We began RVing in 2004, but this blog did not begin until we went into fulltime RVing in 2007. The blog has evolved to a time when we no longer have a RV, but we still consider ourselves vacationing on a perpetual basis.
WHEN? Thursday · April 29
WHERE? Foley, Alabama · find us on the map
| We had heard good things about the original location of Fish River Grill at 8272 County Road 32, and then we began to hear about another location at 8272 Highway 59. We checked out the second location on Highway 59 today. Word seems to have spread that it's a good place to eat, and they were very busy. |
 | Fish River Grill on Facebook |
WHEN? Wednesday · April 28
WHERE? Foley, Alabama · find us on the map
Click on the photo above to see why we went to Stacey's today while we had visitors. It's a good place for lunch, and the Key Lime Shakes topped the meal off nicely. The photos taken today are included with our previous photos at Stacey's. You can view them on Flickr at:
WHEN? Tuesday · April 27
WHERE? Gulf Shores, Alabama · find us on the map
We needed to go to the beach today while the weather was good and before Jerry left for Montgomery, Alabama to look up old friends and Air Force historical information. It turned out to be cooler than we would like, but we didn't have to share Gulf State Park with many people.
| We stopped at LuLu’S on our way back for a couple of appetizers to curb our appetite until we had a real meal at home. To see a few photos from our day's activities, visit: |  |
WHEN? Sunday · April 25
WHERE? Mobile Bay · find us on the map
Today's day trip occurred after Ella and I went to worship at Marlow UMC located four miles from our place on County Road 9. We stopped briefly to try our hand again at getting a better photo of the Malbis Greek Orthodox Church and went to a Mexican Restaurant for lunch before going over to Battleship Park beside Mobile Bay.
This is a very exercise intensive activity involving going up and down steep stairs and lots of walking. The women only made it to the deck of the submarine, so we only have a couple of photos to share on that part. You'll get some idea why we were "tuckered out" as you'll notice in our anchor photo (above) as we left the park to return home for some well-deserved R&R.
WHEN? Friday · April 23
WHERE? Bellingrath Gardens and Home · Theodore, Alabama
Since the Fairhope Pier was on our way to Bellingrath, we made a stop there and took a few photos and walked out to the end of the pier and back to get loosened up for all the walking at the gardens.
We knew we were missing the display of azaleas, which had already passed. You can read about this in an April 10, 2010, article by Bill Finch at Azlaeas of Bellingrath; Gardens welcomes city’s famed blooms
BUT, there was plenty to look at and take photos of, which also included lots of walking. We thought we were never going to find the the Japanese Garden, which is now called the Oriental-American Garden, but we finally found it. Once we were in it, we began to think we were being held captive and would never get out of it. Finally we exited at the entrance where we came in. By that time, we were "Bellingrathed out" and hungry. The Magnolia Cafe near the garden entrance was in the process of closing by the time we got there, but they still had tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches, which our appetites were more than prepared for.
Wendell pulled a fast one on us as we left there, and we returned a different way. Boy, was it a different way. He figured out a way to get to Dauphin Island and take the ferry from there back to the Mobile area on the other side of Mobile Bay.
A picture is worth a thousand words and it's possible a video is even better (see the side bar).WHEN? Thursday · April 8
WHERE? Ocean Springs, Mississippi · (On Biloxi Bay)
On our return trip from Jackson to Lower Alabama, we were treated to a unique lunch along the way. Not only did we discover an interesting place to eat, but it's at a location that has many nearby attractions.
If you'll look at our Flickr photo album on this stop in detail, you can begin to realize what a vacation stop this is, whether you're an RVer or a regular traveler. We are always talking up how much better it is to be in a restful setting while on vacation rather than being in an urban motel, and this one can fill the bill for a more restful spot where one can relax while enjoying some typical attractions that will entertain all ages.
Check it out on flickr:
The Shed - Camp Journey's End in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
WHEN? Tuesday · April 6
WHERE? Jackson, Mississippi · find us on the map
WHEN? Wednesday & Saturday · March 17 & 20
WHERE? South Baldwin County, Alabama · find us on the map
The Redneck Riviera is like nowhere else we have ever been. For outsiders, it takes a period of adjustment to get into the partying and celebration at the drop of a hat.
To clue you in on the tag that has been put on this area, we refer you to this Wikipedia entry on the area: Emerald Coast
Not sure why, but the above article seems to forget a part of the Gulf Coast definitely included in the special area referred to as the Redneck Riviera.
On the Redneck Riviera, almost anything is a cause for celebration, so St. Patrick's Day certainly does not get by without some celebrations. There's even something called the Pub Crawl. Pub Crawls, in general, did not originate on the Redneck Riviera of Lower Alabama, but this video proves they thought it was a good idea.
