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!