We had opportunity and motive to squeeze in one more trip before the end of the year.  We spent two days in Huntsville, Alabama – about 160 miles NW of Acworth.  Bella’s boyfriend Foster accompanied us (6 in the car!) as his independent travel plans were changed.  Foster was scheduled to fly up to visit his father in CT, but learned that Dad tested C19 positive.  So, Foster remains in GA and his father goes into Isolation for a couple of weeks.

Our first stop was to Burritt Mansion and Park on top of Monte Sano just outside of Hunstville.  From the top, you get a clear view of downtown.

Entering the Burritt mansion – finished in 1938.  Dr. Burrit made his money first by marrying a very wealthy widow and then using some of those funds to develop several pneumatic tire patents in the 1910-1925 time period.

He built his Xanado on top of the mountain; this house was the very first to be electrified in Huntsville in 1938.

We were the only visitors to the house and got an extra special tour from the bored Docent.  He let us past the normal roped off areas and gave us an extra special tour of the neat things in the house.

The rest of the property is used as a farm to show up planting and animal techniques.  They have relocated and restored a dozen 19th century houses and other buildings from all over northern Alabama.  They are all open to be explored.

But of course, everyone just heads over to the pigs to give them a good scratching.

Waiting for lunch at the steakhouse.

Our next stop was to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.  Huntsville is known as “Rocket City” due to the location of the HQ for Rocket development and testing in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Saturn V rocket – used for all NASA missions from 1967 to 1973.  To date, still the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever made.

Eisenhower moved Herr. Werner von Braun and his formerly-teutonic minded cohorts to Huntsville to focus on rocket engine and missile development.  The Museum shows the design, development, prototypes and remaining bits from all significant NASA programs.. Jupiter through the Apollo missions.  They have been involved also with Skylab, the Space Shuttle and the Space Station programs.

Outdoor junkyard with left over Saturn I test rocket, Saturn V rockets, various missile launchers, radar stations & etc.

Space Shuttle Pathfinder and the complete Shuttle Stack – the only one in the world.

We finished our visit with a trip to the US Veterans Memorial Museum.  This is less a museum and more of a huge warehouse packed to the rafters with “Stuff”.  It is run by three old former military men who lovingly look over the enormous collection of artifacts.  Most items are from WWII, but they have displays from the Revolutionary War up through Desert Storm.  These guys need about 10x the amount of space allotted to be able to see everything they have accumulated.

Once again, we were the only visitors there that morning.  Those guys got all excited about 4 “kids” seeing their collection and we got extra personal (too much, Bella would say) attention as we wandered down the corridors.  Jim, this is another place you simply must visit.  Those old guys even had deck chairs set up in the middle of the building so that the folks can just sit and shoot the breeze for hours about any military subject you choose to quiz them on.

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