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 

2002 Jun 28, Children's Museum of the Shoals Florence, Alabama

Took Hannah to the Children's Museum where she sat in the dentist's chair holding a blue toothbrush as long as her arm would not fit in her mouth. Of course, the teeth she is standing next to would be used by the large blue toothbrush.

Naturally, if you are in the Shoals area you have to visit the birth home of Helen Keller. Of course, hanging next to Helen Keller on the wall are Jessie Price and Stanley Goldstein. Now for a little sitting time in a nook for storytime. Back to the first floor, it is time for a little music, as Hannah enjoys dancing on the musical keyboard with keys that are bigger than her feet. There were also drums, xylophones, and many other musical instruments.

Onto the kitchen where a raccoon was watching as she prepared a meal. After she finished cooking it was time for a quick slide with Miss Piggy. Time for a little construction work with a hammer & nails, Hannah don't forget to put on your construction hard hat. Now it was time to check out the water pump and the flowing creek that was filled with boats floating down the stream.

It was such a beautiful day so we headed outside. Hannah crossed the rocks that were over the babbling brook, making sure she did not get her feet wet. Lying on the ground were construction materials to build a house, she started but did not finish. There was a Green wagon so she climbed aboard for a picture. We walked back inside did a little grocery shopping and once again did a little cooking. Back upstairs for a little karaoke. Hannah dressed up in a white robe with purple trim and sash. Of course, I joined in the karaoke we had fun acting silly.

Next, we visited the X-ray machine to see what she looked like inside. Next, she did a little crafting and tracing the USA map. We had a fun day at the Children's Museum of the Shoals