected over the years. One room was filled with Japanese block art. 

The hall was filled with the art of birds. 

The Main gallery was full of large lithography of birds. 

In the back room was a variety of art, including a Norman Rockwell piece and a Van Gogh piece. 

Loved the displays.

White Muted Swan

Canadian Geese 

Domestic geese

My next stop was Spring Park ( Growing up, I spent many hours playing at this park).

Spring Park has a man-made waterfall that is fed by a spring that flows into the pond below. 

Permanent residents are two Muted White Swans.

Other waterfowl that can be found here are Black Muscovy Ducks, White  Muscovy Ducks, Domestic Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Canadian Geese, and others. 

It's a great place to get pictures of waterfowl. 

We had a lot of rain this year, and Spring Park was flooded. A couple of rides were completely covered in water and are no longer in use.  

My granddaughter-in-law owns a beauty school in Sheffield, so I stopped in to visit with her and my great-grandson. Hayne is just a doll, so cute, lovable, and sweet. 

Big Box of Chicken and fixin' from Bojangles

Hubby would be home from work soon, so I stopped at Bojangles to pick up a box of chicken and the fixings for supper. 🍗

It was a beautiful day, not too hot or not too cold. 

Hope we have more days like today.

2016 Nov 26, Christmas Adventue

A fun day with my sister-in-law.

Our first stop was the Athens Christmas tree trail, but they had only decorated one Christmas tree; it was too early for all the trees to be decorated.

My throat was dry, so we stopped at Chick-fil-A, where I bought a large iced tea. 

Our next stop was the Tinsel Trail at Big Spring Park, where we saw a variety of differently decorated trees.

I don't know how many trees there are, but I took over 300 pictures. 

Grover from Sesame Street

The sun was bright, but it was cold in the Shade. 

Several times, we would come out of the shade into the sun just to warm up. 

We walked through the Tinsel Trail twice to ensure we didn't miss any trees. 

We watched the ducks and fish swimming in the canal.

On our travels, we rode past Huntsville Hospital and the nearby shops. 

From Governor's Drive, we took I-565, exiting onto Old Madison Pike and stopping at Bridge Street Centre.

I parked near Barnes & Noble, and we used their restrooms. 

In the restroom, I met a woman from Madison, and we began a conversation.

I told her about touring the Tinsel Trail and all the beautiful Christmas Trees. 

We talked for another 15 minutes after we left the restroom. 

My sister-in-law had never visited the Bridge Street Town Centre.

We walked to the large man-made pond to see the Christmas displays and carousels. 

We stopped at the Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea booth to taste the four different samples: Cherry Christmas, Caramel Apple Pie, Mistle Grove, and Pumpkin Moonshine Tea. 

 Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea booth

At the Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea booth, I laughed and asked if the Pumpkin had authentic moonshine in it.

The young man said, 'You can add your own,' and then we both laughed. 

My favorite sample was the Caramel Apple Pie.

We stopped to see the large Christmas tree near the Monaco Theater.

In front of the Christmas tree, a young girl was singing Christmas Carols, and children were running along the water's edge. 

We listened to a couple of songs and walked back to the car. 

A large Christmas tree is near the Monaco Theater.

We rode to  Historic Madison to drive past the Christmas Card Trail. Large handmade Cards are displayed in front of historic homes in Madison. 

We were too tired to walk the trail.  I snapped pictures of the Cards as I slowly drove past. 

On our travel home, we stopped at Chick-fil-A in Athens. I ordered a kid's two-piece chicken meal to go. My sister-in-law had to wait for her food because they were preparing large trays of orders to go. 

We were headed west, going home with the sun shining in our eyes. 

The thermometer in my car read 56 degrees. 

Had a great day with my sister-in-law; the traffic was light. 

This was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I  guess everyone went shopping on Black Friday. Glad we did not go on an adventure yesterday. 

Tinsel Trail at Big Spring Park is located near the YMCA in Huntsville. 

Across the street is the rest of Big Spring Park, which is under Construction.

We heard Christmas music playing over the loudspeakers as we walked through Tinsel Trail. 

