Weekly Update 2025-11-25: Alabama Getaway Edition
What happened during the week of November 15th - November 22nd:
πΊοΈ Today is Tuesday 11-25, which was the day after our original return date from the Alabama Getaway. I'm writing this from home, as L. and I cut the vacation short by a couple days due to illness. Despite numerous setbacks--the illnesses, the desire to never vacation again in November, and missing out on one of the three major stops--I will call this vacation a success. We managed to put together a workable itinerary in short order, and we got to enjoy some lovely sights and time together for our anniversary. If this vacation were the last one timed with our anniversary, Iβm satisfied with it being in Alabama.
π I will list the vacation chronologically, pointing out a highlight and a lowlight from each day. There won't be any photos in this post, but I will make a follow-up that's lighter on words and heavier on images.
Saturday 11-15. Our destination was Mobile/Gulf Shores, which is doable as a one-day road trip if you hate yourself. Instead, we broke it up into two days, with our first destination being Olive Branch, MS. Lunch was in Cape Girardeau, MO at a park that features plenty of waterfowl. Highlight: Our delicious dinner at Halal Boyz, featuring some of the best lamb I've had in years. Lowlight: Driving through Memphis, as the driving styles of the locals leaves a lot to be desired. This will be a theme I'll return to later on in our journey.
Sunday 11-16. From Olive Branch, we drove through Mississippi all the way to the outskirts of Biloxi, heading towards Mobile and the Gulf Shores region. Lunch was at a rest stop on I-55 north of Jackson. We arrived early in the evening at our hotel in Foley, AL, unloaded our rental car, then made the first of many runs to Publix before calling it a night. Highlight: We were impressed by the nice scenery along I-55 and US 49, though it helps if you like pine trees as that's the majority of your surroundings. Lowlight: It was a long drive, and the accident on I-10 east of Biloxi made it feel even longer. We also saw lots of bad driving in these parts of Mississippi, so I viewed this as a statewide thing.
Monday 11-17. It felt like the vacation really started today. We spent most of the day along the Gulf coast in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Our morning saw us check out a big chunk of Gulf State Park, which is also where we ate a Thanksgiving-themed sub sandwich from Publix. I bought a crowler of a lemon gose from Big Beach Brewery, which L. and I consumed on the beach after lunch. I took many photos with my iPhone, my big Sony camera, and my film camera. Later on that afternoon, we decided on an impulse to drive into nearby Pensacola, FL. We had no real plans, so between the lack of a goal and the sheer Florida-ness around Pensacola, we decided to turn around and head back to the hotel, accompanied by a lovely sunset. Highlight: The food, the drink, and the photos. Lowlight: The Pensacola drive, especially when seeing the puzzling display of a shirtless man out in his yard slashing up multiple mattresses with a knife.
Tuesday 11-18. In hindsight, this was the pivotal day of the trip. We did a brief driving tour of Mobile, then ended up at the Mobile Museum of Art to see plenty of birds outside and a decent amount of art inside. L. felt fine while watching the birds, but by the time we were done with the museum, she started to feel "a bit off." We bought sandwich supplies at a Publix near University of South Alabama (USA! USA?), though L. became sick in their bathroom. She rallied a bit to eat our lunch, but still felt queasy. Nevertheless, when I asked if she wanted to go back to the hotel, she said she could hold out for a while. We drove to Dauphin Island and walked around the paths of its Audubon Bird Sanctuary, then went to East End Beach to view the sunset. From there, we went back to the hotel. L. slept deeply and I slept poorly, as I was keyed up by the hotel's laundry payment system being offline. Highlight: Seeing the birds at the pond outside the art museum, including several Limpkins, as well as the views of the sunset from Dauphin Island. Lowlight: L. getting sick and the struggles with the hotel's laundry system.
