Athens, Alabama

WELCOME TO ATHENS, ALABAMA

As you enter Athens, AL you will see this welcome sign.
It is a new sign made of metal, which replaced the old wooden sign that was beginning to fall apart. Had I know that they were going to be replaced I would have gotten a picture of it, and if I had, I would have a then and now picture. Oh well.

If you stop at the welcome sign, bring a packed lunch/ picnic and sit at the picnic tables to eat and look at the army plane. This plane is at the welcome sign to draw attention to the Veteran Museum that Athens has. More about that later.

Atlas really liked the plane. He wanted to fly it, never mind that did it did not have a motor.

He wanted to have this view from the other side of the glass.

"Oh, I love you!"

There is so much more to tell you about Athens, Alabama! This is just the beginning.

Highway 31 South

Athens, Alabama

Alabama Welcome Center Entertainment

So, the Alabama Welcome Center was celebrating the thirty fifth year of its opening. There was all sorts of fun happening.

Many people got their face painted. Atlas wanted to paint my face before he was distracted by this guy.

His name is TOPPS which stands for Temperature Oxygen Pressure Protection Suit. He is the mascot of Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. He is a nine foot astronaut and Atlas thought he was so great.

He yelled, "Hey, look at me! I am in outer space!"

 

He wants to go to Space Camp and be an astronaut.

Then he met Saber Tooth.

Atlas was like, "Hey, how are you?" and he just stuffed him in his mouth! You should have heard Atlas squeal! He was not scared at all. Such a brave turtle.

She was like, "We have talked about this!" and he was like "What do you mean?"

 

Then he was like, "See he's all good." Atlas piped up with "Hey!"

"La La La, I have a turtle on my head!"

"Good lunch. I mean turtle!"

Saber Tooth is from the Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age exhibit at the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center. Atlas is so excited about going to this exhibit. He talked me into it.

We got to meet the people from U.G. White from Athens, Alabama. If you ever get the chance to visit, I would suggest it. They have all sorts of goodies. We visited them and will tell you more in a later post.

He exclaimed that he wanted to drive it home. I had remind him that he already has a vehicle to drive. Then it was time to go.

Alabama Welcome Center Honors Veterans Lost

The Alabama Welcome Center honors the military beautifully with a couple of memorials.

There is also this sign that speaks for itself. It fit in nicely with the memorials.

 Atlas posed in front of the Vietnam Veteran War Memorial.

Inscribed on one side is the list of Alabama soldiers lost during this war.

That would be our reflection (Atlas on my shoulder).

Also included here is the Korean War Memorial.

This is the center, it has four more stone radiating out from the center.

As we were currently located in Limestone County, Alabama, we decided to take a picture of the stone that had Limestone County's lost soldiers.

Alabama Welcome Center

The Alabama Welcome Center celebrated thirty five years, and Atlas was there to witness the fun and have a little of his own.

Welcome to Alabama

This is the welcome center as you walk up.

These are the flags that have flown over Alabama.

There was a large crowd for a welcome center.

This post will be divided into three parts: welcome center and NASA, military, 35 years celebration.

The welcome center showed the Saturn rocket.
Atlas was so very excited to see the rocket.
He was like "Take a picture of me with it."
It was at first difficult to get the entire rocket in the picture, so I walked into the field beside\behind the center and was able to get it just through the trees.

"I think I will give it a kiss!"

He is so silly!

There were signs the told about the rocket and what it had done.

More indepth information

There was also this sign that told about the rocket and when it was placed there.

Look at Atlas hanging around.

Although this was Atlas's first visit, it was not mine. I remember when this fence was not around the base of the rocket. I find it sad that so many have defaced it and to protect it this fence had to be placed.

See the difficulty.

This welcome center is part of the Eisenhower Interstate System.

We will find out what that is and get back to you.

Anybody know what that is?

The Alabama Welcome Center is located on I-65 as you enter Alabama from Tennessee. It is on the South bound side but is easily accecced if you are going North.

birds' eye view

Atlas Easter Bunny

Atlas Easter Bunny coming up for air

Atlas has been busy! Well, more than he was over the winter months.

I am sorry that these pictures and this post is late.

Better late than never?Anyways....

For Easter, Atlas decided to fill 225 eggs and hide them for three children. I was originally supposed to be four children, but one could not make it. :(

To mark this event, Atlas dressed as the Easter Bunny and dove into the basket of eggs. He was just checking to make sure that all of the eggs were still there and accounted for. He is just silly like that.

We hope you had a great Easter. Ours was great!

Eggs counted and ready to be hidden

Spring

Spring has arrived and Atlas just loved the flowers that seemed to be coming up everywhere. He told me that he MUST get some pictures with them. So here you go a bunch of flower pictures.



hyacinth



He climbed the Jane Magnolia and just looked out everywhere!



He knows I love daffodils!



Dang that turtle can climb!



paper whites



He loved the tulips!



At this point, when we came back to the crocus, he was finished. He just wanted to lie down and look up into the sky and tree branches. NO MORE PICTURES now.