Jun 13
Click here and join me as I explore the North Alabama Airfest at Pryor Field in Decatur, Alabama.
North Alabama Airfest Airshow at Prior Field in Tanner, Alabama!
An Airshow is today’s choice of a micro adventure! It was held at Prior Field in Tanner, Alabama known as the North Alabama Airfest!
This airshow, North Alabama Airfest had a full array of vintage airplanes and a wonderful midway of food truck vendors.
The North Alabama Airfest airshow was an awesome event!
May 31
Over the years alligators have been reported near Decatur, Alabama’s Point Mallard Water Park on the Tennessee River. Some videos of the alligators near Decatur, Alabama’s Point Mallard Water Park have surfaced on YouTube.
So in this adventure I thought I’d go looking for gators in Decatur. I’ve seen the videos of the alligators near Decatur, Alabama’s Point Mallard Water Park as well as the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge.
I just wanted to see for myself if I could find any alligators there or anywhere close…
So, if you’re wondering if there are any alligators in the Tennessee River near Point Mallard Water Park in Decatur, Alabama then you’ve come to the right place!
May 21
Click here and join me as I explore the beautiful 1872 Southern city of Alex City, Alabama!
Today I decided to explore the beautiful southern historic city of Alex City, Alabama, incorporated in 1872. Unfortunately this will be a rainy day exploration but beautiful nonetheless.
According to the Encyclopedia of Alabama’s website:
Alexander City
Owens, Terrell
Located in east central Alabama, Alexander City is the largest city in Tallapoosa County. The city’s economy was tied to cotton, and especially textiles, from the early 1900s until that industry began relocating its manufacturing facilities overseas in the latter decades of the twentieth century. Notable individuals from Alexander City include former National Football League stars Terrell Owens and Jim Phillips, as well as Joe Forehand, a former CEO of Accenture. Bill Nichols State Veterans Home in Alexander City is named for Congressman William Flynt Nichols. The city has a mayor/council form of government.
History
The city arose on a site formerly occupied by several Creek Indian villages. James Young established a trading post there in 1835, and the city was incorporated as Youngsville in 1872. After the Savannah and Memphis Railroad announced its intention to build a line through the town in 1873, the city’s boundaries were redrawn and it was renamed Alexander City in honor of the railroad’s president, Edward Porter Alexander. The first community-funded school was founded in 1879, and a courthouse was constructed in 1889.
Avondale Mills in Alexander City
The town’s economy was tied to agriculture, principally cotton, and the first cotton mill was constructed in 1900. A fire destroyed much of the downtown area in 1902, but later that year, local banker and businessman Benjamin Russell constructed Russell Mills to fabricate undergarments. He and his family, along with the Comers of Avondale Mills (who arrived in 1919 and bought out the Alexander City Cotton Mill) would be a major presence in Alexander City for decades. In addition to the mills, Russell established several businesses, built a church, a hospital, and a waterworks facility, and had the first telephone lines run to the city. He also established a local chamber of commerce in 1910 and served as its first president.
The city’s economy was boosted further in the early 1920s by the impoundment of the Tallapoosa River with Martin Dam, which generated electricity for the surrounding region. The resultant Lake Martin prompted growth in recreation activities, and Benjamin Russell and his family became large landowners and developers in the area. The economic benefits from the lake still help sustain the city.
Russell Mills established a hospital in 1923 and a school in 1926 and would employ 2,000 individuals by 1930; the total city population itself was only approximately 4,500 at the time. To house employees, Russell constructed a mill village on Alexander City’s western border, but it was dismantled in the 1950s after commercial residential areas were developed in the 1940s. A public airport was constructed in the early 1930s under the Works Progress Administration and named after long-time mayor Thomas C. Russell, Benjamin’s brother. Sightseeing rides and flight instruction were offered at the field, which was also used for training by pilots from Maxwell Field in Montgomery County before World War II.
The city’s population more than doubled from approximately 6,400 in 1950 to 13,100 in 1960, and the former mill village land was used to expand mill operations in the 1960s. Benjamin Russell High School was established in 1950 and Alexander City Junior College in 1965, which would then consolidate with Nunnelley State Technical College, located in Childersburg, Talladega County, to become Central Alabama Community College in 1988. A new hospital facility, Russell Medical Center, opened in 1965.
Much of Alexander City’s economic fortunes were tied to the textile and apparel industries, which have declined drastically in the United States. The city’s economic base has since become more diversified in recent years.
May 15
Click here and join me on another micro adventure to the Magic City Octane Car Show!
Magic City Octane car show is this weeks Micro Adventure!
