Florence, Alabama

Saturday, October 7th we left Coleman State Park and headed for Florence, Alabama. The city is located on the Tennessee River, an area that is referred to as "The Shoals."
As we travel to various communities one interesting thing is to look at the different architectural styles. I found this building in historic Florence unique.

We brought a picnic lunch and checked out McFarland Park and Campground which is on the edge of the Tennessee River - this is a campground we could consider staying in - in other words we think we could fit:) If you look closely at the photo below you can see large homes that are built on the side of the cliff. I don't think I'd want to cut their grass!

This fountain is located in Wilson Park, near the historic district of Florence. Another piece of trivia for the area is:

This is the birthplace of William Handy, the "Father of the Blues",

and Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock-n-Roll."

This building (below) is an exact replica of, The Forks of Cypress - originally built in 1822 but was struck by lightening, and burnt down in 1966, today it is the home of the Am South Bank. This was in the antebellum period.

This is a photo of Pope's Tavern. At one time is was a stagecoach stop, tavern and inn. During the Civil War it was used as a hospital. It is one of the oldest structures in Florence. Andrew Jackson is said to have stopped here.

J.P. Coleman State Park

On Saturday, October 7th we went to J.P. Coleman is a state park in Iuka, Mississippi which is in the upper NE part of the state. The park is located on the Tennessee River and is mostly used by boaters for sailing, water sports and fishing. The campground is very nice but we won't be able to fit our coach in any of the spaces:)

While we were at Coleman State Park we happened to run into an exhibit of artifacts and arrowheads. Some of the artifacts dated back to 9,000 BC. What was interesting is the number of people that were there with their collections. A few of the exhibitors were very willing to share information about their finds and the amount of time they spent on there hobby exploring and doing research!

Natchez Trace

The Natchez Trace is a 444 mile highway that links Natchez with Nashville. Originally it was a trail traveled by Indians and wild animals about 8,000 years ago. Along the highway there are many trails and parking areas. Portions of the Parkway follow sections of the original historic Natchez Trace. Some very nice features: no advertisments along the parkway, no commercial vehicles are allowed and the speed limit is 50 mph so you can take your time and enjoy the scenery. Prior to the Civil War, the trace was called the "the Devil's Backbone" since there were so many robberies.

Tennessee River, Colbert Ferry where George Colbert operated a stand and ferry.

It is reported that he charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his army across the river.

Pharr Mounds - over 90 acres there are 8 burial mounds that were built about 1,800 years ago! In this photo you can see two of the mounds.

Freedom Hills Overlook - we took a climb up a steep hill and were rewarded with this view!
This is the highest point on the parkway, 800 feet.

Cave Spring is above, and below is a photo of one of the walking trails.
The walk was soooo peaceful!

Elvis - Tupelo, Miss.

This is a sculptor of "Elvis at 13" walking to the Tupelo Overlook where he would sit and play his guitar. The statue is positioned with the chapel nearby. It's called the Memorial Chapel, the stained glass is very pretty.

This car is a 1939 green Plymouth sedan and is a replica of the car that the Presley family drove when leaving tupelo headed for Memphis.

This is the two-room house where Elvis was born in 1935. The house was built for $180. Around the house is a concrete circle called the "Walk of Life" - There are granite blocks denoting each year of Elvis' life from 1935 to 1977. The first 13 years have special markers to mark the years he lived in the area. The address is 306 Elvis Presley Drive!

Helen Keller Birthplace - Tuscumbia, Al

Tuscumbia, Alabama is the birthplace of Helen Keller!
Alabama became the 22nd State of the Unio in 1819 and the Keller home was built in 1820.
It was originally part of a 640 acre tract. This water tower is actually close to Spring Park.

The main house has four large rooms on the first floor. The actual well-pump where Helen spoke her first words, 'water', is in it's original location. They have many of the original furnishings and a large selection of braille books.

Spring Park & Coon Dog Graveyard

Spring Park is a historic park that dates back to the early 1800's. Here is the main feature of the park, the world's largest manmade stone waterfall. It stretches 80 feet wide and 48 feet tall and is made from 2,000 tons of local sandstone. Over 4.3 million gallons of water pass over the falls daily!

The carving of an Indian and the statue, called Sacred Tears, pays tribute to the American Indians who were relocated to the west following the passage of the Indian Removal Act that was signed by President Andrew Jackson.

In the town of Freedom Hills there is a unique tribute to man's best friend. Coon hunting is a great American sport dating back to the colonial days and is still very popular. Coon Dog Graveyard came into being on Labor Day, September 4, 1937, when Key Inderwood and his two friends buried his famous coon hound Troop. Since that time over 185 coon dogs have been buried at the site. Each year on Labor Day a BBQ picnic is held. It was interesting to read the unique headstones and epitaphs.