Recently, we were in Blount County, Alabama and got to look up some things – one thing was from the best website on graveshelters (the people who have it are just super-nice, too) – these shelters at High Rock Cemetery:
…and this one at Stewart’s Chapel Cemetery:
Couldn’t help but stop at this fruit stand, and got a big bag of Vidalias:
Lunch was at Benedikt’s, on County Road 27 outside Oneonta. It was odd. I wanted to like it, but the fried chicken had this odd tempura batter on it (think super-thick Chinese tempura batter), and everything seemed just…(ouch)…bland. It was self-service everything, as the food was buffet-style and drinks were from a fountain.
If you needed service, a sign on the table instructed you to pick up the small American flag on your table, wave it in the air, and sing a patriotic song (seriously). Not to be a stick in the mud, but to be a stick in the mud anyway, that’s not one of the ways I have ever been taught as okay to ‘use’ an American flag.
There’s chicken under all that batter:
All this to say: can someone please recommend a good restaurant in that area?
We also wanted to see how the covered bridges were doing – we try to visit them every couple of years.
Horton Mill bridge – this was built in 1935 and is the highest covered bridge over water in the US:
Closed to traffic.
This is how it looked a few years ago when I was feeling arty and playing around with b&w film:
This is the Easley bridge, built in 1930:
See that sign on the inside right of the bridge? It begins “Isn’t it sad the condition Blount County’s three remaining covered bridges are in?” and goes on to talk about the level of neglect they have gotten. I have to say, it is surprising how much worse they appear each time we visit. I wonder how much anyone in leadership (elected or otherwise) in Blount County has done in thorough research on government grants or other avenues of private funding for restoration. Surely there is something out there.
An older pic I have of it:
The saddest part of all was that we couldn’t even get to Swann bridge anymore from this side. It was built in 1933 and is the longest covered bridge (324 feet) remaining in the state.
Old pics:
Last year, we were still able to drive on the bridge. I hope something can be done quickly to get these bridges in better condition. Blount County, after all, still has an annual Covered Bridge Festival.
This is a great list of old, gone, and new covered bridges in the state. All the states are here (open the .htm file so it looks best). If anyone knows of a covered bridge society in Alabama, like some other states have, please let me know. Thanks!