2023 Dec 13, McWane Science Center Museum Birmingham, Toyota Field Dancing Lights we took AVA

 Today, we ate breakfast at Jack's in Cullman. I ordered gravy with sausage and biscuits, Ave ordered sausage and biscuits, and Hubby ordered a ham and cheese sandwich. 

McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL 

We traveled to Birmingham, stopping at the McWane Science Museum Center. Hubby went to level 3 to see the train display. 

Ava and I went to the second floor to see the dinosaurs, where we saw a Super Cell Tank and birds in a tree. Ava was a weather girl, and she rode the Sky High Cycle. 

Sky High Cycle

We walked up to the third floor, and Ave rode the train and the Zipline several times.

Ava rode the train

The World of Water Aquarium was in the basement, where Ave petted a shark and a ray. 

We saw coral, a variety of fish, and an eel.

AVA made large bubbles on the first floor and experimented with several science objects. Ava lay on a bed of nails. We went inside the distortion room. You were small in the top corner and prominent in the bottom corner. 

Ava on a bed of nails 

distortion room,
"Honey, I shrunk the kid."

 We stopped for dinner at Oh! Bryans in Hartselle. Hubby ordered steak, baked potato, and salad bar. I ordered a chicken wrap. Ava ordered chicken nuggets and fries from McDonald's.

Ava touched a Python before we left McWane Science Center.

Ava with the Blues Brothers 

After dinner, we rode to Toyota Field in Huntsville to see the dancing lights. 

Winter Wonder Land was not open, but we did get to see the light show. 

Traffic was horrible in Huntsville. 

It was way after dark when we arrived home. 

Ava spent the night. 

Engulfed by Darkness

 Jonah was swallowed by a whale for disobedience.
I was engulfed in darkness, heavy traffic, and blinding rain.

I loaded my grandson, Justin (age five), and my granddaughter, Hannah (age seven), into the car, and we began our journey to Pell City.
We traveled I-65 South all the way to Birmingham.
From Birmingham, we took I-20 to Pell City, which took about 2.5 hours.

I did not have my grandson's exact address, as he had moved from his old one.
Now, I was depending on a five-year-old to get us to his new address.

We rode up and down the same highway for over an hour before I could reach his dad.

By the time we left for home, it was getting dark, and it had started to rain.
On the Interstate, we got behind a large truck, and I couldn't see around it, so we missed our turn.

All I remember was that we were headed north on a very rough highway. (79)
Several times, I almost stopped because I thought my tires were going flat, but I was afraid since it was very dark and there was not much traffic.

Thank God I had a cell phone that worked, so I called Hubby, who was working in St Louis at that time.
I told him what happened, and he said, What highway are you on? This was before we had GPS on our phones or our vehicles.

Hubby said I will call you back when I locate you on the map.
Hubby called and said you will have to go over the mountain to get back to I-65.

The darkness and rain did not help to see along the winding roads we took over the mountains.

We almost rammed into a stalled car on a dark bridge.
It took us twice as long to get home, but we made it safe and sound.

God was in control in both cases.

Traveling for Meadow!

Children's Hospital Philadelphia Stroke Clinic  

Children's Hospital Philadelphia
Spend a couple of days at RMH in Philly and visit the Stroke Clinic.

Meadow EEG in Birmingham, Alabama 

Shriners Hospital, Lexington, Ky. We visited Shriners 

Meadow in Children's Hospital, St Louis, MO
I rode to St Louis, MO, with my daughter.

Meadow at RMH before her Moya, Moya Surgery In Palo Alto, CA
I spent twenty-five days in Palo Alto. Dr. Stineburg performed two Moya Moya surgeries on my granddaughter. 

Meadow at Children's Hospital Birmingham
We traveled to Birmingham to see a doctor or for a hospital visit.

Meadow at Ability Plus, Melbourne, FL 

Getting tucked into bed at Give the Kids the World Kissimmee, Florida
I spent one week with my daughter and her children at GKW.
We went to SeaWorld, Disney, and Universal Studios.

Meadow at Dr. Bradstreet's in Melbourne, FL
I stayed with my daughter and granddaughter at RMH in Orlando for six weeks, and we rode daily to Melbourne, Florida, for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Physical therapy.

