Day 31 - I'm a Turkey and it's Not Even Thanksgiving

I wrote and posted everyday for 31 days and I'm pretty proud of myself!

!!!Yeah me!!!


Three things I learned during this challenge:

•  I learned that I am a writer. Maybe not great but pretty good and with practice I'll get better.
• I enjoyed writing every day and I loved the challenge. I learned that I function better under pressure. I need a deadline!
• I was amazed at how many comments I got on my posts. I learned that what I write about is interesting to other people.

The key to my success:

I believe that the main reason I was successful was the support I received from my husband. I want to say a big THANK YOU to my sweet husband John. He encouraged me to complete this challenge. And he never complained when dinner was late:)

Also thank you to those who visited and commented on my posts. I appreciate your words of encouragement and support. 

To see a few ideas about completed this challenge you can check out this post How I Managed to Complete Write 31

I hope that by sharing my love of walking, travel and life this past month it might encourage someone to lace up their shoes and take a walk!

God gave us a big, beautiful world just waiting to be explored. 

Where will your feet take you today?

See other 31 Day participants at Crystalstine.me 

Walking Tour of Freiburg, Germany

Freiburg, Germany is a University town with 30,000 students, lots of bicycles, a beautiful Cathedral that was spared during WWII and the best bratwurst around. The town is well worth a day visit. 

We love a Rick Steves' guidebook when we travel. I like his style of travel. A kind of go with the flow attitude. Almost every town that is written up in his guidebook has a self guided walking tour. The very best way to see the sights and acclimate yourself to the area. 

Originally we were going to stay in Freiburg but based on Rick's suggestion we stayed in Staufen. A very good choice because Staufen was a lovely town. Freiburg was good for a day trip and a nice long walk but it was a little too crowded for us.

The main reason we went to Freiburg was to walk through the market and eat lunch. A woman we befriended at our hotel in Staufen told us about a place to get the very best sausage dogs. So of course that was one of our first stops. 

Meier's Wurststand

We ordered Lange Rote (Long Red) Bratwurst. Oh my gosh it was so good. The bratwurst was tasty and the roll was out of this world! And only 2,50 euro. What a deal.

Munsterplatz (Cathedral Plaza) and Market

The market was colorful and crowded with beautiful displays of fresh vegetables and flowers.

This is one of several interesting characters we saw in the market.

Cathedral (Munster)

I thought the history of the Cathedral was interesting. During WWII Freiburg didn't sustain very much damage. That is until November 27, 1944 when in just 20 minutes Allied bombers destroyed about 80% of Freiburg's buildings. The Cathedral was left untouched by the bombs. Whether it was by the grace of God or the bombers intentionally avoided the church no one knows. That's pretty amazing.

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The Cathedral is made from soft sandstone that is easy to work with. But it's fragile and in constant need of repair. 

The inside was gorgeous and we arrived just in time to enjoy a free organ concert. 

Free's good!

Schusterstrassee

This street is typical of old Freiburg. Lined with bachles or small canals filled with water on both sides of the street. Staufen has these as well. They just don't look very safe...

Freiburg is a college town and bicycles seem to be the main source of transportation. This was only a small portion of the bikes we saw. 

And of course the train. There was a big, busy train station in town.

Freiburg was a lively, busy town and made for a fun day trip. 

Walking by Fences - A View of Our Neighborhood

This is my view when I walk in my neighborhood. 

The fence in the background is a three board painted wooden fence and the gate is made of  welded wire. Patch and Penny are friendly and will usually come to the gate hoping for a treat.

Fun Things to Find - Roadside America

We've passed this guy more times than I can count. There he stands rain or shine with his donut, cup of coffee and goofy expression.

Johnny Donutseed

Highway 59

Exit 217 off I-10

Lloyd Florida

It's funny how you can drive by something so many times and never really pay attention. Oh, I'd seen him the many times we took this exit on our way to the gulf. On one of our last trips that way we stopped at the Subway to get a sandwich and take a closer gander at Johnny. 

