Killing Two Mockingbirds with One Stone

The end is near, so we decided it was high time to drive to the Literary Capital of Alabama: Monroeville.
Spawning not one, but two literary greats, Nelle Harper Lee and Truman Capote, the town had been on our radar for a while.
The museum is housed in the old courthouse, whose design was the model for the courtroom setting in the film "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The museum is awesome! I mean, where else can you actually go into an old courtroom, touch everything, sit everywhere, take pictures, and have the whole room to yourself? In Monroeville on a Friday afternoon. That's where!

 Order in the Court!!

 Contemplative Juror

The town of Monroeville stages a theatrical version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" every year, with the local townspeople as the actors.  The photo above shows part of the set design behind the courthouse.

Where else to eat lunch after that, than Radley's Fountain Grille?! 

(Insert photo, which we forgot to take. I guess we'll have to come back.) 

Thanks for living history with me today!

Until next time,

Nadine

From St. Petersburg with Love

While I've always wanted to visit (and still do) the Russian St. Petersburg, one week off wasn't really conducive to traveling across continents. So we opted for the warm & sunny St. Pete instead.

Less travel time, less passport hassle, more parrots, more baseball. 

 We stayed at the Hollander Hotel. The patio was perfect for writing postcards, watching the afternoon storm, and having a drink!

 The locals seem to have a love-hate relationship with The Pier. Once a destination full of restaurants, shops, and an aquarium, it was officially closed to the public in May of 2013 to be demolished. It didn't get demolished, there were plans to revamp it, those fell through. Now it just sits there. I actually quite enjoy the decrepit 70's look and wish someone would shoot a horror film there. 

One can always hope...

 Oh, did I mention we rented a gigantic truck? The Beetle could have parked on the bed. It was a bit intimidating, but also cool to be up so high. 

 My favorite seabird: a pelican with a passion for mischief. He dive-bombed the seagulls, making them scatter into the 4 winds. 

 The Dali Museum

"The only difference between myself and a Madman is the fact that I am not mad."

 St. Pete at night

 St. Pete during the day

Thank you for spring breaking with me today!

Until next time,

Nadine

Spring has sprung

Spring has arrived in Montgomery! Once again, our backyard is a hub of activity.

Flowers are a-blooming...

Birds are a-chirping...

Bees are a-buzzing...

Meanwhile, Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal are trying to find the perfect spot for a nest,

while the robin squares off with the lawn art.

Psst...he's behind you! 

Thank you for gardening with me today! 

Until next time,

Nadine

Love is in the Air

On Valentine's weekend, we headed Eastbound. Our destination was the Atlanta Airport Hotel, where we had a room with a balcony overlooking the runway.
While I ate chocolates out of heart-shaped boxes, Pat was busy observing the comings and goings of multitudes of airplanes in all shapes & sizes.
It was hard to choose from over 400 pictures, but here are a few gems:

Taxiing, Take-off, & Landing

Arizona by Southwest

It's always a joy to see the Frontier jets! 

Zoom!!!

Art at Night

Valentine's & President's Day shared a long weekend. We stopped by my favorite Georgian-former-President's library & museum. 

 Carter Aide

 The Carter Oval Office

 But apparently we won't...

The Archives

Travels in Downtown Atlanta...

 Just a couple of Superheros hanging out

A Ferris wheel = instant awesomeness!

Thank you for traveling with me today! 

Until next time,

Nadine

Wreaking Havoc in Huntsville

Last weekend's travels found us in Northern Alabama. A place we've been meaning to check out was the Unclaimed Baggage Center. They buy lost and unclaimed suitcases, sort through them, and sell the items at their store in Scottsboro. If you like treasure hunts, this place is definitely for you. They have the expected stuff (books, clothes, jewelry, shoes, laptops) and the weird. I did not expect to come across a saddle (Who puts that in their luggage?) or dentures (Who wants to buy that?!). It was an extremely entertaining afternoon! 

The trophy celebrates the 1st place winner of a go-cart race, or now 1st place winner of weird Alabama blogs...

Downtown Huntsville is rather cool. We left the car at the hotel and were able to walk to and through Big Spring Park, which displays many gifts given to the city by foreign countries and visitors to the city. Norway sent a light beacon and a fog bell, Germany gave a sun dial, the United Kingdom gifted a bench. Major General Mikio Kimata of Japan attended a missile school in the area. As a Thank You for the city's hospitality, he gave 60 cherry trees and a "friendship bridge". All these gifts create a beautiful setting and a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors.

I made some friends. The koi ate right out of my hand! 

 The canal was the first in Alabama, completed in 1831.

A beautiful light display turns the parking garage into a work of art.

Unfortunately, the Kaffeeklatsch was closed. It looks like we have to come back for another visit.

Our ultimate destination for the evening was the Von Braun Center. It had been a while since our last ice hockey game, so we were ready to cheer on the Huntsville Havoc against the Louisiana Ice Gators. While the Havoc are in last place in the league, they are definitely No. 1 in fun! At one point each team had 5 players in the penalty box after a massive fight. One guy bit the ref! I mean, of all people to bite...

Great seats, great fun! 

Thank you for traveling with me today! 

Until next time,

Nadine

Happy New Year!

January is in full swing, and what better way to start off the 2015 travel itinerary than with a trip to Fort Walton Beach?!
The Gulf Coast is one of our favorite destinations, and here are some of the reasons why:

If Pat ever wanted to switch careers, I think National Geographic would be very happy. 

Thank you for welcoming the New Year with us today! We wish you many exciting travels in 2015!

Until next time,

Nadine