• Travel

    Day in Birmingham

    November 13, 2024 - By 

    The weekend after going to Atlanta, we had another even to attend out of town. This time it was in Birmingham, Al at the BJCC. We have wanted to see For King and Country for years, so we were excited to finally have the opportunity. We stopped in Dadeville for a late breakfast and then once we got to Birmingham, we went to a thrift store called Encore. It was ok. We didn’t buy anything. After that since we were close to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, we went over there to check it out. It used to be one of…

  • Travel

    Weekend in North Alabama

    February 23, 2021 - By 

    I’ve been sharing with you the little adventure Rob and I had up to North Alabama. I wanted to pull it all together in one place and include some other details of the trip. Oneonta Friday night, we stopped in Oneonta because I had been looking for places to eat. Swamp Tails looked right up our alley. Family owned Cajun cuisine, yes please! UPDATE: Swamp Tails is now closed 🙁 We started the meal with Boudreaux’s Boudin Balls. Best I’ve had outside of Louisiana. I had the Catfish Plate. Rob had Shrimp Po Boy with a side of Crawfish Etouffee.…

  • Travel

    Natural Bridge Park – Alabama

    February 16, 2021 - By 

    Here we are again for another Travel Tuesday post! We’re continuing to explore a little bit of North Alabama with some time in Huntsville and Cullman. For this post we ventured out to Natural Bridge Park which is about an hour drive from Cullman. County Rd 314 Natural Bridge, AL The Natural Bridge formation, which dates back about 200 million years, is 60 ft (18.3 m) high and 148 feet (45 m) long. It’s composed of sandstone and iron ore, which are both sedimentary rock. This bridge is the longest natural bridge east of the Rocky Mountains in North America.…

  • Travel

    Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, AL

    February 9, 2021 - By 

    Today I’m continuing on with another old travel post. After leaving Huntsville we needed to head home, but wanted to make the most of our day. We drove over to Cullman, AL, which is about an hour south of Huntsville. We have been to Cullman several times, but have never stopped to see the Ave Maria Grotto. If you’re ever in Cullman, this is a must see! 4 acres in an old quarry on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey covered in 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous religious structures in the world like the St. Peter’s…

  • Travel

    Green Mountain Nature Trail in Huntsville, AL

    February 2, 2021 - By 

    Today I’m covering another travel post from my archives that never got written about. Last week I wrote about Two Must-Sees in Huntsville, AL for Taphophiles Today I’m sharing a little about a beautiful park and hiking trail called Green Mountain Nature Trail a.k.a. Madison County Nature Trail. 5000 Nature Trail Rd SE Huntsville, AL 35803 If you enjoy getting out in undisturbed nature this is a spot for you to see if ever in the Huntsville, AL area. The 1.5 mile loop around the 6-acre Sky lake is beautiful and quiet. There are additional side trails that branch from…

  • Travel

    Two Must-Sees in Huntsville, AL for Taphophiles

    January 26, 2021 - By 

    Here we are again for another ‘catch up’ travel post since we’re not traveling much because of COVID. A few years ago Rob and I went up to Huntsville, AL for a wedding. We spent the weekend there and made it into a mini-vacation. While we were there I had a couple spots I wanted to check out because I guess I’m a Taphophile. Admittedly, I had to google ‘nickname for people who love cemeteries’ and found this: In the last few years, I’ve become quite interested in checking out really old or unique cemeteries. When researching what to do…

  • Travel

    Weekend trip to Mobile

    September 26, 2019 - By 

    Back in August, we took a quick little getaway to Mobile for the weekend. Alex had gotten the first few days of school out of the way and Drew and Caitlyn were about to start school. So one last little hurrah before the major grind for the fall. We left right after work on Friday, drove 3 hours, got checked in, and found a place to eat for dinner. We ended up walking to Von’s Bistro, which was within walking distance of our hotel. We stayed at the historic Battle House. I got the Southern Hog Tacos, which were pretty…

  • Hiking Smith Mountain - Jacksons' Gap, AL
    Travel

    Smith Mountain – Jacksons’ Gap, AL

    July 24, 2018 - By 

    Sunday before Memorial Day we went over to Lake Martin (Dadeville, AL). Our usual tradition of camping at the lake with our friends got derailed mainly due to weather. However, Sunday turned out to be a hot sunny day. It’s crazy that as many times as we’ve been to Lake Martin, we had actually never been to Smith Mountain. There’s a .8 mile loop from a parking lot to the fire tower and back. Once you get up to the tower there are some beautiful views even if you don’t go up the tower. After hiking back down, we stopped…

  • Alabama Bucket List
    Travel

    Alabama Bucket List

    July 20, 2018 - By 

    Many travel lovers are always looking where to go next. So often we don’t stop and think about traveling our own state. Each state is unique and has good stuff to offer. I know my state of Alabama is rich in history and technology; from the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the US Space and Rocket Center. It also not lacking in beautiful landscapes from falls to state parks. I’ve gathered up a list of 50+ things (hopefully I didn’t duplicate any of them.) What are your must do’s in Alabama? Did I leave anything off? Nocculula Falls Fort Gaines Monte…

  • Auburn Alabama Bucket List - Here's a list of THE things to do while visiting this great college town!
    Travel

    Auburn Alabama Bucket List

    August 14, 2017 - By 

    If you’re planning to come to Auburn, Alabama, there are some really cool things to do without even leaving the area. Here’s my Auburn Alabama Bucket List of a few of the best things to do while you’re on the Plains. Roll Toomer’s Corner after an Auburn University win. Yes, we toilet paper 2 trees on the corner of campus after out Tigers win a sporting event. Now if you’re here during football season that of course is when you’ll see the biggest rollings, but folks often head to downtown for other sports when our Tigers put a W on…