2004 ~Saturday March 6, Shopping at Summit Mall Birmingham, AL

Harry and Hannah: The American Adventure 

It was a beautiful day for a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Birmingham to go shopping.

All the stores are built individually, so we had to go from store to store.

We looked at several electronic stores but did not buy anything.

Resting after shopping in front of the Bose Store 

Resting after shopping in front of the Pottery Barn

After a whole morning of shopping, we decided to eat at The Cheese Cake Factory.

Hubby and Hannah are checking out the menu.

Hannah is holding the beeper.

Hannah is holding the beeper at the Cheese Cake Factory. 

Hannah and Hubby are discussing what to order off the menu.

Waiting for a table at the Cheese Cake Factory

2009 ~August 11-14 Meadow's Physical Therapy & McWane Center Birmingham, Al

Meadow at the RMH

Meadow enjoying the water at the McWane Center.

Meadow enjoying the water at the McWane Center

Meadow at Dino dig at the McWane Center

Meadow at Dino dig at the McWane Center

Meadow enjoying the sand at the McWane Center

Meadow is having physical therapy at Children's Outpatient Center PT & OT Hearing & Speech located at 1208 3rd Avenue Birmingham from August 11-14.

Tuesday, we rode to Birmingham and we arrived just in time for 

Meadow’s physical therapy was at 9:00 AM. 

We checked in at the RMH, after Meadow’s appointment,

where we will be staying for the next few days. 

For lunch, we walked to Captain D’s which was just a block away.

Meadow loves to fish. 

We rode to the YMCA where both Lora and I worked out. 

We put Meadow in Child Watch at the YMCA.

I rode the stationary bike for thirty minutes. 

Meadows appointment on Wednesday is from 9:00-12:00 PM.

We rode to the YMCA, after Meadows physical therapy, where both Lora and I worked out. I rode the stationary bike for twenty-five minutes.

We put Meadow in Child Watch at the YMCA.

We rode to the mall to shop and stopped to get the tires checked on Lora’s Car. 

On Thursday Meadow had several different doctor appointments one with Doctor Grant's cleft doctor, Nathaniel Robins's Genetic doctor, and an Otolaryngologist (ENT).

Meadow’s therapy was from 3:00-6:00 PM. 

We ate lunch at McDonald's, Meadow likes the chicken nuggets.

We squeezed in an hour at the McWane Center where Meadow enjoyed playing in the sand & water.

Friday was Meadow’s last day of physical therapy which was from 9:00-11:00PM. 

Before we went to therapy we cleaned our room, washcloths and checked out of the RMH. 

After Meadow’s therapy, we walked several blocks, pushing Meadow in her wheelchair, to the Fish Market where we ate lunch. 

The Fish Market is located at 621 22nd Street.

Lora and I split a Traditional Greek Salad with Crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, ripe tomatoes, Salonica peppers, and green olives topped with feta cheese and Greek dressing. 

Lora and I  split a Bam Bam Grouper

Fried lightly and tossed with a sweet and spicy sauce. Served with Greek Roasted Potatoes.

After we finished our meal we walked back to the car and rode home, we were home by 4:30.

2013 ~ Tuesday, September 17, Day Trip to Birmingham, Alabama

On 2013 September 17, we drove to Birmingham Alabama stopping to eat lunch at Cracker Barrel in Gardendale Alabama. 

I ordered my usual children’s plate of grilled chicken, green beans, cornbread, onion and their homemade relish.  

Back on the road headed into Birmingham, which is a little over a two-hour drive. 

We arrived at Vulcan Park at 12:52 P.M. purchasing tickets at a cost of $13.20. 

There were several historical Markers along the walkway leading up to the Vulcan and Museum.

List of the markers that we saw was:

1. Describing the designing of Vulcan Park: The Formal design, a park for people, Naturalistic features. 

2. The Iron Man: Vulcan The giant, cast iron statue you see towering above you is Vulcan, the Roman god of metalwork and forge. The 56-foot   tall statue was commissioned by Birmingham leaders to represent they're new, growing city at the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair. After a smashing success at the fair, he was brought home to Birmingham. 

3. Mineral Railroad Trestle, the railroad trestle support wall across the road is a remnant of L& N’s 156-mile Mineral railroad, the backbone of the local industry.

