A Lap of Alabama.

For their fortieth anniversary, my parents wanted to do something grand.

They considered a cruise in Alaska, a drive from Alaska back home, and a drive through New England.

But finally, they settled on enjoying two things they loved: antique cars and Alabama.

Starting today, they are on a journey to drive the entire perimeter of our state in a Model A, stopping at unique sights along the way.  They have decided that there will be no interstates, no fast food, and no agenda.

 

 

Dad set up a blog to document their journey, and I also tried to get him to use Twitter to garner recommendations for places to stay and eat.  I didn’t get him convinced in time, so instead, I will be tweeting their journey and trying to get recommendations for him.  I hope that you will all help me as I show him the power of Twitter.

They left today, and expect the journey to take two weeks.  Follow along at their blog and also on twitter.

 

Staycation Ideas in Gadsden

By Micha



With the gas prices rising taking a vacation hundreds of miles from home may not be in the budget. That doesn’t mean that you have to sit at home all summer. There are many inexpensive places to go and things to do in Gadsden.

Gadsden is well known for Riverfest every June and as a part of the World's Longest Yard Sale, but those aren't the only source of Summer fun. Find seven different places to explore in Gadsden for under $10 a person at Staycation Fun in Gadsden.

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Do you have great places to visit and inexpensive vacation ideas in your part of Alabama? Share them with us at Alabama Bloggers!

Visiting Pisgah – Gorham’s Bluff.

When people start listing off the great destinations in our state, Pisgah is not usually on the top of the list.

But if you’re looking for a stunning panorama and a cozy place to retreat to, it should be.

My husband and I made our first trip to Pisgah when we stayed at Gorham’s Bluff for our tenth anniversary a couple of weeks ago. Part Bed and Breakfast, part cottage community, it is completely fabulous.

The views down into the valley are stunning:

And the Bed and Breakfast is delightfully eerie on a foggy day…

And the perfect southern mansion on a clear day.

Thanks to the excellent service of Executive Chef Keith Izydore, the meals provided are worth the trip by themselves.

We enjoyed the Full American Package, which is all three meals (which I highly recommend, since once you get to Gorham’s Bluff, you're at least 20 miles from any other eating establishment.)

Our lunch was a gourmet boxed lunch that we enjoyed in our cottage,

and we ate our dinner and breakfast in the Bed and Breakfast’s main Dining Room.

Although we would have stayed at the Bed and Breakfast had their been a room available, we ended up in a cottage, and we were so glad we did – having our own space really helped us relax and retreat.

All of the vistas are spectacular,

as is the architecture of the houses.

There are also plenty of nature trails, some even going down into the bluff where a waterfall can be found:

Pisgah is near Scottsboro, Alabama, and a little over two hours from Birmingham. If you’re looking for a gorgeous place to take a weekend trip, I highly recommend it!

What great Alabama vacation secrets do you know?

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I was not compensated in any way, or even requested to write this review. My opinions are always my own.

favorite place.

This post is written about a bridge in Trussville by Sidnie of Green Enough for Me. Sidnie is a native Alabamian who is currently living in Germany with her military husband and two boys, Austin and Cade. Her husband will be deploying to Afghanistan soon. Her blog is an amazing, and often heart-wrenching peek inside the lives of those serving our country overseas. You can also follow Sidnie on Twitter at greenenough4me.

In my hometown, there's this green bridge that crosses over this river. It's not much. Not much at all. But this bridge, the kissing bridge, could quite honestly be my favorite place on earth.
I'm sure if it could talk, it'd tell the most vibrant stories.

David and I, newlyweds. David, living in Germany, home on leave. A month away from Austin's birth. January of 2007.

