Bye for now, Flo.

Love in a college town? More like I fell in love with my college town. It was love at first visit. I am so thankful that God led me to Florence, AL. I love that it is a little bit of everything; historical district, mall side, and on the water. I have enjoyed watching the area grow and flourish. Not only the town, but I love my Alma Mater, the University of North Alabama, so much. Roar Lions! I have met some great people and made some great friends in Flo. It has only been a couple of weeks since I moved my stuff out of my house and I already miss my town and my people more than anything.

I wish I would have appreciated it all of my four years like I have in the last few months while I've been doing my bucket list. All the things I did for the first time for my blog, I want to do over and over again. So I hope maybe you learn from my mistake and you start marking places off as soon as possible. I ran out of time unfortunately, I still have a few places and things on my list. I am going to conclude it as "to be continued," because I will be back! While this blog has been about Florence and the Shoals, I hope it inspires you to appreciate whatever town you are residing in. Stay curious! And stay tuned for a new blog about my adventures in Johnson City, TN!

The Train Bridge

I want to say my first time going to the train bridge was my first year at UNA. A couple of my friends and I got Miami Ice then drove over O'Neal to the train bridge. It quickly became one of my favorite spots in Florence and the first place I would take anyone visiting.

The bridge first opened in 1840. At times cars and trains both utilized the bridge. You can go to www.oldrailroadbridge.com to read more on the history.

My last sunset to watch from the train bridge before leaving. (insert sad face)

It is a great place for a jog or a walk if that suits you better. It links with TVA trails so you may run on and on. There is a group that does yoga on the bridge. Many use the bridge as a scenic background for professional pictures, as they should because it is beautiful. It is the best place to watch a sunset also!

The "Pantie Tree"

Then when you get to the end of the bridge you can look off and enjoy the view of the "pantie tree." Yes, there is a tree decorated in people's undergarments. I have no idea why this is even a thing, but it is quite interesting. So get up and go check it out! Bring a friend or dessert or both and take your friend's dessert too if you are hungry. I mean you are on a walk, you deserve a treat or two.

Hot Dog!

One place I will truly miss in Florence is Chicago Cafe. Hot dogs are basically my favorite food and Chicago Cafe has some awesome hot dogs. They have The Pizza Dog, a hot dog with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperonis. Then there is Da' Dirty Dog, with BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and grilled onions. Those two are my favorites but they have many options. They also offer sandwiches and pizza which are delicious too.

On weekends they are open until 2 or 3 in the morning when Flobama, OTR, and Wildwood are closing. Whether you are leaving the bar or decide you need a midnight snack break during your binge watching on Netflix, Chicago Cafe is where you need to go. (This is probably where the freshman fifteen comes from.)

This January, a suspicious bag left on the steps of the post office was reported to the police department. After using X-ray equipment the street was shut down and the bomb squad removed the bag with a robot. When they drove off and opened said bags, they found hot dogs...not bombs. This reached headlines and was even mentioned by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. So these dogs are pretty much famous.

They have a loyalty dog card, after your fifth hot dog you get one free! I actually am currently at my fourth dog so I need to make a couple more trips myself. Go start your loyalty card!

Coon Dog Cemetery & Rattlesnake Saloon

I bundled these two bucket list items together because they are out in the middle of nowhere, so if you are going to one you might as well check out the other! Rattlesnake Saloon and Coon Dog Cemetery are about forty or so minutes from Florence, but are totally worth the drive.

The day Mom, Dani, and I procrastinated packing we went to the Rosenbaum House, Bunyan's BBQ, and Coon Dog Cemetery. Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard is said to be the only one of it's kind in the world. Only coon dogs are buried at the cemetery. The first dog to be buried there was Troop in 1937 on Labor Day.You may still bury coon hounds there but must meet certain requirements. People come from all over to do so. I saw a headstone from New York. There are more than 185 dogs buried there today.

We noticed that on the graves that people had left pennies and we had no idea what the reasoning was behind it. There are several different superstitions as to why coins are left. There is one based on Greek Mythology that says the coins are payment and one about a murdered family that would grant wishes. With military burials, each coin has a specific meaning that is a message to the family of the deceased that they visited. It seems that it is a symbol of remembrance and respect.

