2021 Feb 8, Day Trip to Huntsville, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Huntsville today for my Opthomologist appointment. You know the drill by now. Stay in your car, and call the office to let them know you are there; they will call you back when you can come inside. Once inside the building, they take your temperature; you are given a sticker to place on your shirt or blouse that says you are okay to enter the building. Once inside, I checked in; after a short wait, I was called back to the waiting room. The pressure in both my eyes was checked, and both registered 15, The optic nerve in both eyes was checked, and nothing changed. I had taken my big camera with me; I wanted to get a few pictures of the waterfowl and colorful fish that swam at Big Spring Park, so that was our next stop. On our way to Huntsville, the thermometer on the car read 35 and showed snow, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining; not much wind, with a little chill in the air. I took my coat but never had to put it on.

Canadian Geese 

We then rode to Braham Spring Park, where we saw Canadian Geese, Mallard Ducks, and a few starlings eating and swimming at the park. I said it's such a beautiful day let's go to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, so we entered I-565, and not far past the airport, the traffic was bumper to bumper because they were working on the road and were merging into one lane. We then turned onto I-65 only to find out they were working on the interstate and were also merging into one lane. We finally made it to our turn-off, and hubby said what do you think about getting lunch at Libby's in Priceville. I said that sounds good, for I love me some good old fried catfish. I was not disappointed; I ordered one piece of fillet with coleslaw, hush puppies, onion, baked potato, and iced tea. I could not eat it. I also got a to-go box.

Catfish plate @Libby's in Priceville, Alabama

We then rode to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge to see what was left of the Sandhill Cranes to my disappointment, they were just a few. The visitor center was closed, and so was the observation building. There was a wooden wall with holes cut out to view the fields, but no birds. We stopped at Jack's in Decatur for a diet Coke and two strawberry Cheesecake pies. Our last stop was a Wheeler Dam to see the waterfowl. Saw a few White Pelicans, so we didn't stop. When we got home, I went outside and filled both bird feeders and saw more birds at home than I did at all the places where we had stopped. We have Cardinals, Wrens, Finch, Tuff Titmouse, Mourning Doves, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Downy Woodpeckers, just to name a few of our backyard birds.

2020 Jan 6, Outing to Decatur, Alabama Birds of Prey, Waterfowl

Owl 

Today, Hubby and I rode to Decatur we ate breakfast at IHOP and went to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, where we saw Whooping and Sandhill Cranes. 

We saw a small group of schoolchildren and several adults with cameras. We watched a 12-minute movie about the Refuge and walked among the Cypress Trees.

Sandhill Cranes

On the Atkeson Cypress Boardwalk, we saw these gorgeous Cypresses submerged deep in the swam. 

 We stopped at Ingalls Harbor, & Rhodes Ferry Park.

Tern Perched on a pole at Ingalls Harbor. 

We ate lunch at Jack's, hamburgers and fried pies
 We stopped at Wheeler Dam, where we saw hundreds of Terns diving for fish. We also saw hundreds of Terns perched along the entrance to the locks and hundreds of Cormorants perched below the dam. It was a beautiful day for an outing.

At Rhodes Ferry Park, we saw the train lift bridge that once bridged Lauderdale to Colbert County, Alabama. 

At Wheeler Dam, we saw Terns diving into the Swift Tennessee River. 

The Tuscumbia, Courtland, and Decatur Railroad was the only railway line in the country used to transport the Cherokee people during forced removal. 

Linking Decatur to the Cherokee Indian Removal during the Trail of Tears. 
On this river in front of you, 2,300 Cherokee people arrived in waves, forced from their Tennessee Valley homeland from 1837 to 1838. The steamer Knoxville towed flatboats loaded with Cherokee families. Heavy rains soaked their clothes. The cold wind whipped off the water. They survived on cornmeal and flour fried in bacon grease. Once docked here at Decatur Landing, the Cherokee boarded cramped train cars. Their journey west continued along the rails.

2019 May 15, Day Trip Decatur's Historic & Parks Gardens 💐 🌷

Hubby and I had a great day. I was not sure if we were going anywhere because by 10AM, it looked like rain, but we decided to go anyway. 
We rode to Decatur, stopping at Old Bank Park Garden took pictures of the garden.

Old Bank Street Park Garden 

Next, we rode to Frazier Park. (Never been to this park) I was surprised at how beautiful and serene. It had blooming Hydrangeas, and Magnolia trees were in bloom, as other shrubs, trees, and flowers along a running stream with a cross bridge. 

Frazier Park 

We rode over to Albany to Delano Rose Walk and the Children's Riverwild Playground, splash pad, and Garden. We had taken the grandkids to play in the park when they were small. The River Wild Garden Walkway was new to us. 

DragonFly 

River wild Park 

Toad Frog 

Swamp Rabbit 

Tortoise 

Delano Park Rose Garden

We loved the Frogs, Toads, Beavers, Fireflies, Turtles, butterflies, signs, and statues throughout the Garden. By the time we reached the Rose Garden, it had begun to sprinkle. A landscaper working in the garden, I said a little rain cannot hurt but he said I cannot get my work done in the rain. I kept on taking pictures, but the rain got harder. I looked around, and the gardener had disappeared, he had gone back to his truck to keep from getting wet. I started back to the car, and the rain began to come down hard, but I made it to the car before I got too wet. We rode to Huntsville to get the oil changed in our car by the time they finished, the sun had come out, so we rode back to Decatur so I could finish taking pictures.

Pink Rose 

Entrance Way lined with Snow Queen Hydrangeas

We were getting hungry, and we did not eat lunch because we had stopped at the Shell Gas Station, where they sell hot food, and bought some corn fritters. Hubby had been wanting some. We also stopped at McDonald's for hot apple pie.
We ended up eating at Jack's on hwy 31 because we could not decide where to stop in Decatur. But that was okay because we both liked Jack's

✈️✈️✈️2019 Mar 24-30, Trip to Naples, Florida

Sunday, May 24, 2019

Southwest Airlines Flight 1066 

Leaves BNA at 10:15 at Gate C19, boarding group B. Position 3 arriving at FLL at 1:25 AM 

Hubby took me to Nashville airport. We ate dinner at Red Robin Spring Hill we split a hamburger and fries at 6:55 PM.

Monday, March 25, 2019

It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Naples, so it was early morning when we arrived at Lora’s apartment. We both slept late.

For breakfast, I ate a slice of raisin bread and a banana. 

Lora had an infusion in Fort Myers that day, so I rode with her. We stopped at Bass Pro Shop just off I-75, address 10040 Gulf Center, Fort Myers.

At Bass Pro Shop, we saw river fish, ocean fish, raccoons, black bears, waterfowl, alligators, and Everglades.

The bartender said I could come inside and take pictures of the tropical fish and coral reefs in the aquarium. Hanging on the walls, we saw Southern Stingrays, Great Hammer Head Shark, Sailfish, yellow tuna, and black-tip sharks.

Outside, we saw an old blue Red Head Pickup and a Great Gray Heron Bench where people could sit.

Red Head Pickup 

coral reef in the aquarium

I bought a pair of sunglasses to block out the sun for my eyes were giving me a fit. 

Lora gave one of her Zyrtecs for allegories and some saline to wash out my eyes. 

She also gave me one of her steroid tablets for infection. 

At lunch, we stopped at Chick-fil-A. Lora and I split a salad, and each ordered a chicken sandwich with water to drink at location 5825 Airport Pulling Rd Naples, FL. 

I was so tired from the day's adventures and not getting enough sleep that I fell asleep on the sofa while Lora and Jackie went shopping.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 

Lora had an early morning infusion, so I watched TV until she returned. I ate a banana and a slice of raisin bread for breakfast. 

Lora made a ham, cheese, avocado, and spinach sandwich on toasted bread and fruit salad for lunch. 

We rode to Clam Bay Beach 410 Seagate Drive Naples, Fl 34103, where we took the trolley down the walkway to the beach.

Clam Bay Beach 

Pelican at Clam Bay Beach 

The Park consists of 35 acres of mangrove forest, coastal dunes, and 3200 linear feet of beach on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a boardwalk, which provides access to the beach through a mangrove forest. The boardwalk is about three-quarters of a mile long and can be walked, or you can catch a ride on a free tram that runs continuously throughout the day.

We saw several people on the beach, boaters, and people fishing. We saw waterfowl flying overhead and in the water. A dolphin and manatee were spotted.  We saw children playing in the sand. We saw a couple of children fishing and catching fish.

