Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Day trips to Pulaski, Lynnville, TN., Corinth, MS., & Danville, Hartsell, AL., with Ava July 9, 22, 24

2024 July 9, 2024 Tuesdays Day Trip to Pulaski and Lynnville, TN

 Today, we rode to Pulaski to the Giles County Memorial Interpretive Center Trail of Tears Museum.

Ava and Trail of Tears Statue

Many of the park marks and benches were in much need of repairs. 

We saw a golden raintree, a Statue, and several Markers. 

We were getting ready to leave when we saw pictures of the Trail of Tears in the tunnel under the highway.

Ava and I decided to walk through the tunnel. 

The Bench Project, Wilma Pearl Mankiller, The Children the Oxen, and the Trail of Tears, and several paintings were done by students. 

It was a treasure of local artists about the Trail of Tears. 


Ava and the  1927 Baldwin Steam Locomotive

We next rode to the Town of Lynnville, TN. 

We visited the Train Depot Museum where we saw a miniature train engine, signal lights, several signs about the train, a train conductor, and a ticket counter.  

Outside, we walked inside the 1927 Baldwin Steam Locomotive, the 1920s Passenger Coach 2587. The red caboose was locked so we did not go inside. 

Along the hallway were signs about the Milky Way Farm and a picture of Frank C. Mars, the owner and maker of Mars candy. 

We took several pictures outside one alongside the LRR Lynnville Railroad Museum sign and the Giles County Turkey. 


Ava at Soda Pop Junction

We walked across the road to Soda Pop Junction.

Outside was an orange and white truck with a sign that read “ Soda Pop Junction Good Ol ‘ Soda Pop”.

We were greeted when we walked inside. 

I ordered a Chili’s dog, and Ava ordered a hamburger and fries. She ate her fries but not her hamburger. Hubby ate her hamburger and most of my chili dog.  

Ava ordered an orange crushed soda in a bottle. 

I told our waitress that Ave loves to visit museums and she told AVA I have something to show you. 

She took a quarter out of the register and we walked to the back of the restaurant. 

She placed a quarter in the slot, and a piano began to play; also, a hand-held organ began to play.  

We thanked her and began our journey to Lawrenceburg. 

We had to return to Krogers to pick up my salmon and cantaloupe that I had left at the store the day before. 

It began to rain as we started our journey home.


2024 July 22, Monday Microwave Dave 


Today we went to Florence Library to see Microwave Dave and to make musical instruments out of trash.

Ava made a guitar out of a shoe box.

And a water bottle with seeds.

The kids as well as adults had a good time.


Ava put her finger in the alligator's mouth. 

Ava wanted ice cream and we were going to Tuscumbia I remembered The Palace had good ice cream. 

Ava ordered Smokey Mountain Fudge.

Ava enjoying her Smokey Mountain Fudge Ice cream in a cone. 

I ordered pecan praline. 

Then we went to Helen Keller Library to listen to Book It with Jazz the Jazz Allstars.

Afterward, we went to Champy’s for lunch. 

Hubby ordered a salad, and we shared a catfish meal.

Ava ordered a chicken fingers meal.

We had leftovers.

Microwave Dave went through the cycle of Blues Music From the days of slavery. 

The people make music with a rhythm to help pass the hard time. 

Then the clicking and clacking of the railroad era the sounds of the wheels on the train as it went down the tracks. 

The free slaves moved to the city with a different rhythm. 

The time the people were paid to play music. 

He asked if any of the kids knew about fractions. 

Then he began telling us how the beats were fractions. 

The kids blew their paper horns, and they beat on their coffee cans for drums. 

They picked the rubber band strings on their shoebox guitar. 

And shook their water bottles filled with bird seeds

In rhythm with Microwave Dave’s music.

On Tuesday we rode to Rogersville Library to see Microwave Dave.

Ava made a drum out of an oatmeal box, a paper horn, and a shaker out of a Mt Dew bottle. 

