Dismals Canyon — just a short drive from Birmingham If you love to hike, one of the best hikes is in northwest Alabama. Dismals Canyon is privately owned and located in Phil Campbell, only about an hour and a half drive from Birmingham. The area was designated as a “national nature landmark” in 1975. It spreads 85 acres and is definitely one of the most amazing natural areas in our state. The hike also features two waterfalls along with hidden chambers and small caverns for those who also enjoy exploring caves. Appreciate the gift of nature As a young child, …
It seems like yesterday that I took my high school senior trip to Gulf Shores. Now we plan “Senior” trips of another nature to the Alabama Gulf Coast, any time of year… because we can. Ahh…the seasons of life enjoyed during winter, spring, summer, and fall on the Alabama Gulf Coast.
All aboard for Dolphin Boat Tours in Orange Beach, Alabama.
St. Augustine, Florida, is a city rich in history. I like to imagine living during different eras as I soak in the background and ambiance of a new place. I really can’t see myself living as a pirate, or aboard a Spanish galleon. I do like the idea of lounging (with a wide-brimmed hat and parasol) on the grounds of the newly built hotels in St. Augustine in 1890, as one of “America’s elite.” St. Augustine, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, is the oldest continuously occupied city in the continental U.S. The historical relevance of the earliest U.S. explorers …
The Road Scholar Organization Do you love to travel and learn, but don’t want the trouble of researching and planning a trip? Then the Road Scholar organization is designed for you! In the past, you had to be at least 50 years old to participate in their programs, but now any adult may join in! Click here to visit the Road Scholar website. Road Scholar is a not-for-profit organization geared toward adults aged 50 and over. It was founded in 1975 as Elderhostel, when its attendees were housed mostly in university dormitories and taught by university professors. They changed their …
Jimmy Buffett’s 1974 A1A album cover photo said it all — with his surfer-dude look, sitting under a palm tree. If the Baby Boomers had not already taken a road trip to the Florida Keys on the famous highway, this album cover was surely the inspiration to travel to a laid back paradise. My first trek South on Florida Highway A1A was as a college student in a Miata convertible with very little money, a two-man tent and sleeping bags in the tiny trunk. In the ’70s, we didn’t even need reservations in campgrounds, and hardly anyone referred to us as …
By Melanie Pollard Wild horses and wild women have ruled Cumberland Island, Georgia for years. There’s an old saying on the island that if you’re a man, move somewhere else. Men don’t last long on this island. Many unlucky men have met their demise here, but that’s another story for another time. The Spirit of Cumberland Island Of all the islands I visited off the coast of Georgia and Florida, Cumberland was my favorite of the islands. Cumberland has a spiritual quality to it, a oneness with nature that I have not found on the other islands in the area. …
MY LOVE STORY WITH NEW ORLEANSBy Guest Author, Sinclair Mitchell This love story begins when I was at the tender age of 15. It was my first trip to New Orleans, going with my momma and meemaw and three little sisters (all of them I already loved). I did not get to explore all the nooks and crannies of the French Quarter, as it so carefully should have been — as my boy curiosity (wanting to be a man) so strongly craved. Aromas of New Orleans I found this place to have the best and worst smells of any place …