May 13-15, 2018 Florence, Alabama to Hampshire, Tenneessee

92 and sunny.

We toured the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Here is the outside and John downstairs looking at all the albums that were recorded there. The keyboards and the sound studio. From 1969 thru 1978 many of the hits we listened to were recorded here. Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, an d many more.  It is restored to the original 1970's condition. 

Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd,  Linda Ronstadt recording there. The original bill for the Rolling Stones recording 3 songs. The bathroom where Keith Richards did the finishing touches on Wild Horses, Dec 3-4 1969 Keith and Mick stood at the same microphone at Muscle Shoals, lights dimmed, splitting a fifth of bourbon and simultaneously sang melodies and harmonies on the three songs they recorded over three days Brown Sugar, You got to Move and Wild horses. that's your rock 'n roll fantasy right there pal: a six piece band working in a tiny converted coffin factory across from an Alabama graveyard, on an 8 track recorder, with no computer editing or autotune recorded three songs representing 30% of one of the greatest rock 'n roll records of all time.  Mic in the sound booth. 

It was 100 degrees in the car when we got in after the tour. It was really only 92, but both are a bit too high, Hippies use the front door sign at FAME recording studios, Welcome to City of  Muscle Shoals , hit recording capital of the world. 25 foot  aluminum statue of a generic musician. FAME studio was closed on Sunday so we did not tour. 

Scenes from McFarland Park where we are camped. Trees in front of the Tennessee River are the right distance for hammocks. We have seen dozens hanging there enjoying the good weather. The golf course was closed and is now used as a frisbee golf course and the serpent in front of the bluffs across the river. 

Another day driving down the Natchez Trace. We missed Swamp John’s fish fry in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, we crossed into Tennessee. The Natchez Trace sign says Northern Terminus  57 miles, and southern terminus  386 miles. We are close to being done. Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark died on the Trace. The rest of the graves in the graveyard are small marble squares flush with the grass. This big granite Trace marker was placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution.  

We stopped at Metal Ford. It is one of the river crossings on the Natchez Trace.  We hiked on the mill race for the the iron mill that used to be there. 

  Meriwether Lewis grave and monument. The Grinders stand or Inn is where he was staying when he got shot. No one saw it so they don’t know if he was murdered or if he committed suicide here. 

We are staying at my friend Teri’s house, she has a 30 amp plug in on the side of her house that we are plugged into. John had to do some major limb cutting near the gate to get the bus into her yard. Here is the bus at her house.

John, Teri and her dog Scarlett on her front porch.  We all went to Columbia, the Mule Capital of the World. The rectory of the  Athenaeum school for girls 1852-1904. You can tour it or rent it, one of many cool historic houses along mainstreet and a monument in town. 

The three of us went to the Asgard Brewing company tasting the beers.  Sue, Teri and John. I finished the basket. I am calling it Peaceful Rain. It is 4 x 4 inches and has clear iridescent glass seed beads on the outside and a magnetite peace sign inside. a