I have always heard about Rattlesnake Saloon but never wanted to make the drive out there, which I regret immensely now. It was seriously the coolest place. You park and take a ride in the back of a truck down this steep trail to the saloon. I think I was expecting less cave and more restaurant, but the cave area was huge. It had a stage for the live music and lots of tables for people to sit and enjoy. They are only open Thursday-Saturday 11-10 (February-November) and Sunday 11-3 (April-September). Thursday nights they have karaoke. Friday and Saturday nights they have a band.

I guess I was just too busy living in the moment and enjoying my experience at Rattlesnake that I failed to take many pictures..so that means I have to go back soon! Take an afternoon and drive out to check out both places. You will not regret it!

Time Management - 0, Bucket List - 3

Finals and graduation really had me busy the past couple of weeks so I have not been able to blog, but I have knocked some items off my list. One day last week my mom came up to help me start packing, but instead we spent our time adventuring with my friend, Dani. It was totally worth it though!

Our first stop was the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House. This house was built for the Rosenbaum family in 1939. Wright designed hundreds of structures, but the Rosenbaum House is the only Wright design open to the public in the southeastern region of the United States. He even designed all the furniture for his structures!

The home was originally 1,540 square feet but had 1,084 square feet added in 1948 when the couple had four sons. The addition included a bigger kitchen for Mrs. Rosenbaum and a dormitory for the boys.

The Rosenbaums were the only occupants and owners of the home until 1999 when the city took over the home for restoration. It took two years to complete before they could reopen the house as a museum to the public. It is now open Tuesday-Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 1-4! There is an admission fee, $8 Adults and $5 Seniors and Students.

After our tour of the Rosenbaum House, we were starving. So we headed down the road to Bunyan's BBQ! This was another item on my bucket list. I have always heard great things about Bunyan's but had never been. While hotdogs are my favorite food, I went with a BBQ sandwich. It was delicious! You can order family meals. You can also get their famous slaw by the gallon. They are open Monday-Saturday 10-5!

We actually also went to Coondog Cemetery but you can read about that one in my next post!

Shoot the Cannon at River Bottom Grille, Check!

River Bottom Grille has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Florence. It is a floating restaurant located under O'Neal Bridge. I have been many times but didn't know about the cannon at sunset until I saw it on someone's Snapchat story awhile back. It was immediately put on my To-Do list.

Ryan lives on one of the boats in the marina. He comes to RBG every evening right at sunset and asks if anyone would like to fire the cannon with him. (I made sure our server told him when he arrived that he already had takers!) He came and got us from our table, we followed him to get the cannon and the mallets then out to the dock we went!

As Ryan was setting up the cannon, I asked how he got started doing this. He was in a yacht club and while traveling he noticed a tradition that was honored in many places where they would take the flag down at sunset and fire a cannon. Ryan talked the owner of RBG into getting a cannon and he shoots it off every evening!

The cannon is a 10 gauge signal, or salute, cannon. You have to put the wooden mallet up to the firing pin then hit the wooden mallet with a rubber mallet. And ear muffs are a must. Not to brag, but Ryan said many people miss on the first try or don't hit it hard enough and I got it right the first swing! Okay, I am bragging a little bit.

He gives you the shell after firing the cannon. You can either keep it or when you leave RBG you can sign it and they will hang it up for all to see! This was such a cool experience and a well kept secret! Even if you are not firing the cannon, it is still fun just to be there for the tradition. RBG even has a special at sunset when the cannon is fired on their Sunset Salute drink!

Dessert: The Most Important Meal of the Day

If you have a sweet tooth, Florence has your fix! Miami Ice and Trowbridge's are two of my favorites. And I finally marked Frios off my bucket list. I mean is there anything better than a frozen treat on a southern hot day? I think not.

If you are a shaved ice type of person, Miami Ice has the BEST. They have 91 flavors, 9 toppings, and 85 combinations (sweet, sour, and fruity). The options are endless. My personal fave is the Charlie Sheen (cheese cake, tiger blood, marshmallow, and pop rocks), also referred to as "Crack in a Cup." My second favorite would be the Catalina Wine Mixer (pina colada, strawberrry, and cream). They are open 12pm-10pm Sunday-Thursday and 12pm-11pm Friday and Saturday!

Trowbridge's was opened by Paul Trowbridge in 1918 (two years away from celebrating their centennial anniversary!!). He actually developed his own ice cream recipe, orange pineapple. They used to make the ice cream in house, but they sold their recipe to Purity and now they serve that brand. They have about 18 different flavors! You can get it in a cone, dish, half pint, whole pint...They have malts, shakes, sundaes, and ice cream soda. Trowbridge's has a dessert called 'Oh My Gosh', it is a brownie topped with ice cream, caramel, whipped cream, and a cherry. It is also a sandwich shop, the chicken salad is fantastic. They are open 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday, so if you make it in time for breakfast get a ham biscuit! Check out all the old photos inside too!

