Before we left Red Bay...

You would think after a couple of visits to Red Bay, a very small community, there would not be much more to see.  Not so.  There is a cemetery at the very top of a hill near Red Bay called Coon Dog Cemetery.  What an interesting name for a cemetery.  It seems the name is totally accurate because the cemetery is where some bury their prized coon dogs.  Like most dog owners, the dog is an integral part of the family.  Some have more specific skills than others.  Some dogs are just part of the family.  The coon dog is bred to hunt raccoons.  The way the story was told to me is the owners take the dogs into the woods and turn them loose while the humans build a fire, drink some coffee - laced I'm sure - and listen to the dogs bark and bay as they are hunting the raccoons.  According to my source, the dog's bay changes when a raccoon is actually treed.  Then the owners go to the dogs and shoot the raccoon out of the tree.  These are working / hunting dogs that are part of the families who own them, and they are worthy of a burial  plot designated for "Coon Dogs Only."  We spent some time walking around the area, and as you can see by the pictures below each plot has flowers, and most have some type of headstone or marker.  The first dog was buried here in 1937.  From the headstones we read, the dog from furthest away was from Buffalo, New York.  Given the tributes on the markers, there is no doubt how much the dogs meant to their owners.  Some were noted as regional and national champions.
                                                                                                   

 The most recent headstone was March of 2013.  We heard about this funeral.  Over 100 people attended.  The dog was lovingly placed in a small casket, and there were a total of four pall bearers - two human and two hounds.  Yet another glimpse into the minds and hearts of others...

We discovered a new place to eat during this trip to Red Bay.  The Rattlesnake Saloon.  It's always a good idea to get out, walk around and socialize when you're waiting for service in Red Bay.  That's the only way to find out new places to visit.  The Rattlesnake Saloon is northeast of Red Bay off of Highway 24 way in the middle of nowhere.  The saloon is built in a cave.  The only way to get to the saloon is by riding down a very steep dirt road in the back of a 4x4 pick-up truck that has wooden bench seats down both sides of the bed.  The actual saloon is tucked under a small waterfall on one end of the cave.  Additional seating can be had in the cave amphitheater complete with a small stage for a band or karaoke if you go on Thursday night, or you can sit out in the terraced area.  The saloon lives up to its name with two carved rattlesnakes guarding the front door and several snake skins hanging on the walls of the inside eating area.  If you go, the Rattlesnake Saloon is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  No alcohol before 5:00 p.m. and only beer after that.