Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Hey 'Bama, Remember These Vacations?


It's summertime and once again our minds stray towards vacation. I'm sitting here thinking back on some of our most memorable family visits to Alabama.
 
First time we flew to Birmingham the air was turbulent and Erin had to go to the bathroom. Again, and again, and again. I did not make the last trip to the bathroom with Erin as she had deposited her air-sickness into her daddy's cupped hands. "What do I do with this" he asks me? I'm in the row ahead of him with Zach and I swear I have no idea so I tell him to take it to the bathroom. And he did. Seriously... traveling with kids is definitely entertaining.
 
That first time you visit a place, it's magic. There are so many sights to see and with family there are tons of hugs to share.  
 
 
Birmingham, Alabama - October, 1990. The kids loved visiting with their cousins - some of whom they met for the very first time. 


Alabama was gorgeous in the fall. Lots of foliage tinted red, yellow, orange, and green everywhere we went. Tannehill (Ironworks Historical) State Park was one of our favorites. Tannehill State Park has more than 1,500 acres spread across three counties for hiking, camping and outdoor fun. A mini- railroad meanders through the piney woods. Some seasons you'll find the blacksmith, miller and craftsmen demonstrate their craft. Little shops open their doors in restored pioneer cabins and local artisans chat with visitors from front porches. You'll also find artifacts of Alabama’s 19th century iron industry displayed in the Iron and Steel Museum, Tannehill’s awe-inspiring centerpiece. Tannehill is a glorious retreat for day use, a weekend visit or long-term camping. There are 195 camp spots with hook-ups, a few primitive sites, or you can rent a rustic cabin for overnight use. Don't miss the Sweet Shop either. Here's their website so you can plan a visit yourself: http://www.tannehill.org/index.html.
 
Our next trip to Alabama came a few years later and we all traipsed up to Gatlinburg for a lovely family vacation. If you haven't visited Tennessee and Gatlinburg in particular, you are missing out on some of the loveliest spaces in our country. We rented a great three-family cabin in the mountains outside Gatlinburg and it was fabulous way to spend some fun time together. I swear I can't remember which organization we rented from, but if you search for rentals in the Gatlinburg area for cabins there will be hundreds to choose from.
 


 
The little town of Gatlinburg has a little something for everyone. It could be a romantic get-away, or a fun family adventure. There are shops, restaurants and crafts galore, along with a slick-track, zipline, a little hiking, some fishing, and white-water river-rafting. Truly - a great place to visit. If you'd like to check it out start with http://www.gatlinburg.com/ for more information.

Right next door in Pigeon Forge you'll find the same quality of attractions in a sweet locale. There's mini-golf, go-karts, bungee jumping, and world-famous Dollywood Theme Park. Dolly Parton's Theme Park has rides, shows, attractions, and a water park to boot. We had a blast in Pigeon Forge and tried just about everything... only my sister, Karen went for the bungee! Ouch. Here's the website for Pigeon Forge to get you started on your adventure http://www.mypigeonforge.com/. And if you want to visit Dollywood, check out www.dollywood.com to fix your itinerary. Serious Southern hospitality in these parts.

Next time out we were celebrating the nuptials of my sweet cousin Susan and her Kel. Fun times were had by all and we seriously have to get back there for a new entry in the blog.



I always use Trip Advisor or Yelp to help plan my adventures and I'd do the same if I were you!
Until next time...
:) Deb
 

Monday, July 1, 2013

I have just one word for Norway and it is... MAJESTIC!!


 Yes... I am the Luckiest Girl in the World. But ... so is Erin!! Last year about this time my sweet daughter suggested we take a trip this summer to Norway. I concurred. To our delight, so did Mr. Smith. Hence the reason I am so very-very lucky. I loved being able to spend two weeks with my darling daughter and enjoy not only the loveliness of Norway but also her company. This trip was such a treat, and some good wine sipping too!

Erin and I flew from our home to London and spent three delightful days tarrying around before we boarded our cruise ship. We have been to London a few years back (when a little tube-bombing incident occurred) And yes, we were on the tube that day too but it's a different story. We arrived a bit weary from our travels, checked into our hotel, and headed out to visit some of the gorgeous little churches all over the Westminster area of London. Too tired to drink or pub crawl, a church-crawl!


 


We meandered until we couldn't walk any longer and headed back to the Doubletree Westminster for respite. The hotel itself was... serviceable, adequate, just okay. Twin beds were not available and the double bed was quite uncomfortable. There was plenty of noise all around the hotel with construction and such. And the room was close to clean. However, the English breakfast buffet was simple and tasty and the location of the hotel worked for our needs. Would I stay there again? Probably not, as there are so many other choices in this lovely city. Unless I'm looking for one of their sinfully delicious 340-calorie chocolate-chip cookies. I digress.



Where did the time go in London? We shopped at Fortnum & Mason and Harrods and Frey Wille and in and out of some street markets and quaint little shops. We dined in the Harrods Food Stalls at Bentley's Sea Grill (Can I say, YUM to their beer-battered fish and chips!) and had a lovely spot of afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. So sorry we missed you Queenie!