Now checked off the bucket list, I got a pop from Frios! They are a newer business to downtown Florence located inside Court Street Market. They have both creamy and fruity flavors. I really had a hard time choosing from blueberry lemonade, blueberry cheesecake, and banana pudding. I went with banana pudding, I have no regrets! Their hours are Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm.

As the semester is coming to an end and you are loaded down with projects, papers, and finals remember this quote from an unknown author, "Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!" So consider taking a break. As Tom and Donna from Parks and Rec would say, "treat yo' self!"

Garden Gate Cafe....aka Heaven on Earth.

This is another of my faves that is not on my bucket list (but it should be on yours if you have not been). I would hope that most know of this wonderful place, but I have already introduced a handful of people to Garden Gate so I know it is worth mentioning. Here in the south we love our 'meat and three' restaurants. If you are not familiar with the term, here is what Wikipedia says:

They have their boneless fried chicken on the menu everyday, which is what I usually get because it is to die for, but they have a different item each day. Thursdays are chicken & dressing days, also awesome. I mean you really can't go wrong with anything you order. They also have homemade desserts that change daily too.

My Timehop reminded me Saturday that three years ago was when I first discovered Garden Gate and I live tweeted it.

By the way, the sweet tea is that good. I wish I could have an IV of it. Also you really should come with an appetite and wear stretchy pants. I refrained from posting the embarrassing pictures of my friends enjoying Garden Gate (actually stuffing their faces) for the first time just because I am a good friend (actually I am scared they would get me back). It is located on Florence Blvd across from Hobby Lobby. They are closed on Saturday and Sunday, so try not to crave it then.

Pope's Tavern Museum

If you love history, you need to check out Pope's Tavern located on the corner of Seminary and Hermitage. It is literally a block from campus, you could go between classes! It was built in 1830 as a stagecoach stop, tavern and inn, hospital and command center for the Union and Confederate troops. I learned so much about the Civil War era I did not know! They are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm. It is only $2 for adults and $.50 for kids!

While Florence was destroyed during the Civil War, Pope's Tavern remains standing. You can do a self-guided tour but I suggest taking a tour with the curator. He is spewing with knowledge of the history of this area and of the early 19th century.

The tavern is full of artifacts. There is a Kennedy Long Rifle that was made in Green Hill, AL. Also there is a wreath thing made out of human hair (gross). Apparently women used to save their hair and make sentimental things from it. No thank you.

Got some free time? Go take a tour of Pope's Tavern, see the hair thing, learn a few things!

A Walk in the Park

McFarland Park is not on my bucket list because I have spent countless hours there, as I am sure many of you have. On the Florence city website it says that the park has been used by citizens for 10,000 years dating back to 8,000 B.C. You can read more on it's history at http://fpard.com/Parks/McFarland_Park/index.html. It is definitely one of my favorite Florence spots. You can bring a blanket or your hammock and take a nap or read a book. Located right on the river, it is the perfect place for relaxation.

You can plan a cookout or picnic with friends and family. There is plenty of space to play recreational games. More of McFarland's features include: sixty campsites, driving range for golfers, soccer field, picnic shelters with fireplaces, playgrounds, boat ramps, fishing piers, individual picnic tables, baseball fields, paved and lighted jogging trail around the harbor, restaurant and marine store, and boat slips. I have ran there at sunrise and it is breathtaking.

Sunset at McFarland is beautiful also! Really anytime (weather permitting) is a good time to get outside at the park! Spring Break is over but sometimes you still need a break from school, work, or other responsibilities. So slip away for some fun if you can! 

Chocolate Gravy at Staggs

Dani Colwill and I in front of Staggs.

Started off spring break cheating on our diets and checking off a bucket list item at Staggs Grocery. It was originally a "Mom & Pop" grocery offering sandwiches for mill workers. As needs changed they specialized in serving food. Every Friday their special is their chocolate gravy. Since we had a 12 hour drive ahead of us to Bradenton, FL, we stopped in for breakfast at 7am. It was packed! 