4. Before Birmingham: Jones Valley: Native American presence, Early settlement & Toward an iron industry

5. A New City  Building early Birmingham

6. Industry: Iron and Steel Manufacturing

7. The Lone Pine Mine: you are standing in front of the entrance to the Lone Pine Mine Number 3.

8. The Works Progress Administration

9. Birmingham district Minerals

10. Restoring Vulcan Park, visiting the park & building the park

11. The Cascade

12. South: Mountain Brook and Hollywood

13. Vulcan Park & Tower on Wall

14. In Memory of Giuseppe Moretti on wall

15. Vulcan, God of Fire and Metal

Working of the Vulcan

A statue of the Vulcan’s foot 

Inside the museum was Recipe for a city. When state geologists mapped the Birmingham District’s mineral resources in the mid-1800’s, they found great quantities of the three ingredients necessary for the manufacturing of foundry iron: coal, limestone, and iron ore. The availability of these three ingredients and the ability to recruit a large and inexpensive pool of labor made Birmingham’s industry possible. 

Some of the workers that made Birmingham, Clyde Love, Will Battle, James Knox and James Purdue.

Example of the country store was displayed, sacks of potatoes, potbelly stove and Old radio. Pictures were displayed about the building of Birmingham, the promoters, investors, and entrepreneurs.

The making of the Vulcan from scratch was displayed from Iron Casting to sand mold, plaster cast, and plaster mold to clay mold. Their much information displayed about Moretti the builder of the Vulcan.

A statue of the Vulcan’s foot was on display and a room full of,  A place of our own the fourth avenue district, Civil Rights, and the Rise of Birmingham’s Black Middle Class.

VULCAN

We exited the museum and headed to the glass elevator, which led up to the foot of the Vulcan.

It was a magnificent view of the city, you could see for miles. The only problem was when you looked down. The footing on which I was standing had holes which you could see the bottom or ground level, which frighten me. 

I stayed as close to the building as I could, but I still did not like being able to see the ground when I looked down. 

I was determined to overcome my fear so, I walked around the top of the Vulcan two times taking pictures, but I was ready to leave after that.

I did not mind the elevator, even though it had glass windows which had a different view of Birmingham.

Standing on the grate around the Vulcan 

Standing on the grate around the Vulcan 

View of the City of Birmingham from atop the Vulcan

the Vulcan Museum

View of the Vulcan from parking lot

When we got to the bottom I was glad and told that to the guard who was sitting in a chair below. 

He said I have seen many come down frightened, but one time I had a customer come down and kiss the ground when he walked out of the elevator.

Sorry, but I was glad to have my feet planted on solid ground. 

We exited the park and headed to the Birmingham Zoo. 

Tuesday is the half-price day so we got in for $15.40.

The Birmingham Zoo is your passport to trails of Africa that was what the entrance sign said.

We first saw some birds, Radiated & Aldabra, Tortoise, several different types of small cats, Red Panda, Zebra, Giraffe, a couple of elephants, a gorilla, couple of otters, few Batman characters set up for Boo at the Zoo, we went inside the birdhouse where you could feed the birds, a couple of sea lions, some snakes, and lizards. 

I was very disappointed not seeing more animals? 

We left the zoo and went to the Botanical gardens.

That morning when we started to Birmingham it was cool but by the time we got to the Botanical Gardens the heat was unbearable so we did not stay

We did go to the gift shop where I bought an ice cream cone to help cool me off.

Batman at the Zoo

Petting the Elephant

Petting the Giraffe

Walking thru the zoo

At the Entrance of the Zoo

For supper, we stopped in Cullman Alabama at Captain D’s spent $17.92.

Filled up with gas at Flying J’s cost $51.50. We were home by 7:30P.M.

We had a wonderful drive to Birmingham and the sun was setting on the drive home.

I tried to capture all the beauty with my camera.

Traveling thru Birmingham 

Road Construction in Birmingham 

Beautiful Sunset

We drove through the Birmingham work traffic & construction but once we got past Birmingham, the traffic was not too bad. 

After supper was taking our time getting home, it was relaxing.  

It was a wonderful way to end the day. 

I am waiting for my next adventure.