2024 Apr 27, Car & Tractor Show, Tee-Ball Game, Art Museum and Sisters

Hubby and I rode to Killen Park for the Killen Log 877 Classic Car Show, which featured bikes, jeeps, classic cars, and new cars.

Cahaba Shrine Hillbillies truck at Car show 

We parked alongside the park. Many cars and people were there, including the farmers market, Scoccer Games, Vendors, and Car and Tractor Shows.

It has been several months since I last visited the park. Many new buildings are being constructed, and Disk Golf is now installed.

There was also a tractor show featuring several old and new John Deer and other tractors.

1929 John Deer Tractor 

We strolled through the farmers market, stopping to buy stone ground cornmeal and fresh strawberries. 

Ripe home-grown strawberries

We stopped at home so Hubby could grill steaks, and I fixed creamed potatoes and corn on the cob for lunch. 

After lunch, we rode to Lexington Park to watch our great grandson Atlas play Tee-ball. 

After the tee-ball game, we rode to TVAM, where a display and crafts were set up for bird lovers. We talked through the Tennessee Valley Art Museum (which was free today). 

On display was the art of the print 500 years of printmaking.

What the Night Tells the Day by Douglas Baulos.

We rode back home, where I took a short nap. My daughter called while I was preparing dinner at my sister's house.

I ended the day by going to my sisters to play cards (spades and various UNO games). I liked the reverse UNO game.

Sisters Vicki, Becky, Teresia, great niece Emmalee, and her friend played these games.

Teresia had cooked a lovely meal of Black-eyed peas, cornbread, a broccoli casserole with chicken, brats with kraut, sweet potatoes, and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. 

My sister loaded me down with leftovers for Hubby.

She also gave me a bouquet of Peony from her garden.

Pink Peony 

It was after 10 when I got home last night.

2024 Jan 13-21 Seven-Day Cruise on NCL Breakaway to Caribbean Islands

 On Jan 13, we traveled to Slidell, LA, and stayed at the Hampton Inn by Hilton, room 214, for one night. 

The next day, we traveled to New Orleans and boarded the Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Ship from Jan 14-21. So we missed all the bad weather.

We stopped at Shady Acres Village Seminary, MS, for lunch, where we ordered ribs, black-eyed peas, and creamed potatoes.

Ribs, black-eyed peas, creamed potatoes

Shady Acres Village Seminary, MS

The first day was a sea day, during which we enjoyed checking out the ship, watching shows, and eating.
In Cozumel, we visited the Chankanaab National Park. 

Cozumel 

In Rotan Bay Islands, Honduras, we went on an excursion to Gumbalimba Preserve Animal Sanctuary, where we interacted with white-face monkeys and Macaw birds. 

Red McCaws 

White Face Monkeys Rotan 

 The Monkey River Eco Boat Tour was in Harvest Caye, Belize. We rode a boat through the jungle. 

We walked through the jungle, where we saw spiders, termite mounds, boa snakes in the trees, and several white face monkeys in the tree. We also saw a couple of iguanas. Harvest Caye had some beautiful beaches. 

Wooden Iquana 
behind the Iquana is the Wildlife Experience, where we saw a butterfly house, a boa, and the McCaws. 

Wildlife Experience 

Our last stop was Costa Maya, my favorite stop. We took the Mayan Reality Tour, where we visited some Maya ruins. We continued our journey on the bus to a Maya family home, where they cooked chicken (in a pot) in the ground. We were served chicken tacos with sauce and had a tequila tasting. After the tour, we rode the bus back to Costa Maya, where we watched the dolphins swim. 

Flamingos 

Dolphins playing basketball 

I did the Amorino Gelato Al Naturel bird tour. I climbed up several steps to birdcages spaced out along several swing bridges. You can watch the dolphins swim and see the beaches and swimming pools there. A perfect view of the island. Our last day was a sea day. We watched people play Pictionary, deal or no deal, and several trivia games. The closer we got to New Orleans, the stronger the wind and the cooler it was. We docked and exited the ship on Sunday and began our trip home. 

