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Location = Burritt on the Mountain. 3101 Burritt Dr. SE, Huntsville AL. Small entry fee. Pets not allowed.

Burritt on the Mountain is a museum which includes the mansion, his restored 1949 DeSoto, nature trails, the barnyard and the grounds where history comes to life. The other 12 buildings include: the 1808 Joel Eddin's House - the oldest existing in Alabama, a Blacksmith shop, Sorghum Mill, Church, Schoolhouse, and several other homes.

How Burritt on the Mountain Began

Dr. William Burritt graduated in 1890 as a homeopathic physician, following the footsteps of 3 generations. This is so nuts, I have to spill: William was the great-great-grandson of Reverend Blackleach Burritt.

What's a Blackleach? Anybody?? Did a black leach attach itself while mom was pregnant? Was it listed in a book of baby names? I had to know, and learned that Blackleach was a last name originating in England. Turns out, one of the first to enter the USA was John Blackleach in 1635, in Salem, Massachusetts. Still doesn't explain why they named a baby Blackleach as a first name.

Back to the story....after William's 2nd wife passed, he wanted to retire & raise goats. So he built a lavish mansion in the shape of an "X" with 14 rooms. The insulation consisted of 2,200 bales of wheat straw weighing 20 tons. Good Lord, imagine hauling that up the mountain with just horse power.

On June 6, 1936 he moved into Burritt on the Mountain.... but, that very same day it burned down. What are the odds? But William didn't let that tragedy stop him - with shear determination he rebuilt and lived there with a grounds keeper & house keeper until he passed in 1955.

The City received the entire property as a museum - and so the open air museum called Burritt on the Mountain got it's start. Between 1964-1974, log homes & barns in poor condition were purchased and carefully restored before relocating them to the Burritt property. Artifacts were also authentically restored to showcase rural life in the area during the 1800's.

The 4 room schoolhouse at Burritt on the Mountain was used for a new program in the early 1900's to educate African-American children in the rural south. This was miraculous since Alabama had one of the largest slave populations prior to the Civil War (1861-1865).

The cabin below is a dogtrot or breezeway house. They were popular in the south - the open breezeway was used to keep the house cooler. Typically the kitchen & dining was on one side with sleeping quarters on the opposite side. The hearth for cooking would have added so much heat to the already hot & humid days.

Feel like hiking? The nature trail goes around the property & thru the forest. You can also take the steep trail down to a 74 foot high cross. We liked the Discovery trail because it goes past old coal mining sites and interesting rock formations.

In one home they spun wool into yarn. In the blacksmith shop they hammered metal into tools, and in the barnyard they sheered sheep. Poor little Betty started looking frightfully naked while brother Tim looked on with trembling!

Check out the stairs - the depth of the steps in the corner might have been 3 inches. I can't figure out how anyone older than age 5 could maneuver those steps. It was fun finding little treasures throughout Burritt's living museum.

What makes this a truly enriching experience is the life they poured into this museum. It's educational & fun to watch the staff & volunteers as they go about their 1800's daily homestead activities, dressed in appropriate century attire. The barn animals complete the total picture of life as it was in the 1800's.

Both staff & volunteers at Burritt on the Mountain are knowledgeable if you have questions. Here's a perfect example: a younger woman was stuffing straw inside a material casing. I was curious and asked if she had ever tried sleeping on a straw mattress? I was expecting a truthful answer like "heck no". But, she stayed true to her character and replied: "why yes, every night". LOL.

Location = Monte Sano Park. 5105 Nolen Ave SE, Huntsville AL. Open 7 days/week, 8 am to 5 pm. Cheap entry fee.

The name Monte Sano is Spanish and means "mountain of health". I'm thinking: what's the word for "Zombie Mountain" since that's where they sent people with diphtheria, cholera, malaria and yellow fever in the 1800's. Even though Monte Sano Mountain was a quarantine site, they did their best to heal the sick - as much as possible with 1800's medicine.

In 1877 the luxurious Hotel Monte Sano opened as a health & spa resort. The extravagant resort charged $11/week, offering horseback riding, bowling, and croquet during the day, and dancing & parties at night. When the roads up the mountain deteriorated beyond repair, the Hotel abruptly closed in 1900. The chimney is the only thing remaining.

Monte Sano's Japanese Tea Garden

The Japanese Tea Garden doesn't have mileage on the Park's map - it might be 3/4 mile roundtrip if you're going back to the parking lot. It's a tranquil site with beautiful azalea bushes. The Japanese elements, especially the Tea House make for some interesting photos. The round window opening in the front & back, frame the scenery outside beautifully.

On the 1st Sunday in May & October, the festivals will delight you with several cultural activities: a tea ceremony, Japanese dances, drums (Taiko) and Harp (Koto). And it wouldn't be complete without displays of Karate & Kendo. The experience gives you a sense of their simplistic beauty & disciplined strength.

What is Monte Sano Park ?