We saw a sign that said Welcome to Clam Pass Park. A sign that read Shells of Paradise Coast, which included worm shells, Calico Scallops, Mon Snail, Olive shells, fighting conch, Sandollar, Lighting Welk, Starfish, and Horse Conch. There was a sign about Palmetto and Fakahatchee grass.http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/fakahatchee.html

All-day parking was $8.

We rode back to the apartment and walked around the lake, where we saw a few birds. 

At 7:30, we rode to Vanderbilt Beach on Pelican Bay to watch an amazing sunset. 

Sunset on Vanderbilt Beach 

Located at 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, FL 34102, at the end of Vanderbilt Beach Road, Vanderbilt Beach County Park borders the Gulf of Mexico, near plenty of hotels, shopping, and restaurants. 

We met Jackie and Geo on the beach, along with hundreds of people watching the sun melt into the bay.

What a way to end the day! We ate pizza for supper. Jackie’s boyfriend spent the night.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Lora and I spent the day at Naples Botanical Gardens, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112, 1-4:40PM Cost $19.99 each.💐 🌷

We browsed in the Chabraja Visitor Center.

Irma’s Garden was full of charismatic plants such as the screw pines.

Katharine’s Garden was a lush tropical landscape.

LaGrippe Orchid Garden was full of colorful, fragrant orchid species from around the world. 

Botanical Garden 

Orchid Garden

Lea Asian Garden had a Southeast Asia Javanese temple, an ancient blaze landscape filled with Bayan trees, a bamboo grove of established fruits, a lotus pool, and a stepping stone path through the garden that led to the Balinese Shrine.

Kapnick Brazilian Garden was a garden of people of great diversity and color with a very colorful wall.

Kapnick Caribbean garden was full of towering palms, tropical fruit, and vegetables.

Smith Children's Garden was full of vibrant flowers, vegetables, and butterflies, a landscape for children. We saw a bicycle, a hand pump, and a toilet decorated with flowers. We saw Flo and Joe flower people working in the vegetable garden. A large turtle made of seashells. 

Scotts Florida Garden was full of trees, palms, a cascading stream, Lake Topkie, and Deep Lake. Florida was once an ancient seafloor.

There was a 90-acre Nature sanctuary boardwalk, which we did not take.

Water Garden with a lily pool full of lily pads and a boardwalk. 

On exhibit, in the gardens, you will find Reflections on Glass: Frabel in the Garden features diverse and complex sculptures that, at times, mimic the plants within the garden. If you look, you may find parallels between Frabel’s pieces and the natural shapes of plants in forms and towering cube structures, each piece inspires viewers to discover the wonders of our living collection.

For supper, Lora and I split a chicken and shrimp Carbonara, breadsticks, and salad at Olive Garden, 1565 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102 we had leftovers. I used my Christmas gift card to pay. $23,37.

That night, Lora and I met several of her friends at the Comedy Club, a two-drink minimum.

I ordered two bottles of glasses of water for @2.50 each. I was too full from supper to drink, so I brought my water home. 

The show was bashing ex-spouses, which I did not think was too funny.

I enjoyed spending time with Lora’s friends.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

I ate leftovers from Olive Garden for breakfast and lunch.

We rode to the Naples Preserve Boardwalk corner of U.S. 41 North and Fleischmann Boulevard, where we walked along the boardwalk looking for box and gopher turtles. We talked with one of the park rangers walking on the bare ground, looking for turtles to make sure they were okay.

Inside the center, we saw signs telling about Naples Botanical Gardens,  Delnor-Wiggins Pass,  Rookery Bay, Collier-Seminole, Shy Wolf (Cardinal, Mocking Birds nests), boat Tailed Crackle nest) Natural Communities of Naples Preserve, Turtle Shells, What's in bloom, butterflies, bugs, Collier County, and Myrtle Oaks.

Tucan Statue

Penguin 

Seal

Our next stop was Naples Zoo, 1590 Goodlette Rd Naples, Florida 34102.

Displayed throughout the zoo was Art to Save the Sea, artwork made completely from garbage collected from beaches. 

