🎄🎄🎄🎄2013~ Wednesday & Thursday, December 18-19, Calloway Gardens Pine Mountain, Georgia

Day 1:  Wednesday, December 18, 2013

We left home around 8 A.M. traveling I-65 stopped for gas at Flying J 224 Daniel Payne Drive Birmingham at 9:55 A.M. 

We paid 3.079 per gallon for a total cost of  $47.00 we bought 15.264 gallons. 

We also purchased a cup of hot chocolate at Beach Pavilion for $3.50 a cup.

We stopped at Bass Pro Shops 6000 Bas Pro Shop Blvd Leeds, Al 36094.  

Bass Pro Shop was beautifully decorated with Christmas Trees, reindeer, a Christmas Village with Santa, Elves, Snow, a fireplace, crafts for children, a race track, and many other things for children and adults to enjoy.

We walked around taking pictures of Santa and his village where children were lined up waiting their turn to sit on Santa’s Lap.

We watched children ride on the indoor carousel. 

Bass Pro Shops 6000 Bas Pro Shop Blvd Leeds, Al

Bass Pro Shops 6000 Bas Pro Shop Blvd Leeds, Al

We shot a rifle at the rifle range and bought a cookie in the bakery. We left Bass Pro Shop at 12:01 P.M. 

We stopped at  Jefferson Restaurant at 12:25 p.m. in Oxford, Alabama to eat lunch. For lunch, we ordered one order of fried mushrooms cost $6.99. 

I ordered one basket of boneless wings with celery for $4.50 and my husband ordered one basket of fried oysters with onion rings for $9.49 and we both ordered water with lemon. 

Jefferson Restaurant is located at 230 Spring Branch Rd Oxford, Al 36203. Our server was Tiffany and the total bill was $28.18. As we left the restaurant I asked what was up with the one-dollar bills plastered all over the walls and the cashier said that people left with graffiti on them about their experience at Jefferson’s Restaurant.

Jefferson Restaurant is located at 230 Spring Branch Rd Oxford, Al

Jefferson Restaurant is located at 230 Spring Branch Rd Oxford, Al

Jefferson Restaurant is located at 230 Spring Branch Rd Oxford, Al

On our drive down to Pine Mountain Ga., we stopped in the beautiful historic town of Newnan, Ga. My husband waited in the van as I walked around the Old newly restored courthouse of Newnan, now a museum. 

I walked inside and met a curator who told me the history of the courthouse greet immediacy. He said it was a self-guided tour and I could take all the pictures that I wanted.

Newnan Georgia Courthouse Museum 

Christmas Tree and Sleigh in Newnan Georgia 

We arrived at the Mountain Creek Inn at 4:00 P.M. and checked into room 1288 total cost for the room was $111.87 which included room, a trolley ride through Christmas Display that night, and Calloway Gardens all the next day. We walked through the lobby and restaurants at the Inn and there were Christmas decorations everywhere. 

There were special events for Children to meet and greet special characters that visited the Inn. (Reindeer and Penguin)

We rode the trolley over to Callaway Gardens at 5:30 P.M. got off the trolley and walked into Christmas Village. This building was full of Christmas items for sale, including a Café and a visit to Santa. There were so many different types of Christmas trees for sale including an Alabama and Auburn Christmas tree. There was a Ginger Bread House, characters in a Reindeer suit, and thousands of nuts Cracker. Adults and Children everywhere enjoyed the smell of popcorn, hot chocolate, and sweets as we waited for the trolley. Several trolleys were waiting to be filled with people anticipating to see the awesome displays. 

Reindeer

Ginger Bread House

Silent Night, Santa Clause is coming to town where some of the songs are playing as the trolley silently creeps along in the garden.

It was a very enjoyable ride; we saw the Twelve Days of Christmas, Butterflies, Fairyland, Snowflake Valley, a winter wonderland of snowflakes and white lights, a Magical Christmas Garden, March of the Toy Soldiers, Twin Trees, and FIL the Frog.

Down along the lake were two scenes one telling the story of the Night before Christmas and the birth of Christ

Toward the end of the trolley ride, everyone sang Christmas Carols and it just brought Christmas to life.  My spirit was lifted and each and every one belted out We Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My husband and I both wore our big coats for the temperature was in the upper 30’s but the ride was very enjoyable except my fingers got very cold trying to make a video of the magical lights displays.

We ate supper at KFC 5700 Hwy 354 Pine Mountain for I had a coupon to buy two piece bites combo, which included one side and drink, one get one free cost $7.01 at 7:54 P.M. It was the end of the day for the men working at KFC and we were next to their last customers.

