Alabama

Fort Payne, Alabama
Wills Creek RV Park
Pull Thru #33

Bill took me to lunch two days in a row.  Yesterday was free and today was only $10.  He's one of the last big spenders.

Seriously though, we took a ride to Gainesville, Georgia for just two things yesterday...a loaf of bread and mushrooms for our steaks for dinner.  Bill pulled into a Publix Grocery and the first thing I saw was cherries.  Cherries and clementines are our favorite driving snacks.  Cherries for $1.99 so we put two bags in our cart.  The next thing we knew just about every aisle was giving away big samples of food.  They gave us four different scoops of ice cream and then asked what topper we wanted.  They had sandwiches, desserts and fruits and then more ice cream.  By the time we left, that was our lunch.  

I found this perfect dish that fits under the radio for our traveling snacks in Minnesota last year.  

We passed this Railroad Museum but we were enjoying the Corp of Engineer RV park so much we wanted to get back.

This was a first--the poultry park in Gainesville.  There's a chicken on top of a 25 foot marble obelisk.  Gainesville is famous for it's poultry industry.  

We pulled out about 9 am today under blue skies and another perfect day.  We both agreed that we were coming back to this area again.  Usually we take the red roads, but today it was black roads and beautiful scenery with up and down winding roads.  

We decided to stay in Fort Payne, Alabama as we found a nice Passport America RV park--Wills Creek RV Park. 

I didn't realize why Fort Payne was famous.  Do the names of three cousins, Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook ring a bell?  We passed this huge building that said "Alabama Fan Club".  They started the Alabama Band way back in 1969.  Hard to believe it was that long ago.  

Here's a statue of the band but I didn't get a great photo as I left the camera in the coach.

As we were driving through town, we happened to see a brown sign so we parked the car and walked a short way to 

the Fort Payne Historic Cabin Site which is along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

These Cherokee Indians were relocated 800 miles away in Oklahoma. 

 John Benge reported to Chief John Ross, "We find on examination of the condition of the detachment..collected at this place (Fort Payne)..that many of them at least two-thirds, are in destitute condition and in want of shoes, clothing and blankets..the detachments consists of 1190 persons..we have only 83 tents."

The only things remaining were the well and the chimney of the cabin.  

We gained an hour today in our travels and I told Bill I was hungry for Mexican food.  I can't tell you how many Mexican restaurants we passed driving through town.  Bill said to me, he doesn't usually like a buffet, but a Mexican buffet would sound good.  The next thing I see is a nice looking Mexican restaurant.

And a sign that says, "Sunday lunch buffet $4.99".  We both thought this was too good to be true.  As we walked across the parking lot, I said if it doesn't look good we're leaving.  

Bill and I were immediately greeted and we said we wanted to look at the buffet.  One look, and we both ordered it.  Our waitress was very good and the food was excellent.  They had a great selection of food and desserts.  

This one will be added to our favorite restaurant list.  

Here's our backyard for the night.  No frills, but neat and clean and priced right.  

Turtle Safely......