For as long as I can remember, it's been there. And long before that, it was somewhere else. It's endured a several mile move, involving trucks and cranes. I can just imagine the people it took to get it settled into its new home. I remember taking pictures with my cousins on this bridge when we were little, all snaggle toothed but still grinning. I wish I had those pictures to share, but they're more than likely tucked in an old suitcase at the foot of the bed in the guest room at my parent's house. I remember many cross country practices running across this bridge, hearing the wood pound beneath our feet. Always confident that the sturdy, old bridge would hold our weight.

Austin and Sidnie, 4 months pregnant with Cade. Daddy is in Iraq. June of 2008.
It's just off the main highway that runs through town. There's a few concrete picnic tables and a grassy area. But nothing more. Somedays, you can find some boys fishing for minnows. Or some barefoot children wading through the ankle deep water. You could tell how bad a storm was by how much of the bridge was covered with muddy red water. The town flooded once, years ago, and the bridge was covered for what seemed like forever. When the water receded, the bridge was still there. Covered with debris, but still there.

David, Sidnie, Austin and Cade. All of us on our last day home on leave after David's deployment. July 5, 2009.

As our family changes, so does the bridge. It's older. And parts have been replaced. It's needed paint over the years and probably needs some work that remains unseen. It's been rained on. And ran across. It stands firm across the river. It holds up to the footprints and the weather. It may creak, here and there, but it never sways. It's been through hell and back. But its always there.

It's strong. And beautiful. And confident.

It's always there.

"The ties that binds us are sometimes impossible to explain. They connect us even after it seems like the ties should be broken. Some bonds defy distance and time and logic; Because some ties are simply... meant to be."
-Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy

Where is your favorite place in Alabama?

Alternative Beach Activities: Magnolia Springs.

Leigh wrote this post a while back for us, and I wanted to re-share it as a part of our series on not abandoning our beach towns, and what you can do at the beach while the beaches may be oily. Magnolia Springs is an amazing hidden secret of our coastal region, and is an excellent place to visit!

If you have any where or anything that you would like to contribute or suggest for this series, please comment or email me at rachel@alabamabloggers.com.

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by Leigh

If you have ever read my blog, you can probably figure out that I am a beach girl at heart. I love nothing more than to have my toes in the sand, the wind in my sails, my rod in the water or be emerged in the turquoise blue waters. But I also love an adventure! There are so many opportunities for exploration in the south of Alabama. Many of those opportunities involve little to no cost. There is nothing about that logic that Big Daddy, my resident tightwad, can argue.

This week I am going to show you some fun locations to visit while you vacation in the south. What? Not heading this way? Maybe this post will inspire you to venture out beyond the traditional vacation draws and look beyond the cash pulls into what a particular territory offers.

I am going to begin with the small town of Magnolia Springs. Both Magnolia Springs and Fairhope (located not far away), are small towns are places that I *might* consider giving up my beachside condo to live in.

Lets begin with Magnolia Springs. Magnolia Springs is located at the headwaters of the Magnolia River, which was originally called River de Lin, or River del Salto by local residents. A most qaint little town, Magnolia Springs is a picturesque place and one of the few remaining places to receive mail by boat. How charming is that?

The Magnolia River continues to be an important resource for this area's residents. As of 2007, activists were seeking to have it named as an Outstanding Alabama Water, which is the state's highest environmental protection status.

Several structures in the town are on the National Register of Historic Places, including Moore's Grocery and St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Moore's has been open since 1922, and offers specialty meats, cheeses, meats, wines and coffee beans.

Located just left of the grocery, you will find the ever popular eatery, Jesse's Restaurant, serving up some gourmet cuisine prepared by Chef Sally Lowery, to many happy customers. The restaurant is located in the old post office (1949). It is named after Jesse King, who helped run Moore's Grocery for over 60 years without missing a single day of work. A hard task if you lived in a place as exceptional as Magnolia Springs, it just oozes southern hospitality. One cannot help but imagine sitting on a front porch sipping a glass of ice cold lemonade taking in the day by listening to the song of the birds in the trees and the wind in the leaves. The thought of doing anything beyond that is almost incomprehensible.