We did a sing-along and played our handmade instruments with Microwave Dave.

We learned about the history of jazz. 

Everyone had a good time. 


July 24, Wednesday Day Trip to Corinth, MS


Today we rode to Corinth, MS.

We stopped at the Visitor Center and were given information about sites to see in Corinth, MS.

We walked to the Corinth Train Depot and Crossroads Museum but it was closed. 

I  too pictures of the 1924 American LaFrance Fire Truck and a sign, of Caboose # 2994, a Civil War Corinth, big guns, and the Miniature Hurlbut Amusement Equipment Co. locomotive No 1009. 


We stopped at the New Coca-Cola Museum. Outside was a carved giant wooden Coca-Cola bottle.

There was a buzzer on the door which when pressed released a locked door that let you inside a one-room museum. 

The museum featured over 1,000 Coca-Cola artifacts: a truck, soda fountain, coke boxes, bottles, signs, toys, etc.


Ava at the Coca-Cola Museum 

In the front of the museum sat a Coca-Cola drink machine with small glass bottles filled with Coke products you could purchase. 

That took me back to the days when a Coke cost 6 to 10 cents, not a dollar or more.  


We stopped at the 15,00 square feet  Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center Museum, which features interactive exhibits and a memorial Garden for the 1862 battles of Shiloh and Corinth.


Ava at the Interpretive Center 

We stopped at the Corinth’s Highway Hospitality Building and I said the Crossroads Museum was closed. 

The curator tried to call the museum but no answer. She said it should be open so we rode back to the museum.

It was open the curator said her dog was sick and she had taken him to the vet. 

We paid the admission fee and walked through the museum.

We enjoyed the miniature running train display. 

It was now lunch time and everyone was ready for lunch Borroum’s Drugs Store Diner was just a few blocks away from the Crossroads Museum.


The diner was very busy we finally found a table where people had just finished eating lunch with their dishes still on the table. 

Our waitress finally cleaned the table and took our order. 

 I ordered a hamburger with chips. Ava ordered chicken nuggets and fries. Hubby ordered a double cheeseburger with onion rings. 

This was our last stop before starting for home. 

It rained a little on us but not much and it was clear by the time we left. It was still pretty wet when we got home but it soon cleared off.

We had a great time the area was not overcrowded with people which is so much better than fighting a crowd.

Ava had to get her picture made with a slug at the Park near the Visitor Center. 


Ava and the Slugg

Last week was their slug Festival and there were slugs all around town.


Monday, July 29, Day trip to Danville, and Hartselle, Al


Today we went to town to pay our Utilities and to get our B-12 shots.

Ava and the Jesse Owens statue


Ava and Jesse Owens 26 feet Long Jump 

Then we rode to Danville by way of US 72 East towards Cullman.

We stopped at the Jesse Owen’s Museum. 

There we watched the 1936 Olympics and how Jesse Owen won the gold medal right before World War Two. 

Before Hitler killed all the Jewish people. 

It was a very moving story and it helped me understand more about the Olympics then. 

We walked outside, where we saw Jesse Owens’s Statue, a replica of his birth home, and a replica of the long jump Jesse set a world record at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 


Ava and Sequoya statue 

We stopped at the Oakville Indian Museum.

We saw arrowheads and other artifacts from the Mississippian, Archaic, Paleo, and Woodland Periods American Indians. 

We saw a wooden carving of Sequoyah a mixed-blood Cherokee who developed an alphabet or syllabary. 

Ava was not impressed for she rushed through it.

In the gift shop, we bought her a bag of colorful rocks and a mood ring. 

Ava and the Blues Brothers

We stopped for lunch at Oh’Bryan’s in Hartselle. 

Ava and I ordered the special for eight dollars everything was included. 

Ava ordered fried chicken fingers with fries and a doctor’s pepper.

I ordered grilled chicken fingers and a sweet potato with iced tea 

Hubby ordered a salad, steak potato toast, and iced tea. 

