Bike on a Tree, Andalusia, AL

My family loves to stop at antique stores, consignment shops, and flea markets. Many times, we stumble onto things that are specific to the area that we are visiting. For example, a coastal town may have a large supply of vintage fishing gear and antique bobbers. While towns near a railroad may have a large selection of antique railroad signs. Each town is very different, so each stop provides something new, or maybe I should say “old”, and interesting. We have come across some cool stuff over the years, some we purchased, and some we left for the next traveler to enjoy. 

On our way back from Panama City Beach, we stopped in the small town of Andalusia, AL. Andalusia is the home of the Picket Fence, Antiques and Flea as well as the Blue Goose garden center. The garden center is located on the same property and just in front of the antique store. On our way back to the car, we walked up on this old bike hanging on a tree. In that moment, the bizarre page was inspired. If you are ever in Andalusia, stop and take a photo with the bike hanging on a tree.

The Celadon, Panama City Beach Florida

Vacasa’s Celadon is a beautiful high-rise beach resort located on the white sands of Panama City Beach Florida. The location is outstanding; it is conveniently located just west of Pier Park. Being situated near the end of the main strip offers all the usual conveniences of a tourist town while avoiding the major crowds. This high rise stands an impressive twenty-two stories tall and offers amazing views. On our getaway, we were situated on the 16th floor of this massive building. The balcony was spacious and comfortable, it was beautifully decorated, and it was the perfect spot to enjoy my morning coffee. However, the 16th floor was on the cusp of being too high to fully enjoy the view. It is my experience that a beach-front balcony offers the best view when staying on the 7th-10th floor. 

The Celadon offers several amenities, heated indoor/outdoor pools, hot tubs, workout facility, and event space. During our visit, one of the two heated pools was closed for maintenance. This was unfortunate for us since it happened to be the indoor pool. We visited during the off-season and the indoor pool was a large part of our decision to stay at the Celadon. On the plus side, the larger of the two pools and the two hot tubs were still operational and we had perfect weather for most of our trip. 

The Celadon hosts a large number of privately owned beach-front condominiums. For this reason, making reservations can be done through Vacasa’s website or a third-party site such as Vrbo. We found this property on Vrbo and drawn to it due to the high number of outstanding reviews. Any property with over 100 positive reviews is a no-brainer. After staying here for the week, I can honestly say that the positive reviews are well deserved. The owner gave us a call during booking, she was friendly, knowledgeable, and stayed in touch throughout the trip. The condo was well stocked with the usual amenities and even had beach items such as chairs, umbrellas, beach towels, and sand buckets. This amazing vacation getaway is clean, comfortable, and nicely decorated with many inspirational items. It is noticeable that the owner has gone above and beyond to ensure you have an enjoyable stay. 

You can book Cynthia’s Condo through Vrbo by clicking here or searching for listing number 1011228.

Sleep Inn Review, Millbrook, AL, Overnight Stay, Great Experience!

While en route to our destination, we normally stay at chain hotels such as Choice Hotels, Best Western, Marriot, the usuals. I generally do not review overnight stays. However, going forward I will pick at least one outstanding experience to feature on the site.

For the first overnight stay post, I have chosen the Sleep Inn located in Millbrook, AL. When we checked in at the Sleep Inn, the front desk attendant was super nice, and our check-in went smoothly. We made it to our room which was clean and well stocked with all of the standard necessities.

Much to my surprise, our printer was out of toner on the day we departed so I still needed to print our parking pass for our condo. After a failed attempt at using the computer located in the business center, the front desk was happy to help. She printed my document for me, and I was back to my room in no time at all.

The next morning, I went downstairs for a complimentary hot breakfast. They offered the usual oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, and a few pastries, but they also had biscuits. They had microwavable egg and cheese biscuits as well as chicken biscuits. I chose to combine the two and have a chicken egg and cheese. I also had a cup of hotel coffee. I am not sure if they use the same coffee as other choice hotels or if I really needed a cup of joe, but the coffee here was surprisingly good. I even took a cup to go.

We had been driving for around an hour when I realized that I had forgotten something important back in the room. It was something we could not leave behind, so we phoned the front desk and made our way back. The morning desk was just as nice and helpful as the night desk had been.

If I rated things on a star system, then this hotel would receive 5-stars. If I ranked from one to ten, then this experience would receive a ten. But I don’t, I simply share my experience and this experience was a good one. If you are in Millbrook Alabama, do not hesitate to stay at the Sleep Inn.