2022 Dec 4, Tinsel Trails, Christmas Card Lane Ditto Landing & Toyota Field Christmas Lights Huntsville, AL

 On Sunday, we stopped in Decatur to walk through the Enchanted Forest in Founders Park, a tinsel-stroll supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

We stopped in Madison for their Polar Express Christmas event on Main Street, where the Christmas trees were beautifully displayed. 

We stopped at RSA to take coworkers' Christmas presents.

We rode to South Huntsville for Christmas on the River at Ditto Landing. There, we strolled along the Tennessee River Greenway, looking at custom-designed 4 x 8 plywood Christmas cards. 

Grinchmas

It's not what's under the Christmas Tree that matters. 
It's who's around it. 

We stopped at every card to get a picture, and it began to sprinkle before we returned. 

We rode to Huntsville's Big Spring Park to walk the Tinsel Trail. 

Big Spring Park Tinsel Trail.

We were afraid of getting wet, but the rain had stopped.

Next, we rode to Toyota Field to see The North Pole Rocket City Christmas Light Show and Winter Wonderland.

Which are a mile-and-a-half maze of bright, dancing, and twinkling lights. We tuned our radio to 95.5 to listen to Christmas music.

The North Pole Rocket City Christmas Light Show 

After the drive, we stopped at Toyota Field and walked through Winter Wonderland, stopping for pictures with Santa, Trash Panda, and Frosty. 

Picture with Frosty 

We hadn't eaten since breakfast and weren't sure what we wanted. We were tired and didn't want to go into a restaurant and wait, so we decided to stop at Krystal. Believe it or not, their food was good, or we were hungry. 

A picture with Trash Panda 

I ordered a double cheese Krystal and a strawberry Milkshake. 

When we arrived home, it was late, and we were both tired from the long day. I put my cameras away for another day to download and went to bed.

2020 Dec 21, Day trip to Franklin, Tennessee with Ava Grace

 Hubby and I took Ava Grace on a day trip. We stopped in Loretto to get lottery tickets and Ava a doctor's pepper and some gummy candy. 

We stopped at Murphy's to fill up with gas and at Walmart in Lawrenceburg to purchase a new car seat for Ava. Hubby had to put it together, which took a while. 

We traveled north up the Natchez Trace, stopping a couple of times for restroom breaks. Several of the restrooms were closed due to the Coronavirus.

The trace was desolate, the trees were necked, and we saw one bird, a buck deer, and a dog. We saw several motorcycle riders and several people hiking. 

We rode through Leipers Fork but didn't see any or very few Christmas decorations. Ave took a nap while we were on the trail. 

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Restaurant

Cheese Pizza 

House Special Pizza 

We stopped at Mellow Mushroom for dinner. Ava ordered a small cheese pizza, and Hubby and I split a House Special pizza; we also ordered three drinks. 

Ava only ate one piece of her pizza. We had the rest put into a to-go box, took it home, and gave it to her granddad.

While we were eating at Mellow Mushroom, we saw Santa Claus riding a Harley on the roundabout in Franklin through the large windows. 

Santa Claus on Harley (looking through the window)

Ava & Granny are sitting in front of a very tall Christmas tree.

Ava is standing next to a cannon.

 

Ava and I walked over to the window. She waved at Santa Claus, and he waved back, pointing at her. We finished eating, and I took pictures of Ava and the statues at Mellow Mushroom. 

We went outside, and Santa Claus was leaving. We walked across the street to the center of the roundabout, where Ava had spotted a very tall Christmas tree. We took several pictures of the Tree, Ava, and the cannons that were there. 

We walked back to our car, and by that time, Santa Claus was coming back down the road. He stopped, and I got a few pictures with Ava and Santa.

Ava and Santa Claus on his Harley

Ava had to hug Santa, and he hugged her back. She said he was the honest Santa Claus, and she sang Christmas Songs most of the way home. 

We stopped at a convenience store for a restroom break, and we finished our trip home. We made a detour in St Joseph to see a house decorated for Christmas, you could see it from the highway, but only from the backside. Her granddaddy was waiting for her. She gave us both a hug, collected her belongings, and they went home. I gave her granddad the leftover cheese pizza. 

2018 Dec 2, A Visit to see Santa Clause at Santa Land Elgin, Alabama

Hubby, Ava, and I went to visit Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the Reindeer at Santa Land.
Hubby parked the car in the field, and we walked to the ticket counter. There, we purchased our tickets and were told we could take our time strolling the grounds before entering the Castle. 

Entrance to Santa Land

SantaLand 

We saw Micky, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh, Tiger, and many other Disney Characters.
Ava and I enjoyed listening to and dancing to the music played at the Looney Tunes Area, featuring Wylie Coyote, Road Runner, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, and the Tasmanian Devil. 

Ava and I were dancing to the music, and Hubby overheard a little girl say I want to go there and dance. 

SantaLand is home to Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Reindeer, and many other characters. 
Ava loved all the outdoor decorations but wanted to go inside because it was a bit chilly outside. 

Ava said, "I am Cold!" 

Once inside the Castle, we saw a menagerie of Christmas Decorations. 

A couple of Puffins 

The Grinch 

Santa and his talking Reindeer 

We were greeted by Santa's helper and waited for our turn to sit in Santa's lap and talk to Santa. 

Ava went right up and sat in Santa's lap. She told him what she wanted for Christmas.
She told Santa, and we continued walking through the Castle. 

Ava and Santa Claus 

Ava and Mrs. Clause 

Next, we saw Mrs. Claus. Ava went right up and sat in her lap, and she gave Ava a Candy Cane. 
We took a few pictures inside and walked outside.

We could hear the Chipmunks singing in the distance. Ava said they were singing too loudly. 

Alvin, Simon, Theodore the Chipmunks

Ava kept saying I want to go back inside and see Santa Claus. So we took her back through, and Santa was going on break. He asks Ave if she wants to go see the Reindeer, and she says yes.
Santa took Ava's hand, and they walked outside, stopping to see the Reindeer. 

Ava and Santa are visiting the Reindeer. 

Santa holding Ava's hand 

Ava told Santa Merry Christmas 🎄
We walked around outside some more. It was damp and cold outside, so we
went back inside.
We bought Ava a gingerbread cookie and took it to a table to be decorated. On each table were three different colors of icing to be used for decorating the cookies. We used green for the eyes, red for the buttons, and trimmed him in yellow. He was yummy and sweet. 

Ava with her Gingerbread Cookie, we ate all but the head.

Gingerbread Cookie: I helped her decorate

Ava didn't want to leave. We told her Santa Claus had to go to bed
She was okay then.