We had planned to leave Huntsville on April 27th, but David’s Invisalign braces had not been delivered yet so we waited until he could get started on that process yesterday. We got up early this morning and headed West. We plan to only drive four or five hours a day which I think is plenty. On today’s drive while driving through Tuscumbia, Alabama, we saw a sign for the birthplace of Helen Keller. It sounded interesting so we detoured a tiny bit to visit it. It was a very interesting tour and very informative.
The house was built in1820 by Helen Keller’s grandparents. Originally the property was 640 acres. Today the house sits on 10 acres. The house is simple but very nice with original pine plank floors. About 85% of the furnishings are original to the house.
This is the formal living room. The lamps are the original gas lamps that have been electrified.
The organ is also original to the house. It has been refurbished and can be played.
The china on the table is also the family china that was used every day.
The children’s bedrooms were on the second floor separated by a hallway. Two boys shared the room on the right and Helen and Anne shared the room on the left.
I’ve read the book "The Miracle Worker," and I’ve also seen the movie staring Patty Duke. I remember when her teacher, Anne Sullivan, first started trying to "teach" Helen Keller. She was a wild child and very spoiled and had never been disciplined. Ms. Sullivan suggested it would be best if she could remove Helen from the family home for a short period of time in order to teach her without interference from the family. It was decided that Helen and Anne would move into the small house next door for a few weeks. They packed up and they were driven around in the car for a long period of time before stopping at the neighboring house so Helen would think she was far away from her family home. Very clever! It is a very cute cottage!
This is the famous pump where Anne was able to teach Helen her first word — water. Something clicked with Helen and she learned 30 words that day and 600 words in one month. Amazing!
It was a really nicely done museum with a very informative docent. We are happy we stopped there.
We continued our drive to Marion, AR ad it was uneventful until we reached the exit for our hotel. In the other lane just adjacent to our exit there was a horrific accident involving 4 or 5 tractor trailers and 4 or 5 cars. One of the tractor trailers burned to the ground. I have not been able to find out if anyone was hurt although I’ve been watching the news. Prayers to all involved!
We stayed at a nice Hampton Inn and had an early dinner at a restaurant called Coltons Steak House & Grill which was just across the parking lot from the hotel. The food was great! We watched a little TV and went to bed early. How does riding in a car all day make you so tired???
The house was built in1820 by Helen Keller’s grandparents. Originally the property was 640 acres. Today the house sits on 10 acres. The house is simple but very nice with original pine plank floors. About 85% of the furnishings are original to the house.
The china on the table is also the family china that was used every day.
The silver tea service below is the oldest item in the house -- about 250 years old!
Surprisingly for that time period, the master bedroom was on the first floor. The quilt on the bed was made by Helen’s Mother.
The children’s bedrooms were on the second floor separated by a hallway. Two boys shared the room on the right and Helen and Anne shared the room on the left.
I’ve read the book "The Miracle Worker," and I’ve also seen the movie staring Patty Duke. I remember when her teacher, Anne Sullivan, first started trying to "teach" Helen Keller. She was a wild child and very spoiled and had never been disciplined. Ms. Sullivan suggested it would be best if she could remove Helen from the family home for a short period of time in order to teach her without interference from the family. It was decided that Helen and Anne would move into the small house next door for a few weeks. They packed up and they were driven around in the car for a long period of time before stopping at the neighboring house so Helen would think she was far away from her family home. Very clever! It is a very cute cottage!
This is the famous pump where Anne was able to teach Helen her first word — water. Something clicked with Helen and she learned 30 words that day and 600 words in one month. Amazing!
It was a really nicely done museum with a very informative docent. We are happy we stopped there.
We continued our drive to Marion, AR ad it was uneventful until we reached the exit for our hotel. In the other lane just adjacent to our exit there was a horrific accident involving 4 or 5 tractor trailers and 4 or 5 cars. One of the tractor trailers burned to the ground. I have not been able to find out if anyone was hurt although I’ve been watching the news. Prayers to all involved!
We stayed at a nice Hampton Inn and had an early dinner at a restaurant called Coltons Steak House & Grill which was just across the parking lot from the hotel. The food was great! We watched a little TV and went to bed early. How does riding in a car all day make you so tired???
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