2023 April 25-28, AMTRAK Trip to New Orleans, LA. from Tuscaloosa, Al (4 days) (Train Ride)

Day 1:Travel  Tuesday, April 25, 

We dropped off our bags at the Amtrak station, parked the car in the public parking, and walked several blocks back to the Amtrak Station. 

At 2:00 P.M., we loaded onto the train and began our trip.

 We took the Amtrak in Tuscaloosa and traveled through several cities, stopping in Laurel, Hattiesburg, and Meridian, Mississippi, to pick up or drop off passengers.

I did not buy any food on the trip to New Orleans. I had brought a Sprite Zero and a couple of Granola bars. 

We arrived around 10:00 P.M. and took the local Taxi to The Marque Hotel, 144 ELK PL., New Orleans. Room 1910. Reservation #380VR.

Our room had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two balconies, and a window in my bedroom with a view of the City of New Orleans, located on the fourteenth floor. 

It was late, so I took a shower and went to bed. 

Day 2: Wednesday, April 26, 

We walked down Canal Street, stopping at IHOP for breakfast. Our new waiter and I ordered a cold, plain Belgian waffle. 

We decided to buy a day pass to ride the Trollies. 

We saw the Mortuary Haunted Mansion and walked around in several Cemeteries. (St Patrick Cemetery)

We saw people loading onto the Ferry Boat and the Riverboat.

We shopped at Riverwalk Mall and ate lunch at Pei Wei Asian Restaurant. I ordered two egg rolls, shrimp, chicken, and noodles. 

I could not eat it all, so I took the rest.

We walked through the Riverfront Park, where we saw the Holocaust Memorial. 

We saw Woldenberg Riverfront Park, a dedicated memorial to Malcolm Wolodenberg, who prospered in New Orleans and left a Legacy of caring and confidence for the City. 

Alongside was his statue with a young boy.

On Canal Street, we saw many murals depicting the City. 

We saw the Shops and Canal Place with Mardi Gras statues in front.

Dr. John's statue in front of "The Shops and Canal Place." 

We took the Trolley up St. Charles Street, where we saw historic homes, stores, the Audubon, the Zoo, and Loyola College.

We saw a lot of homeless people and trash everywhere, at the overpasses and on the sidewalks. 

We stopped at a chicken restaurant to use the restroom, and sitting outside was a homeless young man asking me to buy him some chicken. I said, "We'll see." I went inside to use the restroom. I remembered I had a plate full of leftover food with me, so I gave it to the homeless man when we went outside. It also had a fork inside. 

He was thankful for the food. I was glad that I had helped one of the homeless. I had heard a man on the trolley say the government had sent money to help the homeless, but the money was not used.

We rode two different trollies; most trolley workers were jolly and friendly.    

We headed back to the hotel. 

We had spent the day hopping on and off the trolley, and we walked several miles.

Day 3: Thursday, April 27, 

We walked down Canal Street and bought a day pass to ride the trolley, which took us to the French Quarter.

We walked to Cafe Biegnite, where we both ordered Beignets. (A square of fried dough eaten hot and sprinkled with powdered Sugar). They come with 3 Beignets, and mine was drizzled with Chocolate.

Beignets with Chocolate 

While we were eating, a thunderstorm arose, and people rushed inside. They had a large roll-up door open, and they closed it when the rain started to blow inside. It was blowing hard, and several of the employees got wet.

After the rain subsided, although it was still sprinkling, we left and walked toward the Riverfront Mall. 

We heard several Laughing Gulls and rode the ferry across the Mississippi.

We walked to the Riverwalk Mall and shopped. I bought a shirt and shorts at Gap. 

I returned a top I had bought the day before. It was too small, so I swapped it for a larger size. 

The cashier/manager said all their clothes were coming in more minor. 

We returned to Canal Street and took the trolley up St Charles Street.

We met a family from Vermont, a journalist from Denmark, and a couple of women looking for the Military Museum. We also met a couple looking for the French Quarter, and I told them they would have to take the red trolley # 49 to get there.

Many people were taking the trolleys today. 

We got off the trolley and walked along St. Charles Street, looking at old homes.

Historic Home on St Charles St

We ate lunch at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood LLC.

New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Restaurant 

I ordered Shrimp Tacos with Onion Rings. My friend ordered a shrimp Poor Boy with fries.

We also enjoyed a complimentary vanilla ice cream cone.

 We rode the trolley back to Canal Street and stopped at CVS for a few Sprite Zeros and a bag of candy.

There were no Diet Cokes or Sprite Zeros in the cooler, so I asked the manager if they had any.

We walked to the back of the store, and the manager loaded several Sprite Zero and Diet Coke into the cooler. 

I paid for my merchandise and walked back to the hotel.

We have packed our bags for tomorrow and will be leaving.

Day 4: Friday, April 28,  Travel Home

I finished packing and ate my last Beignet. I called the taxi and said he would be there around 8 A.M.

We walked downstairs, my friend got a cup of hot coffee, and we waited for our taxi.

Selfie Station at The Marque Hotel 

We arrived at the train terminal and waited to load the train at 9:00 A.M.

It would be a complete train, so we were told that if we were traveling with someone, we should sit with them.

When they announced the dining car was open, we walked down. 

