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.