The Magic City Octane car show is held in Birmingham, Alabama in the Saks 5th Avenue Parking Lot of the Summit.
The Magic City Octane car show is held monthly is full of high end Supercars, Imports and Classics…
Some of the Supercars included: a Mclaren, One of only 3 Dodge Vipers, Lamborghini’s, Alfa Rameo, Corvette’s, Ford GT, Audi’s, and Maseratis! All at the Magic City Octane car show.
Imports included: BMWs, Subarus, Hondas, Mazdas, and more all at the Magic City Octane car show.
Classics included: Broncos, Camaros, Ford Trucks and more all at the Magic City Octane car show.
So I hope you enjoy my latest video – Magic City Octane – Over 7 Minutes of Supercars, Imports and Classics!
The Magic City Octane car show is a must see for any car enthusiast.
Car shows are a piece of Americana and most are family friendly and free! So what’s not to like about the Magic City Octane Car Show!
May 08
Click here and join me as I visit the Athens Car Show in beautiful historic Athens Alabama!
Join me as I go on yet another adventure! This time it’s to the Athens Car Show in Athens, Alabama around the square.
Car shows are a part of Americana and the Athens Car Show did not disappoint!
All the favorites are represented from rat rods to sleek classic corvettes.
What great about the Athens Car Show around the square is half the city is blocked off for the event.
There is something new every time you turn a corner. Coups, sleds, chopped, shaved, you name it and that car was represented.
I even had a chance to purchase the first hot dog ever sold from the WildWood Deli! It was the southern. All beef, bacon, diced tomatoes, pimiento cheese on a fresh bun! The chef at Wildwood, Matthew Fisher, never disappoints!
Even if you’re not a big Athens Car Show fan, it’s still a fantastic day with the family enjoying the outdoors and great food.
So I hope you enjoy my latest micro-adventure – Athens Car Show – over 8 minutes of PURE MUSCLE! Rat Rods, Classics, and so much more!
May 08
Exploring Historic 1873 Cullman, Alabama! Warehouse District and More! Then I found this?
In this adventure we find ourselves in the deep south exploring the beautiful Southern City of Cullman, Alabama that was founded in 1873. We’ll explore the Cullman Warehouse District and eat a pastry in one of the quaint shops. We’ll also explore an antique store that was founded in 1969 and interview one of the employees.
According to – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullman_Downtown_Commercial_Historic_District
The Cullman Downtown Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Cullman, Alabama, United States. Cullman was founded in 1873 by John G. Cullmann, who purchased land from the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Most early commercial buildings were constructed of wood, with the first brick building, a hotel and restaurant across from the L&N depot, completed in 1881. Most of the early wooden buildings burned, including the C. A. Stiefelmeyer Storehouse in 1892, which was replaced with the current Stiefelmeyer’s building. A new post office building was constructed in 1910, at the same time as a major boom in construction. Following a lull during World War I, construction continued in the 1920s, including the First United Methodist Church in 1923. The majority of the 58 contributing structures in the district are one- or two-story brick buildings in basic commercial styles, some influenced by the Chicago School. Notable exceptions are the wooden Italianate Stiefelmeyer’s building, the stone Gothic Revival First Methodist Church, and the Neoclassical Federal Building and German Bank building’s corner cupola.[2]
The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]
Apr 26
Urban Exploring the Back Alleys and More of Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Home of the Crimson Tide!
The history of Tuscaloosa as told on https://www.tuscaloosa.com/history
The site of the future City of Tuscaloosa on the “Fall Line” of the Black Warrior River had long been known to the various Native American tribes whose shifting fortunes brought them to West Alabama.
The River
The river shoals at Tuscaloosa represented the southernmost site on the river which could be forded under most conditions. Inevitably, a network of Native American trails converged upon the place, the same network that in the first years of the 19th century began to lead a few intrepid white frontiersmen to the area. The pace of white settlement increased greatly after the War of 1812, and a small assortment of log cabins soon arose near the large Creek tribe village at the Fall Line of the river.
DeSoto
In honor of the legendary “Black Warrior,” a great chief who had had a fateful encounter with explorer Hernando DeSoto centuries before somewhere in Southwest Alabama, the settlers named the place Tuscaloosa (from the Choctaw words “tushka” meaning warrior and “lusa” meaning black). In 1817 Alabama became a territory, and on Dec. 13, 1819 the territorial legislature incorporated the town of Tuscaloosa, exactly one day before Congress admitted Alabama to the Union as a state. Thus, the City of Tuscaloosa is one day older than the State of Alabama.
