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 Jan 31, Tuesday, Day Trip to Guntersville

We left home around 9:00 A.M., stopping at Helping Hands Clinic for a B-12 shot.

We stopped at Foodland to get a Diet Coke and a Diet Mt Dew from the vending machine.

Next, we stopped at Dollar General for a package of Fig Newtons made with real fruit, free of high-fructose corn syrup, and only 110 calories.

Being later in the morning, traffic was not too bad as we rode north-west on I-565 to 231 NW into Guntersville.

Our first stop was at the small Guntersville Airport to visit the Homer B. Wilson Vintage Museum, but no one was there.

Glover Hotel
Built in 1933 by Campbell Wallace Glover, it was sold in the 1950s and used as the Department of Pensions and Securities for 15 years. In 1987, it was sold to George Kappler, who opened a restaurant that is now for sale.

As we rode through Guntersville, we noticed that many of the old store buildings had been remodeled and were occupied. The Glover Hotel (built around 1950) was up for sale.

Abraham Lincoln Display Timeline

We rode to 1215 Rayburn Ave to the Guntersville Museum & Cultural Center (once the Rock Armory)

The museum is a unique historical setting featuring both permanent collections and current exhibits. The museum is free to visit and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M.

The door is locked from the inside, and you have to ring a bell for service.

You are greeted by a museum curator, who provides a brief history of the museum, the location of each exhibit, and informs you that you are welcome to visit all day if you wish.

Once inside, the walls were covered with plaques about the history of Guntersville.

 A boat was on display, representing all the activities one can do on Lake Guntersville. We saw Crusader, the Mechanical wonder Horse on which many a child had ridden. We saw a sign advertising "Bargain Days every Tues and Wednesday. Adm "10 & 15 cents" including tax, along with adjoining theater seats.

We saw an old spinning wheel, a piano, a trophy from the Boat Race, wooden benches, a character reading machine, a fire hose cart, and a cardboard cutout of Will Rogers (he is the grandson of John Gunter, a namesake of Guntersville's).

The next rooms were TVA and the making of the land. This one is for the birds, offering a glimpse into the past with Native American artifacts, local art, and notable sons and daughters of Guntersville. 

The grand room was a display about the life of Abraham Lincoln, featuring a cardboard, life-size statue of Abraham and a sculpted head inside a glass case.

We stopped to visit the Culbert Cabin, located next door to the Guntersville Museum, and then crossed the street to the Guntersville Theater.

Guntersville Theater

Chicken Plate (3 chicken fingers, coleslaw, biscuits, a Chocolate chip cookie, and a drink) 

I shared a chicken dinner with Colonel Sanders at KFC

We traveled along 227 into Guntersville State Park, passing through Short Creek, Hurricane Creek, Town Creek, and Minky Creek. We stopped at the lagoon in the state park to visit the donkeys, emus, goats, and ducks.

We stopped along the waterways to take pictures of Mabrey's Rock of Ages, Guntersville Lake, and the waterfowl. (saw no Eagles)

Mabrey's Rock of Ages

There were hundreds of ducks bobbing in the water.

We stopped to take a picture of a deer. He looked right at us, turned around, and began grazing. He knew we would not shoot him.

We continued climbing the mountain to the top, stopping at the State Park Lodge and chalets overlooking Lake Guntersville.

I walked down to a rest area to take pictures of the view below. There, I met a woman eating her lunch. She said her husband had gone fishing and she was going to enjoy the day at the park.

She said that before the tornado came through this area, you couldn't see the RV Park or the camping Area below. I also saw a couple of zip-liners. 

View of Campground from the Guntersville Lodge atop the mountain

Our last stop before heading home was Bucks Pocket State Park, located on Sand Mountain in the community of Oak Grove. 

The road and picnic area had seen better days. The fencing around the cliffs was good, and the view was fantastic. Currently, the thousands of trees below are bare, but in the fall, they will be vibrant with color.

Sunset over the Rocket at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville 

The sun was setting as we drove into Huntsville, and by the time we reached Athens, it was pitch-black.

We could see the stars above and a crescent moon.

We ordered a to-go meal from Taco Bell.

It had been a beautiful day, not too hot or too cold, a perfect day for traveling and hiking in the State Parks.