Blogs from Alabama, United States, North America - page 15

Friday morning we left Suwannee River State Park and travelled west to Tallahassee to see my Aunt Suzie, who is not really my aunt, but has been friends with my mother since they were in second grade. She’s always been Aunt Suzie to me. We got to her street and discovered the street was closed, so we drove around the block to see if we could get through to her house. The city was digging a big hole in the street to get to the sewer, but allowed us to get past. It was so good to visit with Aunt Sue, after not seeing her in 40 years or more. We visit some on Facebook and have talked on the phone a time or two, but a good face to face chat was wonderful. We didn’t ... read more

We had a one day stop at Theodore, Alabama, and went over to Dauphin Island. Dauphin Island is attached to the mainland by a 5 km bridge, and although seems quite far from restuarants and shopping, was quite heavily populated. Most houses are built on pilons to protect from hurricanes. And what Atlantic Island would be complete without a fort? Fort Gaine was still in respectable condition, and even had an on-site blacksmith to demonstrate his trade. More beautiful shoreline and beaches - the Gulf definitely is a perfect distination if you enjoy laying on the beach, soaking up the sun.... read more

I have to shut up here a lot. I'm not the type of person that ever shuts up, so it just means that I don't say what I really mean. It means that I'm being a hypocrite most of the time. That's why this blog isn't very full either. I'm afraid I might insult someone. So many people are reading this & so many different nationities, that there's always someone who could get insulted by what I say. Because I know all of you, back home - the only time you think I'm funny is when I'm actually being mean. So that's why I have to write this blog in an "So then we went to panama city beach & then we rode on jetski's & then I swam with dolphins"-kinda style. I did do all ... read more

What a delightful surprise after arriving at the Wharf with large floating docks and lots of room to maneuver. There are many huge yachts at this marina. Our first night there we treated ourselves to one of their more famous restaurants, Ginny Lane. We discovered on our walk the next morning that the Wharf is quite a place. It would remind you a bit of the Smoke House Bay spot in Marco only about 4 times as large. However, other than the services available at the Wharf not much else is in walking distance. There is a large condo development and an even bigger shopping complex complete with a huge movie house, convention center, ferris wheel and lots of stores and restaurants. Unfortunately, with the economic situation many of the stores and restaurants are empty, but ... read more

At the request of several Singaporean (and Singapore-based) friends, I've decided to write about my adventures here in Alabammy for interested parties. I figure this is just as much a cultural experience as anywhere abroad I've lived, and deserves equal attention. So here goes... I arrived in Alabama late at night, but kindly greeted at the airport by one of the grad students in my lab. I never like arriving in a new place after dark because it always feels less welcoming than friendly sunshine, and my arrival into Tuscaloosa wasn’t really eased by the billboard I saw warning against the ill effects of crystal meth on my appearance…hmmm…they need billboards to remind people here of that? Luckily, the next days were bright and sunny, and my first two weeks in Alabama have been filled with ... read more