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

Inside the museum are Native American Artifacts, Indian statues, and arrowheads spanning thousands of years. 

Pioneer life, early settlers before John Cullmann. Dutch doll, a couple of rockers, 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 talked about several different 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 Roman Catholic Church.

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

Above is the link to read the history of this great church.

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.

No Whooping or Sandhill Cranes to be found. Saw only 4 other people there. The backyard birds were chirping loudly. I heard 27 different bird sounds on my Merlin App. It was a nice, quiet walk at the Refuge.

ChimpmunksWheeler Wildlife Refuge

We stopped at Killen Adventure Park, where hubby and I both 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.

There were lots of people playing Miniature Golf, having birthday parties, and feeding 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 in Lawrenceburg for breakfast. I ordered their single gravy, sausage, and biscuits. Hubby ordered their big breakfast with pancakes.

We rode to Columbia to watch the Mule Day Parade. Arrived a little early and found a place to sit. There were thousands of people there for the parade and other events. The parade began at 11:00 AM and was over a little after 12.  The Grand Marshall was Mike Wolfe from America 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 thought we would try it. It was a lot bigger on the inside and very nice. The food was great. A little spicy and cooked differently. It was 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. The things you would see in a doctor's office, war artifacts, gowns, dresses, furniture, and so much more.

doctor office

I bought several note cards: The Hamilton Place, The St Johns Episcopal Church, Walnut Grove, Rippavilla, and Fountain Creek Mills. (historic homes, church, and mill). The curator tried to sell us a 2023 Farmers Almanac she was telling 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 Huey Town, AL) 5 Days

Day 3: Wednesday, February 22

Breakfast in the hotel was a cinnamon roll, sausage, milk, and cranberry juice.

Meet our guide loaded onto the bus for an hour 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, which is a dirt road that is often in rough condition. Fort George Road is paved but 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 Warble, 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, there, we saw 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 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 of the day was Apple Bees for dinner, where I ordered grilled Chicken, a Caesar salad, and a brownie.

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. Served with Spanish rice and house-made pico de gallo.

Day 4: Thursday, February 23, 

Breakfast at the hotel of a cinnamon roll, biscuit, and gravy with juice.

Loaded onto the bus and headed to St Augustine.

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

Our tour Guide

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

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

Flager College

Rode back to the Visitor Center and were on our own for a couple of hours. 

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

Got my picture made 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 the firing of a cannon.

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 ate lunch at Fire House Sub.

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 4:49PM.

Loaded our luggage into the car and headed home, a 2 1/2 hour drive.

Stopped at KFC in Athens at 7:01 PM and home around 8 PM.

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 Hueytown, AL) (5day trip)

Day 1: Monday, February 20

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

Everyone was checked in and given a name tag that was our ticket for our 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 AM, 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 there were several different places to eat. 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 I-75 Rest Area Southbound 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 closed at 5PM, and it was just a few minutes after 5).

Florida Welcome Center I-75 in Jennings, Florida

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

Ole Times CountyBuffet in Lake City

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

Everyone was exhausted from the long ride, so they took a shower 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 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 the nearby Weldon Johnson Park, which was located in the center of town near the Art Museum and City Hall.

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

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

By the time we filled our plates, there was no place to sit with our group. We ended up setting up front near the band with a fun group from Louisiana.

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

2022 Oct 9-14, Carnival Ecstasy Final Voyage 5 Days Western Caribbean Cruise Cozumel, Progresso from Mobile, Al

Day 1, Sunday, October 9, 2022 

Hubby took me to my friend's house we loaded our luggage into her car and began our journey to Mobile.

We stopped at Circle K in Mount Vernon for fuel and restroom breaks.

We stopped at Jack's in Jackson for breakfast of biscuits and gravy. 

We stopped in Demopolis to take pictures of the historic markers and buildings. 

Arrived around 1:40 at Renaissance Hotel in Mobile, checked in, and took our overnight bags to our room.

Our room was facing the bay, so we could see Carnival Ecstasy when she came into port.

History Museum of Mobile 

We walked to the History Museum on the corner of Church and South Royal Street and bought tickets for the museum and for Colonial Fort Conde' which is atop the Mobile Bay Tunnel. We walked through Mardi Gras Park, stopping to take pictures of the markers and statues.

Mardi Gras Park 

We ate supper at Loda Bier Garden around 5:18 PM we both ordered a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and Onion on a soft bun with fries located at the intersection of Dauphin and Joachim Street.

Loda Bier Garden

The restaurant was crowded, and people were waiting to be seated. On our way back to the hotel, we saw several Oyster Shell sculptures depicting famous Alabama Cultures. Mobile is called the "Big Oyster."

By this time, it was getting dark, so we walked back to the hotel.

Day 2, Monday, October 10, 2022 

We walked down the street to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. I ordered a free cookie and Lemonade. 

We walked to Coopers Riverside Park, where we saw several homeless people sleeping. We also saw our Cruise ship docked in the Bay.

Carnival Ecstasy Cruise Ship docked in Mobile Bay.

Earlier this morning, we had watched the Cruise ship come into the bay.

