Tom Bevill Lock and Dam near Pickensville, AL

We decided to head west today and check out a lock and dam (those that have been following my blog know how much I love locks and dams).  We checked out the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam (which I understand used to be called Aliceville Lock and Dam).  It turns out the visitor's center (housed in a huge plantation house) and the US Snagboat Montgomery are closed on Sundays so we did not get to tour either of them but the lock and dam was pretty cool and we got to watch a barge go through (something you don't see in Wisconsin in late December).  We discovered the best views are on the west side of the river (opposite side as the visitor's center).  The water was clearly high.

As you can see, the day was a bit dreary and because of the dampness even the mild temperatures in the upper 50s, it still felt quite cold, especially in the wind.

So many American White Pelicans!

US Snagboat Montgomery

Tom Bevill Visitor's Center

Being just a few feet from Mississippi, we couldn't help but cross the state line.

And then back into Alabama....

Our journey to and from the lock and dam took us through Carrollton, AL.  This is a small town has some great historical buildings that you can't miss because the main road actual goes around the historical Pickens County Courthouse.  It is quite quaint.

Being less than two hours from this lock and dam, I look forward to seeing it in all the seasons and checking out the plantation and US Snagboat Montgomery when they are open.

Desoto Caverns

Looking to put some good miles on my Fiat and to explore more of our new home, this afternoon we decided to check out Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, AL, a 50 minute ride south of Birmingham.  The cave itself is really neat with a main room that is over 100 yards long (the length of a football field) and twelve stories high.  It is filled with many formations that are quite colorful as they show the iron oxide (rust color), calcite (white), and manganese (black) minerals present in the area.  The cave also showcases the second longest draperies at over 30 feet long!

Additionally, the tour gives some history of the caves and how they were used to harvest and transform bat guano during the civil war which was used to create gun powder and their history during prohibition when moonshine was made and sold in the cave.

All that said, they have made the caves quite the tourist attraction and a bit gimmicky so once you get down into the cave, you watch a laser light, sound, and water show.  Plus they have decorated the cave for Christmas.  And on the grounds of the cave are all kinds of tourist attractions (mini-golf, go carts, a train, gem panning, etc.)

Draperies - 2nd longest in the world at over 30 feet!

Can you see Yoda in this formation?

2018 Caribbean Cruise - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Thursday, November 22, 2018

Having moved less than two weeks ago to a brand new state, this vacation crept up on us without any warning.  Before I knew it, we were loading suitcases in the car early in the morning, looking at each other unsure of where the airport was.  Fortunately, my husband had loaded the destination in his GPS the day before and within 10 minutes we were circling the parking ramp at the airport in Birmingham.  Once we entered the airport, it was quite clear this was much smaller than General Mitchell which we are used to.  There was almost no line for security and even though our gate was the furthest away, it was still quite a short walk (with a Starbucks next door!).

We took advantage of lower airfares by flying on Thanksgiving Day which would give us three days to enjoy Ft. Lauderdale before our cruise leaves on Sunday.  An added bonus was that first class airfare was not much more, which we couldn't resist.  We had never flown first class before.

Upon boarding, we were offered drinks and sat back in large seats with plenty of leg room.  The first flight was only about 30 minutes so probably not really worth the first class experience, but we took full advantage of it on our second flight where I enjoyed complimentary champagne (which they refilled several times) and my husband watch a movie on a large screen.

We landed in Ft. Lauderdale around 1:00 p.m. and were at our hotel, the Sleep Inn & Suites Ft. Lauderdale International Airport, before 2:00 p.m.  On the shuttle ride in, we drove by a pond with a ton of birds just a few blocks from our hotel so after settling in the hotel we decided to take a walk.

There wasn't a lot open on Thanksgiving so we ended up at a Walmart Neighborhood Market for food we could take back to the room and then enjoyed some time by the pool.

2018 Caribbean Cruise - Ft. Lauderdale - Friday, November 23, 2018

Our hotel was walking distance from the Hollywood Beach and the boardwalk so that is were we spent our day today.

The walk to and from the beach goes past West Lake Park where birds and lizards were plentiful.

We walked about seven miles today and the weather could not have been more beautiful!

We had lunch at The Taco Spot, a restaurant right on the boardwalk with tables outside where there was a gentle ocean breeze and the people watching was fun.  I had the ceviche which was so good.  My husband enjoyed his chicken tacos.  And of course we had to get the chips, salsa, and guacamole!

Then we rented a couple of chairs and a cabana and enjoyed a few hours on the beach.

After six hours at the beach, we found dinner at Hunan Wok, a Chinese restaurant near the hotel and relaxed the rest of the evening.