Saturday morning, I was rudely awakened by a tornado siren that once again sounded in Montgomery, Alabama. I wanted to take a picture of how hard it was raining, but a digital camera is just not fast enough to catch the lightnings. So a picture of my window and my balcony drenched will have to do. Needless to say, I stayed put on Saturday -- I am not fond of rain or mud that follows.
Today, though, turned out to be a beautiful day so I made my excursion to the Moundville Archaeological Park, about 2 1/2 hours away. I had wanted to see Gaineswood (mansion) but it isn't open on Sundays. The park is about 300 acres and is supposedly the best preserved prehistoric settlement of the Indians east of the pueblos. From 1,000 A.D. to 1,500 A.D., Mississippian Indians settled here and made it their home. They built mounds, topped with structures such as houses for their chiefs and nobles, and a mile-long wall. The archaeologists believe as many as 3,000 Indians lived here, making their living as farmers, traders, artisans, etc. Apparently, the area was deserted by the time DeSoto passed this way in 1540.
There is a loop around the mounds that you can drive. I chose to walk because it was only 1-2 mile long loop. I climbed 82 steps up the largest mound, where chief's house or a temple was believed to have been built on top. The Chieftain's Mound is the tallest in the park. I also stopped by Jones Archaeological Museum.
I had also wanted to stop by Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, which supposedly has the best bbq ribs in the state, but time and traffic forced me to cancel. It will have to be made another trip.
Haven't decided what to do next weekend yet, but I still have Florence, Scottsboro, and Birmingham to visit.
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