Blogs from Alabama, United States, North America - page 11

Although we did not take the RV, and we were only gone a day, I wanted to post this and let folks know about some of the fantastic places right here in Alabama. What makes it even more interesting is that this trip (well, not THIS trip, but the locations) was mentioned in an article on places to go in Alabama on line: http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2014/06/9_stunning_spots_that_make_you.html#incart_river_default On my Facebook page, I mentioned that due to repairs to our RV and other costs, we might not do as much traveling, but I posted this link and said there were 9 great vacation trips available to us within a short distance. We have been to several of them, but the Muscle Shoals area was new. The trip we took was sponsored by RSVP--Retired Senior Volunteer Program out of Guntersville. The ... read more

The winter has passed and it was time to get the RV on the road and start exploring, visiting, and enjoying. We winterized the RV last fall upon our return from our long western trip and though we had gone out and run the generator monthly, we needed to stock the shelves, clean the inside, and make sure all was working well. Opps, it wasn't all working well. We wanted to take the RV to Florida in mid February to visit the kids and grandkids, but the generator wouldn't start. Our trusty mechanic tried to fix it but couldn't so we took it to an Onan Service facility near Huntsville. And just like going to the dentist when you have a toothache, then get there and it doesn't hurt, we pulled in, the mechanic looked at ... read more

My day started at the National Towing and Recovery Museum in Chattanooga, TN. Not a bad little museum. But as the only visitor at the time, I was outnumbered by employees. But hey, if your into Tow Trucks, This is the place for you. Of course I have to travel to Tennessee to find a Tow Truck from Binghamton. Then the long drive to southern Alabama. Dinner tonight was another strikeout. I figured Streets Seafood and Restaurant was going to be a safe bet, but I knew I was in trouble when the lettuce on the salad bar was browner than my lawn back home. I ordered a combo platter Catfish and Crab cakes. The Catfish wasn't bad, but the crab cake was like fried crab mush patties. ... read more

Christmas week still finds us in Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL. We have had some of the nicest weather ever during this month. Most days are sunny and warm enough for us - high 60's and low 70's. The park has a great Backcountry Bike Trail that has a complex of 6 trails totaling 11 paved miles. We can bike it, in combination with the bike trail on the main road, to get to restaurants and shopping and the beach. We've put on a lot of miles going to Wal-Mart, Publix and the Pancake House. While we travel Ron is always on the lookout for nurseries that sell trees to make into bonsai . He found a nice Japanese Cedar called a 'Black Dragon' that he has shaped and wired into our Christmas tree. ... read more

A Day in Mobile, Alabama We spent a very pleasant day in Mobile, Alabama yesterday – that’s ‘Mo-beel’ and not like mobile phone! The town was founded in 1702 by Frenchman Jean-Baptists Le Moyne who later continued on to found Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana. These early white settlers brought with them Mardi Gras which has been celebrated here since 1704, the oldest of its celebrations and several years before New Orleans was ‘discovered’. The English and Spanish also ruled here and the old buildings and squares reflect their influence also. After a brief stop at the very friendly visitor center located in the reconstructed Fort Conde, we boarded the free circular bus to get our bearings and we immediately given an impromptu tour by a local man riding the bus and were quizzed about ... read more