2025 Mar 14, Signal Museum, Texas Roadhouse and Gabe's

Grilled Pork Chop with Sweet Potato 

Hubby and I rode to Huntsville, stopping at Texas Roadhouse in Huntsville for lunch. Spent $47.26. 

I ordered a grilled pork chop with sweet potato, Caesar salad, rolls with cinnamon butter, and iced tea. 

Hubby ordered a Fort Worth steak with sweet potato, salad, and iced tea. 

We rode to the Signals Museum, a newly opened museum of information exploration. It is a Tech museum before tech. Spent 26 dollars. 

Signals Museum 

It is a hands-on museum full of new and old technology.

We experienced Benjamin Franklin catching lightning in a bottle. 

We learned about Abraham Lincoln's use of the telegraph.

We learned about transmitters and how hand-cranked telephones worked. 

We saw the operations of connecting a community through a switchboard. 

We learned about music, recordings, and radio stations.

We learned about Edison's light bulb.

We saw and learned about the first televisions and computers.

We sat inside a radio station. So much to see and learn. 

1947 Entertainment Center 

We stopped at Huntsville's Veterans Park. 

There was not a soul in sight as I walked through the park, taking pictures. I had not seen a few new displays the last time I visited the park. 

The Aviator Statue.

The Wounded Warrior Combat Medic Statue.

The Purple Heart Monument.

The Alabama Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.

The Battlefield Memorial.

In Honor of the Revolutionary Soldier buried in Madison County.

Madison County Veterans Memorial Park

We stopped at Big Spring Park, where I took photos of ducks, birds, and fish. 

It was a beautiful day with flowers and trees blooming. The sun was shining. 

People fed the ducks, birds, and fish. Some relaxed while others briskly walked in the park. 

We stopped at Gabe's in Madison, where we bought two-yard flags, a cover for my backyard chair, a small earring case, Cokes, and candy. 

Spent $73.76

Photos:

6884 @ 11:50 A.M. Texas Roadhouse

6885-86 @1:44-2:31 P.M. Signals Museum

8287-8390 @2:56-3:17 P.M. Veterans Park 

8392-96 @ 3:33 Bird Spring Park 

2025 March 25, Cooks Museum, Delano Park Wheeler Wildlife Refuge adventure with the great grandkids

Cooks Museum 

Cooks Museum

Today we rode to Decatur to visit the Cooks Museum.

We stopped to take a few pictures outside and inside.

The first thing River saw was the very tall, scary, big brown bear, which frightened him, so we hurried past him. 

The hallway was filled with school children, so we walked past them to the next area.

River didn't like the cave or the alligator. He kept saying he wanted to see the fish. 

We visited the fish aquarium, which has a 15,000-gallon saltwater tank. Two scuba divers were cleaning the tank. We saw Moon Jellyfish, Coral, and Nemo. 

In the forest area, River and  Ava climbed inside the Big tree, and we checked out all the birds and listened to them.

They both enjoyed the Wonderful World of Bugs, where they saw bugs of every size and shape, including butterflies and roaches.

We returned to the" Looking UP," which he liked very much. He especially liked the big blue ball that encompassed the Earth's core. 

Earth

They both tried to pick up the meteorite, but it was too heavy for just one hand. 

They both enjoyed the Foundation area, playing in the kinetic sand, creating an erupting volcano, mountains, and a flowing river. They also wanted the different rocks that they could touch.

After a couple of hours at the museum, they were ready to run and play at Delano Park. 

The park was filled with children, all bursting with energy. We did not stay long because it was near lunchtime, and everyone was hungry. 

We were going to OH' Bryan's in Hartselle for lunch.

Eating Lunch 

No one wanted the same thing to eat.

We stopped at Taco Bell for some cheese rollup and Sprite for River.

We stopped at McDonald's for a cheeseburger, nuggets, and fries with Dr. Pepper for Ava. 

We stopped at OH'Bryan's for our meal. I ordered a kids' grilled chicken finger meal with sweet potato and unsweetened tea. 

Hubby ordered a delmonico steak, with a sweet potato, and the salad bar. 

Our last stop before heading home was Wheeler Wildlife Refuge.

We walked through the museum, looking at all the wild animals and birds you might see at the park. Then we walked to one of the outside buildings with telescopes. There, the kids saw ducks, geese, and lots of turtles. 