We filled up with gas at Murphy.

And we stopped at Krogers for sodas.

We were home by 3:30.



Sunday, January 1, 2023

2022 April 30, Walking Tour Town Creek, AL

The Walking tour took place in Town Creek and everyone was to meet at the Farmers Market on Main  Street.

I was early so I looked around and talked to the vendors. I bought two tomato plants.

At 1:00PM the van arrived driven by Pastor Steve Agee provided by Victory Baptist Church.

The former mayor of Town Creek (Linda Peebles) rode with us.

Everyone loaded into the van and we headed to the public library. 

We were met by the librarian she gave us some material which included:

Welcome to Town Creek which included stories about Saunders Hall Good Mansion 

The Town Creek Hotel, Town Creek City Hall, Veterans Memorial & 

The new Story Walk is a learning trail behind the library. It is designed to introduce visitors of all ages to the environment of the area.

The librarian told us about the Story Walk Trail and gave us all the pamphlets 

Our next stop was the Town Creek Depot where dignitaries made speeches they were Mayor Mike Park, Proncey Roberson(State Representative) Loretta Gillespie, & Robert Sheffield (Former Hazelwood coach). 

The Town Creek Train Depot was built in the early 1800s and the first run of engines took place on February 1, 1835.

Also attending were former NFL football players from Town Creek.  

Chris & Kerry Goode (brothers) and DJ Jones.

After a meet and greet session, we headed to our next stop Posey Farms.

We were greeted by the Posey Family with refreshments.

Mr. Posey said it all began in 1953 when we leased 7 acres of land and planted our first cotton crop. 

Posey's first home is now surrounded by farmland. 



Thursday, May 24, 2018

2018 Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival

I spent the last three days attending different functions of the Storytelling Festival.
May 17,18,19, 2018

Thursday I attended the free concert at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame by Kate Campbell. 
Kate played guitar sang and told stories. (3:00-4:30PM)
One of the story/songs was about Tomatoes and Jesus Coming Soon. 
The special guest was Spooner Oldham. Kate has made many recordings with Spooner. 

Later that day at Florence Library,  I enjoyed listing to Josh Goforth tell stories about his tobacco-chewing PawPaw. 
Josh played a banjo, fiddle, and guitar. He can play as many as ten instruments. Very talented young man. (5-6PM)
Josh Goforth playing the banjo 
Friday I was joined by three friends at the storytelling festival held at the Shoals Theater from 9-5PM. 
Movie Projector at Shoals Theater displayed in the lobby
We enjoyed lunch at Legends which is located across the street from the theater.
We listened to Bil Lepp tell funny stories. 
Josh Goforth sings, tells stories, and plays the banjo, guitar, and Fiddle. 
Tim Lowry's long program he was dressed as a southern gentleman of South Carolina. 
After lunch, we listened to Donald Davis, Dolores Hydock, Bill Lepp, and Josh Goforth. 
There was a dinner break and we all went home. 
Saturday I was joined by one friend and we listened to Tim Lowry tell a story about attending an AME church in a Confederate Soldier Uniform. 
We listened to Donald Davis, Kate Campbell, & Josh Goforth.
Delores Hydock's long program was about a woman that worked for Loveman's Department Store "In her own fashion." 
Bobby Horton playing guitar while Dolores told the story of Ninette Griffith & Loveman's Department store 

My friend and I enjoyed a meal at City Hardware. I ordered a red, white, and blue salad with chicken. 
Red, White, and Blue Chicken Salad 
At 5PM the storytelling telling stopped for a dinner break.
My friend and I both went home. I would love to have stayed until 9PM for the rest of the show but I was just too tired.
Me in between Dolores Hydock and Tim Lowery at intermission 

2024 Saturday September 7, Train Trip from Chattanooga to Chickamauga, Ga

  Saturday, we had to be in Scottsboro by 7AM about a 2-hour drive. Loaded onto the bus. I think there were 30 of us including the driver. W...