2001~ November 21-December 1, Celebrating Thanksgiving with Family & Traveling to Gulf Shores, AL

We had stayed four days and five nights at Veteran Park so we could spend time with family for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Day 1: Wednesday, November 21, 2001 

I spent the day with my children and grandchildren, we ate Thanksgiving dinner.

Hannah, Nevada, Madison 

Nevada and Marcus playing Video Games 

Nevada, Jake watching a movie 

Nevada and Marcus in Jakes Room 

Day 2: Thursday, November 22, 2001

Celebrated Thanksgiving with family.

Day 3: Friday, November 23, 2001 

I spent the day with my granddaughter Hannah at the Conference Center and Veterans Park

The Renaissance tower 

Hannah at the Conference Center 

Hannah at the Conference Center 

Hannah at Veterans Park 

Veterans Park 

Day 4: Saturday, November 24, 2001 

We celebrated Thanksgiving with hubby's' family.

Day 5: Sunday, November 25, 2001 

I spent the day with my grandmother.

My siblings and grandmother

Visiting my Grandmother

Day 6:  Monday, November 26, 2001

Hubby drove our Damon Escaper to Luxury RV Park Gulf Shores Alabama where we stayed a week, along with all the other snowbirds.

Luxury RV Park

November is off-season at Gulf shores and all you see are snowbirds. The pace slows down during the winter months. 

It is a good time for sightseeing and driving along the ocean. 

Luxury RV Park Gulf Shores

Luxury RV Park Gulf Shores

November 26, 2001

We toured Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum and walked among the ruins.

We walked along the windy beaches of Fort Bowyers, with the windy salt air blowing in our hair. We toured the museum where we saw Mobile Point Lighthouse, 4th order Fresnel lens 1873-1966. 

Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum 

Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum  

Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum  

Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum

Fort Morgan “Bowyers” Museum 

Day 7: Tuesday, November 27, 2001

We spent the day at the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola that was festively decorated, for the Christmas Holidays during WWII, with Christmas music playing in the background. 
On the upper level, we saw a grocery store, a barbershop, army camps, TV shows playing in that era, aircraft, jeeps, & jungle camps. 
We saw pin-up girls posted at camps, we saw Hagia & Hagia Booz for fifteen cents. We saw the home of the Luck Marine. We saw hat a home of a military family may have looked like. We saw Pawn & Loan, Sandy Ridge Grocery, a Colonial bread sign, Jo, Jo's, a Buck Rodgers, airplane, we saw maps, family pictures, and radios.
The museum was full of airplanes, and jets of every size shape and color. 
There was a replica of a ship we went inside where we saw the sickbay area, with medicines, we saw bunk beds and toilets. 

We saw the US Coast Guard, a miniature boat display with airplanes ready to defend our country. We saw two floors of airplanes, flags, from different countries and the skylab simulated flying. Hubby had always dreamed of being a pilot. 
We saw the cockpit of an airplane that we crawled inside and played 

We saw F70-3M 129655 Aircraft, Blue Angles US Navy 16483 Aircraft and flight of the Blue Angles over St. Louis hanging from the ceiling. 

Museum of Aviation in Pensacola

Museum of Aviation in Pensacola

Museum of Aviation in Pensacola

Museum of Aviation in Pensacola

We walked back upstairs where we saw Jake's Garage, a sign Pepis for five cents, and a Texaco sign. We saw melons scales that did not work,  and a theater with popcorn.
We saw a hall filled with plaques of honor and one was Alan Shepard, one of the first men to walk on the moon.

Our next stop was the Big Lagoon State Park Perdido Key Florida. We were the only ones there as we walked along the boardwalk which took us over a natural laked filled with wildlife. We saw an observation tower but did not climb it. We walked along the sandy beach stopping at the water's edge. 

We ate dinner at Lambert's Restaurant “Home of the trowed roll. “

They bring you all the food you can eat rolls. The original restaurant is located in Sikeston, Missouri and another one located in Branson, Missouri. 

Day 8: Wednesday, November 28, 2001

We toured the USS Alabama Battleship located 2703 Battleship Parkway Mobile, Al 36602.

We walked along the decks of the mighty USS Alabama. 

The ship received nine battle stars from WWII. We walked up and down many flights of stairs and saw many memorials honoring our veterans who died for our country. 

USS Alabama Battleship Mobile 

USS Alabama Battleship Mobile 

USS Alabama Battleship Mobile 

A-12 Blackbird Spy

We walked through the aircraft Pavilion and saw many exhibits including A-12 Blackbird Spy, Tuskegee Airman’s P-SID Mustang, Vietnam PBR River patrol boat, and many other military bombers and flying planes. 