1826-1850
From 1826 to 1846 Tuscaloosa was the state capital of Alabama. The University of Alabama was established during this period in 1831. These developments, together with the region’s growing economy, increased the number of the town’s inhabitants to 4,250 by 1845, but after the departure of the capital to Montgomery, population fell to 1,950 in 1850.
Civil War
Establishment of the Bryce State Hospital for the Insane in Tuscaloosa in the 1850s helped restore the City’s fortunes. During the Civil War Tuscaloosa County furnished about 3,500 men to the Confederate armies. During the last weeks of the War, a Federal raiding party burned the campus of the University. Tuscaloosa shared fully in the South’s economic sufferings that followed the defeat.
Growth
The construction of a system of locks and dams on the Black Warrior River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1890s opened up an inexpensive link to the Gulf seaport of Mobile, stimulating especially the mining and metallurgical industries of the region.
By the advent of the 20th century, the growth of The University of Alabama and a strong national economy fueled steady development in Tuscaloosa which continued unabated for 100 years.
The presence in Tuscaloosa of manufacturing plants of such large multinational firms as Michelin Tires, JVC America and Chrysler-Mercedes has established the city as an economic pillar of the global economy.
Apr 20
Click here and join me on another micro adventure on my motorcycle!
Today it’s all about rural exploration as I take my motorcycle out for a spin! I’m calling it – Then I Found this Old Cemetery? Confederate Soldier’s Headstone? What? 92 Rides!
I’ll take you through Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties in Alabama and end up in Tannehill Historical State Park.
When exploring the rural countryside you never know what you’ll find.
Today we find a beautiful old church and an old cemetery with a headstone of a confederate soldier according to https://www.dreamstime.com/mccalla-alabama-usa-nov-headstone-confederate-soldier-next-to-tannehill-country-church-ironworks-historical-state-park-image167761089
It’s found in Tennerhill State Park next to an old church.
Here is how the church is described according to https://rs.locationshub.com/Home/LocationDetail?rsLocationId=096-10152472 :
The Tannehill Country Church was built in 1905 and served as the Kimbrell Methodist Church on Eastern Valley Road until the late 1950s. It sat idle for about 15 years and then was donated and moved to the park. The church is a one-room building with one center aisle and pews on each side. Up front there is a raised pulpit area and a piano. There are two windows in the front and back, two windows and a door on the left side and three windows on the right side. The building does have air-conditioning, heating and a handicap ramp on the left side. It will seat approximately 100 people. There is no room in the church for a reception. The restrooms are in a separate building near the church.
My rural exploration ideas come from my childhood of taking slow country roads in rural areas in Montgomery, Alabama.
So I hope you enjoy – Then I Found this Old Cemetery? Confederate Soldier’s Headstone? What? 92 Rides!
Apr 20
Click here to see yet another micro-adventure as I explore Bessemer on my motorcycle!
Today I decided to go Urban Exploring in Bessemer, Alabama, by motorcycle!
I’m calling this one – Found All This in Bessemer? Urban Exploration by Motorcycle! 92 Rides…
Bessemer, Alabama is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama and is home of the famous restaurant Bright Star – the oldest in Alabama. While urban exploring Bessemer we’ll find old homes, stores, a beautiful historic downtown and so much more.
Urban exploring by motorcycle brings a whole new experience as you can cover more are in a shorter time.
Located in the heart of central Alabama, Bessemer is home to some 27,000 residents. Founded in 1887 by coal magnate Henry DeBardeleben, Bessemer grew rapidly in its early years, earning it the nickname “The Marvel City.” Growth continues to be our mantra heading into tomorrow.
Bessemer is the hub of western Jefferson County and is an economic engine driving development in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area. Our city is “business-friendly” and is home to a diverse blend of industries and companies.
Bessemer is home to great restaurants, awesome recreational amenities and a distinguished list of famous natives.
The Mayor and City Council invite you to visit the city and enjoy its flavor, its rich heritage and all the Marvel City has to offer.
Apr 02
Today I explore Inner City Street Art, Graffiti and More in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.
Birmingham, Alabama’s inner city street art and graffiti was simply beautiful. I realize that graffiti and street art to some is just vandalism in many cases. But this did not seem like the case as I explored the inner city of Birmingham, Alabama’s street art and graffiti.
Some might even say that a better description of Street Art would be to call them murals. But as I explore the inner city of Birmingham for this stuff I prefer to see them as street art. Street Art itself could include graffiti but has a broader scope of possibilities.
Many of these look as though the street artist used spray paint for tagging buildings and doors.
So I hope you like my latest Urban Hiking Exploration of Birmingham’s inner city as I look for Street Art, Graffiti and more!