79TH ANNUAL COON DOG CEMETERY CELEBRATION

In our last blog Ol' Us were in Ol' Florida and we left Florida in the nick of time before Tropical Storm Hermine became a reality in the area where we were - Carrabelle, St. Marks, and St. Joe Sound area.

We drove to Red Bay, AL  for our motorhome to be serviced at Tiffin Motorhomes.  Some of our recent upgrades are listed in the UPGRADES tab of this blog,  but we decided we wouldn't buy a new 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus... just upgrade our RV so that it resembles a 2017... sort of.

This Labor Day Weekend was the 79th annual celebration at the iconic Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard (Coon Dog Cemetery), the only cemetery of its kind in the world, located in Cherokee, AL., about 20 miles from Red Bay, in a thick wilderness known as Freedom Hills.   More than 300 coon dogs from all across the United States are buried at this spot in Northwest Alabama.  The first dog laid to rest in this cemetery was a half redbone coonhound and half birdsong known as "Troop", buried on Labor Day in 1937, and owned by Key Underwood.

The all day event includes old time bluegrass music, buck dancing, a liar's contest, arts and crafts, and local barbecue by Bishop's Hawg House, plus several hundred of the most hospitable and friendly people we've met anywhere.

This may be the first time we've seen people dancing in a cemetery.  Hundreds of graves are decorated with flowers, flags and coins, handmade headstones, and many professionally crafted headstones of wood or sheet metal.  Witnessing one of these funerals is interesting, so if you have a few minutes, increase your volume and enjoy:  Coon Dog Cemetery Funeral

Hunter's Famous Amos - a hound named Ralston Purina's Dog of the Year in 1984, is buried here as well as several World Champion coon dogs.  The most popular breed of Coon Dogs include the Black and Tan Coonhound, Bluetick Coonhound, English Coonhound, Plott Coonhound, Redbone Coonhound, and the Treeing Walker Coonhound. All 6 breeds are registered with UKC.

 This is a place where only coonhound royalty resides after their demise, i.e., no lap dogs, no poodles.  If I didn't say it before, we were honored to attend such an interesting celebration and enjoyed another beautiful and memorable day in Sweet Home Alabama.

CHARMED BY A RATTLESNAKE

We have a suggestion for an adventurous evening of entertainment if you are visiting in the Red Bay, AL area and want to get away from the busy city.  Recently, a group of eight of us made our way to Colbert County, AL, in the Tuscumbia area on Highway 247 (turn left at Swamp John's), and continue past the sign directing you to the Coon Dog Cemetery.

Highway 247 North - Alabama

Highway 247 North - Alabama

Turn here to go to the Coon Dog Cemetery

  In a few miles you will see an arrow that directs you to the Rattlesnake Saloon and Seven Springs Lodge.  Just when you think "How in the world am I ever going to find my way back home?".... you arrive.  Are you ready for a unique evening?

Is that a snake on that sign?

Lots of old scenery to enjoy!

Entrance to Rattlesnake Saloon/Seven Springs Lodge

Upon arriving in their large grassy parking lot, we were ushered aboard the "Saloon Taxi", a 2.5 ton Ford diesel 4x4 pickup truck equipped with benches.  While I doubt the front tires were touching the ground after we boarded, we were on our way in a genuine redneck taxi to have dinner at the Rattlesnake Saloon.

Seven Springs/Rattlesnake Saloon Taxi

Ford 2.5 ton, 4x4, diesel redneck taxi to Rattlesnake Saloon

On the way to the entrance to the Saloon, before we started our descent down in a valley in the taxi,  we passed the Seven Springs Lodge.  The Seven Springs Lodge is an actual lodge where visitors can spend the night in renovated grain silos.  Yes sir, renovated grain silos.  

There are very specific instructions as we enter the road that carries us to our destination:

Entrance road to Rattlesnake Saloon

In case you need a reminder!

  As we wind down a dark and narrow trail the air becomes noticeably cooler and shortly we arrive at a genuine North American Indian bluff where the Rattlesnake Saloon sits under a very large natural opening in a mountain.  Now we've seen it all.

Did we really go down this road in a truck filled with people?

Final destination - Rattlesnake Saloon

  As you disembark the truck (er taxi), and try to take it all in (with your jaw dropping somewhere around your feet), the vastness of the area and what you are seeing for the first time is quite a surprise.  A cave, a building under the cave (restaurant) and the natural beauty of it all.  There are 3 places you may sit - under the rock (please don't let there be an earthquake while we're here), inside the restaurant, or on the very large sun deck.

Outside view - Rattlesnake Saloon

Restaurant seating inside 

Sun Deck Seating

Sun Deck Seating

Wood carving at entrance to restaurant

Interior of Rattlesnake Saloon Restaurant

Rattlesnake skins are everywhere!

Rattlesnake about to catch up with a rabbit!

