2023 OCT 5, Trip to Mobile, Kathryn Tucker Winham Museum & the Clarke County Museum

 Day 1: Thursday

On our way to Mobile, we made several stops.

We stopped in Thomasville to tour the Kathryn Tucker Museum (Storyteller). The curator walked us through the museum telling us some of the history of Mrs. Windham.

Mrs. Windham was famous for her ghost stories about "Jeffery the ghost" who took up residence in Mrs. Windham's home.

Kathryn Tucker Windham T-shirt with Jeffrey's Ghost on the Front. 

The story about how Kathryn got her first camera!

A sculpture of Kathryn by her good friend
 "Charlie Lucas"

Kathryn's life story is told in a quilt.

Reserved for Ghost Jeffery 

We thanked our guide and she said if we liked the museum we should stop at Clarke County Museum Grover Hill, Al

Clarke County Historical Museum with Pioneer Village in back.

The museum was having some issues with the inside of the building so much of the displays were in disarray on the ground level. 

French Bed 

We walked upstairs to see a bedroom with a French Bed, this bed was made about 1825 and was constructed from French walnut. It came from the plantation of Samuel Barnes which was located in the once-thriving town of Suggsville in eastern Clarke County. The bed posts are hollow so that a canopy could be added. The bed was donated by Mrs, Donald Mills of Montgomery. Barne's great-granddaughter.

Josiah and Lucy Martin Matthew Cabin 
This structure was donated to the Clarke Co Historical Society to its present site. 
Restored in 2008.

We learned that Clarke County was home to 3 salt works during the Civil War.  These Springs were also used by the Native Americans. 

We also learned that during the Civil War prices of Salt escalated so high that the workers were paid in salt. Prices rose from $1.25 per bushel of 50 pounds in 1861 to $50 by the end of the Civil War. 

When the rumor circulated that Mobile was captured everyone scattered that ending the widespread use of the works.  

Salt-making kettle 

Pioneer Day for 2023 will be October 28, 9-3 at the Clarke County Museum. 

Pies, cakes, and other homemade baked goods will be available. The famous Gee's Bend quilters will be demonstrating quilting and will be selling some of their beautiful handiwork. Winky Hicks and friends will be playing bluegrass music and storyteller Deborah Rankins will be on hand to tell local tales.

We thanked our curator and began our final journey to Mobile. 

We will be staying at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel room 5242 another historic site. 

The hotel is connected to the completely new and impressive RSA Battle House Tower. The RSA Hotel is the tallest building in the state it is 40 stories tall. 

Original opened in 1852. The Franklin Hotel was on this site before burning down in 1829.

Andrew Jackson set up headquarters in 1812. The first Mardi Gras Ball was held in the Crystal Ballroom in 1852.

Elvis Presley stayed the night he was kicked off of the fairgrounds for doing the "Shake" in 1952.

It has a Whispering Arch, the Six Flags of Mobile.

1702-1763 French Flag

1763-1780 British Flag

1780-1813 Spanish Flag

1813 -1861 1st US Flag 

1851-1861- Antebellum Period 

1861-1864 - Alabama Confederate Flag 

1964-present 2nd US Flag 

In the whispering arch ceiling area you can see Louis XIV, George Washington, Ferdinand V, and George III.

Whispering Arches

The Grand Ballroom 

We walked up the street to Loda Bier Garten for dinner but were stopped by two men from Chanel 10 Fox News. One with a camera and the other with a microphone. He asked us if we were going on the Cruise ship out of Mobile and we said yes. So he interviewed us and we were on TV that night. 

I had several people on the Carnival Cruise Ship Spirit who said they saw me on TV. 

This was the first ship out of Mobile for over a year. The bay had to be drugged so bigger ships could dock.

We continued our journey to the Bier Garten where we enjoyed a hamburger, fries, and fried mushrooms. 

It had been a long day so we returned to the hotel took a hot shower and climbed into bed. 

We wanted to be rested before we began our journey on the Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship to the Bahamas. 

