Sweet Home Alabama

Just as New Orleans was a great place to kick off our road trip, Nashville was the perfect place to go out on a high note. From Music City we headed south on I-65 to Birmingham and sweet home Alabama. We had planned to visit my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Tom for two nights. They have a beautiful home worthy of Southern Living and gave us a warm welcome over a glass of sweet tea. After all of our wandering, Brian and I agree that we appreciate the Deep South with its green trees and good manners more than ever.

And of course, the food!  Dinner was a half rack of ribs at the famous Dreamland BBQ. Even if it originated in Tuscaloosa, this Auburn fan has to give credit where credit is due - they cook some finger-lickin' food!  

The next morning "Unkie" Tom cooked us his famous breakfast of eggs, grits, bacon and biscuits; our day was off to a good start!  Brian and I took the morning to relax and recount our travels.  Eventually we worked up an appetite and grabbed a quick bite at The Summit before heading to Homewood to visit Birmingham's most famous landmark, the Vulcan statue. Vulcan, the Greek god of fire and forge stands in tribute to the city's roots in the iron and steel industry.  From his tower on Red Mountain, Vulcan stands 126 feet high and is visible all over Birmingham, but hard to take in from the park below.

Back at the Roberts' residence, Tom had cooked an amazing steak dinner and we sat down for another great meal and genuine conversation.  I had plans to meet my fabulous friend, Jayme Malone, who also lives in Birmingham for a drink and dessert at Jackson's Bar and Bistro while Brian stayed to watch the Braves extend their winning streak to nine games. Let's hope they can keep it up!  

Another good night's sleep and another great breakfast (but this time with blueberry pancakes), and it was time to hit the road again!

A short 3.5 hour drive and we were in my hometown of Dothan, Alabama where I was reunited with my very dirty dog, Cody. He had been at "summer camp" a we took to calling it; my parents kept him and he got to chase geese and race cars in the rain. As soon as we let him out of the gate, be jumped in the front seat of the car. I think he missed us!!!

Next we went to inspect all of the progress my family and their team of helpers had made on the child development center. We were absolutely amazed at how much they had accomplished in a month and so happy that all of their hard work would soon begin to start paying off; they hope to open September 1st and already have several candidates!

Everyone agreed they had earned a day off, so Saturday we were able to do some quality visiting. My niece, Avery, had a gymnastics exhibition at the mall that afternoon so the whole family went to watch, including my sister, Joy, who was in town from Florida State where she is in graduate school. Avery and her teammates put on quite a show for all the back-to-school shoppers and Aunt Sara was so proud!  

We picked up dinner at Dobb's BBQ, always a favorite and settled in for a rousing game of Dutch Blitz. It was so nice to have everyone together, and I think we each treasured it all the more since it is a rare occurrence these days. 

Sunday was our last day in Dothan and for the grand finale, Dad wanted to take the boat to Panama City, about an hour and a half away. My family lived in P.C. until I was twelve, so I spent most of my childhood on the Saint Andrews Bay, swimming, skiing, and snorkeling. Something about the smell of salt in the air and gasoline on the water makes me almost euphoric. Weird, I know. 

We put in at the City Marina and headed for Shell Island. After a good, long "talking-to" from my dad, (with the help of my sister Jenna's boyfriend, Andrew, a helicopter mechanic) our Yamaha motor propelled us across the bay which was brown and brackish with a month's worth of heavy rainfall, through the pass and into the Gulf of Mexico.   Much to our surprise, the water off of Shell Island was a gorgeous, clear emerald green. With the sun shining overhead, it was a day made in heaven!!!  

We swam, played and sunbathed to our hearts' content. When it was time to head back to the marina, the motor roared like lion!!!

Before heading back to Dothan, we stopped in to visit with my Grandaddy Koesy and his wife, Annie Lou.  They served us cool, sweet watermelon and we shared the latest news.  It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Sights and Sounds of Music City

We arrived to Nashville excited to seek out some great live music. After checking in to the Sheraton Downtown, (another great deal thanks to Priceline) we found we were in walking distance of all the famous hot spots! Broadway, Printer's Alley, and The Country Music Hall of Fame were just a short walk downhill. Tired as we were from our drive from St. Louis, we still could not pass up a night on the town. We ventured out to 2nd Avenue and Broadway to get a taste of the nightlife. Sara was a little concerned that it being a weekday we might miss the excitement that this famous city has to offer, but she was wrong! The streets were bustling with excitement and truly every saloon or restaurant you walked by was ringing with live music!

This was exactly what Sara and I were hoping for. We both agree that this is what our sleepy city of Naples is missing - the opportunity to hear live music - and having multiple venues to choose from was even better.  After a quick bite to eat at the Rock Bottom Brewery, we visited the famous Wildhorse Saloon, where we perched up on the second floor, listened to a few songs and watched a group of professional line dancers persuade audience members to join in on the fun!