We walked through the USS Alabama rose garden, we saw the Coastguard 1378 helicopter black and white, and we saw the F-15 fighting Falcon Viper Replica of USS Alabama. 

We saw the galley of photos in the Battleship memorial park. Christmas music was playing over the radio, the park was covered Christmas decorations.

Day 9-10:  November 29, 30, 2001
Friday we rode to Gulf Shores and we walked along the beach filling our shoes full of sand. it had stormed the day before so the gulf was still violent with pounding waves and red flags were out.
We saw the iconic PInk Poney Restaurant and we watched bird feeding on fish. It was an overcast day, very windy by a pleasant day. 
During the summer months this beach is covered with the sound of tourist but today it is silent. 

It is time for our vacation to come to a close so we are heading out. At 11:30AM we crossed Mobile Bay in our Damon Escaper and we can see the USS Alabama in the distance as we near the Mobile Bay tunnel. 
At 6:29 PM the sun is setting as we ride through Mississippi. We stop for the night at Sam’s Town Casino RV Park where we stay a couple of nights before we began our journey home. 

We spent some time gambling in Sam’s Town, Hollywood, and Harrods Casinos.

The casino's in Tunica MS

The casino's in Tunica MS

The casino's in Tunica MS

Day 11: Saturday, December 1, 2001 

We spent Thanksgiving with family, we rode to Gulf Shores for a short vacation, where we saw the Museum of Naval Aviation, The USS Alabama, spent two nights in Tunica and traveled home to Fenton, Mo

2014 Nov 22-24, Spending time with Grandson's

Saturday, November 22, 2014 

I took Nevada and Montana shopping and we ate lunch at Chick-Fil-a

Both the boys ordered a chicken sandwich.

Nevada ordered a lemonade, while Montana ordered a spiced coffee.

I ordered a kids chicken strip meal, it comes with three chicken strips, waffle fries, small coke, and small ice cream.

We stopped at Game Stop in the Mall, the boys love video games. 

After a full day of shopping, we returned home so the boys could play on the PS2 and the iPod.

That night we celebrated Thanksgiving with my husband's family.

The boys spent the night, one slept on the couch, the other slept on the floor.

Sunday, November 23

The boys went to Church with me and they went to ladies' class with me because they did not know any of the kids their own age. 

In our class, our teacher was talking about how women were treated in other countries.

In other countries, women are treated like they only have half a brain.

My grandson Montana spoke up and said that his class had been studying about men, only use half their brain.

We went to Cracker Barrel for lunch, but it was going to be a twenty-minute waited, so we left and went to Zaxby's.

Both boys ordered a ZAXBY'S Nibbler Meal, I ordered the big Zaxby's Meal minus fries, add a salad.

After we ordered our food we started looking for a table but they were all full and it was raining outside so we could not eat outside. 

I spotted a table where a family was leaving, I  told Montana to go sit at the table while I waited for our food.

Before my grandson could get to the table, a girl jumped in front of him and she sat down at the table.

We had to find another table, finally, two booths became available, we grabbed them. 

The boys sat at one both, I sat at the booth across from them.

After lunch I took the boys home, I worked on my computer, watched some TV.

I love the time I get to spend with my grandkids.

Rejoice 

Manger Scene

Church 

Butterfly

Hickory Dickory Dock 

Humpty Dumpty

Gingerbread Man 

Gingerbread Man 

Dino

Santa Clause

Christmas Cards

Monday, November 24 

We took the boys to Galaxy of Lights walkthrough at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

We picked up the boys around 4:00PM, stopping Burger King Athens for hamburgers.

When we arrived at the Botanical Gardens there were hundreds of cars waiting in line to park and go into Galaxy of Lights walk-through the show. 

Tonight was dog walk night.

My husband let me and the boys out of the van and he went to park it. 

While we were waiting for my husband we walked inside to use the restrooms and we browse in the gift shop.

We walked outside, it was cool so we stood near the stand up heater waiting for my husband.

When my husband arrived we paid and walked inside the park.

My knees and back was bothering me so we had to take it slow. 

We saw a display of Christmas Cards, Several Mother Goose nursery Rhymes, Christmas Lights, Santa, butterflies, dinosaurs, and flowers. 

We bought hot chocolate and cookies for the boys at the half way point of the walk. It was a nice break. 

We made it to the parking lot, loaded into the van, the boys feel asleep on the way home.