Day 2: Thursday, December 19, 2013

The next day we checked out of the hotel and visited the Callaway Gardens starting with the Wild Bird Show, which was inside because of the cold weather. 

We saw hawks, different species of owls, and other birds of prey in the Callaway Discovery Center Auditorium. The bird handlers wore gloves as the birds flew through the audience to the next bird handler.

Next, we went to the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center which houses more than fifty species of butterflies, tropical plants, and a hatchery for butterflies which is amazing. It is hard to capture a picture of butterflies because they are not still for very long. At the Butterfly Center, I bought a butterfly flag for my flower garden and three postcards. 

Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center

The Ida Carson Memorial Chapel is set deep in the woods, in front of the chapel is a lake, and alongside is a waterfall. The building is quaint with stained glass windows, a stone altar, a pipe organ, and just enough benches to seat twenty-five people. We took several pictures met a couple of ladies talked for a few minutes and left.

Our next stop was Sibley’s Horticulture Center, which houses Mediterranean and tropical gardens. We saw a topiary train, bears, a jack-in-the-box, a boy, and a girl. 

There were hundreds of poinsettias throughout the garden. We talked to the women in the gift shop. One of the women was from Kansas and she said her family traveled home at least once a year and it took over eighteen hours for them to get home. 

I bought three postcards at the Horticulture Center.

Sibley’s Horticulture Center

Sibley’s Horticulture Center

Sibley’s Horticulture Center

We left the gardens and headed home stopping in Lagrange Georgia to eat lunch at Wendy’s. We ordered three kids Frost’s, one junior cheeseburger, and one mushroom burger with fries, which cost $9.60; this was at 2:07 P.M. After eating we stopped in the town square where I got out of the car and walked around the town square taking pictures of old buildings, the Lagrange Theater, Venncci Italian Ristorante, and etc.

In the town square, there is the Statue of Lafayette, markers, a fountain, a carriage decorated for the Christmas holidays, and a Christmas tree.  

I walked across the street to take a picture of a mural, which depicted the life of Old, LaGrange, and a mural of the second Courthouse depicted 1904-1936.

The mural depicted the Truitt Opera House in 1890, the Callaway Mammoth Department Store in 1900, the Newell’s Hat Shop in 1935, and the Blue Goose Café 1960. 

After taking pictures I rejoined my husband and we again started our trip home, but I saw a historic marker in front of LaGrange College so we drove through the college stopping for me to take pictures.

Traveling home we took Hwy 109 out of Lagrange GA to 431 North, we drove through Roanoke, Al, Wedowee, and Five Points and onto I-20. We stopped at Target in Oxford, Al where I bought the Long Ranger Movie.

We decided not to take I-20 to I-65 instead we took 431N through Oxford, Anniston, Saks, and Glencoe.

We stopped at the Exon Tiger Mart 602 Chastain in Glencoe Alabama where we stopped to get gas at 4:38 P.M. at pump forty-six cost per gallon 3.089 for a total of $46.00. 

There was a beautiful burnt orange setting sunset as we drove through Glencoe where I took several nice pictures.

We stopped at Noccalula Falls in Gadsden to ride the train through their Christmas Light Show cost ten dollars. After the ride, we walked through the park buying a cookie and hot chocolate and we walked through their animal display. On our walk out we walked along the railroad tracks where I twisted my leg and we left after that.

Noccalula Falls in Gadsden 

Noccalula Falls in Gadsden 

We ate supper at Taco Bell in Attalla, Alabama, we ordered one burrito, two notch supremes, and tea total cost $6.62 at 6:50 P.M. 

We were home around 11P.M. 

We had such a great time spending the night at Callaway Gardens, riding a trolley through the Christmas display, and ending our trip at Noccalula Park in Gadsden Alabama. 

2008 ~ October 23-27, To Watch Grandkids in Pelham, Georgia

Day 1: Thursday, October 23, 2008

For breakfast I ate a waffle, my husband ate cereals, we both dressed and left the house about 9 A.M.

We did a double take to make sure everything was turned off or closed. 

We slid both slide outs in and we loaded the car, we were on our way. 

We traveled down I-65 through Birmingham; we took exit 261 a north toward Gadsden, Atlanta onto I-20 for 1.2 miles. 

We took exit 126A toward Sylacauga and Zoo Gardens onto 280 east for 109 miles. This took us over the mountains, it was a four-lane but not an interstate.  

