I grew up bank fishing at Ditto more times than I can count. For bank fishing it is just fine. We…read morehad our Senior Skip Day at Ditto, also, which was big fun back in the early 80s. My sorority rented the small pavilion for a picnic reunion which was a good time, like Angela said, "in the golden years of my youth," :D
Since Mom lives around the corner, she and I, (and my fav. Sister) have driven Mom to and around Ditto to stop and eat lunch, enjoying the view of the TN river, and just take Mom on a "joyride."
Yesterday, Mom and I did a Ditto visit and, sweet 88 year old Mom summed it up as she was reading the ancient "beautification award" outside the larger pavilion, she said "beautification award - for what?!?!?!" :D
Ditto has always had so much potential to be a true destination for **so** long and it just falls short. I can't count the times local news would announce a restaurant coming to Ditto and then the masterplan to develop Ditto into a destination (uploaded to the photos) was so exciting! These great plans never seem to materialize. I get it - it floods; however, the masterplan seemed to have mitigation plans for that.
I attended an event (wine tasting maybe) in large pavilion in the 80s and it looks like, as of yesterday, the pavilion has had zero updates and hardly much upkeep since then. I didn't bother walking in to get a look see, it was just unappealing from the parking lot, which is in crappy shape, too.
I'm happy we have Ditto, and it is a nice place for a shady picnic by the marina, and the smaller Winstead Pavilion was a nice area for my sorority picnic/reunion. It's covered (of course) and has at least one ceiling fan, with easy parking.
I just wish Huntsville's masterplans materialized more often than they seem to, and again, wish Ditto was more than a harbor, campsites, RV hookups, a small children's playground, ample fishing from the banks, pavilions, and dry docks.