One of the rangers said Alabama had the most freshwater turtles in the world. 

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge 

We began our journey home near the old Paper Mill. Hubby said one of our tires was losing air pressure. 

We watched the pressure steadily drop. Hubby said when it gets down to 8, I will have to stop and change the tire. 

We reached the Wheeler Dam with the pressure almost to 8.  

We finally arrived at the gas station, where Hubby filled the tire with air. 

We made it to Killen Tire just before they closed. They plugged the tire. The technician said we had run over a huge nail. 

Like in a good story, we ended up with our day of drama. 

March 14, 2025, 8-5:30 P.M. Scottsboro All Day

 Everyone parked in the Patches Merchant Emporium 1501 Broad St parking lot around 8:00 A.M.

Everyone loaded onto the bus, and off we went for a full day of adventures.

 

Variety Bake Shop 

Our first stop was The Variety Bake Shop, where we were served two sausage rolls, a glazed donut, and a history lesson from the owner. Several people bought a variety of their desserts.

I took pictures of a few historic markers across the street, posted on poles along the left side of the courthouse.

Veterans Memorial Park, Scottsboro 

Our next stop was Scottsboro Veterans Memorial Park. 

It was full of historical markers and military vehicles. 

Our next stop was the Scottsboro Museum, but no one was home. 

Our guide called their number, but no one answered. We rode by the old Mill and the Airport and finally stopped at the Train Depot.

We all got off the bus to go inside, but the curator called from the Scottsboro Museum, so we loaded it back on the bus and returned to that museum. 

The Scottsboro Boys

By this time, it was lunchtime, so we stopped at Payne's Sandwich Shop. There, we were served a red slaw dog, chips, potato Salad, and our choice of ice cream. I ordered Rocket Road. 

Payne Sandwich Shop 

After lunch, I walked up the sidewalk, taking pictures of markers. 

We loaded back onto the bus and rode to the Scottsboro Train Depot. 

Hubby shows the ladies how the scales work. 

Next, we rode to the Scottsboro Heritage Center.

The curator told us some of the history of the 1881 Procter House. 

The house was built by John A. Brown and sold to A.W. Brooks, the Mayor of Scottsboro.  

The house was then sold to General John R. Coffey. In 1981, the City of Scottsboro bought the home and turned it into a Museum, a research center, and a community venue. 

We could not go upstairs because it was being repaired. 

Outside, we visited Sagetown, a re-creation of a pioneer village, where our curator told us the history of each building.

Proctor Heritage House Museum

One of the buildings was the Little Courthouse, which housed public records dating as far back as 1820.

Our next stop was a sampling of specialty teas and protein shakes. The owner gave us a little history of his store. 

Long walk up the hill to the cemetery. 

Our last stop as a group was the grave site of Mayor Robert Thomas Scott and his wife. 

Their graves were atop a hill, which we had to walk to. 

We returned to the parking lot and said goodbye.

Hubby and I decided to visit Unclaimed Baggage. 

Unclaimed Baggage Scottsboro 
The Truck where it all began.

We did not buy anything, but they had an incredible museum inside the store. 

Outside was a sign telling about the beginning of Unclaimed Baggage.

Then, we began our two-hour trip home. 

We stopped at Taco Bell in Rogersville to pick up something for dinner. We had a great time but were ready for bed when we returned home. 

Cell Phone Photos 

6765-68 @ 9:12 A.M. The Variety Bake Shop

6769-72 @ 8:30 A.M. Markers left side of Courthouse 

6773—85 @ 10:07-10:50 A.M. Scottsboro Boys Museum 

6786-90 @ 10:55-11:47 A.M. Payne's Sandwich Shop 

6791-6817 @ 12:14-12:41 P.M. Train Depot 

6818-40 @12:50-1:17 P.M. Proctor Museum and Pioneer Village

6841-41 @ 2:37 P.M. Scottsboro Nutrition 

6843- @ 4:45 P.M. Unclaimed Baggage Outside 

6844-6868 @4:53-56 P.M. Museum @ Unclaimed Baggage 

6869-72 @5:03 P.M. outside Unclaimed Baggage

Walked 2.6 miles and 6,848 steps 

"Hi, I'm Hoggle." (inside the museum at Unclaimed Baggage)