Category: Travel

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1970s Blogging Driving Geography History Music Radio Travel

My American Splendor Cruise – Part 4

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. My journey continues in “The Shoals” – which I wrote about in a previous edition a couple of months ago. That’s the northwestern corner of Alabama along the Tennessee River centered around Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. Just as Huntsville and northeastern Alabama is “The Space Capital Of America” – Muscle Shoals and northwestern Alabama is “The Hit Recording Capital Of The World”.

I booked a premium shore excursion for the morning. Most of the shore excursions via American Cruise Lines are included as part of the cost of the cruise. Some cost extra money – particularly those that are exclusive and limited to a small group of people with transportation provided by a local tour company.

On Friday October 02ND 2026 I was with a small group of 7 music fans on an exclusive tour of three legendary music studios – courtesy of Mavis’s Movin’ & Groovin’ Tour Bus. Let me just state this right now for the record. It was one of the greatest shore excursions I’ve ever been on in my 35-year history of cruising.

I didn’t quite know what to expect, but as a hit music chart nerd of the past 50 years – growing up with Top 40 music in the 1970s – thinking that I would be part of the industry as an adult – this was an absolute bucket list tour. This was fully-narrated – mostly from our tour guide – a seasoned music industry insider who worked with the band Alabama. He led the tour from the time we got in the mini-van until 3½ hours later when we all thanked him immensely for guiding us through 75 years of U.S. music history – originating from various studios in “The Shoals”.

Our first stop was FAME Recording Studios on Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. Over 5,000 tracks have been recorded there over the past 65 years from some of the greatest music artists that ever lived (and still live today). We heard some of them via Spotify and Bluetooth speakers as well as the true stories behind them. I touched actual musical equipment that was utilized in many great hits on the radio.

Our next stop was Muscle Shoals Sound Studio at 3614 Jackson Highway (also an informal name for the studio) in Sheffield. This was my favorite of the 3 stops, and we had a different tour guide – a docent who worked there. It serves as a museum with multiple scheduled guided tours during the daytime (5 days a week – Tuesdays to Saturdays), and as a still active recording studio during the nighttime and on Sundays and Mondays. Over 3,000 tracks have been recorded there over the past 57 years. Most music artists recorded there back in the 1970s so that they could work with The Swampers. Yeah – those Swampers mentioned in the classic song “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Our final stop was Cypress Moon Studios on the banks of the Tennessee River just down the hill from downtown Sheffield. It served as the next home for the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio from 1978 until 2005 when The Swampers retired. Over 4,000 tracks were recorded there during that era.

Tomorrow on Facebook (#FollowUpFriday) I’ll write about some of the greatest hits you’ve definitely heard on the radio featuring The Swampers, and next #TravelThursday I’ll write about Savannah Tennessee. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Driving Geography Music Nature Photography Travel

My American Splendor Cruise – Part 3

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. My journey continues in Decatur Alabama on the south bank of the Tennessee River in the north-central part of the state a little over 30 miles south of the Tennessee state line.

We arrived just after 12 Noon on Thursday October 01ST 2026. What a great way to kickoff the first day of October – by arriving at my first port-of-call on my first river cruise. (The embarkation port of Chattanooga doesn’t technically count as a port-of-call since all of my fellow cruise passengers either flew there or drove there from all around the country.)

I signed-up for the shore excursion to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. This was a self-guided excursion, so everyone was on their own to see and do what they wanted to at their own pace. (We got free transportation to and from there as well as free admission.) I think I saw much of the botanical garden walking around, and I was not particularly impressed with it. I’ve been to some very nice botanical gardens in Florida. This was not as nice as any of them. There were a lot of workers there preparing for some type of special social event coming up. There were many tables set up along walkways with lots of party supplies on them. It looks like they were also preparing for the upcoming holiday season. Overall – the place didn’t really look too inviting to me as a first-time visitor.

The trek back to the cruise ship from Huntsville was actually more fascinating than the botanical garden. Due to extremely slow and congested afternoon rush hour traffic headed westbound out of Huntsville, and actually headed towards Decatur – our #ACL luxury coach driver decided to take a detour around much of the mess on I-565. He took the backroads (which is what I would’ve done as well, since I no longer drive any Interstates). He unknowingly took the luxury coach and all of us passengers on a couple of miles of dirty dusty unpaved public roadway. (Our driver apologized to all of us stating that he had no idea his Google Maps detour would eventually take us “off-road”, and he couldn’t back-up once the road suddenly went unpaved.)

It was quite the rocky ride before we made it back onto modern U.S. 31 into Decatur – where we connected with the heavy traffic again (going southbound). As it turns out – it was the opening night of “Rock The South” – a popular 4-day country music festival that was making its debut 7 miles away on the other side of Decatur. (That’s where all of the traffic was headed.)

Fun Facts: American Cruise Lines maintains its own large fleet of distinctive high-end luxury coach buses – at least one per ship, and in some cases 2 or 3. (My American Splendor cruise ship had 3 assigned, as we are one of their largest ships of nearly 180 passengers.) The buses follow or shadow their assigned ships, and they are utilized to transport the passengers to the ship on embarkation day, from the ship on debarkation day, and to and from shore excursions in-between. That makes #ACL unique in that they don’t rely on unpredictable locally-chartered buses. Their own employees drive their own buses around to each port. In some cases – for premium shore excursions – the operator of a local tour company will utilize their own private vans to transport cruise passengers. (I took such a tour the next day.)

Tomorrow on Facebook (#FollowUpFriday) I’ll write about the Irish entertainer that sung for us on that 2ND night on the ship. Oh – and I’ll tell you all about one of the greatest shore excursions I’ve ever been on – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Food Geography Travel

My American Splendor Cruise – Part 2

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. My journey continues from the Hotel Indigo in downtown Chattanooga to the American Splendor cruise ship on the Tennessee River about a half-mile away. The American Cruise Lines (#ACL) owned and operated luxury coach buses picked us up in 3 groups to take us to Ross’s Landing (on the river). I was in the middle group (2).