It was a gorgeous day, and I needed the long walk in the park after all the Thanksgiving food. 

It was a bit on the nippy side, but as the day progressed, it warmed up. But I still needed a light jacket, especially in the shade. 

I was home by 3:30 P.M., November 26, 2016

2017 May 16, Tuesday, Day Trip to Huntsville, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Tennessee to buy our bi-monthly lottery tickets. Hubby went inside, scanned his tickets, and came back to the van. 
He said I forgot my wallet. Do you have any cash? I had enough money to buy the tickets for $28
We had an appointment at Champion Chrysler Dodge to get the oil changed in our Town & Country in Athens at 11:00 A.M.
We had to ride back home to get his wallet.
We stopped in Elgin for B12 shots and just made our 11:00 A.M. appointment at Champion.

They finished our van, but the oil light was still on. 
Hubby went back inside and told them they had forgotten to reset the oil. 
The woman came out and tried; she said the floor mat was too close to the gas pedal and was not letting it reset. 

Had to sit in the Slingshot sitting in the Showroom 

We rode to Huntsville, and our first stop was the Huntsville Train Depot and Museum.  The park area was open, but the museum was closed. 
A school group was visiting the park, and earlier that morning, a Civil War re-enactment Had Taken Place; the tents were still standing in the open field. 
We walked into the Museum store, the Caboose, and the Train Engine.
Huntsville Depot Museum Hours
Wednesday -Saturday 10–3 P.M. 
Gates Open 
Monday to Sunday, year-round, 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
As we were leaving, a train came rattling down the tracks.

The Huntsville, Alabama Depot Museum 

Standing in the Engine Room 

Civil War Camps

Passenger Depot
Huntsville Alabama
Built 1860
Memphis and Charleston Railroad Company
Eastern Division headquarters are in this passenger Depot,
Adjoining yards and shops were captured by the Union Army on April 11, 1861.
Vital east-west Confederate rail link served, CSA soldiers imprisoned here.
The depot was later used by the Federals as a base for gathering supplies for the Western Theater
military operations. After the Civil War, the company returned to M & CRR Co
acquired by Southern Railway System in 1898, since 1971
preserved by the City of Huntsville. 

The main reason for coming to Huntsville was to see the newly renovated Big Spring Park.
There is a concrete walkway around the reshaped lagoon, where the water flows, allowing it to clean itself. 
There are park benches along the walkway, but no trees (so it will be hot during the summer).
You can walk right up to the water's edge. We saw children leaning into the pond, feeding the goldfish and ducks. 
We walked along the water's edge, and the fish and ducks followed us. 
I saw a young man feeding the fish.
I mentioned that I was going to buy some food, but my husband didn't have any change. 
The young man gave me a quarter. I thanked him, and I bought a quarter's worth of seeds. 
The fish and ducks gobbled up the food.

Goldfish and ducks are feeding. 

Big Spring Park Oriental Bridge 

Newly reshaped lagoon

Fountain 

Kids feeding fish and ducks

Huntsville Art Center 

We rode south on Whitesburg Drive to Airport Road, then onto Parkway, stopping at 
Rosie's Mexican Cantina for a late lunch.
We ordered a white chip dip and shared a Chicken Fajita. 
Rosie's Mexican Cantina on South Parkway features a beautiful garden filled with blooming flowers.

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden 

Rosie's Mexican Cantina Garden (Singing and playing Minstrels 

Parkway South is under construction (turning it into six lanes).

Road Construction on South Parkway 

Road Construction on South Parkway 

Road Construction on South Parkway 

We rode to Ditto Landing and saw a few geese, boats, and bridges.

Gaggle of Geese

Bridge Closed at Ditto Landing 

We rode down Drake Avenue to the RSA, where we filled up with gas and saw a few geese. 
We were home a little after 5 P.M.
My granddaughter had been texting me all day, wanting to know when we were going to come home.
My granddaughter, her daughter, and a friend came over around 5:30 P.M. to swim.
I did not get into the pool because I was too tired.