Wednesday 11-19. In frustration with the laundry situation, I hand-washed some clothing the night before. Since the items were still wet, I brought them over to a nearby laundromat for a quick run in a dryer, then returned to the hotel for breakfast and checking out. Our destination today was a glamping resort run by Marriott, located near the Coosa River in Childersburg, AL. L. slept through most of the drive, but woke up south of Montgomery and declared she felt fine enough to eat lunch at a turkey restaurant in the city. Unfortunately, she saw her lunch twice, and in keeping with our many themes, she once again got sick at a Publix. We stayed long enough to buy food and medicine for our cabin, then once we were north of Montgomery, L. passed out for the majority of the drive. She missed some pretty scenery on US 231 north of Wetumpka, but she clearly needed rest. During this part of the drive, I also started to feel "a bit off." My face was flushed, but my hands were cold, and I could also hear my stomach squelching every now and then. We made it to the cabin after sunset, which was not a good idea as the roads were primitive at best and sunlight would have been a major help. The cabin was cute but tiny, and clearly meant for nearby folks vacationing for the weekend. We adjusted our belongings to fit the situation, then ate dinner inside the cabin and later on built a fire outside. Sleep came early for both of us. Highlight: Various parts of the drive--seeing a thick fog roll in over Mobile Bay; the delta of many rivers north of Mobile; more pine trees along I-65 towards Montgomery; the fast and aggressive driving of Alabama folks who seemed to know what they were doing, and the aforementioned view along US 231. The cabin, and its surrounding scenery. Lowlight: Our respective illnesses.
Thursday 11-20. We woke up early with the sun, made coffee and tea, then decided that our bodies were telling us to call the journey short. Instead of checking into our last hotel in Decatur, AL on Friday 11-21, we'd check in somewhere north of Nashville on our way home. I was slightly disappointed to be missing out on the scenery in North Alabama, but we clearly had to respect what our bodies were saying. I also wondered how we'd have dealt with any illnesses if we were in New Mexico instead of Alabama, as we'd have no option but to stay until our return flight. We decided to split our last touring day in the countryside and the city, so our first stop was Kymulga Grist Mill Park, where one of Alabama's 7 covered bridges reside. We also toured the still-operational corn mill, but missed out on the chance to buy some grits as the tour guide later on went to work in other parts of the property. Lunch was enjoyed on the grounds outside the mill (which is also a popular RV camping area), then when finished we abruptly shifted gears to see the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark just outside of downtown Birmingham. The self-guided tour was well worth our time there, and I got a lot of photos on all three cameras I brought with me. Afterwards, we decided to visit Trimtab Brewing, which was about a couple blocks away, as I felt like I could handle one beer (verdict: yes, but barely). Dinner was held at Saigon Noodle House, as we both felt the benefits of a chicken pho would be something we could handle (verdict: yes, and we could have split an order between us). Driving in Birmingham feels like the most aggressive parts of Chicago and Boston mixed together, which can be exhilarating if you know what you're doing or where you're going. As we weren't locals, it was a tiny bit too much for us, so we were glad to see the primitive roads of our camp site. We enjoyed our second and last night with a fire pit, then fell asleep early again. Highlight: Both mills were interesting in their own way, so I am glad we had a rural and urban adventure. Lowlight: Maybe just canceling the Decatur stay, but that passed quickly.
Friday 11-21. Another early rise in the cabin due to the sun. We enjoyed a longer breakfast outside, but still had plenty of time to pack our belongings and check out. Our goal today was to arrive in Clarksville, Tennessee, as it would serve as the halfway point between our location southeast of Birmingham and home. After our checkout, we made our last Publix shopping excursion in Vestavia Hills, a ritzy BHAM suburb, as we bought a bag of ice to keep our leftover pho safely refrigerated on the journey (as there was no freezer option at the cabin). From there, it was a largely uneventful drive to southern Tennessee, punctuated by a stop at a truck stop to buy a state-shaped refrigerator magnet, and a windy lunch at the Alabama Welcome Center in Ardmore. Both L. and I felt well enough to revisit Arrington Vineyards, a winery south of Nashville owned by country singer Kix Brooks that makes some legitimately good wines (the whites are okay, but the reds are where their strengths lie). The small samples of wine gave us enough fortitude to handle Nashville's awful traffic, compounded by another truck stop visit to buy a state magnet that brought us into parts of the city both rural and despondent. Fortunately, Clarksville was only 45 minutes away, so the remainder of the trip passed quickly. We unloaded the rental car again so we could thoroughly repack our items, then we finished the rest of the pho for our dinner. Highlight: Revisiting the winery, and getting travel brochures at the Welcome Center. Lowlight: Driving through Nashville. I really don't like Nashville, so any future Alabama visits will have to involve a way to bypass or minimize my time there.
