Monday on the river

Today was a scorcher - predicted high of 102. Fortunately we were back on the boat in the AC by noon, and underway shortly after that.
Florence, AL, is a lovely little town. Actually it's four towns that run together - Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Muscle Shoals. Our tour included three varied and interesting stops.

First was the Rosenbaum House - the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama. What an unexpected treat this was! Y'all know how we love to see FLW houses, and this one is wonderful. It was built in 1940, with 1540 square feet, then enlarged almost seamlessly with another 1100 sq ft in 1949. It was lived in by the original owners until into the 1990s, then was bought by the city and lovingly restored and opened to the public. It's exceptional, and well worth going out of your way to see.

Then we went to Tuscumbia to see the home of Helen Keller. She was a magnificant woman, and her story is well known. Again, the house was owned by the family until it was turned over to an association to manage and control the property. There are mostly original furnishings and lots of memorabilia. It's great to see the actual sites of the play, The Miracle Worker.

A surprise was the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Oh, yuck, groan, etc. But it was really quite interesting. It was built to honor any musicians of any style or time who had ties to Alabama. Included are a classical flautist, an opera singer, plus the expected country, rock and roll, pop, blues, and jazz musicians. Another good stop.

A quiet afternoon followed, with lots of bridge, naps, and computer stuff.

Today's picture is of the lovely lady, the Delta Queen.