2023 Feb 22-24, Amelia Island, Kingsley Plantation, Fernandian Beach, St Augustine, FL. and Fountain of Youth (Diamond Travel Huey Town, AL) 5 Days

Day 3: Wednesday, February 22

Breakfast in the hotel was a cinnamon roll, sausage, milk, and cranberry juice.

Meet our guide loaded onto the bus for an hour ride to Kingsley Plantation, which is located on Fort George Island along the St John's River. Two roads lead to the site, Palmetto Avenue, which is a dirt road that is often in rough condition. Fort George Road is paved but subject to flooding during weather events and extreme tides.

 Kingsley Plantation  and our guide

The birds we heard were House Finch,  Yellow-rump Warbler, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throat Warble, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Boat-tailed Grackle, and a couple of Peacocks.

We had about 45 minutes to tour the house, barn, gift shop, and gardens, there, we saw a gopher tortoise.

Loaded back onto the bus and headed to Amelia Island, where we walked along the sandy beach.

Amelia Island Beach and sand

Loaded back onto the bus and headed to Fernandina Beach, where we walked through the town and stopped to eat lunch at "The Happy Tomato," where hubby and I split a club sandwich, potato chips, and a couple bottles of water.

Club Sandwich with Lay's Chips

We walked along the pier, where we saw a great-gray heron and heard several grackles.

We saw several House sparrows and a yellow-tailed warbler.

Wall of Gray Butterflies 

Town of Fernandina Beach 

Loaded back onto the bus and headed back to the hotel to freshen up.

Our last stop of the day was Apple Bees for dinner, where I ordered grilled Chicken, a Caesar salad, and a brownie.

FIESTA LIME CHICKEN

Grilled chicken glazed with zesty lime sauce and drizzled with tangy Mexi-ranch is smothered with a rich blend of Cheddar cheeses on a bed of crispy tortilla strips. Served with Spanish rice and house-made pico de gallo.

Day 4: Thursday, February 23, 

Breakfast at the hotel of a cinnamon roll, biscuit, and gravy with juice.

Loaded onto the bus and headed to St Augustine.

We stopped at the Visitor Center to pick up our guide. We also shopped and toured the museum inside the visitor center.

Our tour Guide

We loaded back onto the bus, and our guide told us about the many historic sites in St. Augustine.

We stopped at Flager College (the former Ponce de Leon Hotel) and several churches.

Flager College

Rode back to the Visitor Center and were on our own for a couple of hours. 

We walked to St George Street, which is a pedestrian-only filled with unique shops and restaurants.

We ate lunch at  St. Augustine Seafood Company. We ordered a shrimp plate with fries, cole slaw, and water. I also bought 2 bottles of their hot sauce to take home to my son. 

Shrimp, Fries, and Cole Slaw at St Augustine Seafood Company

We walked several blocks on St George Street, stopping to take pictures of historic markers and sites.

We walked through the Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine and Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine.

Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine

We walked inside a mall area where we saw several people dressed up like pirates.

Got my picture made with them a few minutes later.

Me with the pirates

We walked back to the visitor center and did a little shopping. Hubby bought a hat, and I bought a kitchen towel. 

We loaded back onto the bus and headed to the Fountain of Youth.

At the Fountain of Youth, we walked around and stopped to taste the spring, suffer water, watch a show, watch a blacksmith at work, and the firing of a cannon.

Couple taking a sip from the Fountain of Youth 

Loaded back onto the bus and rode to Cucina Giovanni for dinner.

It took forever for them to take our orders, and the food was overcooked.

Salad 

Chicken Parmigiana topped with marinara sauce& mozzarella served with Spaghetti. 

Pasta Alfredo with creamy Alfredo sauce 

Cannoli

The salad and dessert were good. We were there too long to enjoy our meal.

Day 5: Friday, February 24, Travel Home 

Packed our bags and took them downstairs to be loaded onto the bus.

Ate breakfast and watched a couple of Scottish men play Amazing Grace on bagpipes.

Loaded onto the bus and headed for Hueytown, Al.

We stopped in Perry, Ga ate lunch at Fire House Sub.

Club sub 

Small Philly Sub 

Stopped at the Rest Area at Lake Park Suwanee River Valley, Ga 

Rest Area at Lake Park Suwanee River Valley, Ga 

Arrived in Birmingham around 4:49PM.

Loaded our luggage into the car and headed home, a 2 1/2 hour drive.

Stopped at KFC in Athens at 7:01 PM and home around 8 PM.