Saturday 11-22. We both felt better than we had in days upon waking up. We ate breakfast at the hotel, checked out, then made it through the rest of Tennessee and Kentucky (yes, we bought a state magnet for KY) before stopping for lunch along Rend Lake in Illinois. From there, it was an uneventful drive up to the moment we pulled into our parking lot around 5:15 PM. Tons of laundry awaited both of us, so I did mine today, while L. said she'd wash hers tomorrow. Highlight: Making it home without any problems. Lowlight: The end of the road trip.
A Couple Two Tree Items To Note From Last Week:
Skipping this portion of the update this week.
More Info About The Media Selections From This Week Reactions About The Vacation:
Instead of my usual media explanation and/or review, I'll expand further on the vacation. Both L. and I were pleasantly surprised at our time in Alabama, from the Gulf Coast through the north-central region around Birmingham. We didn't give either Montgomery or Birmingham their fair share of attention, nor did we see much of North Alabama outside of I-65, but there's enough scenery and history in those locations to warrant a future visit or two. In fact, during our drive back home, we sketched out how we'd handle a visit to Huntsville over a four-day weekend (leave early Thursday, sightsee in the region from Friday through Sunday, then leave for home early on Monday). Huntsville is on the edge of our 1-day driving comfort zone, similar to cities that we've previously visited like Wichita and Omaha. If we can handle a 7ish-hour drive to those cities and cover 420 miles or so, we could do the same for Huntsville.
We timed our visit to Alabama perfectly, as the Gulf Coast region was experiencing warmer and drier weather than normal (though the Gulf itself was pretty cold, even when walking on wet sand). Our departure for home coincided with a wet and cooler wave through Birmingham and states to its north, so had we actually spent time in North Alabama, our outside touring would have been a bit miserable. Most of Alabama and Mississippi were still in the later phases of autumn, as deciduous trees were still showing off lovely colors that contrasted with the omnipresent ever-green pine trees. Neither of these states had many billboards on display next to their interstates, with exceptions for when you were driving through urban or suburban areas. Illinois and especially Missouri should take note!
The glamping cabins were not meant for road-trippers like ourselves. If you lived in Alabama or west of Atlanta or east of Jackson, the cabins would be a perfect weekend getaway. You wouldn't be able to store lots of luggage in the cabins, so an overnight bag would have to suffice. L. wasn't too keen on the lack of a freezer or a microwave, as she felt that their absence limited what you could do with dining. There are no restaurants of any kind within the grounds, so you had to bring your own food supplies. An induction plate and an outdoor grille were supplied for cooking, and my guess is that it wouldn't get cold enough there to prevent year-round usage of the grille. Still, minor quibbles aside, as long as you are aware of what's supplied, these glamping cabins would be a fun visit for a couple of days.
I will show off photos in a different post, but one thing really hit home on the vacation: my days with the "big boy" Sony camera are numbered. I enjoy using the Canon film camera, and I continue to be surprised at the quality of the iPhone cameras--especially if I'm using the Project Indigo app. Meanwhile, whenever I use the Sony, I feel a big wave of "meh" wash over me, as if I'm merely taking pictures with it out of obligation. The zoom lens is the Sony's only real advantage over my iPhone and Canon. I don't want to will the Caira camera into being something it cannot, but it's possible it may cover most of what the Sony does. If so, it makes the idea of giving up the Sony that much more compelling. Who knows? Maybe 2026 will really be the year I return to film.
Finally, I will repeat what I said at the beginning: this was a successful vacation. In spite of all the stress surrounding the New Mexico trip, back when the airline situation wasn't clear and how it was already affecting how we'd enjoy this vacation, I am happy to have both devised a backup plan under short notice and have enough flexibility to roll with changing circumstances. As it turned out, there were no flight issues with our New Mexico trip, as none of our four flights were delayed or canceled. But what if the illnesses we both experienced in Alabama hit us there? Staying in a hotel while sick would have been a horrible waste of a vacation. It was fortunate for both L. and myself to cut our losses, both with canceling the New Mexico trip and realizing that we could just head home earlier if we weren't feeling well. We hope to revisit New Mexico someday, but now I'll type something I didn't think was possible at the beginning of November: I would also like to revisit Alabama someday.