Monte Santo and more history!

Here we are at the top of Monte Santo mountain in Huntsville, AL.  Unfortunately it was cloudy so the view wasn’t as incredible as it could have been had it been sunny but as you can see in the picture below, it was still pretty amazing.

We also toured the Burritt Mansion built as a retirement home in 1938 for Dr. William Burritt, a holistic physician.  When he died he left 167 acres to the city of Huntsville as long as they would make a museum.  The museum is his mansion and a collection of 19th century historic rural structures relocated to the site. 

Dr. Burritt's music box

We saw how life was in the 1800’s.   We also learned how to use a drop spindle and a spinning wheel to create yarn out of sheep’s wool.  A few pictures of our day!

Always the inspector.  Look under the house!

Now we are back on the river and our destination is Goose Pond Colony Marina.  One more night at anchor after we leave here and we will arrive in Chattanooga!  Our plan is to stay here for the week for some land time and then head out.  They call this Painted Bluff because of all the colors in the rock.

To once again demonstrate how small the world is.....I was searching the internet for information on Chattanooga when I came across the blog of a couple that had just finished the Loop in April.  I spent some time reviewing their information on their visit to Chattanooga, closed the computer and prepared fenders and lines to go through the Guntersville Lock.  This lock uses floating bollards so I had to loop one of the  lines around the bollard and sit while the lock is filled and we are raised up to the Guntersville Lake pool.  There on the top of the bollard was “Magoo 10/13/10.”  This was the blog I had just been reading moments before.  They had signed the bollard.  I have never met these people but what a small world.  So of course the Captain thought we needed to leave our mark at the lock.

 

Lastly, thanks Brian and Melissa for the tennis balls.  Here is how we put them to use.  They are on the ends of the spare anchor in the engine room so the floors don’t get scratched, and so they don’t puncture the insulation on the gas tank.

We were invited last night to a party at this marina celebrating a couple that just finished the Loop.   Such great people we have met.  We had great conversation about what lies ahead for us and got some great tips.  Southern hospitality is alive and well!       Pat