We started to work our way home to the hotel down Broadway. We came across the world famous Tootsies Orchid Lounge and based on the crowd we thought we should pop in and see what was going on.  There was an amazing band with a girl on fiddle who got the whole place going crazy with "Callin' Baton Rouge."

Feeling confident that we had scoped out what we wanted to see and do the next day, we finally retired to the comfort of our hotel.

Tuesday was rainy, but we didn't let that stop us. The first thing on our list was check out the Country Music Hall of Fame. As many of you probably now, I am new to country music, so the history was interesting to learn about. They had memorabilia from Hank Williams and Elvis to Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley. We both agreed that it was very informative and aesthetically beautiful.
                    

Hundreds of Gold and Platinum selling Country Albums

Elvis' Cadillac

Dodging the rain, we hopped in and out of themed country gift shops and saloons making our way back to the hotel to prepare for dinner. Sara made reservations for us at The Listening Room, founded in 2008, as a way for owner Chris Blair to create an environment where you can experience quality food while hearing cutting edge music from aspiring song-writers. It was definitely a more intimate venue, each songwriter explaining the origins of their next hopeful hit.

We ventured back down Broadway and went to The Stage, where another great band brought the house down.

I think you all get the picture: I absolutely loved Nashville! It is definitely one of my top 3 cities we have experienced on this trip. One thing I have learned is that we live in a BIG country, and there are so many beautiful, unique and inspiring things to see. We are extremely blessed and fortunate to have been given such a small glimpse of it this summer!

Gateway to the East

We traveled east from Colorado to Kansas. After a full day of driving, we stopped in Junction City, KS for the night and continued on to Missouri the next morning. My only memories of Kansas are cornfields meeting an endless blue sky and the flat road stretching out ahead of us. Which was pretty for the first hundred miles or so, but then became quite mundane. I have to give Brian major props for all of the driving he's done, getting us from one city to the next safely; he's a champion!

We finally arrived in Saint Louis on Saturday evening and got our first glimpse of the famous arch, which stands as the Gateway to the West, but for us felt more the gateway to the East (and home) as we crossed the Missouri River. We checked into the Omni Majestic downtown, a four-star hotel we found on Priceline for a bargain! Brian discovered a restaurant two blocks away called Alumni, and we were very impressed with the atmosphere, prices and the menu!  Everything was designed with Saint Louis in mind, from the decor to the cocktails named for famous residents, to the trivia cards on the table. We ordered toasted ravioli, the local favorite, as an appetizer. 

One of my friends from high school and college, Hailey Capps Mick, and her husband, John, moved to the area about three years ago. When Hailey heard we were in town, she was gracious enough to offer recommendations on what to do (and what not to do, which is equally valuable) during our stay. At her suggestion, we went to Broadway Oyster Bar to check out the live music. When we got there, it was like being back in NOLA, where we started. We almost wished we hadn't eaten yet as the special Shrimp Festival menu they were offering looked amazing!

Road weary, we headed back to our luxurious room to rest. The next morning we hit the restaurant jackpot again with brunch at Rooster. It was a popular place and after tasting my savory crepe with bacon, caramelized onions and Vermont cheddar, I instantly knew why!  Apparently it was named "Best Breakfast in Missouri" in Food Network Magazine.  Check!!!

Next, we made our way to the Gateway Arch park to explore the famous landmark. It was even bigger than it looks from a distance. I couldn't look up to the top without feeling dizzy. And photographing it in its entirety was a challenge since even walking down to the banks of the Mississippi River didn't allow a wide enough angle. But we got creative...

Our next stop was highly anticipated by my husband, an avid beer drinker and connoisseur, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.  As a marketing professional, I was very impressed with the portion of the museum that documented the brewery and its flagship product, Budweiser's, rise to fame. I'm a sucker for taking a commodity, differentiating it and creating a brand with superior value. It's like my version of an underdog winning. But I digress...  We took a free tour of the brewery, saw the famous Clydesdale horses and learned all about the process of making beer (including the difference in Bud vs. Bud Light... just ask me), followed by a tasting opportunity. Needless to say, it passed our taste test! 

Hailey and John had invited us over to their house across the river in Illinois for some pool time and dinner, so we headed there after we finished our beers.  We were greeted by her dogs, Harley and Lucy and I was smitten with Harley and his sweet face, probably because he is part collie and reminded me of Cody, my sheltie, who I am missing like crazy.   It was so nice to relax by the pool, catch up with Hailey and meet her husband. There is something about being in someone's home that makes you feel comfortable that you can't get from a hotel, and their home was beautiful!  Dinner was homemade burgers, baked beans and sweet potato fries, and we knew we were getting closer to the South. For dessert, we drove to Bobby's a place famous for its frozen custard (or "concrete") live doo-wop music, and classic cars, something right out of the 1950's. We bid farewell to our hosts and told them to visit us in Naples soon!  On the way home, we caught an amazing sunset and were reminded that you can never see too many!!

