Florence Alabama

Our next stop is along the Tennessee River at McFarland Park in Florence Alabama. Barges travel past every once in a while. BTW, the nearby town of Muscle Shoals was named due to the amount of mussels found in the shoals of the river. They are still collected today.

I spent the week working at a plant there. The people at the plant were very friendly and drove me past a few of the more unusual sights. One was the story of “Mountain” Tom Clark. The picture gives the story. I ended up driving over him on the way to work every day.

The Panty Tree can be seen from the shore, but to really see it well you need a boat. Apparently people throw panties in the tree from their boats or from the end of the old railroad bridge. Don’t know who started it, but it’s an interesting tradition. I saw one boat pull up. I’m not sure if they were checking it out or adding to the collection.

We had a big storm one evening. It wasn’t a tornado, but the winds were strong and knocked down branches. Our RV was near pine trees and the pine cones sounded like golf balls hitting the roof.

We spent an extra day sightseeing. I was surprised by all the things to see in the area. We tried to see the real lions that the university keeps as mascots but apparently they were at the local Walmart for “Fan Day”. Instead, we got to see the lion statues outside the very large cage. We saw a tall Indian Mound and the Singing River Sculptures made of aluminum. The local music studios have seen some amazing talent over the years (Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Mustang Sally, Steal Away) that they called the Muscle Shoals Sound. The sculptures highlight that heritage. The aluminum is from another local plant that has gone through multiple ownership (Reynolds, Wise Alloys, and now Constellium).

Years ago, I played Anne Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker” about Helen Keller and her teacher. Helen Keller was born in Florence Alabama and lived here all her life. We saw her home.

We visited Pope’s Tavern Museum expecting it to be a short visit since the museum is small. Turns out it has a VERY enthusiastic curator that is able to tell a story about every piece in the museum.

- The yellow bedroom was used for surgery during the Civil War. Outside the window an archeological dig found 150+ bullets along with burnt bones since the surgeons would throw bullets out the window after removing them from their patients and amputated body parts were cremated. The house is part of the ghost tour given the amount of soldiers who died here.

- The town of Florence changed hands 47 times during the Civil War. It was an important transportation point with rivers and railroad.

- The Florence Wagon Works was the 2^nd largest wagon manufacturer (Studebaker Company was the largest). The iron kettle shown here was used to scald dead hogs so hairs could be removed from the hide.

There is a bit of a mystery involving this glass pitcher. The material is not really expensive, but someone went to the trouble of repairing it using metal staples. You have to carefully drill holes into the glass before adding the staples. The pitcher actually holds water. Was it too difficult to get a new pitcher or was it a family heirloom? No one knows.

Women used to collect their hair from their hair brush or from dead relatives and create art from it. We’ve seen this before but it is always bizarre and a bit creepy!

We could easily spend another week or two in the area seeing all the sights (Frank Lloyd Wright house, more museums, dam, music studios, brewery, Joe Wheeler State Park, the lions, ruins, mysterious lights, etc.). But it is HOT and MUGGY. We’re moving on for now.

WV and KY

We went back to Coopers Rock for a final appointment. John also was able to go to a high school reunion while we were there. It rained almost every day, so the trails at the park were wet but usable. The morning fog is always mysterious.

Poor John had to put in some major hours driving for the next couple of days to get to our next stop since I had a plant visit scheduled in Alabama. After the first long day of driving, we stopped at My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown Kentucky. The park has a house called Federal Hill. It is supposed to be the inspiration for “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Foster.

It’s been hot and muggy. This time the morning fog was on the golf course within the park.

Quick Stops

We did some fairly short stops at a couple of state parks. Tippecanoe River State Park in Indiana was nice. We didn’t go to the area (about an hour away) where William Henry Harrison fought and given the nickname of Tippecanoe. When he ran for president of the U.S. along with John Tyler as VP, they used the famous slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”.

Biggest challenge here was climbing the fire tower. I made it up and down OK (though the high REALLY scared me). Afterward we heard that the park manager ran up and down these 10 times a day to keep in shape for firefighting out west. Dang!

Salt Fork State Park in Ohio had an interesting trail. The picture shows the trailhead “14 year old who fell to her death from the top of Hosak’s cave.” Nothing like a memorial like this to make one more watchful.

