Falls and a rock in a chapel

We are currently in northeast Alabama at DeSoto State Park. We started the day at DeSoto Falls. From the sign there: "In 1925, A. A. Miller, an electrical engineer, built the first hydroelectric dam in North Alabama above DeSoto Falls. He built the dam to help supply power for his hydroelectric generator which he constructed below the falls. At first Fort Payne was furnished with electricity from dark until midnight. Then after a number of local women had purchased

electric irons, power was supplied on Thursday afternoons to enable ladies to iron. Later electricity was made available all day and night. As there was no central switch for the street lights, Ernest Wallis, a young schoolboy, became Fort Payne's equivalent of the "Old Lamp Lighter", riding his bicycle up and down the streets at dusk to turn the lights on and returning after dawn to turn them off."

After the dam, there are two tiers of falls that drop 107 feet, the tallest in Alabama. The risers of the stairs that lead down to the falls are decorated in mosaic tile. The base design is of the West Fork of Little River formed from blue pieces of glass, and the extra spaces were decorated by residents and park visitors. A quote by John Muir flows down several steps and reads, “Everybody needs beauty as

well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” The art was a delightful surprise, as you can't see the decoration going down the steps.

On our way to the falls, I noted a chapel at the side of the road we were traveling, and we determined that we would return after our trip to the falls. What had caught my eye was a giant rock protruding from the building. When we finally made our way back, we found that while there was no one there, the

church was open. It was the Sally Howard Memorial Chapel, built in 1937 by Milton Howard in memory of his first wife. The church still holds Baptist services. The building is, indeed, built around a giant boulder, and made of stones from the Little River. The boulder sits behind the lectern in the church. It was a sweet, peaceful place.

We then returned to the RV and set out on a short hike. The weather has been cooperating, for the most part. It rained this morning, but by mid-afternoon, the skies were clearing, and temps were in the low to mid 60s. 

More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wQsQWQ7AJ6uKBHh67