  A country band begins to play and the big decision is whether you can take the sound ricocheting off the sides of the cave at a loud volume, or do we go inside where it may be quieter.  We opt to sit outside - we don't want to miss a thing!  A waitress in cowgirl boots takes our order off a menu - appetizers, sandwiches, or salads. You don't come here for the food but for the experience. 

Country band entertainment in the cave

Dance floor of Rattlesnake Saloon

 The fellow on the right in this picture danced the entire time we were at the Rattlesnake Saloon, which may be the reason he stays so thin.  His dancing style was somewhere between a mountain clog and a cotton-eyed joe, in fast motion - most unusual dancing style we've seen in a long time! You won't see these moves on Dancing With The Stars.

It was dark when we left the restaurant and because of all the tree coverage we couldn't see a thing, and maybe we didn't want to.  If it were during the day we may have walked back to our cars, but not in the darkness.  Returning in the opposite direction there were even more people on the back of our truck.  Now we know the back tires are the only ones touching the ground, and then we notice the cab of the truck is filled with people as well, so maybe we're o.k.  We stop one more time where the driver allows several people to disembark at the gift shop and the Seven Springs Lodge, and then we continue on to our cars in the parking lot.

In case you're interested, this is on the back of the taxi window

  This was a fun evening with friends and we would definitely do it all over again.  Maybe next time our surprised looks won't  be as evident.   If any of you are interested, they also have a campground with about 12 full hookup sites adjacent to the parking lot.  A little tight, but they are most reasonable.   

ALLEGRO CAMPGROUND 2009

If you've been following RV THERE YET since last year, you might remember how we make our annual pilgrimage to Red Bay, AL, home of Tiffin Motorhomes, the manufacturer of our coach. We make an appointment a year in advance and when we arrive we present them with several pages of service and warranty issues, adjustments and items we'd like added for our comfort....since this is our home. While the facilities provide water, sewer and everything you need, it is dusty and close quarters, so what you do is meet other people from all over the country - many of them full-timers like us, and you trade ideas and see what they've done to their coaches to make them more comfortable. On a daily basis, we are offered delicious fresh homemade country sausage, country thick sliced bacon, huge fresh farm eggs, and there's even a local restaurant owner that drives up and down the rows selling his famous bar-b-que. And I almost forgot the lady that sells fresh baked bread and the 90 year old farmer that sells fresh produce out of the back of his truck. All of these things add to the flavor of our annual Red Bay trip.

When your apppointment time arrives, you leave your parking area about 6:30 a.m. every morning and return to your parking space at 3:00 p.m., the end of the shift for the technicians. Each day you report to a specific bay (there are about 60 bays) and whatever needs to be done will be accomplished before you leave. A huge lounge is on site where coffee and comfortable seating is provided. Animals are allowed on leashes (since many RVer's have animals), and it gets lively sometimes. You sometimes spend hours in the lounge so you meet people from all over. Many people decide to get new coaches, refurbish old coaches, etc., and you can make arrangements to go through the factory where the 2010 models are in production. A bright spot for us is that you meet the people in the community and enjoy all there is to love about this small but special community. The cost of living doesn't compare to most places we travel - a delicious lunch is usually at the Piggly Wiggly, or Swamp John's for catfish dinners, and you meet people who can take care of just about anything you need on your coach, from beautiful finished carpentry, expert diesel service, to state of the art electronics. You might even meet someone who knew Tammy Wynette, from the Red Bay area, and certainly knew someone who wrote songs for her.

Since we were going to be in Red Bay on Labor Day, I had looked forward to the festivities which would be held in the Coon Dog Cemetery (liar's contest, buck dancing, bar-b-que); however, we had an opportunity to leave on Saturday, 9/5, after our coach was completly detailed - inside and out - (and all our service items had been compleeted), so we headed northwest to Tunica, MS, a town less than 20 miles from Memphis, TN. and we will recuperate and take life a little easier before we head toward the Branson, MO area.

Helen Keller's Birthplace and the Coon Dog Cemetery

We had a day trip to Tuscumbia, AL, birthplace of Helen Keller. Ivy Green, her birthplace, is a permanent Shrine and is included in the National Register of Historic Sites. The entire house and grounds are open for the public and has much of the original furniture of the Keller Family and hundreds of momentos of Miss Keller's life including her library of Braille books and old Braille typewriter. Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880. At the age of 19 months an illness left Helen blind and deaf. Helen Keller graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904 with her Teacher (Anne Sullivan) by her at all times. "The Miracle Worker", the play written by William Gibson, is produced each summer on the grounds of Ivy Green. It is now the official outdoor drama of Alabama. I thought it interesting that her mother was reared in Memphis, a descendant of the Adams family of New England. Helen's father served as a Captain in the Confederate Calvary.

Hope the next pictures don't confuse you....The Coon Dog Cemetery is actually one of those things around Red Bay that everyone goes to while they are here. It is located in a Wildlife Preservation and there are literally hundreds of graves for these beloved coon dogs. Wish I could have shown more pictures - they are all so different.