Thor RV Repair

RV life is not for the meek. We’ve had nothing but trouble since buying a new Thor RV. Every time we take it into Camping World we have more problems. When you buy an RV from Camping World you can theoretically have it fixed at any Camping World in the country. The problem is that when you ask for service, the first date available is anywhere from one week to several months. When you finally get in, they tell you to wait several more weeks to get approval for repairs and for parts to arrive. All of this is VERY difficult if you are full-timing. We’ve completely rescheduled our travels and greatly limited our travel for the last year based on the delays and problems. To make it worse, when Camping World attempts to fix something, they end up breaking more things. For example, when fixing a gas leak on the stove, they broke the oven. When trying to find a water leak, they damaged trim and put a hole in the side of the RV.

Anyhow, we decided to bring the RV back to Thor in Indiana for a repair. We had 15 items on our list. Some was poor design that they can’t/won’t fix. The TV can’t be heard when the AC is running. They suggest buying more speakers. The gray water from the bathroom sink goes to black tank (bad thing). They suggest living with it. Most items were repairs from Camping World ‘fixes’. Plus more things have failed like the DVD player.

It took around 2 months to get a date for the repairs for the Thor repair center in Indiana. The good news is that they give you a camping site with water and electric with a dump station on site. There is internet, but only in the waiting room and only available 7 am – 4 pm.

It’s a very different world. We got there on Sunday. There were already quite a few RV’s parked and by Monday morning there were 14 RV’s. Apparently that’s lower than usual. After setting up, we got to hear their horror stories. One couple had been there a month, left for a while, and were back starting their second week. One had their RV for 3 years but it had been in the shop for 8 months of that time. Many had stories about multiple repairs at other shops (Camping World was universally despised).

The whole thing was depressing!

Then Monday came. We had to get up early. The technicians drive out to the RV’s that they are repairing at 7 am. We went over the stuff that was wrong with our technician. After prepping our RV for travel, he drove off with the RV to a shop. We moved to the waiting room for the day. There we heard more horror stories. After 3 pm, the RV came back (most of us were out waiting for the RV’s to return).  This repeats every day. Some people visit relatives or friends or sightsee during the day. Funny thing is that there are tours of the different Thor facilities. However, they are only at 3 pm. If you go you can’t talk to your technician at the end of the day and find out the status. I assume it’s intentional but definitely not good customer service. It’s a very weird life not having access to the RV during the day. Plus, most of us are not used to being up before 7 am. We’re retired!

In our case, we heard good news. They replaced much of the problems with new equipment (DVD, stove/oven, and mattress). However, given that this is the 3^rd mattress we’ve had, there is no doubt this one will collapse again. They fixed the damage that Camping World did. We had great technicians. We were out on Tuesday by noon. Others weren’t so lucky. One had a spongy floor. Apparently they had to wait for more parts. As far as I know, we were the first to leave that week. We were very lucky!

And just as a lighter note, I spent some time biking to nearby geocaches. Along the way I saw this. I’ve seen these buildings before but forgot what they are. Turns out they are VORs (VHF Omnidirectional Range). They are a navigation beacon for aircraft. Most were installed back in the 1940’s. The ~1000 VOR’s in the U.S. will be retired over the next decade as GPS replaces the system. Very cool looking!

Best Hikes

I am defining “best” as somewhat difficult plus great views. Though keep in mind, these are not hard-core difficult, just a challenge to me.

10. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument – Cochiti,  NM

These rock formations are a variation of the hoodoos found in other parts of the country. There is a harder rock at the top that reduced erosion below it. Sometimes the hard rock stayed and you can see round balls on top and sometimes the rock fell and it looks like a tent. The geology includes pumice, ash, tuff, and small round balls of obsidian. The trail leads through a very narrow canyon and includes a small cave. The end of the trail is the top of a mesa with amazing views.

9. Amicola Falls – GA

This hike includes 600 steps. If that doesn’t give you pause, you are either in rock-hard shape or you don’t understand how difficult 600 steps can be. It’s said to be the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. An extra is that the park is the start of the Appalachian Trail.

8. Haystack Trail – Coopers Rock State Forest - Morgantown, WV

This one is the shortest trail in this list (only 0.1 mile), but it’s still challenging. First you have to find it. Rangers and most maps don’t seem to know about it. If you go to the campground restroom, the map in front has a description on how to get to it. The view is amazing at the end and realizing not many people take this path makes it even more exciting.

