We chose to spend three nights in the Florence – Sheffield – Tuscumbia – Muscle Shoals area. Pete was able to catch up with a scouting friend from San Pedro, California, whom he hadn’t seen in over 50 years. Rusty and his wife, Mary-Eileen, were gracious hosts during our visit. They shared some of their favorite places in Colbert County and introduced us to their group of friends from the University of Northern Alabama, where Rusty had been a Professor of Political Science, and their neighbors who are part of a large community of musicians who call the Muscle Shoals area home. After visiting with Rusty and Mary-Eileen at their home and learning about Rusty’s passion for Bonsai, we met up with a group of their friends to have dinner and be entertained by members of the Fathers & Sons band at FloBama in downtown Florence.
Florence is close to the Natchez Trace Parkway. This National Scenic Byway passes through Colbert County and provides numerous walking trails with many examples of local flora and fauna including beaver dams and sun basking turtles.
Nearby is Te-lah-nay’s Wall (aka Tom Hendrix’ Wall.) Tom’s great-great-grandmother, Te-lah-nay, was part of the Yuchi Indian tribe that lived near here along the Tennessee River in the 1800’s. Her journey began when she and her sister, Whana-le, were sent to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma as part of The Trail of Tears, the removal of native peoples from the southeast. But that was only the beginning of her journey. Her tribe called the Tennessee River the Singing River because they believed a woman who lived in the river sang to them.
Tom built this wall to commemorate his great-great-grandmother’s journey to Oklahoma and back home again to Alabama. Learn more about the Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall here.
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