Roads in Russellville, Al

The further north we went, the colder it got. We began to see snow and ice along the roadways, beginning in and around Russellville. The roads were clear enough for us to get home. We were sure glad we missed all the bad weather, but we were glad to be home.

2024 Jan 7, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge

 What a beautiful day for traveling. We rode to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, where we saw many Sandhill Cranes and various ducks at the Visitor's overlook buildings.

The newly remodeled Museum was opened. We saw Sandhills and whooping Cranes, Belted kingfishers, Snakes, Alligators, Geese, ducks, hawks, butterflies, otters, northern flickers, and many other animals.

Several empty displays are waiting to be added. We saw several friendly people. They were happy to be outside after this last cold spell. 

Sandhill & Whooping Cranes at the Museum 

Belted Kingfisher at the Museum

We stopped at Logan's Roadhouse for lunch. Hubby ordered a salad, steak, and baked potato. I ordered a chicken salad with Roadhouse dressing.

Steak and baked potato at Logans Roadhouse 

On our way home, we saw a Bald Eagle on a Paul Bunyan Power Line near the demolished Paper Mill in Town Creek. 

The eagle made a squawking sound when it saw me. It was letting me know to leave. 

We saw several terns perched on the light poles as we crossed Wheeler Dam. 

Our last stop was Wheeler Dam, where we saw a few White Pelicans, terns, and many cormorants.

2023 July 21-23, Trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN (3 Days)

Day 1: Friday, July 21: 

Today, we left Helen, Georgia, early morning, about 6 A.M. We took the back roads, and by 6:51, we were in Clayton, North Carolina. 

By 8:12 A.M., we were in Cherokee, North Carolina.

 We stopped here to take pictures of the bear statues before heading across the mountain. Along with several others, we stopped to see a herd of elk grazing. 

Herd Elk 

Bears of Cherokee, NC 

We crossed the mountain several times to take pictures of the smokey clouds on it. Then, we stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Pigeon Forge. 

We went shopping at the Tanger Outlet Mall. We bought two bras and two panties at Victoria's Secret and one bra at Pink. We also stopped at several other stores, including Disney, Nike, and Under Armour. 

The Christmas Place 

We feed the Ducks, Geese, and Pigeons at the Old Mill along the Little Pigeon River. 

We rode to the Old Mill Farm House, where I bought my son several different herb packages, a bag of stone-ground yellow cornmeal, and olive oil.

Near the Old Mill, we saw several geese, ducks, and pigeons along the Little Pigeon River. 

We ate Taco Bell for lunch.

We checked into Apple Valley Inn a little after 4 P.M., unloaded the car, and filled the fridge with snacks. 

Spent the rest of the day watching TV and resting. 

Day 2:  Saturday, July 22: 

We ate breakfast at McDonald's, and I ordered muffins and sausage. 

We rode to Pigeon Forge's Visitor Center and bought all-day tickets to ride the trolley. 

We bought fuel at Murphy's and bought a few groceries at Walmart (bagels, cream cheese, drinks, fruit)

Took our food back to the hotel. 

We rode to Parrot Mountain when they opened at 10 A.M. 

Parrot Mountain 

Had my picture taken with five birds, two on my arms, two on my shoulders, and one on my head.

We visited the parrot nursery where we could actually pick up the birds. 

We also went into the feeding area with Nectar and several small nectaries down and drank every drop of the Nectar from my hand.

Around Nectar A.M., we rode to the Trolley from  Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg. 

We took the trolley from the Visitor Center in Gatlinburg to downtown. 

We were the last two to board the fully loaded trolley, which was standing room only.

A nice young man gave me his seat, and Hubby had to ride, standing up.

Because of the traffic, it took over an hour to travel a short distance. When we were almost there, everyone except a couple got off. 

When we arrived at the center near the aquarium, everyone had to get off the trolley and wait for another trolley to take us downtown. 

The traffic was terrible, and we had already waited over 30 minutes for the next trolley.

Where we were going was several blocks away, so we decided to walk. 

 We took the scenic route along the Pigeon River, which was not crowded and had a cool breeze. 