The art we saw was Natasha the turtle, Priscilla the Faust Fish, Lidia the Seal, Rufus the Tiger Fish, American Sea Star, Daisy the Polar Bear, Grace the Humpback Whale, Gertrude the Penguin, and Chompers the Shark.

We stood in a long line to ride a slow-moving, tour-guided ferry around Monkey Island.

Very cool, enjoyable, and informative ride about Madagascar Animals

There were signs located under a thatched roof telling about Monkey Island: they were trees like nowhere else, the island of Lemurs, Bigger than any dinosaur egg, the Madagascar Ferna group helps preserve the wonders of a fragile island nation.

We saw signs about Invisible Geckos, Abundant Chameleons, Madagascar burning, and living wonders. 

We saw American Alligators, Giant Anteater, Cotton-top Tamarin, Aldabra Tortoise,  Slender Horned Gazelle, Mt Bongo, Sulcate Tortoise, Gopher Tortoise, Clouded Leopard, and others.

We watched the feeding of the giraffes and alligators. Dr. Henry Nehrling, the founder of the Botanical Garden, Henry Badger, Plains Zebra, Feeding the Alligators, Cheetah, Why the Railroad Trestle? The famous toucan sign, Dead Trees Help the Living, and Marvelous Marsh make for fabulous filters A swamp mystery, planting helps with trees for the future, Shade-grown coffee helps farmers, birds, and the land, and can you find all these birds.

Friday, March 29, 2019 

We stopped at Dollar Tree for sunscreen and snacks to take to Delnor-Wiggins State Park beach.

Located 11135 Gulf Shore Drive Naples, Fl 34108

One of the most popular seaside destinations in Naples, the mile-long stretch of white sugar sand at Delnor-Wiggins has been rated as one of the best beaches in the nation. 

We saw Gray Pelicans perched, swimming, and flying overhead. 

We saw a Fish Hawk Osprey perched in a tree holding a fish.

We saw seagulls and white egrets waiting for a free fish from a fisherman.

This beach was more secluded than the other beaches that we had visited. 

We rode to Naples Municipal Beach and walked out on the long pier to watch the sunset, with lots of people waiting for the sunset.

 Naples Municipal Beach Sunset

Address 25 12th Av S Naples Florida 34102 

Built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock, The Naples Pier stands as a community landmark.

We rode to historic downtown Naples, Lora and Michelle waited in a long line of people to order our ice cream at Kilwins 743 5th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Lora had an infusion that morning, so I spent the morning with Jackie and Geo. We went to North Collier Regional Children’s Park, 15000 Livingston Rd Naples, FL.

North Collier Regional Children’s Park

Geo enjoyed playing at the Can U Dig It state-of-the-art playground that looks like something from the future with a colorful, modern design.  

The sleek look packs a lot of play value. The playground includes slides, swings, and climbing apparatus, but it takes play a step further.  Kids can spin themselves dizzy on squiggly poles, climb on boulders that look like they came from the Monument Valley, or become junior archeologists in the covered fossil dig area.

When we got ready to go, Jackie realized she had locked her keys in her car. She called her boyfriend, and he brought her a spare set.

We rode back to the apartment by this time, Lora had returned. 

Lora, Michelle, and I rode to Fort Lauderdale to spend the rest of the day before my flight. 

We Stopped at Quarterdeck Restaurant, 300 N Beach Rd Dania Beach, FL, where we ate dinner.

Quarterdeck Restaurant

Quarterdeck Restaurant

We ordered three tacos, smoked shrimp, and smoked fish with French fries, and we all drank water with lemon.

We saw British Airways, & Southwest jets fly over, so we knew the airport was close by.

You could see several towering buildings in the downtown area from Dania Pier.

We saw several cruise ships leave, so Fort Lauderdale must be a hub port for cruise ships.

There were a lot of people sitting on the beach, a few in the water. The beaches were full of seagrass, more turbulent, and not as clear as the Naples Beaches.

We watched and waited for a lift bridge to let a sailboat through. The traffic was heavy in the downtown area, so I told Lora to take me to the airport, and they could do some sightseeing.

I boarded the flight at 9:30, traveling Flight 4145, Boarding group B 23, an hour and a half flight.

Arrived in Nashville around 11:30PM. Hubby picked me up, and we rode home.

We stopped at the gas station, picked up some snacks, and rode home we arrived home around 1:30AM. 

