2023 Dec 8, German Christkindlmarkt Cullman, AlL(Day Trip)

We traveled 157 miles to Cullman to see the German Christkindlmarkt. We saw Ice Skating, a Christmas Carousel, Mrs. Claus, the Christkindl Express, several warming tents, and vendors selling unique merchandise there.

Cullman's Christkindlmarkt 

Cullman's Christkindlmarkt  before dark

To ride the Christmas train or Carousel, you must purchase your tickets through a virtual queue system that allows you to join the line virtually without waiting. Cost $3

Christmas Carousel

Christmas Train 

We didn't see Santa Claus, but we did see Mrs. Claus and Christkind.

There are plenty of activities for little ones to enjoy.

Toy making with Santa, 

Painting with Emily

Decorating cookies with Mrs. Claus

Snow Globes with Mrs. Claus

Charm Bracelets and Wooden Toy Trains with Mrs. Claus

Making ornaments with the Grinch 

Elf yourself with Buddy the Elf 

Nutcracker painting with Christkind 

And Ice Skating. 

 pretzel bratwurst

We walked around the square several times, stopping for a pretzel bratwurst (delicious) and a drink. 

We sat at a large picnic table enclosed on three sides. There, we met a couple from Birmingham. A member of Good Bellows stopped and played Jingle Bells while I played along with the handbells.

Played Jingle Bells 

We sat and talked for several minutes. The couple left, and we followed suit.

Manger Scene 

We also saw the manger scene. 

We saw North America's largest Christmas Pyramid Lights.

Did you know that nativity scenes are the heart and soul of the German Christkindlmarkt?

These festive markets are not just about shopping. They are also a celebration of tradition and faith. 

Despite evolving styles and changing times, nativity scenes remain a cherished and enduring tradition. 

This extraordinary handcrafted Nativity display, an actual work of art, was skillfully crafted by the renowned German company Erzgebirgische Holzkunst Gajlenz —the same talented artisans behind the Weihnachten pyramid. 

But that is not all! The Cullman Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism maintenance team played a crucial role in constructing the stable that houses these exquisite figures. This collaboration between tradition and modern craftsmanship brings to life a Nativity scene that beautifully embodies the spirit of Christmas. 

We finished taking pictures and headed to the car. 

2023 Nov 27-Dec 2, Myrtle Beach Show Trip Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (6 Days bus trip) with The Club, Diamonds in the Rough

Day 1:

We traveled with a group of about 37 in a tour bus from Florence, Alabama, to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We left on Monday, Nov 27, at 8:30 A.M.  

At about 10:18 A.M., we stopped at Walmart in Gardendale to pick up four more passengers and a few items.

Fried Shrimp with Pinto Beans, Tartar Sauce, and Hush Puppies 

Our next stop was Cracker Barrel in Leeds, AL, for lunch around 11:22 A.M.

We went through Atlanta, GA, traffic around 4 P.M. 

Our next stop was Pilot in Braselton, SC. Around 5:53 P.M.

Arrived at Holiday Inn Express, room 126 in Greenville, SC, where we spent the night.

Day 2:

We all ate breakfast at the hotel and began our final journey to Myrtle Beach.'

We stopped at Love's Lugoff, SC, around 11:08 A.M. for a restroom break and to fill up with fuel.  

We stopped at McDonald's for lunch in Bishopville, SC, at 12:31 P.M.  

Checked into the hotel with a few minutes to spare before getting ready for dinner. Compass Cove Oceanfront Resort, room 323.

Crab Legs, Corn on Shrimp, Baked Potato, Shrimp, and tartar sauce 

Dinner tonight is at the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant, which arrived a little after 4:37 P.M.

Christmas Show at Alabama Theatre

Finished the night with a Christmas show at the Alabama Theatre. 7–9 P.M.

Day 3:

Breakfast at the hotel.

We loaded onto the bus around 9 A.M. and headed to Conway, SC, to the LW Paul Living History Museum. 

After about an hour and a half, we headed to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

We walked along the boardwalk that bordered the Atlantic Ocean.

We ate lunch at The Bowery, where Alabama, the band, got its start. 

A newspaper article about The Band Alabama 

Alabama Band/Wild Country 
Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen, & John Vartanian 

The band area was closed, but Hubby asked the waitress if I could go inside to take pictures. The waitress took us inside, and I took a few pictures. They were busy, so I didn't stay long. 