Wise words from Tom T. Hall: - Gulf Shores up through Apalachicola
They got beaches of the whitest sand
Nobody cares if gramma's got a tattoo
Or Bubba's got a hot wing in his handRedneck Riviera
1996
"These beautiful falls are not named, or signed. Was an accident that I even found them, getting lost is a wonderful way to find somewhere you haven't been. At the base of Mount Wellington, Hobart, I'm sure someone knows where these are. I think the stream came from the mountain, snow melt or rain. Beautiful and fresh, and quite cool. — Hobart, Tasmania, Australia"
Koala Book Marker on flickr
WHEN? Thursday · March 11
WHERE? Foley, Alabama · find us on the map
Let's have a drum roll and a marching band! Today marks two years we've been living in Alabama.
If you've got a young child, you can rip out today's post and let 'em color it! I double dog dare you to. Make a contest outa it and see if they can finish coloring it before the video below finishes.
This Kool & The Gang music video performing Celebration (C) 1980 The Island Def Jam Music Group is exactly what popped in my head when I realized this was the two year mark.
WHEN? Anytime
WHERE? Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
We have not visited Hawaii, but we'd like to help you enjoy armchair travel to Hawaii via this blog post. Probably some of my preconceived ideas about what the islands are like came from a book I read a long time ago — Hawaii, a novel by James Michener.
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This humorous video was provided by YouTube user jacksonescapee and appears to be taken at the same location as his photo above:
The longer jacksonescapee stays in Hawaii, the more eye-opening videos he's posted. He has a couple of videos by a Blue Grass group. I recommend visiting both of his YouTube Channels:
What a neat way to armchair travel!
WHEN? Friday · January 29
WHERE? Mobile & Baldwin Counties · Alabama
After this morning's VA appointment in Mobile, we paid a second visit to The Museum of Mobile to take a few pictures we missed on our first visit. We've combined the photos from both visits, and there's even a couple of short videos:
The Museum of Mobile - 2 visits
on flickr
While in Mobile, it was interesting to see how SO PREPARED Mobile is for their many Mardi Gras Parades. Mobile had the first 2010 Mardi Gras parade on January 16, the day we left on the Caribbean cruise, another one on January 23, and another will be held tonight. Thirty-seven more are scheduled before the parades are over for 2010.
We also took the opportunity to swing by the USS Alabama Battleship and get our photos at the anchor, which is a family tradition going way back. It was not a good day for pictures, but we took a few anyway, which you can see on Flickr at Battleship USS Alabama.
Market by the Bay · Photo credit Traveling Shoes
We had an early lunch at Market by the Bay in Fairhope (365 South Greeno Road, 251/929-7203), which has quickly become one of our favorite restaurants in this town. Although they don't appear to have a website, word-of-mouth has evidently worked for them. We both think they have the biggest fried shrimp and oysters we've ever eaten in any restaurant. That just may be why they always seem to have plenty of customers.
Michael Jackson's Choreographer Teaches
Dancing Filipino Prisoners 'This Is It' Routine
This reminded us that we did not share with you some of the good activities we enjoyed on the Carnival Fantasy Fun Ship on our recent cruise. One of the things we never miss on these cruises are their evening shows in the main theater. They have a group of performers that are very entertaining. Our favorite shows were nonstop dancing and singing. The last one was a tribute to The Beatles. These were young people. They had to be to perform the way they did. About the time we thought they would surely slow the pace because of exhaustion, they'd crank it up again.
Let me put up a disclaimer for the other vacationer associated with this travel blog. This probably would not interest him in the least. He may not have a box in his brain to even cover this subject. However, he does enjoy shows like the ones we saw on the Fantasy. We are moving into our Netflix mood again now that some of the TV sports we watch are about to wind down for awhile. We need some recommendations for music and documentary videos to watch. If you've seen any really good movies, those would interest us as well. Forget the action movies, we're interested in stuff like Forrest Gump and Driving Miss Daisy.
Here's those videos that came with the Yahoo article:
Celebrating our 51st wedding anniversary — no tea party for us! We liked cruising with our new Alabama friends so much last year, we decided to do it again.WHEN? Probably never except by armchair
WHERE? Possibly France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain, etc...
An email correspondent sent me a powerpoint slide show attached to an email. The email claimed the images were paintings instead of photographs. I have serious doubts about the images being paintings instead of photographs. In spite of this, I feel there is the opportunity to see some beautiful images. The second slide describes the artist thusly:
Anna Kostenko was born in 1975 in Kiev, Ukraine, and lived and worked in Kraków (aka Cracow), Poland since 1991. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, where she studied painting from 1993 to 1998. She has had three exhibitions of works of art in Jorgensen and created many beautiful paintings since its release in 1999. Her fascination with different cultures has led to extensive travels that inspired her work, which has been shown in many countries, including Poland, France, Germany, Ireland and Spain.I invite you to look at this slide show as armchair travel even though I am convinced it is a hoax of sorts. You might even try to guess what the images depict and make up your own mind on whether the artist described could have possibly created this many paintings in her short life of 35 years. I think someone is really having fun with us on this one as in LOL!
(see animated version of above photo)
Another fresh new year is here ...
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!
– William Arthur Ward