We stopped at Logan’s in Opelika, Al 2400 Gateway Dr. Opelika, Al 36801-5401. 

My husband ordered a hamburger, I ordered chicken fingers, with fries, fried mushrooms, and tea. 

I ate two rolls, one chicken finger, I took two chicken fingers; fries and one roll with me, I gave them to the grandkids. 

We merged onto I-85 north toward Atlanta, Columbus, Phoenix for 3.2 miles we then took exit 62 toward Phoenix then we turned slight right onto Columbus Parkway US 280 for 61 miles, crossing over into Georgia when 280 becomes GA-520 east, south for 44 miles. 

We merge onto US 82 Jefferson Davis memorial parkway heading toward Tifton Camilla, which was another 8 miles.  

US 82 become US-19 for 33 miles, at the caution light, we turn at right onto 93 and follow the signs 93 through the city of Pelham. 

We turn right behind the Pelham Elementary School, we went about three miles came to the stop sign at County Line Road, we turn left onto Mill Pond Road for two miles. 

We went to the end of Mill Pond Road where we saw a large old cemetery, both on the left and right side of the road.

The church and the house were on the right side of the road.  

The boy’s soccer games were canceled because of rain.

We stopped at a fruit stand where we bought a five-pound bag of peanuts and some boiled peanuts. 

When we arrived everyone was glad to see us

I went to the car to get the leftovers, and the peanuts, I  took them inside. 

The food soon vanished and we parched some of the peanuts. 

We played word games on TV with Charity, Dakota, and Sierra.

I went to Wal-mart while Andy, my husband, Montana, and Nevada watched a football game. 

The first night my husband and I slept in Dakota’s bed, it did not sleep very well. 

Day 2: Friday, October 24, 2008

My son and his wife left about 10 A.M. they are going to Atlanta, GA, to a ministry conference. 

Today we are taking the kids to The Flint Riverqurium. 

It poured rain all day, it was a great day for indoor activity. 

I decided to buy a family year pass at the Riverqurium so, my son and his wife can bring the kids back, the cost was $79.00 for the entire family for one year.

Our picture was taken and put on the two cards.

This is what we saw:

Explore Amazing Exhibits at the Flint Riverqurium.

We saw more than 100 kinds of fish, turtles, alligators, snapping turtles, and other creatures that make the Riverqurium Blue Hole their home.

The Flint River Gallery we saw both freshwater and saltwater tanks, plus a live fish hatchery.

Discovery Caverns were fun games and eye-opening exhibits. 

Control the weather is an interactive area that tests your knowledge of local weather and it has three buttons for three people to play.  

Change the way a river flow in this area the kids played in a sandbox while water flowed to make their own water route. 

The kids climbed into an underground cave to uncover mysterious subterranean creatures. 

At first, Montana was afraid to go into the cave so, I told him that Sierra would go in front of him and I would follow behind.

Discovery Caverns 

Changing the way the River Flows

We had to crawl up and down slide tunnels, we enter small caves where we could see small fish tanks and there were windows where we could look out as we travel through the tunnel.  

It was very hard crawling on my knees so when it was time to get out,  I slid out. It was a lot of fun but not for more than one trip. 

The boys enjoyed the cave so much that they went through it several more times.

Riverqurium 

Riverqurium 

We stopped at the gift shop where each grandkid picked out souvenirs. 

We went to the Adventure Center where we walked through the world of catfish. 

There was a walk through catfish where you could see the heart, liver, gills, and other parts of the fish life size. 

Catfish

Inside of a Catfish 

We stopped at Burger King in Camilla, GA, where we ate lunch.

For supper, we cooked two pizzas and I parched some peanuts. 

After supper Dakota wanted to go to a football game in Cairo, so we all loaded into the van and took him.

I gave Dakota $10.00 for the game and my husband gave him another $5.00. 

That night we watched movies, Harry Potter and the Scorer Stone and the Haunted Mansion. 

We watch movies until 11:30 P.M. we went to bed.

Montana slept with my husband and I slept in Andy’s bed.

Sierra slept on the floor, Nevada & Dakota slept on the sofa.

Day 3: Saturday, October 25, 2008

My husband took Dakota to soccer practice at 9:30 A.M. but the practice must have been canceled, a few people showed up but no coach.

It was a beautiful day so we took the kids to the Turtle Park in Albany. 

There were turtle statues all around and one of the neatest statures was the large turtle made of cork. 

The turtle was huge it was like climbing a mountain, it had a large head were the kids climbed onto for me to take pictures. 

There were several different types of slides, swings, climbing equipment, and lots of other stuff. 

