Thursday, August 9, 2007

Leigh's List of 100 things to do in Alabama before you die




Leigh's 100 things to do in Alabama before you die:
By Leigh Bratina


1. Witness the "Jubilee" in Daphne (or anywhere along the AL shore) where sea life, literally travels inland
2. Drink sweet tea all day long
3. Canoe the Cahaba River
4. Go to Mardi gras in Mobile
5. Go to a church supper on the grounds
6. Eat cornbread (I prefer the white cornmeal), out of a black iron skillet. It should absolutely have no sugar.
7. Go to the top of Vulcan for the view ...of the Ham or the hiney.
8. Drink a glass of limeade at Gilcrest Drugs in Mountain Book
9. Shop Pepper Place for vegetables
10. Pick berries at Petals from the Past
11. Toss a mullet at the Flora Bama
12. Catch a roll at Lamberts
13. Cruise the Coosa River by boat
14. Visit the peach water tower in Clanton and think of other things the peach looks like.
15. Fry something
16. Toss a frozen turkey on Thanksgiving for a cash prize
17. kayak Bon Secure and watch the dolphins play
18. Watch the sunset from the Pink Pony
19. Visit the mounds in Moundville
20. Visit Mobile in the spring to see the Azalea’s in bloom
21. Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma
22. Attend the governors Christmas open house
23. Attend the governor’s inaugural parade
24. GO FISHING
25. Walk across a covered bridge-there are many throughout our state
26. Attend an outdoor concert at the Oak Mountain Amp in Pelham
27. Go to Tannehill
28. Go to Trade Days in Collinsville
29. Visit Little River Canyon for the unbelievable view-who would've thought in Alabama?
30. Get red clay dirt on your shoes
31. Watch the Iron bowl and scream at the TV
32. Ride the Ferry from Ft. Morgan to Dauphin Island
33. Go to the USS Alabama in Mobile
34. Eat at All Steak in Cullman and enjoy the orange rolls
35. Take in the falls at Desoto Falls
36. Watch the sunset from the Mentone Inn
37. Sit on a front porch and sip a glass of lemonade
38. Get blistered sitting at a baseball park
39. Cheer on the Birmingham Barons
40. Catch lightning bugs and put them in mason jars. Put them in your room as you sleep.
41. Listen to Rick and Bubba
42. Tailgate
43. Get lost in a corn maze
44. Shop at Homestead Hollow. Be sure to try the cornbread and purchase some honey.
45. Find treasures at the 450-mile garage sale
46. Pick a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch
47. Stop for sweet samples at Priester’s Pecans
48. Ski in Mentone
49. Attend the W.C. Handy Music Festival
50. Listen to Kathryn Tucker Windham tell her tales
51. Say a prayer at the 16th street Baptist church
52. Visit the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville
53. Take a dolphin cruise
54. Spot a bald eagle at Lake Guntersville
55. Look for your lost luggage at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro
56. Go to the zoo.
57. Stroll the Birmingham Botanical Gardens
58. Purchase freshly roasted peanuts from Morris Ave.
59. Attend a Charles Dickens’s Christmas in Northport
60. Dine at the Cypress Inn in Tuscaloosa
61. Capture the photos of the Hot air balloons at the hot air balloon festival in Decatur.
62. Golf at Ross Bridge
63. Check out the LIONS on campus in Florence
64. Visit the Alabama fan club headquarters in Fort Payne
65. Watch an IMAX movie at the McWane Center
66. Pan for gold at Desoto Caverns
67. Have lunch at the Bright Star in Bessemer
68. Tour the Mercedes Plant in Vance
69. See the Ava Maria Grotto in Cullman
70. Drive down an unpaved country road while singing, “Thank God I’m a country boy”
71. Swat a mosquito
72. Bet on hermit crab races at Calypso Joe's
73. Take a ghost walking tour of Fort Morgan
74. Play at the park in Fairhope, along Mobile Bay
75. Spend the night at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear
76. Make a donation to: "the little zoo that could” in Gulf Shores
77. Marvel at the Redbud trees in March
78. Eat at Benedict’s Restaurant in Springville
79. Attend the Frank Brown Music Festival
80. Cheer on the powerboat races at Orange Beach in August
81. Watch fireworks from the Tuscaloosa News parking lot on July 4
82. Drink a buffalo rock
83. Catch a June bug; tie a string to its leg and then let it fly, holding onto the other end
84. Count the stars in the sky
85. Countdown Charles Barkley’s run for governor
86. Sing “Sweet Home Alabama” in a karaoke bar
87. Dip your toes in the waterfall at Buck Creek in Helena
88. Catch hermit crabs in the bay and paint their shells, then release back into the bay
89. Become riff raff at Pirate’s Cove, if only for a day. And You MUST arrive by boat
90. Count boats that sail by at Lulu’s in Gulf Shores-be sure and introduce yourself to LuLu.
91. Eat homemade biscuits with fresh honey
92. Spend the night at a B&B in Mentone
93. Eat at Dreamland BBQ
94. Walk the quad at the University
95. Picnic at the back entrance of Oak Mountain (the lake pavilion) and view the "mountains" raising out of the water
96. Walk Sloss Furnace on Halloween
97. Visit Helen Keller’s Home
98. Find out the story of Noccalula at Noccalula Falls in Gadsden
99. Stroll along the gulf barefooted
100. Immerse yourself in the warm gulf waters