Seafood Platter at Bubba Gumps 

We were headed to Bubba Gumps for a late lunch. 

We ordered a seafood platter of shrimp, fish, hush puppies, and fries. 

When we finished, we walked down the crowded sidewalks, and it began to rain, so we looked for shelter. 

It did not rain long, so we walked further down the sidewalks. 

We returned to the Trolley Stop and waited for the trolley to take us to the Gatlinburg Visitor Center. 

The crowd had thinned out, so the trolley was not crowded going back. 

At the cross, there was an accident involving four vehicles. Our turn was blocked by police vehicles.

We had to take a detour, which took us a couple of miles away. 

We took the next trolley to Pigeon Forge, which also had to take a detour. 

This ended up being an all-day event. 

It was late when we arrived back at our hotel. 

Day 3: Sunday, July 23, 

We ate bagels with cream cheese for breakfast. 

Packed our bags, loaded the car, and headed for home. 

We stopped at a couple of rest areas. 

We had snacks with us, so we did not stop to eat until we got home. 

2023 April 15, Cullman Walking Tour, Killen Adventure Park and Wheeler Wildlife Refuge

Our tour guide was Ben Johnson South(a descendant of Creek Indians). We began our tour inside the Cullman Museum. The museum is a replica of the home of John Cullmann, who founded a colony of German immigrants. It has a narrow front porch with gingerbread trim and twin towers.

Cullman Museum 

Statue of John Cullmann

The museum contains Native American Artifacts, Indian statues, and arrowheads spanning thousands of years. 

Pioneer life, early settlers before John Cullmann. Dutch doll, some rockers, butter churn, and kitchen articles. 

Civil War: A House Divided, Music and Pictures, Our Home Town: Growing Up in Cullman, and History of Johann Gottfried Cullmann.

We walked outside to see the statue of Johann Gottfried Cullmann and learn about his history.

We walked up the street, and our guide talked about several buildings. 

Inside the  Sacred Heart Church of Jesus Roman Catholic Church.

Our treat was going through and learning the history of the Sacred Heart Church of Jesus Roman Catholic Church.

https://uploads.weconnect.com/mce/a5b1d7e217aa227d5b2b8a84920780cf637960e2/HomePageItems/SacredHeartHistory/New%20SHC%20History.pdf 

Above is the link to read the history of this great church.

We ended the walk at the Cullman's Farmer's Market
to buy some fresh strawberries, but they had sold out.

It was getting near lunchtime, so we rode to OH! Bryan's for lunch.

Sirloin steak, sweet potato, and toast 

After lunch, we rode to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. I walked to both view areas and along the swamp boardwalk. 

I saw lots of small birds.

I saw several turtles, three chipmunks, a squirrel, Canada geese, White Egret, and a snake swimming in the water.

Saw lots of wildflowers blooming.

There were no whooping or Sandhill Cranes to be found, and I saw only four other people there. The backyard birds were chirping loudly. On my Merlin app, I heard 27 different bird sounds. It was a nice, quiet walk at the Refuge.

ChimpmunksWheeler Wildlife Refuge

We stopped at Killen Adventure Park, where Hubby and I ordered a waffle cone.

I ordered Rocky Road ice cream, and he ordered Cheesecake ice cream.

We fed the animals (ducks, turtles, fish, and peacocks) while eating our ice cream.

Many people played Miniature Golf, had birthday parties, and fed the animals.

It was a beautiful day to be outside.

Killen Adventure Park 

2022 Oct 9-14, Carnival Ecstasy Final Voyage 5 Days Western Caribbean Cruise Cozumel, Progresso from Mobile, Al

Day 1, Sunday, October 9, 2022 

Hubby took me to my friend's house, loaded our luggage into her car, and began our journey to Mobile.

We stopped at Circle K in Mount Vernon for fuel and restroom breaks.

We stopped at Jack's in Jackson for breakfast of biscuits and gravy. 

We stopped in Demopolis to take pictures of the historic markers and buildings. 

We arrived at the Renaissance Hotel in Mobile around 1:40, checked in, and took our overnight bags to our room.

