Our first visit to the newlyweds in Birgmingham, AL!
Their house is near the interstate in a cute townhome subdivision.
They did a nice job decorating it! Very comfortable and elegant.
Nearby is a outdoor community park where we enjoyed a nice walk.
The park offered surprises like this wooden teepee. It also had a bonsai garden and an outdoor wedding venue.
Ashlyn is a great cook (always has been since she was little), so her meals were delicious!
While she was inside, Alex was working on his car with Eric.
The next day, we headed to another park that boasts the largest cast iron statue in the world to pay tribute to the city's steel heritage.
Overlooking Birmingham.
Another great trail to get some exercise.
That evening, they took us to a unique ice cream parlor run by a Catholic family. There's a dress code and a code of conduct to enter. The place was all lit up with lights on the trees, had the most beautiful bathrooms like the Sistine chapel, and played soft Christian music.
After we got our ice cream, we sat at tables that made you feel like someone special.
We eventually had to head out so they could prepare for their busy week ahead. On our way to Huntsville, we detoured to see the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Just driving in was pretty amazing!
Once through the elaborate gates, we were in awe of the size of this church. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but it was gorgeous. This is actually a monestary.On the opposite end of the circular grounds is a gift shop in the design of a castle.
We continued on our journey to visit friends from college, Keith and Lou Ann Siddall. They were gracious hosts with a home decorated to the T with all things fall, including a Texas Tech pumpkin.
I couldn't make a stopover in Huntsville without visiting NASA. It was a Monday morning and perfect for low crowds.
A simulated 'command center' for jet propulsion testing.
We had fun without the lines to take photos!
The last Saturn V rocket to check off our list: only 3 exist and now we've seen them all. One is at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the other is at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Our coolest take-a-way was the many conversations with NASA engineers and scientists who were on hand to tell us about their 40-year work history on projects they helped to design and discoveries made. For once, I had to pull Eric away!
