June 6, 2009 Huntsville, AL

I decided to spend the day down in Huntsville shopping for books and records, so I headed out after breakfast, stopping in Corinth, Mississippi for a latte. At a rather cool bookstore in Huntsville's Five Points neighborhood, I found books about Bob Marley, Rastafarianism and Prince, as well as the London trilogy of Colin MacInnes, which includes Absolute Beginners, one of my favorite novels. I bought quite a few classical records at James Records and Tapes, and then made a final browse through the Booklegger at Holmes Avenue and Jordan Lane before calling it a day and heading out to dinner. I decided to check out a place called Connor's Steak and Seafood, and it turned out to be in a new shopping development called The Bridge out at the border between Huntsville and Madison. The shopping village is dominated by a huge Westin hotel, and surrounded by a pretty lake, with paddle boats for rent. With an hour-long wait in effect, I decided to eat in the bar at Connor's, and the steak there was quite good. After a latte at a nearby chocolate shop, I began the long drive back to Memphis.