Another year is about to end, and for me, it is ending too quickly.
Did I do everything I said I would do this year? I believe so.
Did I find something to marvel at? Definitely!
Did I meet interesting people? Yes.
Did I go to amazing places? Of course!
Did I eat incredible food? Always.
The year started out with a Once In A Lifetime helicopter ride around “The City” with a very dear friend and her husband. They gave me a personal tour of their Manhattan and drives to the very tip of the North and South Forks of Long Island.
From New York, I drove to Virginia and spent time with another friend, Patricia, and her three incredible boys. (Well, young men.) I was able to view some of the oldest buildings in America, drive to the ocean and climb to the top of a lighthouse and learn more history on the beautiful state of Virginia.
Moss that has grown in the letters of a gave stone.
I am an Auburn fan, so let me get this out now, WAR EAGLE! I was back in Auburn for the A-Day Game in April, and then I witnessed the cutting down of the poisoned Oak Trees at Toomer’s Corner. A great tradition ended on that day, but the Auburn spirit continues strong.
I did a follow-up story on Mr. Brown, a young man I met a couple of years ago. I admire his love of American history and his passion to keep standing what was once built with the hands of our forefathers. Nathan is an incredible man with an amazing passion that I greatly admire.
From central Alabama I headed South, to Fort Morgan with another friend, Cliff. If you haven’t realized by now that I am a history nut, you haven’t been keeping up.
The Bridges of Parke County were fun to find, and they took me on a zig-zag adventure through the west-central portion of Indiana. Then of course, there was Marengo Cave, which allowed me to cool off for a couple of hours.
Mirror Lake
Are you a crawfish junkie? If you are, I found the perfect place for you to visit, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. They are the “Crawfish Capital of the World!” I promise, you will not be disappointed.
In Texas, I found a place that has some Crazy Water! Mineral Wells, Texas, is home to some rather unusual history and surprisingly tasty water. I would love to be able to buy their water wherever I may be traveling. Mineral Wells is also home to the Baker Hotel. This hotel is a large part of history for this small town, and I do hope it will be saved.
Off to Tennessee we go for the “Moon Pie and RC Cola Fest.” I KNOW! It’s a Southern thing, y’all! Bell Buckle, Tennessee, is one of those resplendent places that you will want to visit again. I know I will be back one day.
Summer is in full swing, and I get this brilliant idea to take my best little buddy on a camping excursion through the Midwest. Trenton had never been in a tent, nor had he left the state of Alabama. First stop, Natural Bridge Resort State Park, Kentucky. Yes, I know Kentucky is not a part of the Midwest, but I had to drive through there to get further north, and I have wanted to stay at this park for quite some time. Did I mention IT RAINED EVERY SINGLE DAY?!? Bless his heart, Trenton was such a trooper and never complained.
Back in Texas, there is a little town named Todd Mission, and they are home to the largest Renaissance Festival in the country. If you have never heard of a Ren Fest, you are missing out! People come from all-over the country for these things and I now know why. This little town was filled with some of the friendliest people you could ever meet, and I am looking forward to partaking in more festivals across the country.
My year ended in the great state of Wisconsin, which is where I call home. There was snow on the ground when I got there and it snowed almost everyday while I was there. Yes, I am a fan of the cold weather, you can always put on more clothing. A white Christmas is all I asked for, but a Winter Wonderland is what I received. I was happy. So was Callie.
Throughout the year, I have shared with you food, and I won’t go through all of the recipes, but you can go to the “Food Frenzy” tab and view all the amazing food I made.
On these last few hours of 2013, I am reminiscing about where I have been, what I have seen, and who I have met. What do I want for 2014? More time.
I hope 2013 was kind to you, and I know 2014 will be spectacular.
I hope to see you down the road.
I really like your snow tunnel through the trees and the deer with the berries. Your brick arches are cool too. Love old buildings. We lived in New England for about 10 years and the old churches were fascinating not to mention we lived in a house built by Shakers in 1812. The second level floor was the first floor ceiling with hand hewn beams supporting it. We actually were next to a preserve that included the original inland cranberry bogs and we frequently took long walks with our kids and dogs investigating all the neat plants and anything else that grabbed our fancy. There was a 3 hole golf course at our next door neighbor that our kids and all their friends sledded on and managed to avoid the stone fence half way down. It was a fun time for all of us. I could go on and on about our time up there in yankeeland. We didn’t act like locals…..we took day trips on the backroads many weekends just to see what we could see. It was a tremendous time.
By the way, Callie is beautiful.