Had a great trip but woke up Monday morning with COVID.

 

2023 Feb 20-21, Bus Trip to Jacksonville, and touring Jacksonville, Fl (Diamond Travel Hueytown, AL) (5day trip)

Day 1: Monday, February 20

Hubby and I traveled 2 1/2 hours to Hueytown, Al stopped at Jack's in Hueytown for gravy and biscuits.

Everyone was checked in and given a name tag that was our ticket for our meals, events, and lodging.

Around 7:30, the bus arrived, loaded our luggage along with 40 other people's luggage onto the bus, and 

By 8 AM, we were on our way.

Our first restroom stop was I-20 at the Georgia Welcome Center in Waco, Georgia.

Georgia Welcome Center Waco, Georgia.

Our next stop was for lunch at the Arbor Mall in Douglasville, Georgia, where there were several different places to eat. We picked Chick-fil-A I ordered a kid's chicken nugget meal, and hubby ordered a chicken sandwich with waffle fries.

Arbor Mall in Douglasville, Georgia 

Our third stop was at I-75 Rest Area Southbound Forsyth, Georgia.

 I-75 Rest Area Southbound Forsyth, Georgia.

Our fourth stop was the Florida Welcome Center I-75 in Jennings, Florida. (They always have fresh orange juice here, but they closed at 5PM, and it was just a few minutes after 5).

Florida Welcome Center I-75 in Jennings, Florida

We stopped for dinner at Ole Times CountyBuffet in Lake City. Here, I ate collard greens, green lima beans, carrots, a piece of fish, cornbread, and a slice of chess pie.

Ole Times CountyBuffet in Lake City

We finally arrived at the hotel, were given our room keys, and took our luggage to our room.

Everyone was exhausted from the long ride, so they took a shower and went to bed. 

Holiday Inn Express room 310.

Day 2: Tuesday, February 21,

Breakfast at the hotel: omelet, sausage, biscuit with grape jelly, and milk.

At 8:00, we were on the bus headed to St John's Town Center to pick up our guide.

Our first stop was Memorial Park along the St John's River. 

St John's Memorial Park along the St John's River

Our next stop was Sweet Pete's Candies, where they have 100s of candies & chocolates.

Sweet Pete's Candies 

We walked to the nearby Weldon Johnson Park, which was located in the center of town near the Art Museum and City Hall.

James Weldon Johnson Park

Our next stop was Jessie Ball Dupont Park to see Jacksonville's Favorite 70-foot tall, 25-foot trunk Oak Tree.

The so-called Treaty Oak is at least two centuries old.

Treat Oak 70 Feet 25-foot trunk. 

We loaded back onto the bus and headed back to St John's Town Center to drop off our guide and get lunch.

We chose the M-Shack's gourmet burger that is made with all-natural, hormone-free ground beef. 

Hubby and I split the M-Shack's hamburger. 

Our next stop was the Miss Headley River Boat Cruise along St John's River.

Miss Headley River Boat Cruise 

We loaded back onto the bus and headed to the hotel to freshen up, for we were going to the Double Tree by Hilton for a buffet dinner and show.

By the time we filled our plates, there was no place to sit with our group. We ended up setting up front near the band with a fun group from Louisiana.

One of the women was a librarian. The one sitting next to me had red hair, and she said her husband didn't care for traveling. She said when I was growing up, my dad would take me to the pub with him. He would give her money to play Pack Man games, and he would go and drink. Her dad was much older than her mom. Her dad had passed several years back, and her mom remarried, and she didn't care much for her new husband.

She said if anything happened to her husband, she would never remarry. Their group had already visited the Fountain of Youth, and she said the water tasted like sulfur. This group was a lot of fun, and we all danced around the room waving our napkins to the Saints Go Marching In. 

🚌📖 🚌📖 🚌📖 🚌📖 2017 May 18, Events leading up to the Shoals Front Porch Storytelling Festival

Two buses were waiting at the Florence Visitor Center for passengers to board. One bus takes a group of people on a Historical Tour(guide Billy Warren) and the other bus takes a Music Tour (guide Walt Aldridge).
A couple from Toronto Canada, a couple from Louisiana, a woman from Tuscaloosa, our driver, our guide Billy Warren and myself loaded onto the bus taking the historic tour.
We visited the Florence Indian Mound and Museum, the Rosenbaum House, rode by WC Handy's Home and we visited the Ivy Green Home of Helen Keller.