Had a great visiting my daughter and all the places we went to,

🚙2017 January 31, Tuesday, Day Trip to Guntersville

We left home around 9:00AM, stopping at Helping Hands Clinic for a B-12 shot.

We stopped at Foodland to get a Diet Coke and a Diet Mt Dew canned drink out of the vending machine.

Next, we stopped at Dollar General for a package of Fig Newtons made with real fruit and no high fructose corn syrup only 110 calories.

Being later in the morning traffic was not too bad as we rode north-west on I565 to 231 NW into Guntersville.

Our first stop was at the small Guntersville Airport to visit the Homer B. Wilson Vintage Museum but no one was there.

Glover Hotel
built 1933 by Campbell Wallace Glover sold in the 1950s and used as Dept of Pensions and Securities for 15 years.  In 1987 sold to George Kappler, and he opened a restaurant that now is for sale.

As we rode through Guntersville we noticed many of the old store buildings were remodeled and occupied. The Glover Hotel (built around 1950) was up for sale.

Abraham Lincoln Display Timeline

We rode to 1215 Rayburn Ave to the Guntersville Museum & Cultural Center (once the Rock Armory)

The museum is a unique historical setting with permanent collections as well as current exhibits. The museum is free to visit it is open to the public Tuesday-Friday 10-4PM Saturday & Sunday 1-4PM.

The door is locked from the inside and you have to ring a bell for service.

You are greeted by a curator of the museum, given a little history of the museum, and the location of each exhibit, and told you can visit all day if you want to.

Once inside the walls were covered with plaques about the history of Guntersville.

 There was a boat on display that represented all the activities that one can do on Lakes Guntersville. We saw Crusader, the Mechanical wonder Horse on which many a child had ridden. We saw a sign advertising "Bargains Days every Tues. and Wed. Adm "10 & 15 cents" including tax along with adjoining theater seats.

We saw an old spinning wheel, piano, trophy from Boat Race, wooden benches, a character readings machine, a fire hose cart, and a cardboard copy of Will Rodgers (He is the grandson of John Gunter, a namesake of Guntersville's).

The next rooms were TVA and the making of the land, This one is for the birds, a view of the past with Native American artifacts, local art, and famous sons and daughters of Guntersville. 

The grand room was a display about the life of Abraham Lincoln with a cardboard life-size statue of Abraham and a sculptured head inside a glass case.

We stopped to visit the Culbert Cabin next door to the Guntersville Museum and across the street was the Guntersville Theater.

Guntersville Theater

Chicken Plate (3 chicken fingers, coleslaw, biscuits, Chocolate chip cookie, and a drink) 

I shared a chicken dinner with Colonel Sanders at KFC

We traveled along 227 into Guntersville State Park passing through Short Creek, Hurricane Creek, Town Creek, and Minky Creek. We stopped at the lagoon in the state park to visit the donkeys, emus, goats, and ducks.

We stopped along the waterways to take pictures of Mabrey's Rock of Ages, Guntersville Lake, and the waterfowl. (saw no Eagles)

Mabrey's Rock of Ages

There were hundreds of ducks bobbing in the water

We stopped to take a picture of a deer. He looked right at us turned around and began grazing. He knew we would not shoot him.

We continued climbing the mountain to the top stopping at the State Park Lodge, and chalets overlooking Lake Guntersville.

I walked down to a rest area to take pictures of the view below. There I meet a woman eating her lunch. She said her husband had gone fishing and she was going to enjoy the day at the park.

She said before the tornado came through this area that you could not see the RV Park or the camping Area below. I also saw a couple Zip-lining. 

View of Campground from the Guntersville Lodge atop the mountain

Our last stop before starting home was Bucks Pocket State Park which is located on Sand Mountain in the community of Oak Grove. 

The road and picnic area had seen better days. The fencing around the cliffs was well and the view was awesome  Right now the thousands of trees below are necked and bare but in the fall will be vivid with color.

Sunsetting over the Rocket at the Space and Rocket Center Huntsville 

The sun was setting as we traveled into Huntsville and before we reached Athens it was pitch black.

We could see the stars above and a crescent moon.

We ordered a to-go meal from Taco Bell.

It had been a beautiful day, not too hot or too cold, a perfect day for traveling and hiking in the State Parks.