MAYBERRY, I mean, CULLMAN

Three weekends ago (still catching up on my posting...) Josh and I decided to really explore downtown Cullman. This is what we found....

Our first stop was to a local BBQ place called Johnny's Bar-B-Q. (We ordered what you see in the picture to your left.) It was delicious!! One thing we have learned about Alabama: they make good BBQ. This place had a white sauce (as you can see) like a lot of places in Alabama... I loved the sauce. Josh did not as he has an aversion to most white condiments... mayonaise, sour cream, white cheeses, ranch dressing or anything with any combination of any of these.

Our next stop was an an architectural salvage and antique store in downtown cullman called Southern Accents. As you can see by the entrance to their store, they too were affected by the tornados back in April, but they are still open for business!!

This store was absolutely amazing... Josh and I browsed through the whole place picking out front doors, hardware, mirrors, lighting and this fireplace mantel for a future house :)

Our next stop was just a couple of blocks over on this cute little street with lots of clothing, stationary and furniture/decoration boutiques. I love what they did with this old warehouse turned retail strip.

Just a couple of streets over from the pictures above we saw this....

It was definitely a rude awakening to see once again the damage that happened in only a matter of hours. There is still a lot of cleanup to be done in Cullman (and throughout the state.) When I see these images, all I can do is pray for those who lost loved ones, pray for those who lost their homes and businesses and thank God that he spared us and kept us safe during that time.

And that sums up our day in downtown Cullman. There is still a lot that Josh and I want to explore in the area including the Ave Maria Grotto which is a monastary in the heart of Cullman that is beautiful (so we have heard) and also has many hiking trails.