  • 4th of July in Gulf Shores
    Travel

    4th of July in Gulf Shores

    July 20, 2017 - By 

    This year the weekend before 4th of July we were in Baton Rouge for Rob’s cousin’s wedding reception. When we were planning it, we were trying to figure out how we could combine that trip with a short getaway for the 4th. We decided the most logical thing to do would be to stop in Gulf Shores for a few days. Rob and I aren’t really beach people so a couple days at the beach is plenty. We enjoyed just relaxing at the condo that was just a short walk to the beach. We stayed at Gulf Shores Plantation. We…

  • Visit 5 Rivers #StayAlBeaches
    Travel

    Visit 5 Rivers #StayAlBeaches

    October 4, 2016 - By 

    I love sharing my travels with you even though I am so far behind. Today I’m looking back at when my family was in Daphne for my younger son’s soccer tournament. The Saturday we were there we didn’t have a game until that afternoon, so we had a decent block of time that we could do something fun. Rob had hard about 5 Rivers Delta Safari so we decided to check it out. While we were there we… strolled along the paths while enjoying the peacefulness and watching birds and learning about the trees that grow in that area. We…

  • Travel

    Girl’s Getaway to Alabama Beaches #StayALBeaches

    August 22, 2016 - By 

    Fall is often a great time for the women of the house to escape for the weekend. I don’t know about you but Saturday mornings hit and the TV goes to ESPN and the only channels it gets flipped to are other channels showing football! I love that I live in a state that has such gorgeous beaches, so when I’m ready to escape football or just escape life in general, I can hop in the car and be at white sand beaches and crystal blue waters in a matter of hours. Here’s some reasons why you should go to…

  • Travel

    Alabama Coast Activities for Guys #StayAlBeaches

    October 20, 2015 - By 

    Planning a mancation or Father-son trip to Alabama’s Gulf Coast? Here’s a list of fun activities for anyone of the male species. 1. Want to get away from it all and spend it on a green? Golfing is quite popular in the Gulf Shores/Orange beach area because there are countless golf courses. The options are unlimited when it comes to golfing in our great state of Alabama and there’s definitely not a shortage when your on the coast either. 2. Visit Fort Morgan & the U.S. Alabama are great spots to visit for those history/military buffs. 3. If fishing is…

  • Travel

    5 Reasons to Travel Alabama Beaches #StayALBeaches

    October 7, 2015 - By 

    Remember last week, I was giving away an awesome beach Swag Bag from #StayALbeaches. Yesterday I posted a SnapChat video with the winner. Follow me on SnapChat @cameraNcookbook to see the winner. The winner was Maria B! Having traveled to many different coasts, I always enjoy the shining seas of our gorgeous country. However, there is no more gorgeous beaches than those right here in my very own home state of Alabama. There are many reasons why you should travel to the Alabama coast besides the fact they are beautiful… 1. Less crowded Both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are…

  • Life

    Win an Alabama Beaches Swag Bag! #StayAlBeaches

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    Today I’m excited to be giving a way an awesome Swag Bag from Alabama Beaches! I can’t have a give away like this without saying that if you’ve never visited Alabama Coast, you need to add that to you travel list. You constantly hear about how great Florida beaches are and I agree there are some great beaches in Florida. However, I find Alabama’s beaches to be just as gorgeous with less crowds and a host of wonderful family activities. Lots of awesome stuff will be included in this swag bag prize. Beach towel, Tervis tumbler, a visor, beach tote,…

  • Travel

    44th Annual National Shrimp Festival! #StayALBeaches

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Just around the corner is the 44th Annual National Shrimp Festival, which is a great excuse to travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama. The National Shrimp Festival is October 8th – 11th. It’s free to get in thanks to Zatarain’s as well as a host of other sponsors. The festival takes place right in front of The Hangout at the end of Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores. Not only is there 200 lbs. of fresh shrimp brought in daily, but there is also a great line up of entertainment, fine art, arts & crafts, as well as a Children’s Activity Village…

  • Travel

    James D. Martin Wildlife Park

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    A few weeks ago Rob and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary. Alex had a soccer game in Gadsden, AL, so we decided to make a day of it and head on up there. When I was googling free things to do in or around Gadsden I found James D. Martin Wildlife Park, which said it was a walking trail behind Gadsden Mall that is open to the public. I googled the mall address [Gadsden Mall 1001 Rainbow Drive Gadsden, AL 35901] and typed it into the GPS. When you turn into the mall, just follow around the edge of…

  • Travel

    DeSoto State Park Hike

    August 19, 2015 - By 

    During our time in North Georgia, we actually ventured back over to our home state of Alabama. We had spent the morning not to far from the Georgia-Alabama border at Cloudland Canyon State Park. We had planned to be out all day, so we had packed a picnic lunch. We ended up at DeSoto State Park, which is on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne. It covers 3,000 acres of forests, rivers, waterfalls, and mountainous terrain. The picnic area overlooks the A.A. Miller Dam. We stuffed our faces with fresh cut cold cut sandwiches, chips, cookies, and Gatorades. Our lunch entertainment…

  • Travel

    Alabama Must-Sees for Families

    August 12, 2015 - By 

    This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Alabama Tourism. The opinions and text are all mine. When I moved to Alabama 19 years ago, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to be moving to a state with such rich history, beautiful terrain, and diverse culture. Whether you’re a mountain man or a beach bum, this state has the best of both worlds. There is also something for the science geeks, the History nerds, and even those who have been bitten by the adventure bug. Today I’m sharing with you a little bit of all of…