7. El Malpais National Monument – Grants, NM

This hike is quite a challenge. Not because of elevation changes, but trying to find the cairns to follow the trail. We got a bit lost when we hiked it. The trail is along volcanic lava flow (well, basalt now). You have to jump over cracks and watch your footing the whole time. It’s a special hike.

6. Linville Falls – NC

This trail is tough. It’s difficult to go down to the falls. It is more difficult in the climb up. Grab roots and trees to crawl over the rocks. It’s both the challenge and the view that makes it worth it.

5. Enchanted Natural Area – Fredericksburg, TX

The main trail at Enchanted Rock is a short hike (0.6) but it is to the top of a 425 foot granite exfoliation dome. The views while climbing and at the top are gorgeous. Flowers hide in cracks along the way. The last time we were here we accidently got off-trail, but it provided a bit of a challenge and we found the trail fairly quickly. Stone Mountain is also pretty good but with too many people.

 4. Tucson Mountain Park - Tucson, AZ

This hike started for us from our RV park. We crossed several parking lots along the road, so there are other ways to begin the hike. There are miles of hiking trails in the Tucson area taking you through the desert. We found an old mine. We saw remnants of equipment used in mining. We tried to identify the different cactus and flowers and saw road runners and jack rabbits.

3. Lost Mine Trail - Big Bend National Park - TX

Big Bend is listed as one of the best national parks but the Lost Mine Trail deserves a second listing. There are legends involving silver and spirits. The hike is beyond spectacular. What incredible views!

2. Devil’s Hall Trail - Guadalupe Mountains National Park – TX

This trail is spectacular, especially with fall colors in November. It’s a river wash filled with white boulders that you have to jump between. Mountains are in the background. The end of the trail is Hiker’s Staircase and Devil’s Hall but enjoy the trip, not the destination.

1. Siphon Draw Trail - Superstition Mountain - Lost Dutchman State Park – Apache Junction, AZ

This trail is our challenge. We climbed much of this amazing trail but ran out of water and energy before the last section. We were told you need to start early in the morning with plenty of water (1 gallon each). We plan to return and make it next time. We climbed this in February and were still dehydrated before reaching the top. Don’t expect to find the Lost Mine, but the views are amazing.

Best Fun Places

 Bizarre places are fun!  Most of these places are free. The ones with a fee are marked.

14. Wall Drug – Wall, SD

It’s purely a tourist stop, but you don’t have to buy anything. Where else can you ride a Jack-a-Lope?

13. Delorme Map Store – Yarmouth, ME

The store is now closed but the 41’ diameter globe is still open and great to see for free. Besides testing ourselves on geography, we could remember the places we’ve visited and dream about new places to explore. This is the World’s Largest Revolving/Rotating Globe!

12. Magnolia Beach – TX

I’m listing this as the best boondocking location we’ve ever seen. No water or electricity, but you can camp on a beach for free. It felt like we had a beach to ourselves. A wonderful relaxing place to be.

11. Tornado Beam – Goliad, TX

Back in 1902 a tornado came through Goliad. It destroyed a newly constructed bridge. One of the iron beams flew almost a mile to land in the backyard of a house near the courthouse. The beam is so deep that no one was able to pull it out. This iron beam doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s list of bizarre places. We heard about it at the local museum.

10. Mound Cemetery – Marietta, OH

I love this one since it is both a mound (built between 800 BCE and 700 CE for chieftains) and a cemetery. The cemetery surrounding it has soldiers from the American Revolution to the present.

9. Tree Sculpture Tour - Galveston, TX

I loved this. It’s a walk among beautiful homes to find these sculptures made from trees that fell during Hurricane Ike. Some were funny and many were just gorgeous art. What a wonderful way to spend a few hours!

8. Backyard Terrors and Dinosaur Park - Bluff City, Tennessee

This is a free, but be nice and drop off a donation. This is an amazing display of full-size dinosaurs made by a guy in his backyard. The guy tries to make them as accurate as he can and includes information on the different dinosaurs. I don’t know how many there are, but let’s just say “lots”. The dinosaurs are placed along trails and some have sound effects.

7. Sloss Furnaces – Birmingham, AL

Walking through an iron mill from the mid-1900’s is a bit surreal. Big equipment where the rust just adds to the ambiance. Free!

6. Coral Castle – FL

If you were in love with Agnes Scuffs but she didn’t reciprocate your feelings, of course you would build a bizarre castle during the middle of the night! The tools used were handmade and no one really knows some of the methods Ed Leedskalnin used. The grounds are full of tables, beds, bathtubs, sculptures, and astronomical items.  I can’t picture living here, but I loved the look of the place. This one is $15 per person but is so unique it is worth it.