I photographed these pair of pretty little guineas outside of Jesse's. They are dressed in their black and white polka dot best, all gussied up for a day of living in Magnolia Springs.

Turn left just ahead of Jesse's and Moore's onto Oak Street and you will find yourself enveloped in historic oak trees, hundreds of years old. The stories I imagine they could tell.....if only they could.

Beneath the canopy of oak-lined streets, you will find charming cottage style homes that just beckon a second look.

You will also find charm in Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast. Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast has been featured in numerous magazines and publications all around the country, including features in Southern Living twice (Nov. '98 and March '01). It is Alabama's only Bed & Breakfast to be featured on Bob Vila's "Restore America" program.

One like me, cannot help but rubberneck as I drive down the magical little streets eyeing loveable little cottages that I would love to prop my feet up in. And my friends, rubbernecking comes at no charge! You can lost in Magnolia Springs, and you will not want to leave. Its a magical place!

Need more excitement than rubbernecking? I have some other free options in store coming up in future post. Stop back by!

More on the history of Magnolia Springs can be found by clicking here.

*This post originally ran on March 23, 2009 on Tales from Bloggeritaville,

*Leigh is a full time mother, a part time photographer and writer. Her photography and written work is featured in several professional business and local publications. She owns her own photography business, Photographic Memories. Leigh resides in the Alabama with her three children and husband "Big Daddy". You can read more of Leigh's daily adventures by visiting any of her three blogs: Tales from Bloggeritaville , Plates and Places , as well as Photographic Memories

Amy's Extraordinary Alabama: Small Town Life.

By Amy

While Alabama is home to a few larger metropolitan areas like Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and a few others most of our state is made up of the small cities and towns.

And as I've mentioned before I live in one of those small cities and over my next few posts here on Alabama Bloggers I'm going to introduce you to my small city and some of the reasons I love it.

Small town life can be quite entertaining if you let it. And while quirkiness abounds in any area it seems to take center stage in smaller cities and towns.

Last summer I was walking into my chiropractor's office checking email on my blackberry when catching a glimpse of something amiss I look up to find a new character I've never met before in our beloved little city.

Meet the "Crazy Cow."

The "Crazy Cow" is a fundraiser by a local church youth group. One morning a business owner will show up to find the crazy cow in front of their business along with a note. The note informs them that in order to have the "Crazy Cow" removed they must pay a certain amount (I think it's around $10.00) to have it moved to the business of their choice. The next morning another business owner is surprised with the oversized decoration.

When I asked my chiropractor about it he eagerly looked forward to having it sent to another chiropractor friend of his in town.

By the time the "Crazy Cow" traveled its way around town everyone enjoyed many great chuckles at the game and the youth group had raised some funds to help their summer programs.

So now I want to know, what are some quirky, small town games and fundraisers that the majority of your town participates in?

Hometown Tour - Mooresville

By Valerie

Hello everyone,

Today we are visiting Mooresville, Alabama. Debi is our tour guide today. I hope you enjoy your visit!

Another town I visited during my recent walkabout/driveabout was the historic town of Mooresville, Alabama. Mooresville is the first town incorporated by the Alabama Territorial Legislature on November 16, 1818. (I ripped that little piece of information right off their website) I've enjoyed visiting this town since I was a child. Nestled in a beautiful wooded area between Madison and Decatur, Mooresville is an active, working town. The architecture here is astounding. Some call it the "Williamsburg of the South." Driving in I noticed signs warning that photographers need a permit so I drove straight to the historic Post Office for information.

The lady there was very nice, gave me a permit application and granted me permission to take a few images since I was already there and assured her I wouldn't be selling them. She didn't ask me about blogging but I think this is okay.

