{"id":223,"date":"2004-12-13T20:59:00","date_gmt":"2004-12-13T20:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bneadventures.com\/?p=223"},"modified":"2024-03-12T05:35:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T05:35:51","slug":"2004-alabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bneadventures.com\/index.php\/2004\/12\/13\/2004-alabama\/","title":{"rendered":"2004 Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alabama
\n<\/span>Spring 2004<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The difference between April, when we usually travel, and February, when this trip is taking place, is mostly crowds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>(It’s been somewhat difficult since it is over the February 29th Leap Year which is DJ and my 5th anniversary of meeting in San Diego 20 years ago. I bought her a dozen beautiful silk roses to apologize for this\u00a0 first ever slight and I hope this will make her happy.)\u00a0<\/i><\/span>Bruce and I were both working very hard and needed the break and we got lucky with good weather. .\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

This trip was so vast that it set a new record of sorts for sheer diversity. It was made all the more poignant when the entire area we visited was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina 18 months later in 2005.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/a>We started in New Orleans after an NSA Show and went east on I-10. The first day’s stops included the Scott Aquarium in Biloxi, Mississippi. This facility has some very interesting exhibits and sea life. The big turtle was the most interesting of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bellengrath Gardens, Mobile Alabama<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Bellengrath family was the first Coca Cola bottler in Alabama and they must have made a lot of money since they lived on an estate the size of Ocean Beach California. He created a large and expansive garden and lake complex that is now a national treasure. We strolled around and I offer these flower photos as evidence.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n