Our first stop was the Newly-built Indian Mound Museum. We were led into the sitting area where we listened to the curator tell the history of the museum and mound, starting with the Paleo Indians, Transitional, Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian and ending with the Native American age

Late Archaic Period

Middle Archaic Period

Early Archaic Period 

Once again, we loaded onto the bus, our next stop was the Rosenbaum House, where we were met by a curator who told the history of the Rosenbaum Family and how Frank Loyd Wright ended up building the newly married couple's home.

We rode by the WC  Handy Home, not stopping while Billy told the history of WC Handy.
As we cross the O'Neal Bridge, Billy Warren said the bridge was named after two governors from Florence (father and son).
Billy was asked about the Train Bridge and why it went only halfway across the river, Billy said that the lift part of the bridge was sold to a company in St Louis, Mo.

Our last stop was Ivy Green, the home of Helen Keller. As we approached the home, we could see a large group of schoolchildren.

Ivy Green and Several Groups of School Children 

The pump where Helen Keller said "Water" is where her education began. 

The curator came outside and gave us a little history of the Keller family.
One story the curator told us was about Annie Sullivan.
Helen locked Miss Sullivan in her room, and she hid the key.
Mr. Keller had to get a ladder for Miss Sullivan to climb out a window.
What had she gotten herself into?

Add caption

This young man said, Is this the statue that is in Washington DC?  I said no, it was one of Helen standing by the pump.

The Key used to Lock Miss Sullivan in her room.

Ivy Green as we were leaving (notice no school Children)

Once again, we loaded into the bus and rode back to the Visitor Center. Since it was such a small group, we got to know a little about one another.

I grabbed a bite of lunch at Jack's (kids' chicken fingers, green beans, Rice Krispy bit-size snack, and iced tea.
At 2PM, I watched the Katherine Tucker Windham Tucker Life video at the Florence Library (sat next to my friends). The woman from Tuscaloosa, from the bus tour.

From 3:30-4:15PM, at Florence Library, I listened to Dolores Hydock's talks about "It Could Happen! Stories of Hope and Possibility.
Funny, sweet stories of hope, possibilities, and the little things in life that make hope possible.

Stopped to talk to my writing friends before heading home.
At Rick's Barbecue, I bought some pulled pork, Cole Slaw, iced tea, and Texas toast for supper.

Had a wonderful day, made a few new friends, visited several museums, watched a video about a great storyteller, and listened to a great storyteller with my friends.

2002 November 7-12 Trip to Washington DC with my Grandson Jake

2002 ~ November 7-12 Washington, D.C

Rode bus to Washington D.C. the weekend of Veteran’s Day with a group of gifted kids from the Lauderdale county school system. 
All the kids and parents, grandparents had to meet  at the board of Education in Florence, Alabama. At 4:30 p.m. where we load into a tour bus.  

Day 1: Thursday, November 7, 2002  

We left Florence, Alabama on highway 72 heading to Huntsville, Alabama. 60 miles

565- Huntsville we took I565 East 2.4 miles to 72 easts for 37.7 miles, 

35 south merge onto veterans drive for 2.1 miles toward Fort Payne, 

35 souths turn right onto Al-35 South for 23.4 miles.

59 North – merge onto I-59 via the ramp on the left toward Chattanooga for 41.9 miles

24 East –merge onto I-24 toward Chattanooga for 17.4 miles.

75 north- merge onto I-75 North via exit 185 B on the left toward Knoxville, Tennessee. 

40 East- take I-40 east toward Knoxville, TN.

81 north – merge onto I-81 north via exit 421 on the left toward Bristol crossing to Virginia.

66 East- merge onto I66 East via exit 300 toward Fort Royal Washington crossing into Virginia. 

We traveled all night on the bus and most of the kids slept. We swapped drivers sometime during the night for drivers cannot drive non-stop for twelve hours.

Day 2: Friday, November 8, 2002

We arrived early the next morning and our first stop was the Arlington National Cemetery. 
We watched changing of the guards.
Arlington National Cemetery

Changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery 

We saw all the graves of the unknown soldiers, the eternal flame of President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and his brother Robert Kennedy.
We saw the memorial for the seven crew members who lost their lives when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.
On January 28, 1986, Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds after blasting off, killing  Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe. 

Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe

Also inside the Arlington National Cemetery is the Arlington House formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion it was the former home to one of the most famous southern generals, Robert E. Lee.
Arlington House The Custis Lee Mansion

Arlington National cemetery is located on 500 acres site in on the East side of the Potomac River. 

