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Category Archives: Hotels

A Few Great Days In Florence, AL. Part 1 of 5

A view from the tower towards Pickwick Lake. This Marriott Hotel was excellent in every way!
A view from the tower towards Pickwick Lake. This Marriott Hotel was excellent in every way!

APtravelnews-October 23rd—Florence, AL. and Lauderdale, County is quite progressively moving forward with offering locals and visitors some of the best historical, modern as well as iconic music entertainment and even spiritual attractions, excellent restaurants and accommodations that AL. has to offer.  Barb and I, thanks to the very professional, yet extremely friendly, Georgia Carter Turner from Florence and Lauderdale Tourism Development Council,  brought us in to familiarize us with many opportunities that all visitors can take advantage of as well.

We stayed at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Conference Center, which offered excellent buffet breakfasts, lunch and dinners at Swampers Restaurant (see images of our meals) comfortable rooms and even an indoor and outdoor impressive swimming pool and spa. The staff was very pleasant and friendly; the elevator never kept you waiting- it was as fast as any I have ever experienced. The beds were perfect!  It’s tough to be comfortable traveling and bed-hopping, but here we slept comfortably and bedded down on the 6th floor watching vast sunsets and sun-ups over a panoramic view of hill and dale, viewing the nearby waters of Muscle Shoals and the Tennessee River. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/msimc-marriott-shoals-hotel-and-spa/

Salmon and sauteed Brussel,Sprouts at Swamper's Restaurant in the lobby area of the Marriott!
Salmon and sauteed Brussel,Sprouts at Swamper’s Restaurant in the lobby area of the Marriott!
Welcome Center new and special for Florence, Lauderdale and every visitor!
Welcome Center new and special for Florence, Lauderdale and every visitor!
Steak and fried green tomatoes. Even Pres. Bushes favorite vegetable (not) Broccoli! Dat's a meal!
Steak and fried green tomatoes. Even Pres. Bushes favorite vegetable (not) Broccoli! Dat’s a meal!

Early Monday morning, writer Rebecca McCormick from Hot Springs Arkansas  and I were scheduled  to fish Pickwick Lake with Guide Lance Walker. It sure was cool traveling at 75-miles per hour with his Skeeter Boat powered by a 250-hp Yamaha, but we got to cover plenty of water and with a bit of a cold-front, the fish had a bit of lockjaw. Fortunately, we carried Click-It Hot Hand Warmers. Lance loved using these near instant reusable units in his hands and on his back too. Fortunately we had the right guide. Lance knew where they lived and we popped a 9-pound largemouth, a 4-pound smallmouth and a few additional bass in the 4-pound range. Plenty of great fish to photo and release (see images). Overall a fabulous fishing adventure!  www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1466300-pickwick-bass-fishing-showing-out-again

After a wash-up, we headed for lunch and ice cream at Trowbridge’s on Main Street in Florence. The diminutive place is an iconic, very reasonably priced lunch spot with ice cream to cry for “more. Along with the lively crowd, we enjoyed sharing this long-time fun-spot that felt like a throw-back to the 50’s. Pimento Cheese sandwiches were long time favorites, and I had a Butter Pecan Milk Shake that I can’t wait to taste again-WOW! www.yelp.com No there was more to come: Stay tuned for our dinner at Ricatoni’s Italian Grill and later; Arx Mortis Haunted attraction, back door tour. It was so spooky and really scary! Note: See lots more in next posts about our whirlwind adventures in Florence and Muscle Shoals, AL. Check out their website at:  www.visitflorenceal.com  We’re Going back for sure!

Our fishing guide, Lance Walker knows where they live (a nine-pounder) and he knows how to knock on their door!
Our fishing guide, Lance Walker knows where they live (a nine-pounder) and he knows how to knock on their door!
The display at the welcome Center shows various types of bass that are found in the TN. and Lake Pickwick.
The display at the welcome Center shows various types of bass that are found in the TN. and Lake Pickwick.

Saluda, N.C. and the Gem On the Hill

APtravelnews-Saluda, N.C-Beautifully located in the quaint town of Saluda, the Orchard Inn is the perfect western North Carolina bed and breakfast for you if you’re looking for a relaxing mountain getaway. These great hosts offer carefully designed bed and breakfast rooms and rustic cabins in the western North Carolina mountains, you’ll experience Southern hospitality right at their doorstep. We’ve been there twice and love this place!

Nestled in the foothills of western North Carolina, the Orchard Inn is a historic structure surrounded by the splendor of Mother Nature. If you’re coming from the north, you’ll descend through the lower Blue Ridge mountains and valleys to just below the village of Saluda, whose entire downtown area has been designated on the National Historic Register. From the south, you wind from the upper piedmont into the foothills; then, by the “old road”, a Scenic By-way, up through the Pacolet River gorge past rocky falls so close they mist your windshield. Either way, as you approach the Orchard Inn up the long winding driveway, the rest of the world falls away and you enter a mountaintop escape on 12 peaceful acres. The elegant intimacy and warm hospitality of the Orchard Inn create the perfect atmosphere for an unforgettable stay in their bed and breakfast in western NC.

