Troop 45 Alabama Trip July 1

Troop 45 Alabama Trip July 1-6, 2006
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Base Camp 1: Dismals Canyon
	We stopped at Dismals Canyon, just north of Hackleburg, AL, and camped atop the bluff (Boy Scout Campground). This was a rocky bluff, 973' above sea level. We arrived Saturday about noon, and then spent the afternoon doing the lower run of Bear Creek in canoes. We set up camp that night, had a hearty meal of Cowboy Beans and tortillas, and turned in for the night. Sunday we attended church at Hackleburg United Methodist, where we were asked to be the Color Guard for the community Fourth Of July celebration at Hackleburg First Baptist that night, Seems their Color Guard had been deployed to Iraq a month earlier, and we showed up six hours before the celebration began. The troop leadership readily agreed to the plan, and at 5:00 that night, in full Class A, Troop 45 posted the colors, and then retired the colors for the "Stars And Stripes Forever" event. The whole community seemed to be there. The day ended up with the troop being invited to eat dinner on the grounds with the church (smoked Boston butts, eight kinds of baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, home made pickles, watermelon, home-made ice cream, squash relish, coconut cake, and on, and on, and on......) The Scouts were asked to be the judges for the home-made ice cream contest. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Sunday night we visited the canyon to see the Dismalites.
	The troop stands in front of one of the many caves in the rock formations at Dismals Canoyon. Monday was spent doing a service project, and we removed 44 pounds of trash from the canyon floor. Lots of swimming in the swimming hole, plus geocaching that afternoon.
	Tuesday we broke camp early, and headed south to Tannehill State Park. In the van, out of the van, happy travelers. We stopped along the way for a picnic lunch, and made it to Tannehill mid-afternoon.

Base Camp 2: Tannehill State Park
	After setting up camp, we headed to Birmingham to watch the fireworks. We were at the base of Vulcan Park, the closest anyone could get to the fireworks. The show was magnificent. After a heavy cracker barrel that night, we hit the sack. Wednesday we went to Moundville Archeological Park, and learned about the Indian Mounds and the UAB archeology efforts there. Wednesday evening, we had out "big dinner" of the trip: Eight pounds of beef pot roast, mashed potatoes (peeled in camp) with butter and beef gravy (home-made), fresh green beans cooked with olive oil and dill seed, toasted buttered bread, fresh cucumbers, and two big peach cobblers.
Moundville Archeological Park

The Moundville Park has 26 Indian Mounds, a typical Indian Village mockup, a splendid view of the Black Warrior River, and a cool (and air conditioned) museum with a 1,000 year old dugout canoe and the famous "eye in hand" stone.
Heading Home
	The last visit of the trip was to the Alabama Iron and Steel Museum, where we saw the history of iron smelting and forging in the state. The museum is located just feet from the Tannehill Furnace, where the Confederacy made iron for the war effort until 1864.
	The last event was eating lunch at the Olive Garden in Tuscaloosa. We spent two and a half wonderful hours eating salad, soup., bread sticks, spaghetti, calamari, stuffed mushrooms, and ice cream. We made it back to Starkville about 4:30, well fed, and ready to go home.