We saw the Pentagon, which is on the West side of the Potomac River.
Pentagon

Pentagon, on the West side of the Potomac River

Arlington National Cemetery 

 Smithsonian National Castle  

We visited the Washington National Cathedral Church located on 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC. The Gothic Cathedral with dramatic architecture, soaring vaulting magnificent stained glass sculptures carvings, gargoyles, peaceful gardens, and daily worship. 
The Cathedral is the sixth largest Cathedral in the world offering magnificent views of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are has 57 acres. 
Washington National Cathedra

Washington's National Cathedral  

Jake in front of the Washington's National Cathedral 

We went to the National Zoological Park located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW it has 1000 exotic animals, including the Panda Bear. 
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

It was getting close to time for the zoo to close when we arrived but I did get to see the two new Panda Bears before they closed.

Day 3: Saturday, November 9, 2002

We walked along the gates of the White House; we stood in line for over and hour to get tickets to go into the Capital Building. 
US Capitol Tours

Tickets are free and are on a first come first serving basis. 
Distribution began at nine and we arrived there about 7:30. A.M. 

US Capitol Building with our school group 

Ticket to see Washington Capitol

We came back later that day for a 45 minute guided tour.
Inside the capitol building were statues that represented every state of the Union. 
The statue that represented Alabama was General Joseph Wheeler from Pond Springs, Alabama.

There were painting on the walls and ceiling. 

The constitution of our country was under glass in the capital building. 

Washington National Capitol building is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW DC.

The white House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW DC. 

To visit the White House of a party of ten or more only – request must be made through ones member of congress 6 months in advance. 

We went to the Ronald Reagan building for lunch. 

Ronald Reagan Building

We used the restroom in the US Botanical Gardens.
The United States Botanic Gardens
We visited in the Smithsonian History Museum.

The Smithsonian Museum of National Air and Space Museum is located on 6th street and Independence Ave SW. 
Inside the National Air and Space Museum is many icons such as the original Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louise, Space Ship one, the Apollo II Command Module and a touchable Luna rock. 

smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

We saw the Jefferson Memorial a 19-foot statue of our third president. 
Jefferson Memorial

We saw the FDR Memorial with four out door “galley rooms” featuring ten bronze sculptures depicting the life and times of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his beloved dog “Fala”

National Park Service

We saw the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument all of these are in the West Potomac Park.

Ticket Washington Monument

Day 4: Sunday, November 10, 2002

We went to Mount Vernon, (Washington’s home in Virginia) which is 16 miles South of DC.
George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon 

Ticket to visit Mt Vernon

We ate lunch at the Fashion Center at the Pentagon City of 100 shop.
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City

We also visited the house were Lincoln our sixteenth president died. 

We shopped in some of the gift shops on the same street were Lincoln died. 

We went up in the elevator in the Lincoln Memorial, and I had a sick stomach and had to rush back down to find a restroom.
Lincoln Memorial District of Columbia
We saw FDR memorial and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt.

 FDR Memorial

We saw the Gettysburg address where Lincoln was sitting; he was the size of a two-story building. 

Gettysburg Address

We could see across the Potomac River to the White House. 

We ate lunch at McDonalds. 
We saw Fort Knox where they make money. 

We saw where the terrorist had destroyed the building in D.C. and it being restored. 

Pentagon being repaired after 911

We saw dinosaur bones in the Smithsonion Natioanl History museum. 

That weekend they were having a memorial and was reading of the names written on the Vietnam Wall. 

My stomach stayed tore up the entire weekend and I think I used every restroom in DC. 

We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel. 

There were four to a room and the parent or grandparent had to sleep with the child. 

We ate lunch and dinner at several different places in Washington DC.

Day 5: Monday, November 11, 2002

We started our trip back and my stomach started hurting the minute we got on the bus. 
I was having hot flashes, and I felt the urge to throw up.
I told my grandson to get me a Wal-Mart bag to barf in.
He brought me one but it had a hole in the bottom needless to say my barf went in one side of the bag and out the other spilling all over the bus floor.

It smelled awful so the driver of the bus found a place to stop and everyone got out so he could clean the bus.
Everyone went inside the store where we stopped and I went to the restroom, barfed, and pooped again.

Someone gave me some medicine for motion sickness and sick stomach. 

I slept until we stopped at a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee for supper.

My stomach was now settled down so I went shopping at the Disney store, where I bought my granddaughter a Lelo stuffed animal. 

I also bought the movie Snow Dogs that everyone on the bus watched on the way home.
I went back to sleep and I slept the rest of the way home.
A fun trip but no one will forget the time I barfed on the bus on our return trip home.