Tag Archives: Rattlesnake Saloon Tuscumbia Alabamia

2023 Road Trip-Part 16

3 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 16 – July 30: 

 This morning, after breakfast, I headed east about 30 minutes on US-72 to visit the Apron Museum located on Main Street in downtown Iuka, MS.  The only thing moving this early on a Sunday morning were the big 18-wheel trucks rumbling thru town on their way somewhere.  Of course, the small street-front museum was closed, but the beautiful First Baptist Church of Iuka across the street was very busy!  A few blocks from the Apron Museum, I tried to visit the Old Courthouse Museum, but it was also closed.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It didn’t look like I was going to have much luck finding museums open today.  That was okay, since my plan was to visit friends later today, and wanted to spend as much time as possible with them.  So, now I continued east on US-72 for another 30 minutes, across the border into Alabama, to visit the Rattlesnake Saloon Restaurant where I was hoping to have lunch.  I had visited this ‘unique’ restaurant on another Road Trip, and wanted to enjoy that unusual dining experience again.  However, they wouldn’t open for another hour, so I just took a photo and headed for my next museum.

 Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was another 15 miles from the Rattlesnake Saloon to where I wanted to visit the Helen Keller Birthplace, located in Tuscumbia, AL but here again they were closed.  Well, I’m batting 1000 today finding anyplace to visit!  Next, while I was in Tuscumbia, I tried to visit the Tuscumbia Railroad Depot Museum, but guess what?  You guessed it.  They were closed.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was only about 10 miles east on US-72 and then north on US-43, across the Tennessee River, where I wanted to visit the William C. Handy Museum located in Florence, AL but they were closed.  This is really becoming a habit today.  While in Florence, next I tried the Indian Mound Museum, but it was also closed.  This was too much.  I’ve never had a 100% museum failure day on any of my Road Trips before.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I chucked the ‘Museum’ idea for today and got back on US-72 heading east and then north on SR-99 for about 45 minutes to visit my friends Terry and Mary, who live out in the boonies near Lester, AL.  I had worked with Terry on the Apollo Manned Lunar Landing program, and our families had been church members at the same church back in the 1960s.  Our children were friends and had grown up together, so I try to visit them every chance I get.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

We had a great visit, talking about our families (children), their families (grandchildren), friends, and my road trip adventures.  Then we headed to Monrovia for a delicious meal at one of Terry’s favorite BBQ restaurants, Jim ‘N Nike’s BBQ Restaurant.  I had their Baby Back Rib Plate with baked beans and cold slaw.  Yummm!  For dessert, I had a slice of their ‘To-Die-For’ cornbread with butter and honey.  My tummy was about to bust by the time I finished all of that, and I still had enough left over, in a dogy-bag, for another meal tomorrow.

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;baby+back+rib+plate

Back at the house, we reminisced about ‘The Good Old Days’ until we couldn’t think of anything else to talk about.  I said my goodbye, and headed to the motel, a good hour southeast, in Guntersville, Al for the night.  By the time I got to the motel, put my things in the room, and recorded my ‘LACK OF’ museum visitations today, I was ready to relax and watch some TV.  But as usual, there wasn’t anything to hold my attention, so I just went to bed and enjoyed another good night’s sleep.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 5

28 Sep

A Slice of Life

Bill LItes

Day 5 (5/20/2022)

This morning after breakfast I headed east 25 miles on I-22 to visit the Fulton Dragway located on the outskirts of Fulton, MS.  This was another one of those out-of-the-way places that gave Greta (My Garmin) a hard time finding.  Once we found it, It turned out to be a pretty simple track with no frills at all.  I took a photo of their ‘Winners Circle’ and was on my way.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I found my way back to I-22 where I went east a few miles and then at Tremont, MS I went north another 20 miles on SR-23, across the border again. to visit the Tifton Motorhome Factory located in Red Bay, AL.  To my disappointment, the last morning tour of the factory had already left by the time I got there, so I took a photo of the Visitor’s Center and left.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed northeast 25 miles on SR-247 to have lunch at the famous Rattlesnake Saloon, located just south of Tuscumbia, AL.  I had been told by friends that this was a unique restaurant, but in reality, it is one of the most interesting restaurant locations I have ever seen, the way it is situated in a large cave with a huge overhang.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites


It was at least ¼ mile from the parking lot, and then down a steep slope to the restaurant, located in a deep holler.  Luckily a ride on benches in the bed of a big 4×4 truck was available for guests.  I was really glad I had opted for the ride, as it would have been awfully hard on my knees to have tried to walk down that slope to the restaurant.  And then there would have been the walk back up that slope on a full stomach.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The Saloon is situated at one end of the cave (on the left) while the rest of the cave is used for the restaurant and bandstand.  The menu was a list of great sounding dishes with ‘Trail’ sounding titles.  I finally choose their ‘Smoked Trail Dog’ plate, which was smoked sausage and sauerkraut, with a side of onion rings.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

I understand the attraction started with the Seven Springs Lodge, that featured houseback riding and nature trails.  Over the years they added a campground, the Sidewinder’s Trading Post, motorcycle events, trail riding, and chuck wagon racing events.  There are also live Music and Hoedowns on special occasions.  WOW, what an interesting adventure

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After that exciting experience, I headed northeast 15 miles on SR-247 to visit the Helen Keller Birthplace located in Tuscumbia, AL.  This house and grounds tell the story of Helen Keller, who was blind, and was helped to become one of American’s leading authors, a disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer.  What an amazing story of what any person can do with their life if given the opportunity.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was just a few blocks from the Helen Keller Birthplace to where I visited the Tuscumbia Railroad & Roundhouse.  This museum is situated in the old 1888 restored M & C depot and displays antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia related to Tuscumbia and the surrounding Colbert County dating from the early 1800s.  The museum also has several restored pieces of rolling stock

Photo Credit: northalabama.org/tuscumbia-depot-and-roundhouse/

It was just a short drive to where I wanted to visit the Indian Mound & Museum located in Muscle Sholes.  I was looking forward to seeing the many historical items that have been recovered from this famous 3000 year old (Woodland Period) Indian Mound, but the museum was closed by the time I arrived.  So, I just took a photo of their sign and was on my way.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now, I headed northeast 45 miles on US-72, skirting the Tennessee River part of the way, to visit my friends Terry and Mary in Lester, AL.  I had worked with Terry for many years and our families had been very close.  They live in a beautiful house out in the middle of nowhere and enjoy the quiet serenity of the area.  We had a wonderful reunion and then went to their favorite 306 Bar-B-Q Restaurant for a great meal.  The rest of the evening was spent reminiscing about our years in Titusville where our children grew up together.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

——To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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