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Number 101
"Jubilee"
Gotta see it to beleive it !


http://www.daphneal.com/jubilee.asp

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

You are correct about the jubilee. Good point. We were at the beach one time during jubilee, but I didn't know that is what is was-this strange phenomenon that was happening.
My parent had a place at the time at the end of West Beach Blvd in Gulf Shores. There were no condos out there, just houses. I went to pick something up at the quick mart. I left and began driving and had never seen such a sight. You literally couldn't see the road for all the crabs on it. I felt terrible to have to run some over, but I honestly could NOT move my car without doing so. It was weird. Then I found out the "occasion". I wish I had walked down to the beach that night for that sight. A definate MUST.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

...for John S., I am changing his answer to my #1. Agreed. For, if you have ever experienced a Jubilee, if is a phenominon like no other.

Anonymous said...

18. Watch the sunset from the Pink Pony

my favorite one i do it every time i go to the beach

Anonymous said...

i think you forgot one

1. Attend an Alabama football game

Anonymous said...

Better yet the Iron Bowl

Hewy Nosleep said...

Great Blog! I always wanted to go see the Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp, Alabama and the reenactment of to Kill a Mockingbird in the actual city in Alabama.

Keep up the cool Helena blog!

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

HEWY,
I have always wanted to go to the Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo. I have always been curious as to what it is all about. I am going to try and do that this year.
Some information on that rodeo that is interesting:
"The City of Opp RattleSnake Rodeo celebrates 46 years. Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes have been rattling since the dawn of time, but they have been a main attraction in Opp, Alabama for the past 46 years. On the first full weekend in April, thousands of people from all over the United States, and even some from abroad will come to this small southern town to share in this unforgettable experience. Having grown from a small event in 1959 to a family-friendly weekend that hosts over 20,000 people, the RattleSnake Rodeo has something for everyone."

http://www.rattlesnakerodeo.com/

Additonally, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of my favorite books and movies. Harper Lee is an amazing (and in my opinion, misunderstood) talent.

Good points! BTW- visited your blog. Great job and intersting information. Will check back often.

Anonymous said...

I just visited your blog! How do you have time to do this? It was very interesting and enjoyable. I will try to visit often.

Anonymous said...

ok, clearly I've got a hell of lot to do. I so glad I read this so I can go to bed and feel even more overwhelmed on things I've not yet accomplished. For the love.

Anonymous said...

Visit Tiger's for Tomorrow in Attalla.