We walked back to the hotel to take the shuttle(that held about 10 people, including luggage) with several other people to the terminal.

We got in line to be processed with passports, tickets, and proof of vaccines for COVID-19. 

Mobile had a farewell party for the crew and captain, with Girls dressed in Antebellum gowns with music playing. Many were getting their pictures taken with the Cruise Ambassador, John Head, and ship captain Michele Coppola. 

Cruise Ambassador John Head and Ships Captain Michele Coppola. 

Around 11:00, we were boarding the ship along with many others.

State Room E155 Deck E Muster Station F.

Our first stop was Five Guys, where we ordered a Mushroom burger with fixings and fries. 

We walked around the ship until it was time for our room to be ready. Walked back to the upper deck to watch the ship leave Mobile Bay. Such a beautiful sunset watching the birds follow the ship, stirring the water up for the birds to feed on the fish.

The sun had gone down, and we were headed out to the Gulf, so we headed back to our room to dress for dinner.

Sunset Mobile Bay as we are leaving 

We had dinner in the Winstar Dining Room, where I ordered Grilled Salmon, a Caesar Salad with veggies, and a Shrimp Cocktail. 

Day 3, Tuesday, October 11, Sea Day

Ate a cinnamon roll with nuts and chocolate milk for breakfast.

We had brunch in the Winstar Dining Room. 

Skillet Cake (Ricotta, guava, preserve, marshmallows, and maple butter) with bacon. 

Late lunch of taco and slice German chocolate cake. 

Went to a show (Crimson String Trio)and relaxed on the deck. Bought Excursion Passion Island and finished reading Matthew. 

Dressed for Dinner in the Winstar Dining Room, where I ordered shrimp cocktail, Garlic Shrimp, veggies, and dessert.

 Day 4, Wednesday, October 12,

Breakfast of yogurt with nuts, raisins and pastry, chocolate milk, and apple juice. 

Docket at Cozumel waited for Catamaran to take us to Passion Island.

Took pictures in front of Statues, Jester, Zonkey, Alligator, boat,  Fat Tuesday, and Purta May Cozumel.

Cozumel & Cruise Ship 

Ticket 

Foli MS Carnival Ecstasy all-inclusive Passion Island Catamaran 

operated by Peninsula De LA Passion Folio 56900

Cabin 155 Departs End of the Pier Sign

at 10AM Excursion # 3041391001 

Carnival Adventure

About an hour's ride to Passion Island, where we enjoyed three Margaritas, avocado dip, chips, tocos, veggies, and slices of watermelon.

On the island, I saw a couple of Trash Pandas and several long-tail Grackles.

After a couple of hours, everyone loaded back into the Catamaran.

We began our journey back to Cozumel, through customs and back on the ship.

The ship left port around 4:00PM.

Dressed for dinner in the Winstar Dining room, where I ordered a shrimp Cocktail, grilled Flounder, veggies, and a banana split.

Day 5, Thursday, October 13, 2022

Beautiful sunrise at 7AM

Breakfast Yogurt with raisins and nuts with pastries, chocolate milk

The ship docked around 8:30AM, and we took the bus into Progresso.

Walked through the shopping area to the beach, stopping for a full body massage on the beach.

We saw several birds, a statue, and several murals. 

We had to use the restroom, so we stopped at one of the stores they said if we bought something, we could use the restroom. I bought a pair of sunglasses. 

We walked through the flea market, where I bought a bag for $10.00.

We took the bus back to the dock, where we took pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Yucatan, Flamingos, Azul Temple, a boat, a cheetah, and a burrito.

Went to Guys for lunch with hamburgers and fries.

The ship was supposed to leave around 4PM, but several people were late, so it was more like 5PM before we left Progresso.

Progresso Yucatan 

We dressed for dinner in the Winstar Dining room, where I ordered Ribs, fries, beans, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

Day 6, Friday, Oct 14, Sea Day

We had a beautiful cloudy Sunrise. 

Brunch in Winstar Dining Room of Skilled Cake with linked sausage.

Relaxed on the Lido deck, meet several ladies from Georgia, Destin and Fair Hope, Al, and one from lower California.

At 4PM, we went to the Platinum farewell Party, where we enjoyed free mixed drinks.

Recognized a father and son who had the most days traveled on Carnival Cruise Ships.

We listened to Crimson String Trio before going to dinner in the Winstar dining room.

Crimson String Trio 

I ordered grilled salmon, veggies, and Carnival Baboloo 50th Anniversary Cake. (a white frosting with three layers of cake. The cake frosting has chewy chunks throughout the frosting.)

Carnival Baboloo 50th Anniversary Cake. (a white frosting with three layers of cake. The cake frosting has chewy chunks throughout the frosting.)

Day 7, Saturday, October 15, Travel Home

At 8AM, we stopped at Jack in Jackson for breakfast sausage and gravy with strawberry pie. Filled up with gas at Texaco and bought Almond Joy and Diet Sprite. 

Carnival Ecstasy Stateroom E155 Deck E Muster Station F 

Hotel Renaissance Mobile Riverfront Plaza Hotel 64 South Water St Mobile, Al 36602