Monte Sano Park has 22 miles of hiking & biking trails from easy to 9-1-1, is there a doctor in the house! There's also an 18 hole disc golf course, rock climbing areas, a bird watching trail, mineral springs, museum, and Japanese Tea Garden. Oh yeah, and a hidden waterfall.

Also at the Park is Von Braun Astronomy's observatory & planetarium. Von Braun was a German scientist that came to the USA in 1945 to help NASA get a man on the moon. It's fun walking all around this mountain park and finding unexpected treasure.

Monte Sano's Hidden Waterfall

The hidden waterfall is called Carter's Chalybeate Spring & Waterfall. From the Japanese Tea Garden, there's 2 options to get to the Hidden Waterfall:

Option #1: Drive to the first parking lot on the right, just past the entrance booth.

Option #2: From the Japanese Garden parking lot, walk across the street & go left on North Plateau Loop. The loop is 1.9 miles. More than halfway, you'll pass the entrance booth on the right, then a pavilion on the left with restrooms.

The trail is difficult to see here, but walk along the narrow stream. Up ahead to the right is a little wooden bridge. About parallel to the bridge, before the stream disappears over the edge - go left. A short distance further is a little trail down a small embankment.

Monte Sano's hidden waterfall was a refreshing little treasure. You don't want to miss standing under the falls. FYI: be careful, it's SUPER slippery. Yep, that was FUN.

Location = Green Mountain (also known as Madison County) Nature Trail. 5000 Nature Trail Rd SE, Huntsville AL. Free, donations appreciated. Open daily from sunrise to sunset, although I've also seen 7 am to 6:30 pm.

The Green Mountain Nature Trail is a 1.5 mile loop around the lake. It's beautiful, picturesque, and surprisingly peaceful even with other hikers nearby. You'll have fun discovering the hidden treasure waiting for you around the next bend, or down a short side trail. If the outdoors is your happy jam... explore to your hearts content.

* Win a Prize = Be the first to email a photo of you next to the spoon in the tree on the right. Hint: you can see the water in the background & it's between the Chapel & the Cabin, along the trail.

The history within Madison County (a.k.a. Green Mountain) Nature Trail and the interesting structures make for a fun & educational experience.

Near the entrance & restrooms is a picnic pavilion at the waters edge.
It's a perfect spot to lose yourself in thought as the water gently laps at the shore.

Green Mountain's name came from Charles Green who bought some land which included the Madison County Nature Trail area. Originally from Denmark, Kurt Gruene changed his name after arriving in Boston in 1846. He would go on to have 15 children. WAIT....WHAT? Oh heck no - that's at least 12 times too many. Now I now why women back then only lived to be about 37 years. No way - no how.. Just sayin'.

The cabin you see is for display only & made from logs cut around 1810. Dare to imagine your life from birth to death in that cabin..... in the middle of nowhere.... with no air conditioning, refrigerator, or indoor plumbing. OH - the horror! Thank the Lord I was born in a modern world of marvelous conveniences! Oh yeah - and birth control, because 15 kids is beyond ridiculous. LOL.

More Fun Things to Do

• Green Mountain Nature Preserve - over 5 miles of trails with waterfalls, and Alum Cave a rock shelter possibly used as early as 200 B.C. Since today is 2025 A.D. - that's 2,225 years ago.

• U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Museum, Space Camp, G-Force Accelerator, Planetarium, Interactive Astronomy, etc.

• Botanical Gardens - Butterfly release starts 5-11-2024, nature trails, glass sculptures, and aquatic garden.

• Tigers for Tomorrow - A non-profit preserve & education center with tigers, panthers, bears and more.

• Railroad Station Antique Mall - For something different, this 3 story warehouse has just about everything.

• Big Spring International Park - Green lawns & walkways around a lake downtown, make it a great stop for a picnic.

• Great add-on trip - see my Blog: Mentone, AL

Travel Tips - Huntsville

• Average temps high/low = Summer 91/70 degrees F. Winter 51/32. AL ranks 3rd for most humidity & 6th for hurricanes. Possible tornados March-May. Expect some snow in higher mountain regions, like the Appalachians.

• Backpack essentials - water, bug spray, sunscreen, whistle, flashlight, cell phone, pocket knife, and a light jacket.

• Winter Essentials - thermal blanket, waterproof boots, and warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery after summer rains. Prepare for snow in higher elevations.

• Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can be icy & covered in snow - use “winter” tires. If you only have "all season" tires, take snow chains.

• Wild animals - black bears are becoming more bold in parks & campsite areas mostly due to food. Coyotes, cougar, bobcat are also present.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – river shoes are helpful. Heavy winter rains means deep, ice-cold & fast moving water.

• Poison oak - always know before you touch. 3 leaflets per stem, with slightly rounded tip. Poison ivy has the pointy leaf-tips.

• Snakes - There are 6 poisonous types - on land, water, and trees. They generally prefer to avoid humans, biting usually to avoid harm.

• Wilderness areas – take a buddy & tell someone your travel plans.

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