Shirley and Bob Visit Gillian and David
(and Sheriff and Clyde)
Birmingham, Alabama
October 4 - 20, 2024



Day 1, Friday, October 4

Our neighborhood friend Reenie drives us to Park & Ride, where a Groome bus picks us up and takes us to San Francisco International Airport. We catch our Delta airline flight to Atlanta with really nice first class seats. We have an easy, short lay over in Atlanta and then catch our flight to Birmingham - takeoff to landing is 36 minutes. We arrive there at night.

After picking up our suitcases we take the very short walk to the Enterprise car rental, get our car, and head to our VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner). We get lost trying to find it, but do get there. It is a nice two bedroom home at 5641 6th Court South, Birmingham, AL 35212.

There is a downside - trains go by on rails about a block or two away. They go by about 5 or 6 times a night during sleep hours. One of the bedrooms faces in the direction of the tracks.

Day 2, Saturday, October 5

We drive over to Gillian's home, then she, David and we drive together to the Farmers' Market, where Bob immediately buys chocolate chip cookies. And eats them. We attend the Greek festival, which is very crowded, then eat lunch at a picnic table under a shade tree. We visit the Greek Orthodox Cathedral across the street.

We drive back and Bob rests (he has an ear ache), while Shirley goes grocery shopping at WalMart. By the time she returns Bob's ear ache has cured. Now home, Shirley is greeted by the local skeleton. She then prepares dinner.

David and Gillian drive over to our place for dinner. After dinner they return home - Gillian will work at a wedding reception tonight.

Day 3, Sunday, October 6

David and Gillian are looking to move to a different house, so we spend much of the day looking at homes that are for sale. For example: 4986 Eagle Crest Road Birmingham, AL

And here is the Zillow description - (as available on October 22, 2024).

After that we return to our place and Shirley once again prepares a wonderful dinner. This time including pan fries with two different seasonings, a salad, tomatoes and avocados, honey dew melon, and ice cream.

Soon after dinner Gillian heads off to work on a wedding reception.

Day 4, Monday, October 7

We start the day by going grocery shopping at Publix. David gets a library card for the Avondale branch of the library so Shirley and Bob can check out books. Both Gillian and David are working today. Bob goes for a walk of a couple of miles in the neighborhood, then is joined by Shirley to continue walking. The walk includes a narrow road/walkway that goes behind the house in which we are staying. It's a very pleasant walk on another day of good weather - like the weather for our entire trip.

David comes over for lunch, which of course Shirley prepares. Thank you Shirley!

Shirley prepares another great dinner, this time Spanish rice, carrot salad, watermelon, and ice cream. David and Gillian come over after work for dinner. Since they both must work again tomorrow, they stay only a short time after dinner.

Day 5, Tuesday, October 8

It was a slow, peaceful morning, followed by a very busy day. Shirley and Bob go to the Avondale library and walk around the wonderful park next to it. The park includes a lake with a fountain - and a goose. And an elephant - ok, a statue of one. Then we walk in the nearby neighborhood.


In the afternoon we meet David at his place and walk with Sheriff in their neighborhood.

In the late afternoon, around 5 PM, all four of us (plus Sheriff) start walking along the Irondale Furnace Trail which has a creek running right next to it. This makes Sheriff quite happy - he and David get in the creek.



Day 6, Wednesday, October 9

Bob and Shirley visit the library and walk around the pond outside the library. Then Shirley goes shopping at Walmart. That afternoon we visit David and take pictures of the fish in his aquarium. In the evening Gillian and David come over to our place for dinner.


Day 7, Thursday, October 10

Bob and Shirley visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.








We then go to two stores: Publix and Michaels art supply store.

Gillian and David come over for dinner. We also watch TV.

Day 8, Friday, October 11

In the morning we look at 3 homes for sale, the second of which is of most interest, but it is under probate.

Then David drives all of us, including Sheriff (but not Clyde) south to the city of Fairhope near the coast. It is supposed to be a 4 hour drive, but the highway is shut down at one point while police pursue a woman suspected of kidnapping. So it is about a 6 hour drive with lots of traffic.

We check into the Key West Inn and eat dinner at Sunset Point restaurant.

Day 9, Saturday, October 12

In the morning we drive out to the beach and walk along the beach and out onto a pier. As instructed, we do not feed any alligators. (OK, we don't see any either). David persuades Bob to actually take off his shoes on the beach and step into the water. Later, David, Gillian and Sheriff all climb off the pier and get in the water. Walking along the pier we see lots of minnows.




We then walk around Fairhope, stopping at an ice cream shop, a toy store, and the restaurant Sage, where we eat dinner.

