Remembering the Experience…
Travel | Events | Nature
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The Bridges of Talladega County
We ask a lot of bridges. Every day, we walk, bike, and drive across them, trusting them with our lives without a second thought. While I don’t know who constructed the first bridge in history, I’m fairly certain a nearby log and good balance were involved.
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Seeing Ghosts: The Cemeteries of Talladega County
“Thus refreshed I entered the wild and wonderful world of the dead.” John Muir…Seeing ghosts may not be the most intriguing thing in a cemetery.
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Exploring Lexington in 1 Day: Best Sites & Bites
I really wish there were more hours in a day. I especially wished this to be true when I only had one full day to spend in Lexington, KY. But one day is better than none. The day before had been spent checking out of the bustling Hotel Distil in Louisville, then touring both the…
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The Simple Joy of Going Barefoot
There’s no better time for going barefoot than in the summer. I once ran barefoot in the soft green crunch of my front yard grass, then suddenly…
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From Rome to Amalfi in 1 Week
Travel from Rome to Amalfi Coast | Begin in ancient Rome and then make your way to Italy’s beautiful Amalfi Coast for a stay at the Hotel Santa Caterina
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Summer Memories: Discovering a Fountain of Youth in a Simpler Time
I remember the first time I tasted honeysuckle—looking at the golden flower, it offered the tiniest drop of sweetness that tasted like summer on my tongue.
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The Great Tomato Taste at Pursell Farms: An Evening to Savor
I love the sun-touched taste of a ripe tomato. But even I was a little skeptical about attending “Tomato Taste” at Pursell Farms, where all four meal courses featured the humble tomato in some form or fashion, even down to the dessert.
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In Celebration of The White Squirrel
Given the opportunity, humans will celebrate anything. For example, Brevard, North Carolina annually celebrates “The White Squirrel Festival” for three days, in honor of the original lucky pair who escaped a carnival truck that overturned in 1949.
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Embracing the Fears
On my last day in Hawaii, I decided to get on a standup paddleboard for the first time and paddle out into the lagoon….
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3 Days With the Eagles
A photo may seem the product of a moment, which, technically, it is, but the photos of this bald eagle family have been more than a year in the making.
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Fishing Lessons from the Herons
Love it or hate it, fishing is a test of patience, but even the most dedicated fisherman looks like an amateur compared to the patience and skill of the herons.
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Appreciating Late-Blooming Fall Flowers | Why These Blooms Are Worth a Second Look
An introspective exploration of Fall’s late blooms and vines and how they brighten and bring life to our days in more ways than we even realize..
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2021 Logan Martin Lakefest Is Back & Better than Ever
You can almost see the spark of joy forking through the crowd like summer lightning. Logan Martin Lakefest is back, and it’s better than ever.
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Getting To Know The Cardinal: The Bird You Think You Know
You may not be an avid bird watcher or be able to identify each feathered friend that lands in your yard, but odds are, you know a cardinal when you see one. It’s the one bird we think we know, but do we really?
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Exploring the Historic Heart of Pell City
I used to think, “If you’ve seen one old Alabama town, you’ve seen them all.” How wrong I was. It’s easy to breeze through the wide thoroughfare of Cogswell Avenue in Pell City, noting this historic town as simply the “Gateway to Logan Martin.” But Pell City is living proof that every town has a…
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Celebrating Nature’s First Spring Flowers
The darker the winter, the brighter the blooms come spring. When it seems the world is stuck in a perpetual gray, we wake up one morning to a world set ablaze with vivid blooms.
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A Leap of Faith
When I was 7, I jumped off the roof of my house with an opened umbrella, convinced I would fly. I didn’t. The ground rushed up, and I crash-landed in a heap, looking like a small, crumpled Mary Poppins peeping out of the bushes. I learned two things that day:
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Discovering the Flower of the Dawn | A Look Into the Lotus
I stared at the last lotus of summer as if it were a dying flame. Right on schedule, the seasons have turned from spring to summer, summer to fall, even though day-to-day life has largely remained unchanged.
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Understanding The Cattle Egret
Though we try to describe the beauty of the wildness we find in Nature, words pale when it greets us face to face.
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Osprey Eyes: Sensing the Silence
It’s when I saw the osprey that everything went truly silent. Perched in solemn stillness on the tip of a blunted branch, the fish-hawk calmly gazed towards the water, looking like a wise old fisherman mentally preparing for the day.
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Why The Thistle Deserves More Credit Than Being Called a “Weed”
One person’s weed is another person’s savior, so as is often the case in life, there are two ways of looking at a weed. The thistle in particular…
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Lakeside Living: Finding Serenity in the Quiet of the Lakeshore
Lakeside living. The phrase takes on new meaning each year. To see the world one animal at a time is to find comfort in the quiet of the lakeshore.
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Reflections on Travel In The time of COVID
Reflections on travel to Santa Rosa Beach along Florida’s Hwy 30A during a pandemic and the reality of living in a COVID-19 world.
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A First-Time visit to the Scenic Regions of Long Island and The Hamptons
A first-time visit to Long Island and the Hamptons in June including a weekend at the Manhattan Waldorf Astoria, a drive through the Hamptons to the Lighthouse at the tip of Montauk, followed by another scenic drive through the northeastern wine country to Greenport.
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The First Time I Saw Paris: A Paris France Travel Journal
First impressions of iconic Paris attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, dining in Montmartre, and cruising the Seine.
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Los Angeles to Newport Beach
There are so many things to do in Los Angeles, but when you’re ready for some R&R, travel down to Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California
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Viva Las Vegas
I never thought I would like Las Vegas, back in a time when I didn’t understand casinos, the games, the way it all worked, and just how glamorous they could be. This wasn’t our first time in Las Vegas, but in some ways, it seemed like an age since we were there last; yet, when…
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Arizona Travel: Scottsdale | Tombstone | Tucson
“To the southward lay Arizona, land of painted mesas and storied canyon walls, of thundering streams and wild pine forests, of purple-saged valleys and grassy parks, set like mosaics between the stark desert mountains.” | Zane Grey Traveling to Scottsdale, Tombstone, or Tucson, Arizona anytime soon? Check out this travelogue of Arizona adventures and what…
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Seattle to Portland: A first-Time Experience to the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Travel | Featuring a stay at the Sorrento Hotel and iconic attractions like Pike Place Market + an overnight trip to Portland Oregon.
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San Francisco Travel: Experiencing the historic City by the Bay
“San Francisco has only one drawback, tis hard to leave” | Rudyard Kipling. San Francisco Travel | Whether you plan to explore the city, its gardens, & museums or branch out to Sausalito or Muir Woods, San Francisco is a must see.
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A First-Time Caribbean Cruise: A 7-day Sail in the Western Caribbean
Caribbean Cruise Travel | Seven days spent cruising the Western Caribbean to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Cozumel. Notes from the journey.