He's weathered many a storm and the heat of the Florida sun is catching up to him. But all in all he's looking pretty good for an old guy. The roadside oddity is about 10 -12 feet tall, made of fiberglass and looks like the famous Johnny Appleseed if it weren't for the cup of coffee and donut he's holding. 

You'll find Johnny Donutseed at the Big Bend Travel Plaza the longest serving independent travel plaza on I-10 in Florida. Take exit 217 and head towards Lloyd. You'll see Johnny on the right.

Some times you just have to get out of the car, take a walk and check things out. You never know what you might find!

Finding Street Art - Gazebo Mosaic

Yacht Basin Park is a small park located in Riverside on the west bank of Willowbranch Creek. From here you can watch the creek as it empties into the St Johns River.  This park is one of our many favorite stops as we walk this neighborhood. The park is also known as Moms Park. In 2003 the park was dedicated to the memory of Patricia Austin (1934-1996) wife of Mayor Ed Austin. She was a community volunteer and leader and according to the plaque she liked to stroll here. I think I would have like her.

In the center of the park is a gazebo that is covered in a beautiful mosaic. This lovely piece of art was created by local artist Kate Garcia Rouh co-founder of Roux Art, Inc. 

Tired of cleaning up and painting over the graffiti Ms Rouh decided to paint a mural and then later to cover it with mosaic. Now the gazebo offers a quiet place to retreat from the Florida heat and enjoy a cool breeze from the river. 

Unfortunately my photographs don't capture the real beauty of this gazebo. Gives me an excuse to visit this park again...

Yacht Basin Park
2941 St Johns Ave
Jacksonville, FL


I'm sharing this over at Oakland Daily Photo-Monday Mural

Walking Blues - Along the St Johns River

Walking Blues

Riverwalk Downtown Jacksonville, Florida

This is a view from one of our favorite places to walk. Jacksonville has a beautiful walkway on both the north and south banks of the St Johns River. A perfect place to see blue skies and water and to enjoy the Florida sunshine.

The St Johns River is the longest river in Florida and one of the few rivers in the United States that flow north. The river begins its lazy travels in the marshes of Brevard County and slowly flows 310 miles north to mix in with the Atlantic Ocean at Mayport in Duval County. The St Johns river is a focal point of downtown and one reason we're called the 'River City'. Believe me you can't go anywhere in this town without crossing a bridge!

You can cross the St Johns River by walking over the Main Street Bridge (pictured here) or the St Elmo Acosta Bridge. You'll have beautiful views of the river and the city from either bridge, But if it's blue you're after take the Main Street bridge.


Click here to see more of the Riverwalk.

I'm sharing this post at

Sky Watch Friday

Walk With God - The Still Waters

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

 He leadeth me beside the still waters. 

He restoresth my soul, He leadeth me in the path of righteous

For His name sake.

 Psalm 23:1-3

Photograph was taken at Lake Plansee near Reutte, Austria

Sunday Stillness

Walking the Fence Line - Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation

A beautiful day to walk at one of the prettiest Historic sites in Georgia. Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation near Brunswick. We walked along this fence line surrounded by large old oak trees. This is an example of a common post and wire field fence and a four board, black painted wood fence.

To see more of Hofwyl-Broadfielf Plantation click here.

You can see other fences at Good Fences.

Walk and Eat - Tupelo Honey Cafe, Chattanooga, Tennessee

There's nothing like being slightly lost and very hungry in a strange city. As we wandered around trying to get our bearings we found ourselves in Warehouse Row. It looked like an interesting place so when we spotted Tupelo Honey Cafe we thought we'd give it a try. 

We didn't know it when we went in but Tupelo Honey Cafe is a chain with  several restaurants in the Southeast. According to their website the food is described as "New South Flavors" and goes on to say they serve "traditional Southern fare that is creative, inventive and satisfying scrumptious". 

Even though it was the lunch hour and they were pretty busy we were seated quickly. The waitress was friendly and brought our drink out along with warm biscuits and blueberry jam. I'm not overly fond of biscuits but these were good. Brown and crunchy on the outside and not too doughy on the inside. The blueberry jam was perfection! Tasted just like the jam I make every year. 