Then we drive back to the Key West Inn for the night.

Day 10, Sunday, October 13

In the morning we first drive to Magnolia beach where David and Sheriff swim. Then we walk along the beach and see a Butterfly Sanctuary. We then drop off Sheriff and eat lunch at the Sweetwater Cafe.


The highlight of the day is next. We drive to the Fairhope Tea Plantation. As we park near the owner's home we are greeted by large, beautiful peacocks. The owner Donnie Barrett greets us. (And during the tour Bob notices a couple of spiders and cannot resist taking their pictures.)


Donnie gives an incredible lecture about growing and making tea. He has 61,000 plants in his plantation, which is the oldest tea plantation in the United States. In order to learn more about tea, Donnie had traveled to China. At the end of his lecture and tour, he invites us to tables outside his home and serves wonderful cups of tea.

Next we visit the Grand Hotel in order to watch and hear them fire their cannon, which is done once a day. We park and are walking toward the area when the cannon goes off. We then go inside and get some free chocolate chip cookies. We also walk around the Hotel grounds which are pretty.



After visiting the hotel, David drives us back to our hotel. We settle down in our room and David and Gillian go to a musical at an Irish pub. In the evening David comes over to our room for a bit.

Day 11, Monday, October 14

Today is travel day - back to Birmingham from Fairhope. We leave around 9:30 AM, make a stop for Gillian at a coffee shop, then drive back in 4 1/2 hours (instead of the 6 1/2 hour drive down) because there are no big traffic problems. Everyone eats dinner at our place, which of course Shirley prepares.

Day 12, Tuesday, October 15

Early in the morning, Bob walks around the block returning by the alley way/driveway/road behind the house and taking plant pictures.

Then Shirley and Bob go to the grocery store. Later, Shirley and Bob walk in the neighborhood seeing many Halloween decorations. So many skeletons!

We drive over to David's and he, Sheriff and we walk around his neighborhood. Later, David comes to our place for another great dinner, prepared of course by Shirley.

After Gillian returns from work, we take a dinner over for her and all watch the TV show Dancing With The Stars.

Day 13, Wednesday, October 16

Shirley and Bob go to the Birmingam Zoo, which has lots of animals that are fun to see, including among many others, flamingos, giraffes, reptiles and more.








We come back and Bob goes walking with David and Gillian while Shirley prepares another great dinner for all of us.

Day 14, Thursday, October 17

In the morning Bob and Shirley visit the ... Art Gallery which has paintings and sculptures from all over the world, both indoors and outside.

In the early afternoon we walk with David and Sheriff around their neighborhood. Later Gillian gets back from work and we drive over to a nearby creek and walk.

For dinner, we all visit EL BARRIO restaurante y bar.

Day 15, Friday, October 18

Shirley and Bob return all their library books and go shopping at Walmart. Then we go walking with David and Sheriff in his neighborhood. Shirley prepares dinner and all four us eat at our place. Then we go over to Gillian's home and watch "Woman of the Hour" along with Gillian and David's good friend Andrew.

Today Gillian and David break their incredible news. Gillian is pregnant! This will be their first child. Shirley and Bob will be grandparents for the first time. (Later, David temporarily decorates the car window.)

Day 16, Saturday, October 19

We all visit the Birmingham Farmers Market in the morning.

Then Bob, Gillian, David and Sheriff hike on trails in the Oak Mountain State Park, which is forested and beautiful. The trails lead up to a wonderful overlook.



Once again Shirley prepares and we all eat a wonderful dinner together. We share final hugs as Shirley and Bob fly home tomorrow.

Day 17, Sunday, October 20

Shirley and Bob must return their rental car by 1 PM at the Birmingham airport. Our Delta flight leaves at 3:38 PM, so we have time to hang around at the airport. The flight to Atlanta takes just over 1/2 hour, but time zone change makes arrival well after 5 PM (it takes a while after touch down for the plane to actually get to the gate for various reasons). We arrive and then walk very, very fast (and take a shuttle train) to get to the right terminal - different from the one at which we landed. We get to the departure gate shortly before boarding begins. The flight to San Francisco goes smoothly, we pick up our luggage, and soon thereafter board the bus back to Santa Rosa.

Our good friend Reenie must pick us up after 10 PM at the Park and Ride bus stop and drives us home. Thank you Reenie!

Photos by Shirley and Bob

Adventures of Shirley and Bob

Other Websites
By Bob:

Bob Phillips [phillips bob 27 at yahoo dot com - no spaces]
Santa Rosa, CA
May 30, 2023