We shared a Cheesecake ice cream waffle cone. After several hours of shopping, we headed back to the bus. 

We rode to Walmart to pick up a few items and then returned to the hotel for several hours. 

We ate dinner at Simple Southern Smokehouse. 

Blues Brothers, Dolly Parton, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin.

We finished the night with a Christmas Show at the Legends Theatre, where we saw the Blues Brothers, Dolly Parton, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin.

Back to the hotel to rest.

Day 4:

Breakfast at the hotel. 

At 9 A.M., we rode to the Asher Theatre to see A Man of a Thousand Voices by James Stephens III.

After his performance, we shopped at Barefoot Beach Boardwalk, ate lunch at Lulu's, and bought some hot sauce and spices. 

We also bought nail polish and 4 rings at De Sol. 

The bus took us back to the hotel, where we rested.

At 4:40, we rode to Bennett's Calabash Seafood for dinner. 

Caroling Opry

After dinner, we attended the Carolina Opry and returned to the hotel around 9:30 P.M.

We packed our bags; we are leaving tomorrow after our shopping. 

Day 5: 

Watched the sun come up, then walked down to breakfast.

At 9 A.M., we rode to Broadway at the Beach to watch The Jersey Boys sing songs from the 1960s by the Four Seasons and Christmas songs. 

We went shopping at Broadway at the Beach. 

At lunch at Wahlburgers. 

Around 2 P.M., we were headed to our next stop, Holiday Inn Express, Grovetown, Ga. Room 321.

Arrived around 8:30 P.M.

Day 6: 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

On the road around 8:30 A.M. 

Stopped at Western Sizzlin's Oxford, AL, for lunch.

Stopped at Gardendale, AL, to drop off passengers and take a restroom break.

Arrived home around 5 P.M.

We had a great week, with many Christmas Shows, shopping, and eating in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Shows
At the Broadway Theatre, we heard Hot Jersey Nights, Myrtle Beach Christmas Show (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)

At the Alabama Theatre, we saw The South's Greatest Christmas Show.

At Legends Theatre, we saw Legends in Concert (Dolly Parton, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Retha Franklin & Blues Brothers)

At the Asher Theatre, we saw the man of 1,000 voices. James Stephens III

At the Carolina Opry Theatre, we heard
vocalist Delvin Choice of NBC's The Voice, national recording artist Brad Long, hip-hop cloggers All That! of NBC's America's Got Talent, powerhouse vocalists Christie Templeton, Tangena Church, and Chas Croft Sorrells, fiddling champion Trent Wideman, and bluegrass virtuoso Gary Brown.

Restaurants
We ate at the Giant Crab Seafood Restaurant in Myrtle Beach
Simply Southern Smokehouse Myrtle Beach 

Bennett's Calabash Seafood Myrtle Beach 
Corn on the cob, shrimp, Shrimp Potatoes, and fried green tomatoes

Bennett's Calabash Seafood Myrtle Beach
Lulu's Myrtle Beach 

Wahlburgers Myrtle Beach 

Wahlburgers Myrtle Beach
Western Sizzlin Leeds, AL

Shopping
We shopped at The Boardwalk, Barefoot Landing, and Myrtle Beach Boardwalk 

1/2 Hamburger and fries at Lulu's Barefoot Landing 

Lulu's
De Sole
The General Store
It's Sweet
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

We stayed in a Resort facing the Atlantic Ocean.
Great to be home.

2023 Oct 28, Pumpkinfest Franklin, TN, and Trick Treat Killen Park with Ava & River

 It's been a hectic day. 

This morning, we stopped at Jack's for breakfast. They were shorthanded, so we had to wait longer than usual. 

Then we rode to Franklin, TN, to their Pumpkinfest. There was no parking, so we had to pay $10 to park.

Very Large Pumpkin 

It was extremely hot and crowded, so we only stayed for a short time. We walked down Main Street and a couple of side streets. Several bands were playing music. Mums and Pumpkins decorated the street. Food filled the air. There were rides and fun for the Children. 

Hubby collected a bag of treats, which we gave to the grandkids.

Williamson County's First Taxi

Our big treat was finding the Williamson County Archives Museum. It featured several rows of quilts made by locals, a Military Room, a Display of Williamson County's history, Civil War Artifacts, an Old Schoolroom, a Doctor's Office, a Dress Shop, a Barber Shop, a Country Store, and more. We also saw a horse-drawn carriage by Harry March in Franklin's First Taxi.

