Month: September 2017

Horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone streets, riverboats along the Mississippi… The sound of Zydeco filling the streets… And, the sweet, doughy goodness of beignets from Cafe du Monde…. New Orleans. Click on any photo below to bring the taste of Cafe du Monde to YOUR kitchen!

I think my phone ate some of my photos from our afternoon adventure into the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, but luckily the gators didn’t eat us! We’re working hard to collect our stamps for our National Wildlife Refuge Blue Goose Passport Program Stamp Book, and we ALWAYS love checking out the wildlife wherever we may be traveling! Here, you can see all kinds of swamp life, including alligators, snakes, fish, birds, and of course, the Sandhill Cranes! It’s a quick stop off of Interstate 10 if you are passing through Southern Mississippi, perhaps on your way to or…

The weather was little brighter today, so we thought we’d take another walk through Downtown Mobile, Alabama! We got some more shots of Mardi Gras Park, and the gorgeously festive statues that surround it. Joe Cain is largely credited as the founder of the post-Civil War “Modern Day” Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile. There is a statue paying homage to him, amongst those of Mardi Gras Royalty, and the colorful jesters. In the vicinity, you also have the History Museum of Mobile, Fort Charlotte aka Colonial Fort Condé, the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, and more! Mobile is a great…

We definitely got our chocolate fix today in Gulf Shores! We’ve been passing Chocolate Corner every day since we’ve been here, and we finally had a chance to stop. They had a great selection of delicious truffles in a wide variety of flavor choices. Our other favorite was their unique selection of Chocolate Barks. From Sea Salted Almonds, to Toffee Crunch, to Key Lime White Chocolate, and SO much more… We loaded up! The Milky Way Latte was excellent, and the White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha was incredible!

With a super friendly staff, and a VERY extensive selection of craft sodas, Speakeasy Spirits is an explosion of all sorts of flavor possibilities! We’ve spent several months in Gulf Shores, Alabama this year, and we made regular trips into Speakeasy Spirits to keep our fridge stocked with AWESOMENESS! While we certainly didn’t get to try them all, be on the lookout for assorted posts in our Soda Pop Savant category to see which ones we were able to experience! Two of our absolute favorites, for sure, are Swamp Pop’s Praline Cream Soda and Havana Soda Company’s Havana Mojito! If…

Battleship Memorial Park is the proud home of the USS Alabama, USS Drum, and a collection of Military Vehicles and Military Aircraft; as well as a Veterans Memorial to honor those that bravely served throughout the history of America’s Armed Forces. On this particular evening, we paid our respects as the sun sank below the horizon, almost as if it, too, were offering a salute to the most valiant of them all. Learn more about the USS Alabama! Build a Scale Model of the USS Alabama!

Mobile Mardi Gras Park may be a newer park on the landscape of Downtown Mobile, Alabama, but be sure to check out the collection of statues representing the historical Mardi Gras cultural traditions of the city! Colorful Mardi Gras Royalty and jovial Jesters proudly surround the park green, and make for a fun walk before or after visiting The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, History Museum of Mobile, or Colonial Fort Conde! Mobile, Alabama is a great Family Friendly Destination loaded with history, culture, cuisine, and FUN!

When exploring the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District of Mobile, Alabama, Serda’s Coffee Company makes a great stop to satisfy all your afternoon cravings! Whether you are looking for a quick bite, hot drink, or cold treat, Serda’s has it all! Smooth, creamy gelato in all sorts of fun flavors. An extensive list of freshly roasted coffees; long menu of espresso drinks; and loads of flavor choices for each! Sandwiches, wraps, salads, breakfast items, and more! Check out Serda’s Menu to see everything! Click on any photo to learn more!

Where historic buildings of ornately styled architecture give way to high-rise hotels, the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District of Mobile, Alabama is a destination that has it all! A 19th century melting pot of cultures and styles blend together for food, music, and revelry of the best kind! French, Spanish, British, Creole, Catholic, Greek and African cultures have all played their parts in the shaping of everything from architecture, cuisine, and business; to celebrations, traditions, local lore and more! Honor Mobile’s incredible history, by enjoying the modern Mobile of today!