I ordered a bagel and drank my Sprite Zero. My friend ate her leftover Poor Boy.

We arrive at the train depot around 5 P.M.

Walked inside the depot to use the restroom and put everything inside our luggage.

We began our walk to the parking deck.

It was a lot harder walking uphill, pulling our luggage behind us. We finally arrived at the parking deck.

Loaded our luggage inside and began our trip home. 

We stopped at Jack's for supper, and after we finished, I bumped my right hand, and it tore the skin. 

It would not stop bleeding, so one of the workers placed several bandages on my hand.

We stopped again at CVS to use the restrooms and get more bandages.

We arrived at my friend's home, and my husband came to pick me up.

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 features Native American Artifacts, Indian statues, and arrowheads that span thousands of years. 

Pioneer life, early settlers before John Cullmann. Dutch doll, some rockers, a 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 discussed several notable 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, the Roman Catholic Church.

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

The link to read the history of this great church is provided above.

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 

2023 April 1, Mule Day Parada Columbia and Mount Pleasant, TN. Grill & Museum

 Hubby and I had an excellent April 1st (April Fools' Day). We stopped at Jack's in Lawrenceburg for breakfast. I ordered their single gravy, sausage, and biscuits, and Hubby ordered their big breakfast with pancakes.

We rode to Columbia to watch the Mule Day Parade. We arrived a little early and found a place to sit. Thousands of people attended the parade and other events. The parade began at 11:00 A.M. and concluded a little after 12:00. The Grand Marshal was Mike Wolfe from America's Pickers.

At the end of the parade were a couple of big sweeper trucks to clean up all the horse and Mule poop.

Grand Marshall Mike Wolfe 

An unusual float, the Solo Cup 

Mules and Horses 

We left Columbia and drove through Mt Pleasant, stopping at Mt Pleasant Grill. It didn't appear much, but we decided to try it. It was a lot bigger on the inside and very friendly. The food was excellent. It was a bit spicy and cooked differently, but tender, fresh, and delicious. We definitely will eat there again. 

Fried Catfish, Fried Okra, Cole Slaw 

We asked about the museum next door, and one of the waitresses said it was worth seeing. So we toured the museum. It was filled with lots of memorabilia about the town. You would see things such as medical equipment, war artifacts, gowns, dresses, furniture, and much more.

doctor office

I bought several note cards featuring Hamilton Place, St. John's Episcopal Church, Walnut Grove, Rippavilla, and Fountain Creek Mills (historic homes, churches, and mills). The curator tried to sell us a 2023 Farmers' Almanac; she told us about some of the things she had read in it. 

Walked outside to the nearby park, where I saw those beautiful tin flowers and 2 blooming dogwood trees. The perfect time of the year to be blooming. We had a great time except for the 30 MPH winds. We saw hats, trash, and cotton candy flying everywhere. One bag blew off the vendor's rack and spooked several horses. All in all, it was a great day.

Dogwood Trees

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

Day 3: Wednesday, February 22

Breakfast at the hotel consisted of a cinnamon roll, sausage, milk, and cranberry juice.

Meet our guide, who is loaded onto the bus for an hour-long 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, a dirt road that is often in rough condition, and Fort George Road, a paved road that is 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 Warbler, 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, during which we spotted 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 of 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 for dinner was Apple Bees, where I had grilled Chicken, a Caesar salad, and Chicken.

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. It is served with Spanish rice and house-made pico de gallo.

Day 4: Thursday, February 23, 

Breakfast at the hotel is a cinnamon roll, biscuit, and gravy, accompanied by juice.

Loaded onto the bus and headed to St Augustine.

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

Our tour Guide

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

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

Flager College

We rode back to the Visitor Center and were alone for a few hours. 

We walked to St George Street, a pedestrian-only street 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 into a mall area where we saw several people dressed up like pirates.

I got my picture taken 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 watch the firing of a cannon.

A 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, and ate lunch at Firehouse Subs.

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 4:49 P.M.

We loaded our luggage into the car and headed home, a 2 1/2-hour drive away.

I stopped at KFC in Athens at 7:01 P.M. and went home around 8 P.M.

I 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, with Anderson Travel Hueytown, AL) (5day trip)

Day 1: Monday, February 20

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

Everyone checked in and was given a name tag, which served as their ticket for 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 A.M., 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 several dining options were available. 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 the I-75 Southbound Rest Area, 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 close at 5 P.M., just a few minutes after 5).

Florida Welcome Center I-75 in Jennings, Florida

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

Ole Times County Buffet in Lake City

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

Exhausted from the long ride, they showered 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, located 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 Weldon Johnson Park, near the Art Museum and City Hall in the center of town.

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 onto the bus and returned to St John's Town Center to drop off our guide and get lunch.

We chose M-Shack's gourmet burger 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, as we were going to the DoubleTree by Hilton for a buffet dinner and show.

There was no place for us to sit as a group when we filled our plates. We set up in front of a band with a fun group from Louisiana.

One of the women was a librarian. The one sitting beside me had red hair, and she said her husband didn't care for traveling. She told me my dad would take me to the pub with him when I was growing up. He would give her money to play Pac-Man, 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 she would never remarry if anything were to happen to her husband. 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.