2026 Aug 1, Mystery Trip (Chattanooga, TN & Scottsboro, AL) with Backroads Tours LLC

 We had to be on the bus in Madison, AL, by 7 A.M. We were up by 4:30 and on the road by 5. We are traveling on bus 1048 Eagle Christian Tours, Rome, GA. Driver Barbara Dudle

We stopped at Bojangles in Athens for breakfast. Hubby ordered a steak and biscuit, and I ordered a sausage and biscuit. We spent $10.75.

We arrived around 6:30, and the bus was already there waiting for our guide, Kelley Wolfe, before we could load. 

We were on the road headed to Scottsboro to pick up additional passengers. Around 8 A.M., we were headed to our Mystery stop. 

We arrived at 9:58 A.M. at the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, which was built in 1895. 

The incline uses a cable system where two cars are connected by a cable, allowing one car to ascend while the other descends.

America's Most Amazing Mile climbs to 1,450 feet. On a bright day, you can see for miles, but the day we were there, it rained and was very overcast.

Our guide purchased our tickets.

We made a group photo, used the restrooms, and then loaded onto the incline. 

If you have trouble walking or climbing, I recommend sitting at the top of the Incline car. 

The car is sitting at an incline, so you have to climb up and down steps to get in and out. 

We began our ten-minute journey up Lookout Mountain at a 72.7 percent grade at the steepest part.

At the top, we visited the gift shop where we purchased a bag of mini moon pies. 

We walked to the observation deck to see the view below, but it was very foggy and began to rain. 

We went to the lower level to see the 100-horsepower motors in operation. You could feel the motors vibrate when you sat down in the restrooms.

After an hour at the overlook and gift shop, we once again loaded onto the incline, which did not seem as steep as when we loaded at the bottom. 

On the way down, we saw a buck deer in the forest and a fake owl. 

Once below, we unloaded the incline and headed to our bus for our next stop.

We stopped at the rest area in Jasper for a restroom break. 

Then onto Scottsboro, where we meet up with our guide, Angie. 

We ate lunch and did a quilt craft at a new small business called Still Water Studios in Scottsboro.

The food was catered by Simply Yaya.

Which consisted of Classic Chicken Salad Croissants, Ham & Swiss Sliders, Italian Pasta Salad, Vegetable Platter, Fruit Platter, Chips, Chess Bars & Bottled Water included.

Our next quick stop was at Payne's Soda Fountain and Sandwich Shop, where everyone was treated to a scoop of their favorite ice cream.

We enjoyed eating our ice cream on the bus while Angie gave us a quick historical tour of Scottsboro.

We said goodbye to Angie and the passengers parked in Scottsboro around 3:30 P.M.

We arrived at our destination, Gabe's in Madison, around 4:30 P.M.

Loaded into our car and began our journey home.

We stopped at Walmart in Athens to pick up a few items.

We stopped at Lash's in Rogersville for our take-home Low Country Boil (dinner). 

They have the best seafood in town. It was a very busy night for them.

We had a great time with old and new friends exploring new places and new faces.

Photo

8554-8585 Incline Railway 9:58–11:09 A.M.

8586 Group Photo

8587-8591Tennessee Welcome Center Jasper, TN 11:03 A.M. time change

8592-8294 Still Water Studios Scottsboro, AL 12:09–12:14 P.M. Lunch

8595-8599 Payne's Soda Fountain and Sandwich Shop 3:12–3:17 P.M.

8600-8605 Tour of Scottsboro, AL 3:23 P.M.

2017 June 17, Saturday, RC Moon Pie Festival Bell Buckle, Tenessee🌝🍰

Cooked waffles for breakfast, topped with walnuts and Cool Whip.
Loaded the van, programmed the GPS, and began our trip.
We traveled north on hwy 43, turning right onto hwy 64 East, traveling through Giles County, Pulaski, TN, crossing I-65
to 244 northeast, traveling through Lincoln and Marshall counties, Petersburg, & Bedford County, Shelbyville.

Town of Petersburg Library

The Town of Petersburg, located in Lincoln and Marshall Counties, has a population of 580.

Our next stop was Shelbyville, TN, in Bedford County, home to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

Walking Horse National Celebration (Horse farms)
The historic Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville, TN, hosts the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration each year in late summer for 11 days, concluding on the Saturday night before Labor Day.

Veterans Memorial Plaza in front of the Bedford County Courthouse

Shelbyville is the county seat of Bedford County, "Courthouse"

Arrived at Bell Buckle around 10:00 A.M.
We found a closed park, walked up to the stage, and found seats on bales of hay. We sat and listened to music, watching a group of young girls and women clog.