I go gaga over old churches so my first image capture was of the Old Brick Church. Built in 1839 the front sports gorgeous columns covered with stucco. The bricks are made by hand. Inside is the original reed, or pipe, organ made in 1905. It's been a community church, Presbyterian, Methodist and once served as a Baptist mission. The United Methodist Church conducted a deconsecration service and passed ownership to the town October 1994. (another website diddy)

Instead of a cross the steeple supports a large wooden hand pointing to heaven. This is not the original hand. According to the website a replacement was carved and placed on the steeple during a ceremony in May 2005.

Down the road a piece is the Church of Christ. It was originally built in 1854 as the Disciples of Christ meeting house. General James A. Garfield, our 20th President of the United States, preached here in 1863.

Starlings flew past as I grabbed some images. There are many historical properties in Mooresville, each one just as beautiful as the next. The Mooresville Post Office is fascinating, being the oldest operational post office in the state of Alabama. I didn't get a photo of it or anything else that day out of respect for the nice lady who allowed me to take a few "snapshots" of the town. Check out the Mooresville, Alabama website for more details. They have walking tours and really gussy up at Christmas. I'll go take more photos then because I learned through the permit process that regular ole photographers like me do not have to have a permit. Dang...and the sugar maples were JUST RIGHT that day!!! Mooresville .... I'll be back!

Debi was once Program Director at WAAY-TV in Huntsville - back in the GOOD old days of television. Currently, she's a nature photographer and blogger enthusiast, active in preservation issues. Co-Founder of the Bay Hill Conservancy on Wheeler Lake; won several Outdoor Alabama photography contests, and is in the midst of creating a website for her nature photographs and greeting card series, all to benefit preservation of the great state of Alabama. Married to an exceptional man and mom to a remarkable 18 year old, and have a really fat dog. You can visit her main website at Debi Bradford.

Thanks Debi!! I loved this post and all the other posts you wrote on Mooresville. To read more posts and see great pictures from Debi's trip to Mooresville please hop over to The Giraffe Head Tree. I promise you will not be disappointed!!


If you would like to feature your hometown on Alabama Bloggers, please contact Rachel (rachel@alabamabloggers.com) or Valerie(valwonderfullife@aol.com) and let us know!

Hometown Tour - Courtland

By Valerie

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Courtland Alabama! The town of Courtland is located on the site of an Native American village. The town was incorporated in December of 1819 by the town's early settlers. These were wealthy settlers who came from Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Georgia. The town was named for having a federal courthouse.

The park, in historic downtown, is very beautiful and peaceful place to spend the afternoon. The first Saturday in June the town hosts Picnic in the Park. Along with all the concessions and vendors they also host a children's parade. Later in the evening the is the Miss Cotton Pageant. It really takes you back to old hometown living. All the other days of the year you can enjoy the beautiful scenery while sitting in the gazebo or enjoy a nice walk with your family.

This is the Courtland Presbyterian Church. The church was founded in 1821 as "The Church of Nazareth". In 1833 it was renamed the Courtland Presbyterian Church it was first constructed in 1859 but due to the Civil War it was not completed until 1868. It was one of the first historical land markers in the area.

I love going to a town that has a lot of historical homes! I just love looking at them. This is one of the oldest houses in Courtland it was used as a hospital during the Civil War. This link has several of the historical homes a long with a lot of the historical markers in the area.

Courtland's school is part of the Lawrence County School system. R. A. Hubbard High School consists of grades Kindergarten - 12. Their colors are Orange and Black and they are the Chiefs!

While visiting you may want to check out The Wheeler Plantation, Valley Landing Golf Course, The George C. Wallace Industrial Air Park and don't forget that the Tennessee River runs nearby so you can enjoy all of your water activities too. Lots to do in this little town!

Courtland has worked hard to keep the town growing but also to stay true to it's history. They take pride in preserving all of their historical sites. To learn more about Courtland please visit Welcome to Courtland Alabama Pride of our past . . .Looking forward to the future!


If you would like to feature your hometown on Alabama Bloggers, please contact Rachel (rachel@alabamabloggers.com) or Valerie(valwonderfullife@aol.com) and let us know!