I can’t for the life of me remember what this restaurant was called when we ate here, but as of 2018, Reel Deal BBQ & Seafood occupies this same location, with a very similar menu! On this day, we indulged in some Loaded BBQ Baked Potatoes, Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches, and a Shrimp Po’ Boy that blew our minds! This was an awesome dining experience! We hope the new location is still serving up these fun foods!

Dauphin Island has been on my bucket list for a while! Today, we took the Mobile Bay Auto Ferry ride out of Fort Morgan and over to Dauphin Island. Once there, we visited The Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. And then took a look around Fort Gaines. And then, just explored the island itself! This collection contains a few random shots from our adventures! Be sure to check out All Our Dauphin Island Adventures!

Just taking the Golf Cart for a little ride to the beach… And then a nice, midnight walk along the Gulf of Mexico. The lights sparkling along the horizon are oil platforms in the distance.

Not far from where we are staying in Gulf Shores, and right in the heart of where we were shopping, we found Matt’s Homemade Alabama Ice Cream. Billed as “The Only Homemade Ice Cream in the Gulf Shores Area“, they offer 40 decadent flavors, all available in VERY generous servings! They also offer such goodies as banana splits, ice cream floats, milkshakes, and more. Oh, and espresso drinks! Don’t these cones look scrumptious? Mmmm! Matt’s makes a fabulous treat after a day enjoying all that Gulf Shores, Alabama has to offer!

After a fun day in Pensacola, we decided to get in a little beach time. Sun, sand, and a little splashing in the waves of the Gulf.

If you’re ever in the Pensacola, Florida area, you’ll definitely want to check out the schedule for the Blue Angels. The U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron runs hour-long practices that are free and open to the public. After the demonstration, check out the National Naval Aviation Museum, with exhibits both outdoors and inside their beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. Loads of hands-on exhibits will walk you through various branches of the U.S. Military, as well as the Space Program.

Trillian and I took a Mommy-Daughter Day Out this afternoon and headed into Pensacola, Florida for lunch, shopping, and a few caffeinated beverages. We chanced across al Fresco in the middle of Downtown Pensacola, and thought it was a SUPER cool choice for grabbing a fun bite to eat. al Fresco is a little corner where permanently parked food trucks boast several fun international cuisine selections. And it was a tough decision to choose only one…. But we decided on Z Taco, and were very glad we did. We ate ourselves silly with an El Gigante Shrimp Burrito, the Z…

Just one of many gorgeous adventures we enjoyed while spending September in Gulf Shores, Alabama! More great ideas to come! Stay tuned! For now, click on any photo to learn more about Wildlife Along the Gulf Coast!

We’re just now getting into the Painted Rock Craze… But, how cool is it to be on the beach and find Painted Shells! Awesome! It’s impossible not to smile when you find something so full of cheer!

When in Athens, you must grab a cuppa’ from Jittery Joe’s. Or a canna’… Especially with the Limited Edition Collectible Coffees from Athens favorite local roaster. Attack the Day with the Georgia Bulldogs, And then stay Up All Night with Widespread Panic… It doesn’t get much more Athens than that!

A place that sells cookies until 3 in the morning? Count us in! Insomnia Cookies is THE Ultimate Midnight Snack when you’re on or near a college campus! In Knoxville, Insomnia Cookies is on Cumberland Avenue running through the University of Tennessee Campus. We try to make it a point to check out an Insomnia in conjunction with most of our college campus tours! Insomnia Cookies – UT/Knoxville 2121 Cumberland Ave #103 Knoxville, TN 37916 865-205-9875 Find a location near YOU! www.insomniacookies.com

Knoxville is a phenomenal place to check out murals and graffiti. All throughout downtown, you can find incredible hidden treasures! Graffiti Alley is a sight to behold, and we could literally spend all day appreciating the finest nuances of what really goes into these works of art. If you are in the Knoxville area and would like to check out the infinite variety of Street Art offered in this funky little city, check out this link: Knoxville Mural Map Let us know what you find!

One of our favorite go-to places for a lazy brunch in fun and funky Downtown Knoxville, Tennessee is Tupelo Honey Cafe. With several locations throughout North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and even Colorado, you might not have to go too far to check it out yourself! Infusing Southern Spirit in every bite, the menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can hit just the right spot if you are craving fresh, responsibly-sourced, unique, seasonal flavors. On this particular morning, we enjoyed the Eggs Betty, Praline Candied Bacon, and the amazing house biscuits. As well as regular coffee…