Standing on a cork turtle

Standing on a cork turtle

Turtle Park was located next to the Roaring Flint River that was overflowing because of all the rain we had lately.

We walked across the street to the Ray Charles Plaza, where we saw a life-size statue of Ray Charles playing piano on a rotating pestle.

It was amazing,  around him were piano keys and music notes.  

Ray Charles Plaza

The view from the park was amazing you could see the roaring Flint River and an old train trestle; you could see the Flint Riverqurium and the Civic Center. 

We ate lunch at Riverfront Bar-B-Q 105 Broad Avenue, just across the street from the park. 

We each ordered a barbecue sandwich, we spent $38.50.  

We left the park and rode to Chewhaw Wild Animal Park Zoo. 

Charity had given me $50.00 so, I bought a family pass to the zoo. 

I also bought tickets for Boo at the zoo for that night the cost for six tickets was $19.25.

Chewhaw Wild Animal Park Zoo

Chewhaw Wild Animal Park Zoo

Chewhaw Wild Animal Park Zoo

Chewhaw Wild Animal Park Zoo

As we enter the park we were told to go to see the Cheetah exhibit. 

We went to see the Cheetah’s they were amazing their speed and need to run. 

We saw the red wolf, black rhinoceros, cheetah, black-and-white Colobus monkeys, four species of lemurs, and beautiful giant antelopes known as bongos. 

We also saw a tiny duiker antelopes, Grants’ zebras, black bears, American bison, bobcat, and serval. 

Zoo visitors can also enjoy the sight of birds such as the ibis, flamingoes, crowned cranes, ostriches, bald eagles, and the colorful trace. 

The kids enjoyed watching the black bears run, play and one climbed a tree.

At the alligator outpost, we saw over two-dozen American alligators. 

One especially large alligator caught our interest, at first sight, he looked liked fake, but he was not. 

It looked like he had just eaten for his jaws were bulging. 

Our last stop was at the reptile house were we saw Burmese python, bright blue and black poison dark frogs, such slithery wonders as the king snake, rattlesnake, and rat snake, as well as lizards.

There were several snakes in the same cage and were entwined with one another. 

The rattlesnake looked like was waiting for his food for he was very active.

The zoo closed at 4:30 P.M. because they are getting ready for Boo at the Zoo.

So we went to the playground area until 6:30 P.M. at which time we are going back to the Zoo for Boo at the Zoo. 

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo

Montana dressed as Spiderman, Nevada dressed as a Ninja, Sierra wore a long black dress and cape and Dakota wore a green hat. 

Boo, at the Zoo, is the zooiest trick-or-treat in town! 

We had a spooktacularly good time as the Zoo transformed into a traffic-free trick-or-treating merry-not-too-scary event. 

It featured monster-ous thrills and chills Boo-Choo-Choo train rides, Goblin Games, Ghoulish Goodies, and the Trick or Treat Trail! 

The kids played the goblin game, walked the trail with anticipation of finding ghoulish gobbling and treats along the way. 

There was a cemetery with buried ghosts and there were goblins around every corner. 

We stopped at Winn Dixie to get hotdogs for supper.

The kids spent the rest of the evening playing games and watching TV. 

I downloaded the pictures that Sierra had taken that day.

Day 4: Sunday, October 26, 2008 

Sunday morning, was church day for the kids, I had Dakota put Montana and Nevada into the bathtub, he helped them get ready for church. 

While the kids were getting ready for church I cleaned the house.  

At 10:00 A.M., I took the kids to church, made sure that there was someone from the church that was going to watch the kids until Andy & Charity arrived that afternoon.

Going to Church 

Going to Church 

We had to get back home, we stopped at Burger King in Albany for lunch.

We bought gas at Flash Foods in Pelham, Alabama.

In Athens we stopped at Wal-mart for gas $31.05, we ate supper at Cracker Barrel, we were home by 6:00 P.M. 

Lora called, she said her dryer was broke, she wanted me to go with her to Ronald’s to dry her clothes.  

This was the end of another nice vacation. 

🎄🎄🎄🎄2008 December 21, Sunday, Ivy Green, & Tusucmbia Art Museum in Tuscumbia, Alabama,

Ivy Green 

My husband and I toured Ivy Green the birthplace of Helen Keller. 

David and Mary Fairfax Moore Keller, the grandparents of Helen Keller, built the house in 1820. 

The main house is of Virginia cottage construction, with four large rooms on the first floor with a wide hall, each room has its own fireplace. 