Our room wasBaycing the bay, so we could see Carnival Ecstasy when she entered port.

History Museum of Mobile 

We walked to the History Museum on the corner of Church and South Royal Street and bought tickets for the museum and Colonial Fort Conde, which is atop the Mobile Bay Tunnel. We then walked through Mardi Gras Park, stopping to take pictures of the markers and statues.

Mardi Gras Park 

We ate supper at Loda Bier Garden around 5:18 P.M. We ordered a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion, and a soft bun with fries at the intersection of Dauphin and Joachim Street.

Loda Bier Garden

The restaurant was crowded, and people were waiting to be seated. On our way back to the hotel, we saw several Oyster Shell sculptures depicting famous Alabama Cultures. Mobile is called the "Big Oyster."

It was getting dark, so we returned to the hotel.

Day 2, Monday, October 10, 2022 

We walked down the street to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. I ordered a free cookie and Lemonade. 

We walked to Coopers Riverside Park, where several homeless people were sleeping. We also saw our Cruise ship, doBayd, in the bay.

Carnival Ecstasy Cruise Ship docked in Mobile Bay.

Earlier this morning, we had watched the Cruise ship coBayinto the bay.

We returned to the hotel to take the shuttle(about 10 people, including luggage) with several other people to the terminal.

We got in line to be processed with passports, tickets, and proof of vaccines for COVID-19. 

Mobile had a farewell party for the crew and captain, with girls dressed in Antebellum gowns and music playing. Many took pictures with the Cruise Ambassador, John Head, and ship captain Michele Coppola. 

Cruise Ambassador John Head and Ships Captain Michele Coppola. 

Around 11:00, we were boarding the ship along with many others.

State Room E155 Deck E Muster Station F.

Our first stop was Five Guys, where we ordered a Mushroom burger with fixings and fries. 

We walked around the ship until it was time for our room to be ready. Then, we walked back to the upper deck to watch the boat leave Mobile Bay. It was such a beautiful sunset watching the birds follow the ship, stirring the water to feed on the fish.

The sun had gone down, and we were headed out to the Gulf, so we returned to our room to dress for dinner.

Dinner Mobile Bay as we are leaving 

We had dinner at iDinnerWinstar Dining Room, where I ordered Grilled Salmon, a Caesar Salad with veggies, and a Shrimp Cocktail. 

Day 3, Tuesday, October 11, Sea Day

Ate a cinnamon roll with nuts and chocolate milk for breakfast.

We had brunch in the Winstar Dining Room. 

Skillet Cake (i.e., ricotta, guava, preserve, marshmallows, and maple butter) with bacon. 

Late lunch of taco and slice German chocolate cake. 

I went to a show (Crimson String Trio)and relaxed on the deck. I also bought Excursion Passion Island and finished reading Matthew. 

Dressed for dinner at iDinnerWinstar Dining Room, where I ordered shrimp cocktail, Garlic Shrimp, veggies, and dessert.

 Day 4, Wednesday, October 12,

Breakfast of yogurt with nuts, raisins and pastry, chocolate milk, and apple juice. 

Docket at Cozumel waited for Catamaran to take us to Passion Island.

Took pictures in front of Statues, Jester, Zonkey, Alligator, boat,  Fat Tuesday, and Purta May Cozumel.

Cozumel & Cruise Ship 

Ticket 

Foli MS Carnival Ecstasy all-inclusive Passion Island Catamaran 

operated by Peninsula De LA Passion Folio 56900

Cabin 155 Departs End of the Pier Sign

at 10 A.M. Excursion # 3041391001 

Carnival Adventure

It was about an hour's ride to Passion Island, where we enjoyed three Margaritas, avocado dip, chips, tocos, veggies, and slices of watermelon.

On the island, I saw a couple of Trash Pandas and several long-tail Grackles.

After a couple of hours, everyone loaded back into the Catamaran.

We began our journey back to Cozumel, through customs and back on the ship.

The ship left port around 4:00 P.M.

I was dressed for dinner in the iDinnerWinstar Dining room, where I ordered a shrimp Cocktail, grilled Flounder, veggies, and a banana split.

