On another of our recent adventures, my Silver Fox and I had lunch at a space-themed cafe then visited a museum where both Union and Confederate soldiers were treated for their war wounds.
Rocketzoid S3 in Lexington, AL
With the tagline of "great food from Planet Earth," you know things will be a little bit out of the norm. Rocketzoid S3 in Lexington has a cool, turquoise, and purple, sleek decor with a big space ship installation in the middle of the room and murals on the walls. As it turns out, the owner is a bonafide rocket scientist whose family has roots in Lexington going back for 8 generations.
Burgers, sandwiches, and wraps are menu headliners, but they also offer pizza, wings, soups, and salads. Steve had a wrap. I had the chicken chili, and both of us enjoyed our lunch very much.
If you're in the area, I think you'll like it. They often have live music on Saturday nights on the stage behind the cafe, and another night of the week they have Trivia Nights with prizes where you can prove you're "smarter than a rocket scientist." :)
For museum lovers, Civil War buffs, or those who are fascinated with antebellum life, Pope's Tavern and Museum on Hermitage Drive in Florence will be right down your alley.
The building is one of the oldest in Florence and has served as a stagecoach inn, a Civil War hospital, and a private residence before being acquired by the City of Florence. One side is used to display the artifacts remaining from the Forks of Cypress plantation, which was one of the largest in the area. The magnificent house burned in 1966, but fortunately, some furnishings and personal effects were salvaged. I particularly enjoyed seeing a dining room table that had been made from the wood of a piano that fell off a wagon in transit and was damaged beyond repair. My mind pictured a disappointed little girl with big plans to learn to play that piano.
The remaining downstairs rooms of the museum are devoted to Civil War memorabilia and to telling the story of how the tavern was transformed into a hospital treating soldiers from both sides during the war. The gruesome realities of treatments for gunshot wounds are described in graphic terms. Many Florence area residents came to help the doctors care for the soldiers, and they were called upon to set aside their allegiances and just view those soldiers as someone's sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers. Very admirable.
Admission is $5.00 per person, and the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00.