Sweet Rhome Alabama

Curtiss NC-4
Pensacola Lighthouse

USS Alabama Memorial Park Aircraft
Plane damaged by Katrina (tail is gone)

Jimmy in the Brig
Inside the 16" Gun Turret

Live Oaks & Azaleas
Mistletoe

While in Alabama we went to see the Navy's Blue Angels at Pensacola Naval Air Station and visited the Navy Aviation Museum. The Blue Angels practice their show two days a week and it is open to the public. It was great to be able to see them without the huge crowd airshows draw. The museum has a large number of Naval aircraft from early flying boats to the latest jets. Some of the oldest planes are the same ones we saw at the Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York last August. We also saw the Pensacola Lighthouse located on the base. We toured the battleship USS Alabama which is part of a large memorial park in Mobile. The tour was self directed and allowed us to go into all areas of the ship. The park had a submarine, a collection of aircraft and memorials honoring veterans. Many of the planes had been badly damaged by Katrina. We took a bike ride and found a beautiful street lined with live oaks and azaleas in the little town of Magnolia Springs. We also found a nice restaurant, Jesse's, where we ended up going twice. We learned from Richard the origins of mistletoe. It grows like Spanish moss and air ferns on a host tree. I am sorry I did not get a picture of Richard with a ten foot branch knocking a piece of it out of the tree. We really enjoyed our time in Alabama and doing things with Valerie and Richard.