Palisades Park



View from the window inside the Meditation Chapel.



The Meditation Chapel





The Daniel Murphree cabin



The Old Compton School/Church



We just happen to pass a sign that said Palisades Park when we were looking for the covered bridges.  We decided we would go back and check it all out after looking at the bridges.  Are we ever glad we did!  Palisades Park is located approximately 5 1/2 miles north of Oneonta, atop Ebell Mountain.  The 80-acre facility is owned by Blount County and operated by the Park and Recreation Board.  Surrounded by the foothills of the Souther Appalachians at Palisades Park you can experience breath-taking views of Sand Mountain from a 1,300 foot elevation.  Breath-taking was what it was too.  There are approximately 4 miles of nature trails within the park.  A restored homestead of pioneer buildings were on display.  The Blount County Quilt Guild have their own building where they meet to quilt, there at the park.  We decided that when Fred and Elaine come back in the Fall, it might be a great place to go again, to see all the color of the Fall leaves. 

Covered Bridge Three

Swann Bridge

The third bridge and last of the day, was the Swann Bridge.  The road was closed going to it but Fred parked the car at the closure and we walked down to the bridge.  This bridge was originally constructed in 1933.  It is 324 feet long and is loacted one mile west of Cleveland off Highway 79.  It is one of the two remaining covered bridges spanning the Locut Fork of the Black Warrior River.  We met up with some other people and they said there was a big waterfall down the fork and we started out walking to it but gave up since it was going to be another mile at least to hike and Chuck and I had on the wrong shoes for hiking.  We didn't know we were going to be walking in the woods, sandy, rocky shores and water when we set out in the morning to find the bridges. 

Covered Bridge Two



Easley Bridge



Three monkeys?



The second bridge we found was the Easley Bridge.  Its the smallest and oldest remaining covered bridge in Blount County.  It was constructed in 1930.  It is only 95 feet long and spans a small creek.  It is loacted between Oneonta and Rosa.  This bridge was constructed by contractor Zelmer Tidwell, who also built the other two bridges in Blount County. 

A Day of Covered Bridges



Pretty Black-eye Susans by the bridge





There was actually running water going under the bridge



For the second day that Fred and Elaine were here, we decided to head over to Blount County to see if we could find some of the many covered bridges that are in Alabama.  The first one we found was Horton Mill Bridge. This bridge was constructed in 1935.  It's end abutment is constructed on ledge rock and the center piles are masonry and concrete.  It spans a gorge with vertical rock cliffs and is 220 feet long.  It's located five miles north of Oneonta.  It's the first covered bridge in the South to be added to the National Register.  Standing 70 feet above the Calvert Prong of the Warrior River, it is said to be the tallest covered bridge above water in the United States. 

Picking Dinner

Elaine picked enough beans for our dinner



Finding Janice in the corn patch...She's in there.

We made it home from Tennessee before dark, so Elaine and I went down to the garden to see what we could pick for dinner.  We did end up having an " Alabama dinner" ...8:00pm or later, but it was good.  I'm glad we had company to share the garden with. 

Lynchburg Square



This pic is for Shell and Becca...enough said..ha



Couldn't figure out what Abe was doing in the South and was afraid to ask.



Your move!

After the "Jack tour", we walked down to the town square where they were having "Depot Days".  It's a cute little square with some interesting shops.  We visited a couple of them as we walked around the whole square.  We just happened to run into Abe coming out of a store.  Afterwards, we kinda wondered what the heck Abe was doing here in the South but it was nice of him to let me take a picture with him.  Yes, that is a BIG hat that I have on and I love it!  It sure keeps the sun off my face and shoulders and half my body, when ya think about it.  :-)  I had several compliments on it, that day. I'm having fun wearing all my fun hats.  Wait until you see my fastenators ( spell?) that I bought to wear to Tea Parties.  Now, they are REALLY fun! 

We Visit Jack Again!



Where they make the charcoal



Barrel of charcoal



Barrel house up on the hill (where they store the whiskey for five yrs)



Elaine at the cave where all the water comes from to make Jack Dainels



Safe that Jack kicked and ended up dying



Fred, wishing



Even though Chuck and I had been on the " Jack Daniels Tour" before, it was still a lot of fun to go again.  The girl who took us was cute and funny.  I'm not sure if I could do that job of telling people the life story of Jack over and over all day long and then having to smell that " smell" every day.   She was good at it.  The grounds wasn't as pretty as it was in the Spring when we were there but it was still nice...just hot. I would go again, in any season.    Elaine and Fred enjoyed the tour as much as we did.   

Lunch at O'Houlihans

Elaine and Fred came up last weekend.  They now have been here all four seasons.  Not sure which season they liked best but they are coming back in the Fall. It's been so much fun having them come up every few months.  Fred rented a car at the airport and as soon as they got here on Saturday, they unloaded and after a walk down to the garden to stretch their legs, we packed up some cold drinks and snacks and jumped into the rental car.  We headed to Tennessee to see "Jack".  On the way we stopped at Fayetteville, Tn. at the big fabric store, to look for a piece of leather to replace the seat on Chuck's antique chair that is broken.  Chuck thought he saw some in there the last time we were there, but not this time.  Since it was lunch time, we had lunch at the cute little restaurant Chuck and I ate at, the last time we were there...O'Houlihans.  The food is good and so is the service.