Tannehill State Historical Park

Our day started at the Walmart near Nashville.  We had done some shopping there the night before, but found that one item was defective so I went inside to exchange it.  The scene inside the Walmart was at first rather intimidating.  There were police everywhere and crowds of shoppers.  It turns out that it was “Shop with a Cop” morning.  There were lots of kids happily discussing the toys they would purchase, but the policemen kept reminding them that they needed to buy clothes first!

Our journey south was uneventful.  By the time we reached Birmingham it was sunny and the temperature was in the upper 50s, so we decided to stop for the night at a state park where we could take a hike.

We found Tannehill State Historic Park just off I-20.  It had plenty of primitive camping right by the river.  Everyone else was camping in the full-hookup area.  After a quick lunch we took a 4–mile hike through an oak and pine forest which included a stop at the old iron smelting works.  The Tannehill Forge’s output was the primary output for the Confederacy during the Civil War after the Union army destroyed the forges in Richmond early in the war. 

The good news from the walk — David’s newly-operated-upon knee gave him no trouble.

Dinner was grilled chicken, yellow squash, and a salad — eaten indoors as the temperature had fallen.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)