Fried Mushroom at Lola's Bier Garten in Mobile 

🍉🍉🍉2016 Friday, August 19, Watermelon Festival Russellville

We arrived at the Watermelon Festival in Russellville a little before 6:00PM 
We parked on the street behind the main street and walked one block entering the Watermelon Festival.  
As we walked up Main Street we saw Daddy's Roasted Sweet Corn which was positioned near the Roxy Theater.  
Posted on the Marquees was "Welcome to the 36th Annual Watermelon Festival." 

Main Street was crowded with vendors on both sides, with many people buying the vendor's wear. It was a struggle just to walk up the street because it was so crowded.
It was a little breeze blowing but, not enough to take away the humidity. The sky was filled with dark, heavy clouds, ready to burst into rain. 

We could hear the Kerry Gilbert Band beginning to play.

We could hear the Kerry Gilbert Band as they began to play. We walked in the direction of the sound of the music. 
When we arrived, in the area of the band, the sun was beaming down right into my eyes, so we had to find a shaded area, where we could watch the band. 

We had brought chairs to set in but left them in the van so, we ended up sitting on the concrete curb near the tables filled with juicy, red, slices of watermelon, free for the taking. 

We sat and watched the band play while the watermelons behind me were saying come to get a slice. 
So, I walked to the table that was full of sliced melons and picked out a slice, making sure that I had plenty of napkins.

Free slices of red juicy watermelons! Make sure you grab enough paper towels!

I listen to music while eating the melon, with juice dripping down my arm. 
I savored every bite until nothing was left but the rind. 
I found only a few seeds in the watermelon slice, which I spit onto the ground. I found a garbage can to dispose of the rind and I wiped my face and hands of all that red, sweet, juice, from the melon.

Slices of the red juicy watermelon slices were going fast. 

Kerry encouraged the crowd to clap 

Kerry is an Elvis Presley fan and he sang one of Elvis's songs, Suspicious Mind.  Kerry gets way down on the base, with the song Way Down. 
Kerry, Hugh Banks, Terry Frank, Randy Kimbrough, Alyssa Ashley, Mitch Curtis, and Wendell Dean did an Acappella of the gospel song, Sweet Sweet Spirit.
Alyssa Ashley and Mitch Curtis performed a Dotty West Song, Two Worlds Collide. 

There were several women and a man that got up and danced, while others clapped, and stomped their feet to the beat of the music. 

SWEET TREE Productions controlled the sound system and provided the stage for the bands.

When the band ended we walked back into the crowded streets. 

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade YUM!!!

We saw Smoothies and Tropical Treats by Dixie Concessions.
We saw Corn Dogs, Chicken tenders, Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, French Fries, and Ribbon Fries, Philly Cheese sticks, Polish Sausages, and Funnel Cakes. 

We saw on the Roxy Theater Marquees facing down Main Street: Whiskey Tree Guest Kendra Hope, Travis Wammack, and Snake Band Saturday, August 27, 6:30PM

We saw Captain Marvel and Spiderman

We saw Protect and Serve Police Officers. 

We saw Protect and Serve Police Officers. 

We saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse and children getting their pictures made with them 

We saw U.DO. IT Chill Factory, Alabama's Best Fresh Made Ice Cream, Tharptown Wildcats Cheerleaders, Boy Scouts, Italian Ice, & Dipping Dots Ice Cream.

We walked to the carnival rides where we saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy's Bouncing house. We saw children buckled into the Reckless ride. We saw children loading into Pirates Revenge Ride. 

Swings, Mind Winder

Monster Truck 

Reckless and Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy's Bouncing house

We saw a giant Monster Truck called Mayhem inflatable and a large inflatable slide. We saw children being slung around on the swings. 
The last ride we saw was the Mind Winder.

Standing in Silence watching the Festival for the last 36 years is this Historic Home 

Facing one another at the end of the festival, stood in silence two Old Historic Homes.
On the right was a house built of red brick with two chimneys. To the left was a white siding three-story home with a red slate, a triangle roof, a rounded dome room on the third level, and a covered front porch. 

We started back up the street where we saw a young boy riding the bull, he stayed on for 48 seconds. As we walked past, I said to myself, not me, that bull can buck someone else off. 

I ain't afraid of no GHOST!

As we walked up Main Street we saw a man from Ghost Busters.
Not yet dark enough for any ghosts. 
Yet, there may be ghosts lurking in the two houses just beyond the festival or ghosts walking among us.!