5. Very Large Array (VLA) – Socorro, NM

I love astronomy so telescopes are pretty cool. The VLA is equivalent to a radio telescope with a 13 miles radius. The view of these 27 radio telescopes is surreal. Plus they are in several movies like Independence Day, Terminator Salvation and Contact.

4. Kitt Peak National Observatory – Tucson, AZ

To get to the observatory, your car has to climb a steep hill. It’s better to disconnect at the bottom and just drive up. Below was warm, but we were freezing at the top of the mountain. But it is worth it to see the amazing equipment (25 optical telescopes and 2 radio telescopes) and to dream about what astronomers are finding.

3. Colorado River Raft Tour – Page, AZ

Instead of scheduling a week-long trip through Grand Canyon a year in advance, we took a four-hour motor raft tour on the Colorado River up to the Grand Canyon. The tour (Colorado River Discovery) starts at Glen Canyon Dam and travels through Horseshoe Bend. Views include an incredible rock walls, petroglyphs, and wild horses. This one costs $92 per person, but it’s worth it!

2. Luckenbach, Texas

There is no place as laid back as Luckenbach Texas. Spend several hours drinking beer and listening to the musicians who show up for Picker Circle. All types of people show up. This is true America. Music is free but, of course, you pay for a beer and food.

1. Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo, TX

For both of us, this is our favorite bizarre place to visit. The ends of ten Cadillacs are buried in a field in the middle of nowhere. Yet there are always people of all ages stopping with cans of spray paint to decorate the cars. They say whatever you paint will last less than 24 hours before someone else paints over your masterpiece. That’s part of the cool factor. The cars now have thick layers of paint. Who knows what they will look like in a few years!

Best Museums

I like the weird museum’s best, but I did list a few big museums that are worth fighting the crowds.

10. Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum – Albuquerque, NM

I didn’t expect this to be anything special, but it was an excellent museum to see the history of balloon and other lighter-than-air flight. Some was older history like balloon flights in France and some were current records.

9. White Sands Missile Range Museum – Las Cruces, NM

This museum is a combination of unsettling items like nuclear detonation and fun things like a Darth Vader helmet. There is an section with minerals and crystal from the area. The best part is the rocket park with 50 different types of rockets, missiles, and aircraft.

8. National Naval Aviation Museum – Pensacola, FL

This is a BIG military museum. It would be easy to spend a week seeing the different displays, planes, helicopters, and carrier sections.

7. The Sixth Floor Museum - Dallas, TX

The museum is full of audio visual displays so that you feel you are back at that time. The museum is in the Texas School Book Depository and near the Grassy Knoll. Lots of memories.

6. T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum – Pensacola, FL

It has local history and oddities, but I love this museum just for the Petrified Cat!

5. National Air and Space Museum - Washington, DC

Mostly I don’t like to list the popular sites since it is difficult to enjoy the experience with so many people. But the National Air and Space Museum is incredible. The history of the items is amazing. Brave the crowds and go.

4. US Space Walk of Fame – FL

The Kennedy Space Center is amazing. It is big and expensive with crowds of people. But the US Space Walk of Fame is a labor of love. The museum was organized by the people who worked at Kennedy Space Center. These are the small items that were used in the space program with many of them signed by astronauts. The tour guides are people who worked in the space program.

3. Battleship Cove – Fall River, MA

This museum includes a battleship, a destroyer, a submarine, and a Russian ship along with smaller exhibits. In all of them, you can climb stairs and crawl through hatches to pretend you are living on these ships. Matter of fact, school kids stay the night. Of course, the fact that John served on the USS Joseph P. Kennedy (we even saw his rack he slept in!) has nothing to do with this being added to the list.

2. Old Warren County Court House Museum – Vicksburg, MS

This is a small museum that is full of donations from the locals. Lots of Civil War and Jefferson Davis items. The best is the pregnant minie. This is the one where the minie ball supposedly pieced the man-parts of a solder then traveled into a lady making here pregnant. That’s their story and they are sticking to it!

1. Museum of Osteology – Oklahoma City, OK

This museum of bones is my favorite museum of all time. It’s incredibly educational since you see a unique view of animals. Many of the animals I never heard of before coming here. Plus it has the creepy value of bones. Don’t miss the bugs in the entry area. The display shows live bugs cleaning bones.