Cloggers (stepping high)

Milking Machine

Railroad Town (several trains came through while we were in Bell Buckle)

We walked around checking out the vendors, where we saw giant corn dogs, funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreos, Snickers, and Twinkies.
We visited Everybody's Antiques and More, Bluebirds Antiques, and the Ice Cream Parlor.
We visited the Livery Stable, now an Antique shop with many rooms of antiques.

The livery stable is now an Antique Shop. 

We saw boxes of strawberry, banana, chocolate, mint, & salted caramel moon pies.
There were Moon Pies and RC Colas for sale everywhere we looked, and prices varied.

Ice Cold RC Colas 

Boxes of Fresh Moon Pies

Uncle Sam is greeting the crowd at the  Parade.

We met a couple from North Carolina who had been to softball tournaments in Birmingham.
We met an older couple who had visited the festival many times.
There were people from everywhere who were still coming when we left.

We ate lunch at Bell Buckle Cafe, where we both ordered a barbecue sandwich and a glass of iced tea.
It was almost time for the parade, so we gobbled down our lunch.
It was the only cafe in the entire area, so the wait was long just to eat lunch.

Standing in front of the Mural of Moon Pies and RC Colas 

We came outside to watch the parade, and afterward, we started home.

Moon Pie Girl in the parade

We took a different route home, riding through Tullahoma, Lynchburg, and Pulaski.
We stopped in Lawrenceburg for gas and to-go meals from Long John Silver's.
We stopped at the fruit stand in Lawrenceburg for vegetables and were home by 5:00 P.M.
We were home for about an hour when my husband got a call from work, so we loaded into the van and headed to Huntsville.
As we were entering the gate, we were in a Jurassic Park jeep with a dinosaur in the back.
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When the Jeep moved, so did the dinosaur
The Jurassic period relates to or denotes the second period of the Mesozoic era, between the Triassic and Cretaceous periods.

The sun was setting as we traveled home. (around 8:30 P.M.)

2016 July 30, Saturday, Strut Parade @ the W.C. Handy Festival

At 9:30AM I was sitting on the steps of the First Baptist Church located on Tuscaloosa Street. 
The W. C. Handy Street Strut Parade began at 10:00AM. 

The police officers blocked the roads from traffic at 10:00AM.  
A couple of motorcycle policemen lead the parade. 

Strut Parade 

As the parade passed I saw beaded necklaces, moon pies, bags of peanuts from Texas Roadhouse, & candy thrown to the bystanders of the parade. 
In the parade, I saw people holding purple and yellow umbrellas from UNA. 
The grand marshall was holding a purple, yellow, and green umbrella. He was dressed in a yellow dress jacket, white pants, and a purple shirt. 
Riding in a bright yellow small Convertible was the BIG RED DOG. 

A burnt orange and a solid black Corvette followed. 

The Shoals' marching twirlers, dressed in white shirts and burgundy shorts followed.
They were followed by several young women carrying fancy umbrellas.
Riding in an open trolley, waving to the crowd were some older women. 

They were followed by Miss Bronze Queen 2016 and Miss Jr Bronze Queen. 
There was a group of people wearing yellow T-shirts that read, re-elect Mickey Haddock for mayor.

Walking alone was a woman wearing a red and white dress, on her head, she wore a black and white feathered hat that shaded her face. Her hands were covered in red lace gloves. In her right hand, she held an umbrella and in her left hand, held high, she had a fan sign, that read Vote for Holt.

Vote Holt!

The Stewart Family were wearing light green T-shirts that read Reunion, Rooted July 29-31 New vines.

A small bus from Christ Chapel was followed by a group of people carrying multi-colored flags. 
Some were wearing red T-shirts, while others were wearing white T-shirts that read "YAHSHUA".

A man was throwing MOON PIES to the crowd, he was riding in a Volkswagen covered in pink and blue balls. 
Followed by a Camaro.

A burgundy truck with a sign that read Burrell-Slater High School Class of 1966, was pulling a float with a mural of Burrell-Slater High School. 
The fire truck lagged behind, he was waiting on the Lee High School Marching band, which was late arriving.

Alongside the road were vendors with freshly squeezed lemonade.

I had never been to a street strut parade.
I love parades of all kinds. 


What is a strut? It is to walk with a vain, pompous bearing, with head erect and chest thrown out as if expecting to impress observers. 
To Strut one's stuff, to dress, behave, and perform, at one's best to impress others, to show off.

The parade lasted less than ten minutes. When the parade ended I walked through Wilson Park, where a band was getting ready to play.
I did not stop because I was going to the Library.