Pictures of the Week 2008-42
Hello All,
Departing St. Louis we jumped on I-55 south. We followed it to West Memphis, AR where we parked the rig on the banks of the Mississippi River over the Labor Day weekend. We try to stay off the roads during holidays. It was a fun place to stay, as we could watch from the RV, commercial towboats going up and down the river. There was a steady flow of these big towboats pushing barges 24 hours a day. It was fascinating watching how they can maneuver a whole string of barges around curves in the river current.
Departing St. Louis we jumped on I-55 south. We followed it to West Memphis, AR where we parked the rig on the banks of the Mississippi River over the Labor Day weekend. We try to stay off the roads during holidays. It was a fun place to stay, as we could watch from the RV, commercial towboats going up and down the river. There was a steady flow of these big towboats pushing barges 24 hours a day. It was fascinating watching how they can maneuver a whole string of barges around curves in the river current.
After the holiday we hooked
the rig up and crossed the Mississippi River into Memphis, TN, where we picked
up US-72 eastbound. We followed US-72
into Mississippi and then Alabama. At
Florence, AL, we parked the rig on the banks of Tennessee River/Pickwick Lake
and will stay in the area for a month or so. Our plan is to shop for a house to
buy. We have explored all the states and
have determined that the “Shoals Area” of the Tennessee River Valley in northwest
Alabama is where we want to settle. Cost
of living, taxes, weather, amenities, college town, affordable housing,
recreational opportunities, diversity of ages, cultural diversity, good medical
facilities, and friendliness of people are some of the criteria we used in
making our decision.
Pickwick Lake is formed by a dam on the Tennessee River 49 miles downstream from Florence. We watch commercial towboats going up and down the waterway from our rig here also. However, there are not as many as there were on the Mississippi River.
There are 652 miles of navigable water on the Tennessee River, stretching from Paducah, KY to Knoxville, TN. The river has eleven major dams that create large lakes. Wilson Dam is located at Florence. In 1918, a year after the United States entered World War I, the building of Wilson Dam began. The United States needed nitrates for ammunition and explosives, prompting President Woodrow Wilson to approve the building of two nitrate plants and a dam to supply needed electricity for the plants. Wilson Lake is upstream from the dam and Pickwick Lake downstream. A small paddlewheel boat called the “Pickwick Belle” operates on the lakes for dining and scenic trips. This is our view from the back of the RV.
Pickwick Lake is formed by a dam on the Tennessee River 49 miles downstream from Florence. We watch commercial towboats going up and down the waterway from our rig here also. However, there are not as many as there were on the Mississippi River.
There are 652 miles of navigable water on the Tennessee River, stretching from Paducah, KY to Knoxville, TN. The river has eleven major dams that create large lakes. Wilson Dam is located at Florence. In 1918, a year after the United States entered World War I, the building of Wilson Dam began. The United States needed nitrates for ammunition and explosives, prompting President Woodrow Wilson to approve the building of two nitrate plants and a dam to supply needed electricity for the plants. Wilson Lake is upstream from the dam and Pickwick Lake downstream. A small paddlewheel boat called the “Pickwick Belle” operates on the lakes for dining and scenic trips. This is our view from the back of the RV.
One morning we were surprised when we woke and
opened the curtains. The river barge
“River Explorer” was tied up in back of the RV.
It is the first and only hotel floating barge in the United States. They travel to six different river regions of
the country on 4 to 10-day excursions of America’s inland waterways. It’s
actually three vessels in one, the LaSalle Barge, the Desoto Barge, and the
towboat M/V Miss Nari. The two 295-foot
barges are named after two of America’s earliest explorers of the Mississippi
River. Measuring 730 feet long and 50
feet high, the River Explorer was built in 1998. Looks like it would be a fun
way to see a lot of neat off the beaten path country. Their trips are all inclusive. Your ticket price covers your cabin, food,
non-alcoholic beverages, shows, and excursions off the barge. And, they have a no tipping policy. Should anyone be interested you can find the
details on their website at riverbarge.com
About 10 o’clock in the
morning the tour buses started picking up passengers that were taking shore
excursions to the many sites in the area.
One excursion possibility might be to “Ivy Green,”
the birthplace and childhood home of Helen Adams Keller. Known as America’s First Lady of Courage, she
was born on June 27, 1880, in the town of Tuscumbia.
Another possibility might be
one of the many music recording studios in the area. They will allow tours provided a recording
session is not taking place.
The Shoals Area is made up of four municipalities known as the Quad Cities--Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals. Muscle Shoals is known for recording many hit songs from the 1960s through today at Fame Studios, where Aretha Franklin recorded many of her songs, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which developed work for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and countless others. While the music from the area is often referred to as the "Muscle Shoals Sound," all four of the Quad Cities have significantly contributed to the area's impressive musical history.
A number of artists have made successful pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals in an effort to escape the limelight to write and record. Both Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are still in operation in addition to another half dozen recording studios in the area. While famous for classic recordings from Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, recent hit songs such as “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood and “I Loved Her First” by Heartland continue the city's musical legacy.
The Shoals Area is made up of four municipalities known as the Quad Cities--Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals. Muscle Shoals is known for recording many hit songs from the 1960s through today at Fame Studios, where Aretha Franklin recorded many of her songs, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which developed work for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and countless others. While the music from the area is often referred to as the "Muscle Shoals Sound," all four of the Quad Cities have significantly contributed to the area's impressive musical history.
A number of artists have made successful pilgrimages to Muscle Shoals in an effort to escape the limelight to write and record. Both Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios are still in operation in addition to another half dozen recording studios in the area. While famous for classic recordings from Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, recent hit songs such as “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood and “I Loved Her First” by Heartland continue the city's musical legacy.
Florence is frequently
referred to as "the birthplace of the Blues." W.C. Handy was born November 16, 1873, in
Florence and is generally regarded as the "Father of the Blues." His birthplace
home is now a museum. Every year since 1982, the W.C. Handy Music Festival is
held in the Shoals, featuring blues, jazz, country, gospel, rock and R & B
music.
A number of current music
celebrities have homes in the serene rural mountainous area of the Shoals or on
estates along the Tennessee River. Among
those with homes in the area are George Strait, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns