Riverwalking in Tuscaloosa (2)

In a previous post I discussed the Riverwalk along the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa and shared some photos from a recent trip there. I'd like to continue here with more photos and comments.

This historical marker describes the river so important to ancient and modern Alabama history. The text of each marker across the state approved by the Alabama Historical Association is available on the Alabama Department of Archives and History website. They are listed by county. 

 Some colorful boats were parked along the riverbank that morning. 

 Two more pretty views of the river from the many I took.

  

 The Bama Belle paddle boat is docked in a cove along the Riverwalk and is available for rentals. 

 On the way to see the Bama Belle we encountered this mysterious structure across a field. 

Riverwalking in Tuscaloosa (1)

Recently Dianne and I traveled to Tuscaloosa to visit daughter Becca Leon who's just taken a position as Manager of the Belk Activity Center there. The Belk is part of the extensive offerings of the Tuscaloosa Parks and Recreation Authority or PARA.

We had breakfast at Another Broken Egg located on the Riverwalk, a project of PARA that provides several miles of paved walking/biking trails along the Black Warrior River. As the photos below demonstrate, the walk is a beautiful place even on a hot August morning. Becca and her husband Matt say the Riverwalk is one of the best things they've discovered about Tuscaloosa. I've made some comments below and will share more photos in another post. 

Designers seemed to have added a touch of Stonehenge to the area.

The river provides some great vistas.

A few of the more unusual trees are labelled. 

Signs of humans are everywhere; we saw two trees with numerous carvings.

Nice shelters are available.

Numerous benches are located along the walk.

Something for young children is provided as well.

Some History in Tuscaloosa, Alberta & Northport

In late August my wife Dianne, daughter Becca Leon and I spent a morning taking in some historic places in Tuscaloosa, Alberta and Northport. We spent most of our time at Capitol Park in Tuscaloosa, site of the capitol from 1826 until 1846 when Montgomery became the current seat of state government. The building then became the Alabama Central Female College and burned in 1923. The ruins provide a fascinating lesson in state history.

Then we visited the Old Tavern next to Capitol Park,  the railroad depot in Northport and the Moon Winx Lodge in Alberta. 

I've put further comments on some of these photos below.

Each governor from the period has his own plaque at the site.

The ruins that remain are impressive and many small decorative touches have survived.

Four plaques tell us what the building looked like inside and out.

Here Dianne and I are posing in an arched doorway.

Daughter Becca Leon and her mom did some posing too.

We had hoped to see inside the Old Tavern now adjacent to Capitol Park but they were closed.

After Capitol Park we headed to Northport's historic train depot, unfortunately also closed.

Our final history stop of the day was the legendary Moon Winx Lodge in Alberta. The lodge is not currently open, but the sign remains in all its glory. The Moon Winx opened as the Moon Winx Motor Court in the 1920s. A restaurant on the property was known as The Barn and the Lamplighter. The motel was expanded in 1950 and again in 1954. 

Unfortunately, Glenn House, the artist who designed that wonderful sign, died recently. His sign was installed in 1957.  Dianne and I both enjoyed his letterpress printing class while we were in library school at UA in the early 1980s. Druid City Brewing in Tuscaloosa uses the image in its logo.

Someone thinks he's taking a clever selfie!

A Quick Visit to Bryce Hospital

In May 2008 my wife Dianne, son Amos, daughter Becca and her husband Matt Leon attended a Shores family reunion in Tuscaloosa. Before we left town we made a trip to the Bryce Hospital campus and snapped a few photos. 

Since patients were still in residence at that time, we could not go inside and were gently urged not to take photographs, either. The temptation was simply too great at the site of this Alabama landmark so progressive when it opened in the 1850s and so notorious in recent decades.

The hospital has a fascinating history and the University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections and the Alabama Department of Archives and History have much material print and digital related to that history. For some years patients published a newspaper, The Meteor; an issue can be seen here.
Also online is "Instructions on Bringing a Patient to the Hospital" dating from the late nineteenth century. 

Now that UA owns the Bryce campus, hopefully the original buildings and cemetery will be preserved.