Birmingham Boxing

This morning when we woke up it was overcast and looked like it was going to rain. I checked the weather and yes it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. We decided to set out letterboxing in Birmingham for as long as the weather allowed. The morning went well - just a little overcast and chilly.

We started our day near Trinity Medical Center at a Fitness Course. We walked about a mile and found two boxes. There were suppose to be three boxes but when we found the hollow stump there were only rocks and no box. But we did enjoy our walk - it was a nice peaceful place and we only saw two other people. From here we made our way to Altamont Park. There is an overlook here where you can see the city and more than that Sloss Furnace. The box we found was G is for Ghost Stories and it is about a man named Jowers that was killed at the furnace and supposedly still haunts it. The box was easy to find and I sat and stamped in and then took a couple of pictures before we moved on. We drove to Ramsey Park, there are two sections of the park - one north of Country Club Rd. and one south. There is a box in each section. I found both without problems, stamped in and replaced them.

Our next stop was the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I had clues for three boxes here and one of the boxes was a series of two. When we entered the gardens we got a printed map and then checked out the big display map in the courtyard. I read all the clues and figured out where all the boxes were (to an extent) - one had you go to different areas to get info before making it to the next part. First we went to one garden and got info for the puzzle box then went to another garden and found our first box. I sat in a gazebo and stamped in and then put the box back into place. Then we continued on with the puzzle. We gathered our info and made our way to the first box. Unfortunately I think the box is missing - the clues were pretty straight forward and we couldn't find it. The clues stated you needed info from the first box to find the second box. But reading the clues to the end it is easy to figure out where you need to be. So we made our way to that garden and found the box. After stamping in we went inside to the library and found the third box. I found a table and stamped in and the put the box back where I found it. We really enjoyed the gardens. Even though it was late Fall there were still some flowers left. There were also some dried hydrangeas that were just as beautiful. I can't even imagine how spectacular that place is in the Spring.

By the time we left the Gardens (we were there for about two and a half hours just enjoying the place) we decided to get some lunch. I punched in food places in the Garmin and we found a sandwich place. So we drove there to find that it was not a restaurant but a catering place. But they did sell box lunches with a sandwich, chips, a deviled egg, and a brownie. We took the lunches to go and drove to Vulcan Park. There was a box here and we decided we could have a picnic lunch before looking for it. We ended up eating in the car because it had become more overcast and a little colder. So when we finished eating we headed up the hill to look for the box. It was a pretty easy find and I sat on some stairs to stamp in. After rehiding the box we walked around the park. This park is home to the largest cast iron sculpture in the world - a 56 foot statue of Vulcan. He sits atop a very tall pedestal and overlooks the city of Birmingham. We were going to up to the top of the pedestal to get a better view of the city but it was too cold so we just decided to move on. After leaving Vulcan Park we drove to Rhodes Park and looked for a box. It took a little time either because I wasn't reading the clues right or they were off a bit. But I eventually found it and of course that is when it decided to start raining. It was just a light drizzle so I was able to get under a tree and keep dry. I replaced the box and returned to the car. The rain came down a little harder. So Thomas and I decided to go to the movie. The only thing was that the movie we wanted to see didn't start for about two and a half hours. I looked at the clues we still had and found a couple of drive-bys that we could snag and bring to the car to stamp in. The first one gave us trouble finding and with the rain we decided to stop and go to the next one. The second one I found without a problem. I actually sat in the car and read the clues and found the landmarks and spotted the tree I needed where the box was. So a quick dash later and I had the box in the car and stamped in there. I replaced the box quickly and got back to the car just as the rain really started coming down.

Even though we still had a little over an hour to wait for the movie we decided to head to McWane Science Center and hang out where it was dry. We went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I at the IMAX Dome. We got our tickets and just sat and talked until it was time for the movie. First, I really thought the movie was incredible and thoroughly enjoyed it. And second, seeing it at the IMAX Dome was fantastic. It was Harry Potter beyond huge and all over the place. I wish we had this kind of theater in Santa Fe. The movie was pretty long and by the time we got out it was 6:30pm and we wanted to grab a quick bite to eat and fill the car with gas before returning to the hotel to get packed for our trip home tomorrow. So we made a couple of stops and got to the hotel and packed. Everything is now ready for our early morning flight home. We had a pretty good trip overall but I will be glad to get home.