After another restful night's sleep at the Omni, we packed up the car and went to find the child inside each of us at the City Museum. A playground made completely of reclaimed materials including two small airplanes, a firetruck, a ferris wheel, several bridges and miles of sheet metal and rebar, the scraps have been reconfigured to create a world beyond imagination. Brian and I climbed, crawled, slid, and "played" like the big kids we didn't know we were. Some of the spaces actually were too small for us to crawl through, but the museum was a maze spanning four stories plus the rooftop and we had an incredible time exploring it!

When we were all tuckered out, it was time to hit the dusty trail again. Next stop, Nashville, Tennessee!

Rocky Mountain Memories

Our next destination was Colorado and we're both excited to see some real mountains! To break up our trip to Denver/Fort Collins we decided to stop in Grand Junction for a night.  Sara has family friends currently living there -  Sarah and Amanda Andrews - the daughters of Pat and Mary Andrews; Pat performed our wedding ceremony.  The two sisters have been living in Colorado for the past three years and Sarah was able meet us downtown on short notice and play tour guide.  It didn't take long to walk up and down Main Street, so we popped into a local brewery so the girls could catch up. We missed a good photo opportunity but are grateful for her kindness - she even bought a round of drinks!

Wednesday morning we hit the road heading east to Denver. The drive was beautiful! Our poor car who has earned the moniker "Bessy," coughed and sweated up and down the passes that wind through the majestic Rocky Mountains. I had been to Colorado once before on a family ski trip many years ago, but I had never seen the area in the summer. Lush greenery and spruce pines towering along the roadway, I gripped the wheel tightly; this Florida boy had to get used to mountain driving real fast! As we passed Vail, Breckinridge, and Beaver Creek, they all looked so different in the summer sunshine with the Colorado River thundering along beside us.

When we arrived in Denver we met up with Sara's cousin Kim, who joined us for lunch on 16th street. It was great catching up with Kim, who also met us on short notice, welcomed us and showed us around happily. We are so blessed to have people in our lives who will overlook our lack of scheduling and it makes traveling even more exciting when we get to see friendly faces in strange places. After lunch with Kim, Sara and I explored downtown Denver. Initially we had planned on staying the night and making the short trip to Fort Collins in the morning, but finding a reasonably priced hotel proved harder than we had planned. Being the nomads that we have become, we decided to return to the car and drive to Fort Collins that afternoon, saving some money along the way.

In a short hour and a half we had arrived in Fort Collins; we'd decided to hit the campground again as it definitely was the best value. A short drive from downtown, we made camp.

Why Fort Collins you might ask? I have had several friends attend Colorado State University who raved about the town so Sara had booked us a whitewater rafting adventure on the nearby Poudre River.  Downtown Fort Collins was awesome! I have never seen so many independent restaurants in a compact area in my life, each one unique. No matter what you were in the mood for you could find here, usually with a innovative modern twist. Our first night we ate at The Blind Pig which I highly recommend, the beer list alone was loaded with a variety of locally-brewed options. We spent the remainder of the evening walking through the plaza, sightseeing and enjoying the weather - it never went over 75 the whole time we were there!

Thursday morning, after breakfast at The Egg and I, Sara and I were driving around when we noticed a huge display of colorful flowers. It turned out after further investigation that annually CSU holds the Annual Flower Trials to allow students, researchers, and other groups to display, test and evaluate different types of plants and flowers in the unique environmental conditions of the Rocky Mountain/High Plains region.  The colors and variety were amazing!

With some time before our rafting reservation we hit the New Belgium Brewery, home of Fat Tire Ale and numerous other micro-brewed delicacies. It was such a cool environment! Dozens of people mulled around tasting and learning about the exceptional brews. You had the option to order tasters for just $1.50, allowing you to truly experience all the different combinations and creations this growing brewery has to offer. They also offer guided tours to walk and talk you through their process.  We were excited to learn they will be distributing in Florida later this year!

Next, whitewater rafting. Sara booked our trip with A Wanderlust Adventure. They are one of four companies who are permitted to raft down the Poudre River. We came to find out that the water we were rafting on was completely snow melt! Our guide was amazing and we had a great time meeting the people in our group and mostly, riding some rapids!

Tired from our adventure we were craving some BBQ! We ate at Nordy's BBQ which boasted six homemade creative BBQ sauces. I was impressed again with the quality of the food and friendliness of the staff. I would definitely place Fort Collins at the top of my list of food experiences thus far on this trip. Fat and happy, we headed back to camp just in time to find the remnants of a beautiful sunset, a perfect culmination to our stay in Colorado. Sara and I both agreed that we would return, it is truly is one of the most beautiful states we have encountered.