There were a few big tables with one empty chair but we wanted to sit together. You give your order straight to the ladies cooking and the lady that took our order was truly concerned about us finding a seat. When our food was ready, the same lady (I wish I would have gotten her name), made sure we got seated beside each other. She seriously went out of her way for us.

The chocolate gravy......was delicious. We ordered single orders, and I can not even imagine how big a double was. I highly suggest actually setting your alarm for Friday morning at Staggs so you can get their chocolate gravy. It is well worth the effort! Staggs Grocery is open Monday-Friday 5:30am-2pm. If you don't make it for breakfast, you can still get one of their fantastic burgers. YUM.

Tom's Wall

Today I visited Tom's Wall. I told my roommate, my friend, my mother, and my grandmother and they all said, "What is that?" Tom Hendrix's great-great-grandmother, a Native American, was forced to move from her home near the Tennessee River in Alabama to Oklahoma because of the Indian Removal Act in 1830. Along with thousands of other Native Americans, Te-lah-nay walked to Oklahoma. The rivers there did not sing like the Tennessee River, or the Singing River, did. She chose to walk back, which took her five years. After hearing the stories of his great-great-grandmother and reading her journals, Tom wanted to honor her somehow. A Yuchi woman told him, "All things shall pass away, only stones will remain." In 1988 he began building a wall from rocks, each rock representing a step she took on her journey. It is estimated to be about 8.5 million pounds of rock in the wall.

Only one side of Tom's Wall from across the road.

Tom's Wall is actually quite famous. It is currently the number one stop on the Natchez Trace. If you have seen the Muscle Shoals documentary, you know Tom Hendrix and the wall are in it. (If you haven't seen it, do it ASAP! It is awesome.) Tom wrote a book about his great-great-grandmother, Te-lah-nay, and her journey that inspired him to build the largest unmortared wall in the United States. There was an article about it in The New York Times in 2014. Actually if you google Tom's Wall, there are several different articles.

The rocks in this section are representation of all grandmothers.

When I pulled up to Tom's Wall, Tom met me at my car. He asked where I was from and began to tell me about the wall. He showed me the first rock he laid and all the different rocks people bring him. Mr. Hendrix said, "I have worn out 3 trucks, 22 wheelbarrows, 2700 pairs of gloves, 3 dogs, and one 87 year old man." Other than the person leaving when I arrived and the couple people that showed up while I was there, I was there alone. Tom counted about 260 people on Saturday though.  He said the wall was for women. Then he pointed out a section that he said represented the grandmothers. He told me to walk around. There are two sides separated by his driveway. He told me the one side "was sad", it was her trip to Oklahoma, but the other side was her journey back and "it was an adventure."

Tom Hendrix and I in the prayer circle.

The wall is a spiritual place. There is a prayer circle on one side of the trail. Tom said he has preachers and priests come weekly to prepare their Sunday sermon. It is a beautiful place.

I could probably go on but I think it is best you visit Tom yourself. It is about 15 miles away from Florence. It's also free to tour Tom's Wall and it's open daily 8am-4pm.

Join Me on My Journey

I am currently into my last two months at the University of North Alabama. Since I moved to Florence in August of 2012, I have been in love with the town. In class, other students would introduce themselves and say that Florence is so small compared to where they are from. I am from a one-stoplight town that is twenty minutes from a Walmart and an hour from a mall. Florence is huge for me! There are three Walmarts and a mall within ten or so minutes from my house. This area is rich with history and culture, and that is why I love it.

Even though I have been here for about four years, there are still quite a few things I have yet to do. I think a lot of students miss out on all the awesome things the Shoals has to offer due to lack of knowledge. So I have created a bucket list to complete before I graduate in May, and I am going to share my adventure through this blog. I will also share some of my favorite places or things I have already experienced! I hope to help you appreciate Florence, and the Shoals, and all they have to offer!

Lindsey’s Bucket List

Pope’s Tavern Museum

Alabama Music Hall of Fame

Rattlesnake Saloon

Rosenbaum House

FAME Recording Studio

Tom’s Wall

Shoot off the ‘cannon’ at Sunset, RBG

360 Grille

Staggs chocolate gravy on a Friday morning

Indian Mound & Museum

Bunyan’s BBQ

Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts

Muscle Shoals Sound

Go to a show at The End

Coon Dog Cemetery

Get a Popsicle at Frio’s

King’s Drive-In

Forks of Cypress

Location where Ghost Bridge once was

Along the way I am sure I will find more, but this is my list thus far. Stay tuned, y'all!