The Secret of Muscle Shoals

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In January 2018, Sean was in the market for a new truck. We were pulling our camper to California that summer, and we wanted to make sure that the truck we were using to pull our camper had the power and tow capabilities to cross any terrain that we encountered. Sean found the truck that he wanted in Savannah, Tennessee.

One Saturday morning, we loaded up the kids and went to pick up his new truck. Well, we never just go on a trip to pick something up, so we decided to tour everything in the area on our journey to Tennessee.

Our first stop along the way was in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. We wanted to visit the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. However, it was closed because we were so early driving through. I also wanted to see the Rattlesnake Saloon, but it was cold and closed in January. I knew that we needed to schedule a return trip to visit Muscle Shoals for a few days to explore the area. We were so intrigued by the town that while heading home from picking up the truck, we decided that we would visit and see what the area had to offer in September.

A few days after we returned home, our family watched the documentary Muscle Shoals. The documentary was so well made that it fueled our longing to visit the city even more. So finally, in September 2018, we arrived back in town.

The area we visited is called the Shoals, but it comprises four cities in Northwest Alabama: Muscle Shoals, Florence, Tuscumbia, and Sheffield. We camped along the Tennessee River in Florence. There is so much to do in the Shoals and surrounding towns. Northwest Alabama blew our expectations out of the water (or out of the river).

The Best in Bar-B-Q with Big Bob Gibson

Before we began touring, per Jackson and Sean, we visited Big Bob Gibson’s Barbeque in Decatur, Alabama. Big Bob Gibson’s is always on the top 10 lists of barbecue restaurants in the United States, and we were extremely close to this one. So the night we arrived, we unhooked quickly and set out on a trip to taste Big Bob’s famous Alabama white sauce. The barbecue was delicious, and the drive-over was beautiful.

The Rattlesnake Saloon

When we travel, it seems that everyone in our family has something different at the top of their list of things to do. We started by checking off my number one, the Rattlesnake Saloon. My friend had tagged me in a Facebook post about the Rattlesnake Saloon a few years ago, and it always intrigued me.

The saloon is in a cave. Yep… a cave, and it is fantastic. When you arrive, catch a ride in the back of a pick-up truck to travel down to the saloon. The ride is adventurous, as you descend the side of a hill on a narrow road, where one side is cave rock, and the other is a drop-off. However, it is safe, and there are rails! You can choose to eat inside of the physical restaurant or outside in the cave. Our weather was perfect, and I wanted to eat outside. The food was American cuisine with local fresh chicken.

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FAME Studios

The next person to check off the number one on their list was Sean. He was excited to visit FAME studios. The acronym stands for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises. Rick Hall founded the music studio in 1959, and it is still family-run today. We were fortunate enough to speak with Rick’s wife and to have a 20-minute Q and A session about Rick and the studio’s history. Unfortunately, Rick had passed in January 2018, just before we came through on our first Muscle Shoals trip.

FAME studios was a place where musicians came and recorded music while maintaining anonymity because Muscle Shoals was a small town. Music legends such as Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and so many more recorded within the studio walls. Many of the musician’s stories are amazing. For example, Percy Sledge worked as an orderly at a hospital in Sheffield. Someone told Hall that Percy could sing. So he walked into FAME, and When a Man Loves a Woman was recorded on Percy’s first cut.

Hall’s studio was never segregated. The story of how both African Americans and Caucasians worked together inside the studio during an intense time of segregation in the deep south is fascinating.

As we toured FAME, we were paired with a lady and gentleman who traveled from Liverpool and a group from Sweden who specifically came to grace the halls of music greatness.

The story of FAME Studios is as fascinating as it is amazing. Johnny Depp has recently purchased the rights to the studio’s story, and he is developing it into a television series. If you have not seen the Muscle Shoals Documentary (Check it out on Amazon), it is a must-see if you are a music lover.

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

After we visited FAME, Jackson’s number one was checked off, the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. This is where we had stopped on the way to buy Sean’s truck, and it was where our interest in returning to the area was sparked.

Four musicians, known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and played for FAME, split with Rick Hall in 1969. They opened their own studio that same year. It has been said that there is something special in the water in Muscle Shoals, and it must be true because their studio also had terrific success.

Muscle Shoals Sound recorded Traffic, Cher, Bob Seeger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and so many others. Cher’s album, 3614 Jackson Highway, is the actual address of the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. The cover of her album is a picture of the outside of the studio.

The building, 3614 Jackson Highway, had been an appliance store amongst many other things after Muscle Shoals Sound sold in 1985. However, Jimmy Iovine of Beats Music watched the Muscle Shoals documentary, and Beats partnered with the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation to restore the building. Tours of the restored studio began in January 2017.

The Birthplace of Helen Keller

Lucy’s number one was last but not least. Tuscumbia is home to Helen Keller’s birthplace. Keller is an American social activist known for advancing the rights of those deaf and hard of hearing. She championed the rights of people with disabilities in the early twentieth century. Her childhood home and its grounds are open for tours.

The home is magnificent. You can visit where Keller went to the well for water and the cottage that she and Anne Sullivan lived in while teaching Keller sign language and communication techniques. Keller and Sullivan’s story is remarkable, and it is even more impressive to visit the place where it all occurred.

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McFarland Park, Florence, Alabama

I want to mention the campground where we stayed. We camped at McFarland Park, a county park directly located on the Tennessee River. The river is beautiful. It is neat to sit both day and night and watch the barges and other watercraft travel up and down the river. While we were staying at the park, the county held its annual Dragon Boat Race. We watched along the banks as different teams from the community raced in elaborate dragon boats.

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Wilson Dam and the TVA

Sean and I wanted Jackson and Lucy to see the importance of the Tennessee River, so we took them over to Wilson Dam. The dam was created and managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). We saw the river’s locks at the TVA and the system that transports the larger ships through the waterway.

Jackson and Lucy were also were able to sharpen their skills regarding Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and how the TVA affected the south’s economy during the Great Depression. There is nothing better than combining history, whether it be music or the United States, with beautiful sights and fun activities.

For adventurers and music lovers, the Shoals may be one of the best-kept secrets of the south. Before you go, school yourself with the Muscle Shoals Documentary and The Miracle Worker. The documentary and movie will give a rich background and an increased longing to learn more when you visit.

We will absolutely return to Muscle Shoals soon. Here is information on our top places to visit when you go!

Rattlesnake Saloon  1292 Mt. Mills Road Tuscumbia, AL 35674 
FAME Studios 603 Avalon Avenue Muscle Shoals, AL 25661 
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio 3614 N Jackson Hwy Sheffield, AL 35660
Helen Keller Birthplace 300 N Commons St Tuscumbia, AL 35674 
Wilson Dam Wilson Dam, Alabama 
McFarland Park 200 James M Spain Dr Florence, AL 35630  

Are you interested in visiting Muscle Shoals? Check out Trip Advisor for fantastic lodging deals in the area!

Have you ever stumbled upon a town that you loved by accident? We would love to hear from you! Please drop us a line in the comment section below.

Interested in other small towns with great charm and history? Check out Mount Airy, North Carolina, and Dayton, Tennessee!