The house was decorated for the holidays with Ivy, Holly, Pines, and other greenery from the grounds, it is amazing what you can use to decorate without a lot of costs. 

There were holly and cedar lying on the table in the parlor, there was a cedar tree beautifully decorated in the corner of the parlor, with magnolia leaves mixed with cedar in the fireplace and on the mantle. 

Ivy Green 

Ivy Green 

Helen’s picture was hanging on the wall, another one of her pictures of Helen at age seven was sitting on the table. 

There were a couple of Victorian chairs sitting in front of the fireplace on an oriental rug covering the hardwood floor. 

Across the hall was the master bedroom where Arthur and Kate Keller slept. 

There was a bed with a high-carved headboard covered with a quilt made by Eveline Keller over one hundred years old. 

There was clothing hanging in the wardrobe of Helen and Mrs. Keller’s. 

On the floor was a Chinese rug given to Helen in 1949 by Hajji Baba Club. 

There was holly, Magnolia, and cedar lying on the fireplace mantle and a picture of Helen age thirteen. 

Ivy Green  

There was a netting basket sitting next to a rocker, a small table with a lamp, an umbrella standing next to the fireplace, another table with a picture sitting inside a bowl. 

The stairs leading to the two bedrooms upstairs were lined with ivy. 

Pictures of Helen and her parents were on the walls in the hall. 

Ivy Green 

The boy’s room was to your right, a trunk room in the middle, and Helen’s room to the left.  All the floors were hardwood coved by large rugs. 

In the dining room sitting on the table were a centerpiece of pine, cedar, holly, and apples and a set of China. Above the fireplace was Magnolia leaves around candelabras, a silver teapot set was sitting on the sugar chest, and the Jackson Press held the silver, linens, and beverages. 

Ivy Green 

Across from the dining room was where Helen’s aunt Eveline Keller slept, but now used as Helen’s Museum. 

Helen’s museum room houses some of Helen’s Braille books, a US stamp with Helen and Anne Sullivan, a bust of Helen, several pictures of Helen at different ages, and many artifacts. 

There is a bronze plate of Helen with a saying, To be blind is to see the bright side of life Helen Keller.

Helen Keller

Helen Keller

Outside was the kitchen and house cleaner’s quarters; there was the pump where Helen said her first word, “Water.” 

WATER

There was a carriage house, and the cottage, where Helen’s toys were displayed.

It had doll carriage, a child rocker, larger rocker, chest, small doll bed, and the picture inside a bowl and a kerosene lamp. In the bedroom, it has a four-poster bed, baby bed, fireplace, another rocker, and a fireplace. 

Ivy Green 

My husband had never seen Helen’s home, I had seen it several times.

My dad had gotten an old trunk from the Keller estate when I was just a small girl, inside of the trunk was a fairytale book, which I read from cover to cover and was lost when we moved to Florence.

We walked across the street to the Tuscumbia Art Museum where we viewed nine, twelve foot Christmas trees that were decorated by different groups, to capture the season.

Delta goes green by the Delta Sigma Theta: their theme was white Angles. 

The Christmas tree is Celebrating 100 years of 4-H: decorated by the 4-H Colbert and Franklin Counties. 

Their tree was decorated with several of the 4-h emblems, and their theme color was green with a green skirt and white button up top shirt from the 1950s.

Just Beachy by Pam Wright:

Pam’s theme was cool colors with sunglasses, flip-flops and other items you would see on the beach.

For unto you are born this day by Leta Mathews and Van Brown:

Their theme color was gold, & silver with twinkling lights, the manger scene, the wise men, and the worshipping of baby Jesus. 

There goes Santa Clause by Janet Cochran:

Theme color was red and white with Santa’s boots sticking out of the chimney, and Santa’s of all shape and sizes covering the tree, Santa’s sack, and presents under the tree.

Unsung Heroes by DAR:

Their tree was decorated with a fire truck, and the tree was wrapped with notes for our heroes.

Uniquely Yours by American Cancer Society and Bosom Buddies support group; 

Their theme was pink, with pink and silver balls hanging on the tree. 

White bears and presents wrapped in pink and white.

The arts of home by: 

UNA’s Department of human and environmental sciences; are many colors with a woman and her umbrella on top. The tree was decorated with things that you would find in a home.

Last, I love to read by WA Threadgill Primary School. 

Their theme color was multicolor with educational toys, books all over the tree and under the tree. 

There was Clifford the big red dog, pooh and many other characters.    

My husband talked to the curator while I took pictures of all the trees

They will be on display until December 24, 2008.