The menu was full of Southern things like shrimp and grits, Southern buttermilk fried chicken breast, beef and bacon meatloaf, Carolina mountain trout and Charleston Chicken Sandwich. Everything sounded so good it took a while to look over the menu.

 I opted for the Tupelo Farm Fresh Burger. I'm a sucker for a good burger so I just had to try it out. Especially when the menu said the meat was pasture raised, fresh never frozen, Black Angus beef.

The burger was big and juicy and cooked just right. Lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and even with the Chef's special sauce I had to have my burger with mayo. This is the south y'all.

I opted for the Kale and Carrot Salad as my side which was surprising good. I was hesitant to order this at first because kale can be tough but I was trying to be good and add a little healthy green to my meal. It was actually pretty tender and tasty. 

Nancy ordered the Grateful Dead Black Bean Burger which she said was very good. I didn't get a taste of her burger but I did
sneak a few fries and they were mighty tasty. 

We had a nice experience at the Tupelo Honey Cafe. The food was good, the wait staff friendly and the restaurant was bright and welcoming. Lunch for one with water to drink was right at $13 not including the tip. A little pricey for a burger but I felt it was well worth it.

BTW...

Tupelo Honey

Did you know that Tupelo honey comes from bees that feast on the White Ogeechee Tupelo trees that grow in the swampy areas of Southern Georgia and NW Florida? To be labeled Tupelo the honey only has to have a floral content of 51% but the real stuff can be as high as 95%.

To try the real stuff you have to head to the swamps along the Apalachicola River valley in NW Florida. This area produces the purest Tupelo honey. You can even  attend The Tupelo Honey Festival which is held in Wewahitchka, Florida, (Just call the town Wewa like the locals) The festival is held annually on the 3rd Saturday in May. 

Fun Things to do on a Walk - Finding Street Art

One of the neat things about walking is that you get an up close look at what's happening around you. While visiting Chattanooga's North Shore we scooted through an alley and I was delighted to see that the walls were covered with what some would call graffiti but I consider street art.

This one in particular caught my eye...

Street art by J.W. Butts (mute0n) found in Chattanooga, TN

There were three electrical boxes that were all covered but the one in the center looked more composed, not just a random splashing of color.  I like the lady with the big hair, she kind of spoke to me as I walked by. 

When I got home and did a little research I found that this painting was done by southern artist, J. W. Butts. He signed his creation mute0n. 

BTW - we never would have seen this if we'd been on the bus. Click here to check out a few other things we saw while walking.

It always amazes me how much there is to see in the big, beautiful world of ours.

So park your car, get off the bus 

and use your feet to see what you can find!

I'm sharing my find at Monday Mural

Wednesday Walking - Walnut Street Bridge Chattanooga, Tennessee

This is where I share my favorite place I walked this week.

Even though I have an unreasonable fear of heights I love to walk over bridges. I prefer the bridge to have a solid floor. Not those iron grates that allow you to see down to the dark water but solid cement, asphalt or wood. Solid seems so much more secure. Or so I tell myself.

On a visit to Chattanooga we found just such a bridge with a lovely walkway made of wood.

Walnut Street Bridge

If you're ever in Chattanooga do like we did and take a walk over the pedestrian only Walnut Street Bridge. The bridge connects the lively downtown area with the artsy North Shore. At 2376 feet it is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. It's also an easy walk with very little rise in grade. In other words you don't have to go too far UP to cross this bridge.

This was taken from the river walk underneath the bridge on the downtown side.

Construction on this wrought-iron and steel truss bridge began in 1889 and was completed 2 years later. The Walnut Street bridge was the first to connect downtown with the North Shore. The bridge served vehicles and foot traffic until 1978 when repair costs forced the city to close it. At one time the bridge was scheduled for demolition but a group with a vision for the city pulled together to save the old bridge. Today it is an important historic component in this lively city. 

The bridge is almost like a park. There are benches lining the raised walkway and large planters of colorful flowers. And people and dogs everywhere. 

