First stop on the way to breakfast, UAH, The University of Alabama in Huntsville! Nice campus, but they play hockey downtown.

Second stop, breakfast at the Blue Plate Cafe in Huntsville. That part of town looked run down, but when the parking lot was full, we knew it would be good.  Friendly place, and the Cheesy hash browns were very good.  Bob also tried the fried baloney!!  Spicy but good.  Rachel and Henry would be proud!

 

Then it was on to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center -- the visitor's center for the Marshall Space Flight Center. We didn't go in, we had a few more things on our agenda and some driving to do, so we walked around the outside to look at the Saturn V rocket, the A-12 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle Pathfinder Test Simulator. 

 

Then is was on the road south.  I-65 was very busy today... Memorial Day week heading toward the Gulf!  Sarah said that her friend Brenden used to live in Alabama, so she texted him and asked for a good place to eat.  He recommended Chappy's Deli in Montgomery.   It got 3 thumbs up from us.  There was a McAlister's across the street and a Panera just up the road.

Then we headed for Pensacola, Florida.  This wasn't on the original agenda, so Bob didn't have music for it.  Maria came up with something from Flo Rida ?? Oh well. In Pensacola we visited the Naval Aviation Museum which Bob saw once before when his nephew Paul was born ** years ago.  This is the Navy's equivalent of the Air Force Museum in Dayton.  It has grown since 19**.  

 

The last time that Bob was here, a Catalina like this was the centerpiece as you walked in.  Bob remembers that because he Dad talk quite a bit about that plane.

The plane that the Blue Angels flew back then when Bob saw them at the dedication of the museum was the A4 Skyhawk.  They are now hanging in the Museum.  There are a couple of F18 Hornets there, too. They have been flying the Hornets for almost 30 years.

Bob also got to see, but not play the A.C. Read golf that he play with his father so many years ago.  the Blue course was nice way back then. 

And appropriately, on this Memorial Day weekend, we also drove past the Barrancas National Cemetery and said a prayer as we passed.  Quite a site with all those white head stones in alignment.

Then it was on to Mass.  This week is Pentecost... so we went to the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Pensacola.  Then to add to the Spirit, nine of the children received the Holy Spirit in Confirmation!  Yep, we got the Bishop, the incense, and all.  The music was wonderful and the Bishop wasn't too long winded. ;-)

We got to church early, so we drove past and tried to find a place to see the water.   We found Big Lagoon State Park.  There was an observation tower from which you could see the Gulf of Mexico. Debbie and the girls walked the beach while Bob took pictures.

 

After that we headed for our next hotel in Mississippi.   We drove through a tunnel in Mobile, AL.  Down and up under what seemed to be downtown but actually took us under the Mobile River.  That was after a long causeway over Mobile Bay.

Traffic was moving on I-10 as we entered Mississippi. We drove so fast, the sign blurred.

Just joking, it was so late at night, the camera couldn't take the shot. 

Speaking of states, the girl have one left on their list of 48!  

We are playing the State License plate game and already have more than half!