Day 5, Thursday, October 13, 2022

Beautiful sunrise at 7 A.M.

Breakfast Yogurt with raisins and nuts with pastries, chocolate milk

The ship docked around 8:30 A.M., and we took the bus into Progresso.

Walked through the shopping area to the beach, stopping for a full body massage on the beach.

We saw several birds, a statue, and several murals. 

We had to use the restroom, so we stopped at one of the stores. They said we could use what we bought, so I bought a pair of sunglasses. 

We walked through the flea market, where I bought a bag for $10.00.

We took the bus back to the dock, taking pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Yucatan, Flamingos, Azul Temple, a boat, a cheetah, and a burrito.

Went to Guys for lunch with hamburgers and fries.

The ship was supposed to leave around 4 P.M., but several people were late, so it was more like 5 P.M. before we left Progresso.

Progresso Yucatan 

We dressed for dinner in the iDinnerWinstar Dining room, where I ordered Ribs, fries, beans, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

Day 6, Friday, October 14, Sea Day

We had a beautiful cloudy Sunrise. 

Brunch in Winstar Dining Room of Skilled Cake with linked sausage.

Relaxed on the Lido deck, meet several ladies from Georgia, Destin and Fair Hope, Al, and one from lower California.

At 4 P.M., we went to the Platinum farewell Party, where we enjoyed free mixed drinks.

Recognized a father and son who traveled the most days on Carnival cruise ships.

We listened to Crimson String Trio before going to the Winstar dining room.

Crimson String Trio 

I ordered grilled salmon, veggies, and Carnival Baboloo 50th Anniversary Cake. (a white frosting with three layers of cake. The cake frosting has chewy chunks throughout the frosting.)

Carnival Baboloo 50th Anniversary Cake. (a white frosting with three layers of cake. The cake frosting has chewy chunks throughout the frosting.)

Day 7, Saturday, October 15, Travel Home

At 8 A.M., we stopped at Jack in Jackson for breakfast sausage and gravy with strawberry pie. We filled up with gas at Texaco and bought Almond Joy and Diet Sprite. 

Carnival Ecstasy Stateroom E155 Deck E Muster Station F 

Hotel Renaissance Mobile Riverfront Plaza Hotel 64 South Water St Mobile, Al 36602

2022 April 26-29, Trip to Knoxville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN (4 days)

 Travel to Knoxville, stopping at Baxter's Botanical Gardens. The gardens are only open to the public during April as part of the Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville. 

Baxter's Azalea Garden

We visited the White Garden, the Maze, the Bluebird Garden, the Lotus Pond, the Dogwood Rambol, the Gazebo, the Azalea Garden, the Iris Garden, the Asian Garden, the Ellipse Garden, the Fuji Garden, the Balustiade Garden, the Hannah Garden, and the Birds of Baxter's Garden. 

We spent about 30 to 45 minutes here. 

We then traveled to Pigeon Forge and checked in at Margaritaville's The Island Inn.

We walked around the Island and stopped at Mellowmushroom for dinner. 

Mellow Mushroom at the Island Pigeon Forge, TN

We ordered a Hawaiian Pizza with a drink and spent $30.57.

Day 2 Wednesday, April 27

Ate scrambled eggs, 2 slices of bacon, fried potatoes, biscuits with strawberry jelly, and cranberry juice for breakfast at the hotel.

We rode to the Trolley Center at 186 Old Mill Ave beside Patriot Park, where we bought tickets for the day to take the trolley to Dollywood. The cost for all day was $3 each.

We bought senior tickets at Dollywood, which cost $166.10 for the day. 

All throughout the park, we saw flowers designed in character form. We saw Busy, Busy Bees, Ring-tailed Rascals(Raccoons), Family Times (bear family), Round as a Peacock, Turtle, Frogs, butterflies, a Coat of many colors, Colorful umbrellas, Duck Days, The Dolly Wood Tree, Fines Farm, Doctor I. B. Painless Dentist, and Topsy Turvy.

Wildwood Grove at Dollywood 

We rode the train and carousel. 

We bought cinnamon bread with coke at Dollywood Grist Mill and spent $15

We ate supper at Huck Finn with green beans, catfish, creamed potatoes, and shrimp.

We stopped at the Margaritaville Store, where we bought 2 tee shirts. 

Coat of Many Colors Flowers

Day 3, Thursday, April 28

Today, we ate breakfast at the hotel: Muffins, sausage, & potatoes.

We rode to Old Mill Park, where we saw pigeons, geese, and mallard ducks.

We rode to Parrot Mountain and paid $53.11 for tickets, where we saw and fed many exotic birds. 

Parrot Mountain

Some of the birds we saw were the red-billed Tucan, Swanson Tucan, Keel-Billed Tucan, Kookaburra, Scarlett McCaw, Catalina McCow, African Pied Crow, Von Der Dickens Hornbill, Green-wing McCaw, Sun Conure, Mustache Parakeet, Golden Conure, just to name a few. 

We ate lunch at Firehouse Sub, ordering a small Steak and Cheese meal and a Medium Italian Sub meal. $21.75

We rode back to the Trolley Center at 186 Old Mill Ave to buy tickets to ride the trolley to the Gatlinburg Trolley Center.

At the Gatlinburg Trolley Center, we rode the trolley to Gatlinburg. We had a very entertaining driver, which made the ride enjoyable. 

Ankeesta and Black Bear 

We bought tickets for Ankeesta, where we rode the skylift up the mountain for $58.08. We bought lemonade and walked around, then took the Treetop Skywalk, which had a beautiful view. 

We rode the skylift back down the mountain and walked around Gatlinburg, stopping at Bubba Gumps for supper. There, we ordered a Forest Seafood Feast, which we split. It included shrimp, fish, fries, and Cole slaw. 

Forrest Seafood Feast at Bubba Gumps

We returned the trolley to Gatlinburg Trolley Center and Pigeon Forge Trolley Center.

At the Old Mill, we bought Relish and a self-rising Corn Meal. $12.91

Day 4, Friday, April 29

We ate breakfast in the hotel: bacon, eggs, biscuits, jelly, fried potatoes, and cranberry juice.

We traveled home, stopping in Athens for Gas.

2023 Jan 7, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Event

 Yesterday, Hubby and I went to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, an event with Joe Wheeler State Park. 

There, we meet up with a group from Oak Mountain in Birmingham. 

Groups were coming from several other places.

There were so many cars that the park ranger had to direct traffic. Many parked along the side of the road, and many parked across the highway. Next week is the big event for Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, and I'm glad we went today. 

Hubby and I walked to the new observation building, where we saw the five Whooping Cranes with my new scope.

We also saw thousands of Sandhill Cranes, Ducks, and geese. 

Cypress Trees 

Next, we took the Cypress Tree Trail, a walkway across a wooden bridge surrounded by Cypress Trees.

We could loudly hear Blue Jay calling out to each other. We heard White-breasted Nuthatches (what we call upside-down birds). We heard Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and Eastern Phoebe, and we saw and heard a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

We walked to another observation station and saw no cranes, but we saw several Robins hopping around looking for food.

Hubby returned to the car, and I walked to the two-story Observation building that offers a fantastic enclosed view of our winter surroundings.

View of Sandhill Cranes, Ducks, and Geese from the Observation building

I met several members of a Gatlinburg photo club there. They said they would set up a booth at Gatlinburg's Wildlife Week and told me to look for them if I went that week. 

I saw a small boy enjoying kicking and picking up gravel as his family walked to the Observation building.

We returned to the car and rode across the road to see more cranes.

We only saw a few but met several women from the Birmingham Area.

They were taking pictures. We did see a couple of white egrets.

Our next stop was a target to pick up a couple boxes of Skinny Popcorn. 

For lunch, we stopped at Whataburger, where I ordered a #1 Hamburger with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, mustard, and pickles with fries.

It was an overcast day with rain hanging in the air.

Later that night, Hubby and I enjoyed dinner with my sisters and brother-in-law. After the meal, we girls played UNO and dominoes.

Had a wonderful day.