This view was taken from Coolidge Park on the North Shore

Chattanooga is a beautiful city with many historical buildings, parks, the Tennessee River and of course a few bridges. The Walnut Street bridge was one of the favorite sites of the weekend.



Lace up and see where your feet take you today!

Why Walk? For the Joy

"Now shall I walk or shall I ride? 

'Ride,' Pleasure said; 

'Walk,' Joy replied." 

W.H. Davis

My sister in law and I spent the weekend in Chattanooga at the  Choo Choo hotel. This hotel is located in the original train terminal and you can even sleep in an restored Pullman train car.  We stayed in a regular room  because the Pullman cars only have a queen bed. We like each other but not that much!!! And to be truthful we got a pretty cheap Groupon deal on a regular room.

This  the front of the old terminal. It now serves as the hotel lobby.

Anyway the neat thing about this city is that they have FREE public transportation. The bus comes by every 5 minutes and you can hop on and hop off anywhere you like. Even so we decided to use our feet and walk the city.

We got lost along the way and had a heck of a time finding the visitor's center. The funny thing is if we'd had taken the bus like everyone else it would have dropped us off right at the visitor's center.  But what fun is that?

The nice thing about walking is that you get to see things that you might not see from the window of a bus. You really get an up close look at the city.

A few of the things we saw that we wouldn't have seen from the bus...

This was a neat little shop that was off the main street AND we found a geocache with a travel bug hidden here.

As we were walking we saw this sign for the Murder Mystery Dinner Show and decided to come back for the 7 o'clock show. BTW the food was delicious but I have to say the show was corny. Funny but corny.

We could have seen this fountain with the fireman on the top from the bus...

But we wouldn't have been able to read the sign explaining what it was for.

And we got a good laugh at this.  If only the shop had been open we could have walked in and bought some memory. Maybe it would have helped us not to get lost...

And finally the real joy that comes from walking. 

We split this and since we walked about 7 miles each day we didn't even feel bad about it.

Well, we didn't feel bad about the first piece of cake but the second piece, the cupcakes and the almond horns from the German bakery now that's another story...Not sure how far we'd need to walk to make up those calories. 

Next time you're in a new city, get off the bus and use your feet! You may be surprised at what you find.

Blue Monday - Seeing Blue in Chattanooga

Before leaving on a weekend trip to Chattanooga I ran across a link up at Smiling Sally's blog. Blue Monday link up where everything is BLUE! I put it in the back of my mind to find blue things in Chattanooga and I wasn't disappointed.

Walking is a great way to banish the blues it's also a great way to find some.

Here's a few of the blues I found in Chattanooga to share for Blue Monday...

The Houston Museum of Decorative Arts

Anna Safley Houston spent her life collecting husbands and art glass. Born in Evening Shade Arkansas in 1876 she spent her life amassing a huge collection of colorful glassware, china, antique dolls, furniture and music boxes. At the time of her death she had over 15,000 water pitchers in her collection. Just a small portion is on display in the museum. It's said that  even though she had a limited education she was a shrewd business woman who treasured her collection more than her personal well being. 

Anna was an interesting character. She was married and divorced at least nine times that can be verified. Her favorite husband was James W Houston who even though he wasn't wealthy he did own a pick up truck. The truck came in handy for Anna as she bought estates and large pieces of furniture that needed to be transported!

The museum has a collection of 44 "Gibson Girl" plates illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson. The Royal Daulton Works in England produced a set of Gibson plates entitled," The Widow and Her Friends". On the top left is the first plate in this series. It shows a woman who's just lost her husband. As the plates progress she's having a jolly good time going out and having fun. So much fun that her friends have to give her a talking to. The last plate shows her as she settled down and has become a nun. So much for having fun!

While walking in Coolidge Park along the Tennessee River we came upon this guy. 

Blueboy Pull Toy #1

A statue that was purchased by the city of Chattanooga for $32,500 from local artist, John Petrey.

And at the Tennessee Aquarium I found these beautiful blue jelly fish.

Click HERE to check out this post on the Walnut Street Bridge. It's also blue! It was my favorite place to walk in Chattanooga.

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