I walked on the American Splendor cruise ship just after 12 Noon on Wednesday September 30TH 2026. I was 1 of 176 passengers on the ship. I thought about heading straight to my stateroom on Deck 3 port side, but instead I headed straight ahead to the restaurant right there on Deck 1. I wanted my first river cruise meal (lunch) immediately !

A lady eventually joined me for lunch who was on her 25TH #ACL cruise. We talked about many of them, and she gave me advice since it was my inaugural #ACL cruise. A couple from 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth Texas eventually joined us, and I chatted with them about my family who lives caddy-corner from them in the vast DFW Metroplex – 30 miles northeast of Dallas Texas. I’d encounter (and sit and chat with) that couple a few more times that same day.

After lunch I headed to my stateroom, and I was impressed. It met my expectations. My single balcony cabin was everything I expected it to be. I especially appreciated the modern digital Honeywell thermostat that controlled the temperature and fan. I’ve never had one of those in a cruise ship stateroom before. It’s the little things that matter.

We pulled away from the dock several minutes early, and we headed downstream on the Tennessee River towards the Central Time Zone and northern Alabama.

After dinner (which started at 5:30 PM) I headed back to my stateroom, went out on my balcony, and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the Tennessee River. We went through our first of 6 locks at Nickajack Dam. I watched most of the operation as we slowed down, pulled-in, stopped, attached ourselves to the walls of the lock, and dropped down about 39 feet from the higher lake level to the lower lake level. It was quite impressive to watch how it all worked from three decks up. It was my first such experience ever. Gravity is amazing !

Fun Facts: Out of the 176 passengers I was – believe it or not – not the youngest of them all. I saw a few women who were definitely younger than me – perhaps in their 40s (maybe even 30s). But the other 170 or so were definitely in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s. That’s my type of crowd ! I live in a 55+ neighborhood where I’m one of the youngest residents. I serve with the Sebring Historical Society where I’m one of the youngest volunteers. I attend Highlands Community Church where I represent the youngest one-quarter of the congregation. I’m in my element onboard the American Splendor cruise ship !

Tomorrow on Facebook (#FollowUpFriday) I’ll write about our entertainer on that first night, and next #TravelThursday I’ll write about our first port-of-call in Decatur Alabama including my shore excursion to the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Driving Geography Internet Music Travel

My American Splendor Cruise – Part 1

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. For 6 weeks – I wrote about “The Bluegrass State” (June 25TH), “The Hoosier State” (July 02ND), “The Buckeye State” (July 09TH), “The Mountain State” (July 16TH), “The Keystone State” (July 23RD), and “My Ohio River Cruise” (July 30TH) – that was unfortunately cancelled.

So I rebooked a replacement cruise, and for the next 10 weeks I wrote about “My Replacement Cruise” (August 06TH), “The Volunteer State” (August 13TH), “The Yellowhammer State” (August 20TH), “The Bluegrass State” (August 27TH), “The Scenic City” (September 03RD), “The River City & The Rocket City” (September 10TH), “The Renaissance City” (September 17TH), “Catfish Capital Of The World” (September 24TH), “Village Between The Lakes” (October 01ST), and finally “Music City U.S.A.” (October 08TH).

And of course last week I revealed that I had returned back home from Nashville and that replacement cruise. A few of you close to me knew that I was away, but most of you found out last #TravelThursday – after the fact. For those of you on Social Media (which is all of you, since you’re reading this blog) – you never ever want to announce to the whole world that you’re away on vacation. Wait until after you’ve returned, and then reveal it to the masses, and then of course tell us all about it, or as much as you wish to share. That’s what I plan to do starting with this edition and probably continuing every Thursday through the end of the year.

So let’s get started. My journey began at 6:50 AM on Tuesday September 29TH 2026 when I began my drive to my favorite airport – Sarasota-Bradenton (#SRQ). Of course my patience was tested early on in my journey leaving Avon Park on Florida State Road 64. I was trapped behind a slow truck carrying a giant boat on a trailer (from U.S. 27 to U.S. 17). How ironic since I’d be enjoying a cruise on a giant boat in a little over 24 hours. After the truck / boat combo pulled off – a school bus making multiple stops to pick-up Hardee County kids took its place – followed by a small fuel truck. Of course I was tailgated by multiple different vehicles while being trapped behind all three slower-moving vehicles.

Finding a parking space in the main long-term lot at #SRQ was easy. Check-in was a breeze (as always), and I was inside the terminal sitting at my gate a little over 15 minutes after shutting off my car in the parking lot. As always – #SRQ was catering to their most common demographics by playing the greatest radio hits of the 1970s loudly over their sound system. As usual – I was lip-syncing and subtly dancing in my chair.

The Delta flights from #SRQ to #ATL, and from #ATL to #CHA were uneventful. They each took off and landed early. The baggage carousel in Chattanooga gets started with the sound of a choo-choo train approaching. It took a while for my Uber to arrive. I didn’t order it until after I retrieved my luggage. I should’ve ordered it as I was walking off the plane. The Uber ride along I-75, I-24, and U.S. 27 was somewhat terrifying, but I arrived safely and securely at the pre-cruise hotel within 25 minutes.

Fun Facts: That was only my 2ND time ever using Uber. My first time was 8½ years ago after a previous (Disney) cruise out of Miami with my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces.

Tomorrow on Facebook (#FollowUpFriday) I’ll write about my hotel and dinner in downtown Chattanooga, and next #TravelThursday I’ll finally board the American Splendor cruise ship on the Tennessee River. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp