Monday, July 5, 2010

Trip to Alabama



We made a trip to Alabama (Muscle Shoals area) last week as my dh was doing some accounting volunteer work for a missionary organization.

While the husband worked, the kids and I didn't. The area was rather weak in activities/tourist sites - but we filled in the time gaps with lots of swimming (much to the delight of the girl and boy) and insect collecting :)

Our favorite site was Tom Hendrix's wall (which actually my dh did get to see as well as we visited it on our way home).

Tom is a 77 yr old man who built the largest un-mortared stone wall in the USA, as a commemoration to his great-great-grandmother who was forced to leave the area during the "Trail of Tears", but made her way back after a 5 yr journey.

The wall is incredible to behold. To think of someone working on such a project day in and day out for over 20 yrs, is amazing.

Here is an article on Tom's Wall.

We actually got to meet Tom and hear a little of his story. He is very friendly and talkative...he enjoys talking about the wall and the different special rocks it includes (rocks from every state, various countries, a meteorite (he suggested I take a photo of the kids holding the rock), giant geodes - bigger than a basketball, and "the ugliest rock in Alabama" :)


Holding the meteorite.

Tom's wall is just off of the Natchez Trace Parkway at approx. milepost 338.

Geodes


1 comments:

CanadianGrandma said...

Amazing wall is right!