We saw where the body of a headless Col Shy once lay in a busted open casket. An article, The Curious Case of Col Shy's Casket. The headless body was unidentified. 

Outside was a Civil War cannon. 

The Curious Case of  Col. Shy's Casket 

Canon 

We stopped at Publix in Spring Hill to get some chicken wings from their deli and pick up a few other items.  

We stopped in Lawrenceburg at Long Silvers for a plate of fish and chicken. 

Came home and ate a late lunch. 

Fun Began in Halloween Manor 

Criminals 

Ava, the killer Jason Voorhees, and the Evil Clown Pennywise

Picked up Ava and River around 4:30 and took them to Killen Park for their Trunk n Treat. 

Ava dressed up like Wednesday from the Adams Family, and River was a Ninja Turtle. 

We arrived early, so we let them play in the playground area. When people started lining up, we got in line. 

There was a long line behind us. We walked through the gate of Halloween Manor, and that is when the fun began. 

The kids received lots of candy, a fireman's hat, coloring books, and safety books. They got their pictures taken with Inflatable pumpkins, at the Shriners Hillbilly Jeep, with Hocus Pocus, with the Department of Eye Care, Jason Voorhees, and Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Making Slime 

Their Treats end with making Slime. Put in a bag and taken home. 

They did a great job by allowing only a few kids at a time to enter the park. 

The kids had a great time.

2023 November 4, "Walking with the Saints" a Saints Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Florence House of Worship

Today, Hubby and I went on a walking tour with a group led by Lee Freeman at 10:00 A.M. at the Florence Library. 

We visited the former Popular Street Christian Church, now the Wood Avenue Church of Christ (established in 1970), located across the street from the Florence Library. 

Wood Avenue Church of Christ 

Cavalry Fellowship Church

424 E Tombigbee St Florence, AL 

From the library, we walked to Tombigbee Street and Poplar Street. 

We stopped at the Cavalry Fellowship (former Popular Street Christian Church)

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church 630 N Poplar St
Florence, AL

From the Cavalry Fellowship, we walked several blocks up Poplar Street to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (1938), located at 630 N. Poplar Street.

First Baptist Church 209 North Walnut St.

We walked back up several streets to Walnut St., the Baptist church, across from the Florence Library. 

We stopped at the Gothic-style First Baptist Church (1888), located at 209 North Walnut St.

First Presbyterian Church 224 E Mobile St

Next, we walked to East Mobile Street, where the First Presbyterian Church is across the street from the Florence US Post Office. 

We stopped at First Presbyterian Church (1818), 224 E Mobile St. The Oldest Christian Church is the "Mother Church," Florence's oldest church. 

Tennessee Valley Community Church AME
119 N Pine St, Florence, AL 

 

We walked down Mobile Street, a one-way street, to Tennessee Valley Community Church AME on Pine Street. As you can see in the picture, construction is happening near this church. 

Trinity Episcopal Church 410 N Pine St Florence, AL 

We walked up Pine St to Trinity Episcopal Church (1824), Florence's third-oldest Christian congregation. This church is located a few blocks from Tennessee Valley Community Church, which faces Pine Street and North Seminary Street. We walked up a few blocks to the United Methodist Church.

First United Methodist Church 415 N Seminary Florence, AL 

Our last stop was First United Methodist Church (1822), located at 415 N. Seminary, the second-oldest church in Florence. 

Wilson Park Fountain 

Wilson Park is near the United Methodist Church and across the street from the Florence Library. 

We stopped to take a few pictures of the fountain at Wilson. The wind blew the fountain water, wetting us as we walked by.

A couple of children were enjoying the sprinklers from the fountain.  

Also took pictures of the Florence Library and the Kennedy Douglas Art Center. 

We ate lunch at St Florian Pharmacy Soda Shop. We sat at the bar and watched as they took orders for dipped ice cream and made sandwiches. 

My Hubby ordered a ham and cheese sandwich with chocolate and a strawberry milkshake. 

Reuben Sandwich with chips

I ordered a Reuben with Sun Chips, whole-grain Harvest Cheddar, and Diet Coke. 

After lunch, we headed home, but we encountered a traffic jam on Highway 72 due to extensive construction. 

We took Middle Road to the Old Jackson Highway, then to US 43.