Featured Orchard Inn Events & Specials

Don’t Miss These Spooky Asheville Halloween Activities

There is holiday each fall that children and adults look forward to, Halloween. We at Orchard Inn love the fall here in the Western North Carolina mountains and…Learn More

Apple Festival in Hendersonville NC

Fun to the Core: Enjoy the Apple Festival in Hendersonville NC

If there is one thing that is well known about the North Carolina mountains is that we have some of the best apples around. Each fall, people come…Learn More

From their Blog  Spa Services for Couples Near Asheville

If you’re looking for a little romance during your visit…Read More

The Orchard Inn! Eminently One of only 2 Of Our Favorite Mountain Retreats

The constant travelers!
The constant travelers!

APtravelnews-June 23rd, Saluda, NC.-An Elegant Mountain Retreat has it all; serenity, great victuals, memorable views, access to excellent outdoor venues. Well, Barb and I want to share this Inn with you! Oh, almost forgot; terrific, friendly hosts!

(800) 581-3800  website www.orchardinn.com
(828) 749-5471

A Historic Bed & Breakfast in North Carolina

Featured Orchard Inn Events & Specials

Apple Festival in Hendersonville NC

Fun to the Core: Enjoy the Apple Festival in Hendersonville NC

If there is one thing that is well known about the North Carolina mountains is that we have some of the best apples around. Each fall, people come…Learn More

Coon Dog Day Festival

52nd Annual Coon Dog Day Festival

There are few festivals that are centered just on dogs – coon dogs, to be exact. However, the Annual Coon Dog Festival in Saluda, NC is one such…Learn More

From Our Blog

Spa Services for Couples Near Asheville

If you’re looking for a little romance during your visit…Read More

What is a Bed and Breakfast? – A Look Inside B&Bs from The Orchard Inn

Have you ever felt lost or unappreciated during a hotel…Read More

Broadway Is Back at The Playhouse on Rodney Square in Delaware

APtravelnews- Wilmington, DEL 4/19/15…Big time Broadway is back at The Playhouse on Rodney Square.  Previously known as the DuPont Theatre, The Playhouse on Rodney Square’s 2015-2016 production schedule has just been unveiled.  It features six high profile Broadway favorites.  The season begins with the ever popular Annie (Dec. 1-6) followed by “Chicago – The Musical” (Jan. 2-17), “Mama Mia!” (Mar. 4-6), “Blue Man Group” (Mar. 17-20), “Forty-Second Street” (Apr. 19-24) and concludes with the riveting “Jersey Boys”
(May 10-15). The Playhouse on Rodney Square is now being managed by the Grand Opera House which is also located in Wilmington less than two blocks from The Playhouse.  Steve Bailey, the Managing Director of Programming at both the Grand and The Playhouse on Rodney Square said “We recognize the Playhouse on Rodney Square as a community asset that we are managing on their (DuPont’s) behalf.”  Executive Director Mark Fields points out that “The former 102-year-old DuPont Theatre is the longest continuously operating Broadway touring house in the country.  It’s also one of the smallest.”  According to Fields, this presents a serious challenge for The Playhouse on Rodney Square.  Therefore the budget for the new season represents a 25 percent increase over last year’s expenditures when DuPont was at the helm and the new theatre leadership has teamed up with Innovation Arts & Entertainment, an innovative Chicago-based company, to ensure the success of their commitment to book the best that Broadway has to offer.  Fields said Adam Epstein, the firm’s head, “…has the connections, and quite frankly, the clout to deliver a Broadway series in Wilmington that you (theatre patrons) want and that we think you deserve.”Season tickets are now on sale at www.theplayhousede.org, by calling 302-888-0200 and at the box office.  Packages range from $140 for a four-show package to $590 for premium weekend seats for all six shows.  Individual show tickets will go on sale in late summer or early fall.In addition to the six Broadway plays, Bailey says the 1,240-seat Playhouse will also serve as an alternate venue for concerts.  If the 1,208-seat Grand is not available, event sponsors now have the option to book at The Playhouse.  Lyn Lewis
[email protected]
100 West 10th Street, Suite 20
Wilmington, DE 19801
P: 302-295-2212
F: 302-652-4726
VisitWilmingtonDE.comThe Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization founded in 1978, chartered by the Governor of Delaware, the New Castle County Executive and the Mayor of Wilmington. Its mission is to serve as the community’s customer-focused destination marketing organization, generating economic growth through leisure travel and meetings development by aggressively marketing attractions, facilities, amenities and services for visitors.