We visited the FREE Victoria & Albert Museum (www.vam.ac.uk) and then stopped in to the David Bowie exhibit as well. Entry will cost you 16 pounds a piece, but if you're a Bowie fan, it's worth the price of admission. We also saw two terrific shows. First up was 'Book of Mormon,' a vulgar and riotous spoof of Mormonism and their missionary work. You must have a sense of humor to see this one and be prepared to laugh until you pee yourself. It was hilarious! Currently playing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End and worth every penny. Me thinks it may never tour here in Tempe! Look for it to tour in your community and then run for tickets. We also saw 'The Taming of the Shrew' at the Globe Theatre. This delightful romp was performed by an all-female traveling troupe and they were amazing.




Great music, dialogue, and performances all around. Seating was woodenly uncomfortable but this is a (rebuilt) historic venue that you should not miss. Visit them online at www.shakespearesglobe.com.

I love cruising. Yes, I get seasick. But, I rely heavily on Bonine and it works so nicely for me that I can continue to travel aboard gorgeous ships such as the Celebrity Infinity. This newly re-modeled ship was spiffed up and ready to sail the Fjords of Norway. Infinity was easy to navigate with gleaming public areas and plenty of friendly employees working to make our trip a special one. Passengers were predominantly from the United Kingdom and we enjoyed meeting so many new people with great travel tips for the future. Note to self - definitely sailing to New Zealand some day. A 22-hour plane flight just won't do. Join me, won't you?

Erin and I dined in the SS United States Restaurant that first night and were treated to extremely gracious service and delicious food. A great start for a lovely 10-night adventure. We dined (deliciously) in the main dining room each and every night but one where we treated ourselves to the funky Q-Sine. Great food, great service, and a great vibe. The menu is quirky, presentation is entertaining, and every morsel was remarkable.

Ports of call included:

Oslo - pedestrian friendly and an easy walk into downtown. The Akershus Fortress was at the port and the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus was available to take us just about anywhere we wanted to go. We decided to visit the Viking Ships Museum and Folk Museum first thing. The Viking Ships Museum was very impressive. Three old ships used for burial a couple hundred years ago are preserved here with photos and artifacts an information.     

 
 
The Folk-Museum in Oslo houses about 155 old, wooden, small'ish buildings (homes, farmhouses, storage facilities) that were meant for destruction. The government and King Oscar decided to save as many as possible and place them in this quaint outdoor museum. Love the grass on the roof!!
 





We thoroughly enjoyed visiting both museums and seeing some of the local history. Our bus dropped us in the city center where we were able to view the Nobel Peace Prize Museum, City Hall, Sculpture Museum, and Icebar Oslo. Brrrrr........

Information on Oslo along with various things to see and do when visiting can be found at www.visitoslo.com.

Stavanger - A sweet little port town with shops, eateries, (a Burger King???) and Norway's oldest cathedral. The original was ravaged by fire in 1272, but this amazing piece of history was rebuilt soon after.



The pulpit and other sculptures within the church were hand-crafted and added to the cathedral in the 1600's.  Daily services continue here in this lovely house of worship.

I thought about our good friends John & Ann Marie while we were visiting Stavanger. There is a little lake in the center of the city and we spied two adult swans with their singular baby. The seagulls were trying to get at the baby and those swans were the most protective mom and dad I've seen in quite awhile. I hope the Pully babies are doing well!



Olden - the jump-off point for our bus-trip to the Briksdal Glacier. Erin and I sauntered upwards (UP) 2-miles to view this spectacular glacier. I wouldn't blame you if you're jealous right about now.

Here are some of the waterfalls on the way up to the glacier.




And here's a few pics of the glacier itself.





Spectacular!

Alesund - we took a bus tour from Alesund and headed out to the Saga Islands. We drove through three very long underwater tunnels (creepy) and visited a couple of darling little towns. Our day trip took us to a lighthouse where a couple of Norwegian ladies were serving up crispy old-fashioned cookie waffles with jam and cream. Then we headed over to Giske to visit a 900-year old church with cemetery. I do love a good cemetery - wink wink. And lastly we visited a small aquarium with some super-cute Humboldt Penguins.




Zach - we thought of you when we saw these little cuties. (not that you're reading this.)

Geiranger - I don't think I can explain to you how perfectly gorgeous this little hamlet is. The fjords are magnificent, the waterfalls spectacular, and the 600 residents here are so blessed. We didn't do a damn thing all day but take in the view. By the way... you can camp here for a dollar a day. If you're not gonna sail in, bring your own camper and tent and you're in Heaven.


 


 
And the Seven Sisters too...

Flam - famous for its railway excursion, sweeping vistas, waterfalls, and a trip to Voss - we had to make the trip. I know I know - another train trip, but it was lovely. Check out my pictures and then go to www.visitflam.com for more information on the entire area.





After our train trip we stopped into a tasty little pub called Flamsbrygga Pub. A couple of fresh-brewed ales on a cold day sitting around the fire was sensational. This little pub is attached to a hotel and restaurant as well. I could easily go back and make a visit here for a few days of peacefulness.


And lastly to Bergen - we loved wandering in this little town with its funicular to the top of the city, warm sweet hot cocoa and chocolatier, cute shops, weekend fish-market with fresh salmon and cod ... delicious!



I do believe that Norway is one of the most spectacular places on earth. Imagine the lush green hills of Switzerland, the high peaks and glaciers of Alaska, and the wide open spaces of Yellowstone all thrown into one country. Expensive - yes. Gorgeous - also yes.

What's up next for us? I believe it will be Alaska....

Come Sail Away
:) Deb