A little side trip

I thought I would give our readers a little something different this week. I was fortunate to be off work for Memorial Day. A proud day for America to remember those who have sacrificed for the benefit of freedom for the rest of us. Anyway, I decided to take a day trip to north Alabama. My goal was to visit the old towns of Stevenson and Bridgeport. One or both of these places figured prominently in the American Civil War and were part of the Union Army “ratline”. However, I wanted to see the old depots. The day promised to be a hot one. I got an early start and grabbed a bite on the road. I got off the freeway at Reece City exit and took old highway eleven.  I stopped and snapped a pic of an interesting old barn and continued. A good way up the road I turned off onto what the map said was a county road. The road was paved, but that was about all. The paving was asphalt with gravel. Little to no straightness. After a few minutes I decided to stop and check my map. No road number signs were posted. I thought I had turned too soon or something. No, I was right. So I kept going. A little further I came to a stop on a better road. Turned left and came to a more improved highway. Saw the number I was looking for and I was on my way to Flatrock, Alabama. Whoopee! Driving and driving ever upward. Mostly farms of course. Not many people. I noticed that since I got on highway eleven there were very few other vehicles. A little bit after Flatrock I saw a sign that indicated steep grade ahead. I was moving down into the Tennessee River valley. I had been driving for some time and was glad to be getting to my destination. I noticed I was driving by mudflats and soon came to a massive steel girder bridge. The John Snodgrass Bridge in fact. I wanted a pic but decided to go across to get it as I did not see a good spot to snap one on the near side. I saw a boat launch area and pulled off and got the pic. A few more minutes and I was in “downtown” Stevenson. A picturesque old river town with a picturesque old depot, now a museum. I got out into more heat. Being a photographer isn't easy. I looked around. The museum was closed as expected. Then I began to take pictures. Suddenly I heard a wonderful sound. It was a locomotive horn not too far away. I listened a moment more and heard it get closer. Wow, I thought, trains working on Memorial Day, what luck. Soon a massive Union Pacific locomotive followed by a CSX locomotive began powering by. I got some pics. I noticed at the front end were a number of Tropicana refrigerator cars. Interesting, I thought. I had noticed a street overpass a few blocks from the depot and got up there. I missed the train but took some pics of the one lane bridge. Next back in the cool car and on the road to Bridgeport. More next time, omscaler