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(01-03-2013 08:41 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Been there a few years ago & I agree (San Diego Zoo).

My daughter has yet to have her first major city journey. Took mine when I was 12, to Chicago (true story, I never laid eyes on Atlanta until the age of 25!). Would love for her to have and enjoy an experience at the San Diego Zoo like I did when I first went there, I wonder if that overhead monorail is still there?. That was by far the best time I'd ever had at a zoo, I was there for almost 4 hours and still didn't get to see it all, the place was that damn big...What about Nashville? Do they have a quality zoo facility?

(01-03-2013 08:48 PM)Matrix Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 08:41 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Been there a few years ago & I agree (San Diego Zoo).

My daughter has yet to have her first major city journey. Took mine when I was 12, to Chicago (true story, I never laid eyes on Atlanta until the age of 25!). Would love for her to have and enjoy an experience at the San Diego Zoo like I did when I first went there, I wonder if that overhead monorail is still there?. That was by far the best time I'd ever had at a zoo, I was there for almost 4 hours and still didn't get to see it all, the place was that damn big...What about Nashville? Do they have a quality zoo facility?

The Nashville zoo is called Grassmere. I've heard it is nice. If you ever have a free afternoon in Washington DC, I highly reccomend taking in the National Zoo. No the one on Capitol hill, at eh Pentagon or in the White House, but the one with real animals on Connecticut Avenue NW.

I don't recall a monorail, however in looking at video I took there, there were several places where they had escalators to help you get around. That place was huge. I think we stood in line for over half an hour waiting to see the pandas.

I don't have too many other experiences with zoos, so I don't know about what Nashville has.

The Bham Zoo has had some very good improvements in the last few years.

In regards to Safari type areas, Disney's Animal Kingdom was ok, but could use more stuff.

There also is another Safari attraction in Florida I believe, but I cannot remember where it is.
I went there as a kid & you could drive your car up to the animals.

(01-03-2013 08:58 PM)BlazerPhil Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 08:48 PM)Matrix Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 08:41 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  Been there a few years ago & I agree (San Diego Zoo).

My daughter has yet to have her first major city journey. Took mine when I was 12, to Chicago (true story, I never laid eyes on Atlanta until the age of 25!). Would love for her to have and enjoy an experience at the San Diego Zoo like I did when I first went there, I wonder if that overhead monorail is still there?. That was by far the best time I'd ever had at a zoo, I was there for almost 4 hours and still didn't get to see it all, the place was that damn big...What about Nashville? Do they have a quality zoo facility?

The Nashville zoo is called Grassmere. I've heard it is nice. If you ever have a free afternoon in Washington DC, I highly reccomend taking in the National Zoo. No the one on Capitol hill, at eh Pentagon or in the White House, but the one with real animals on Connecticut Avenue NW.

Noted, Phil!

A website called TripAdvisor rated The Memphis Zoo as the #1 zoo in the country. Unlike Birminghamians, Memphians celebrated the rating and seems proud of their attraction.

It is definitely the best zoo I have seen in this region and highly worth the visit. Memphis, San Diego, Atlanta and Washington are the only 4 zoos with pandas.

(01-03-2013 09:02 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  I don't recall a monorail, however in looking at video I took there, there were several places where they had escalators to help you get around. That place was huge. I think we stood in line for over half an hour waiting to see the pandas.

I don't have too many other experiences with zoos, so I don't know about what Nashville has.

The Bham Zoo has had some very good improvements in the last few years.

In regards to Safari type areas, Disney's Animal Kingdom was ok, but could use more stuff.

There also is another Safari attraction in Florida I believe, but I cannot remember where it is.
I went there as a kid & you could drive your car up to the animals.

I'm sorry...It was something I'd ridden that allows you to oversee the complex from above, can't remember if it was a monorail or not, it was impressive, just the same. Whatever happened to "Lion Country Safari?" wasn't there something like that in Louisiana a while back?

(01-03-2013 09:18 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  A website called TripAdvisor rated The Memphis Zoo as the #1 zoo in the country. Unlike Birminghamians, Memphians celebrated the rating and seems proud of their attraction.

Thus my "self-loathing" comment earlier.

It's sad that the hub of the damn state gets so little respect from so many people who depend on it so heavily in one way or another.

That may have been what I was talking about, I was very young so I couldn't remember the location.

Found this in South Florida.

http://www.lioncountrysafari.com/

(01-03-2013 07:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  I may come off ass a gaping *******, but it's only in response to a core constituent group that gang up and treat everyone else like second class citizens.

My point was Birmingham was not a city until over 6 years after the civil war. was i incorrect in that statement? There is one antebellum home in the area that has civil war significance, but outside of that, the area has no major civil war attractions. Please name for me any civil war battles of significance from the area... And considering Arlington to be a major civil war attraction is a stretch.

I guess stating facts gets you called a dumb bastard around here?

the point about when birmingham became a city was to be frank just plain stupid. pittsburgh was founded in 1758 and became a city in 1816 do you think the museums in pittsburgh ignore what happened before 1816 because it was before it was a city or before 1758 because it was before it was a village? this may be shocking to you but history books and museums include information on areas before cities were chartered and in some cases before white europeans became part of the picture. HISTORY DOES NOT START WHEN A CITY IS CHARTERED

your point about the area not having a significant civil war history was legit

(01-03-2013 09:50 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 09:18 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  A website called TripAdvisor rated The Memphis Zoo as the #1 zoo in the country. Unlike Birminghamians, Memphians celebrated the rating and seems proud of their attraction.

Thus my "self-loathing" comment earlier.

It's sad that the hub of the damn state gets so little respect from so many people who depend on it so heavily in one way or another.

No doubt

(01-03-2013 09:18 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  A website called TripAdvisor rated The Memphis Zoo as the #1 zoo in the country. Unlike Birminghamians, Memphians celebrated the rating and seems proud of their attraction.

It is definitely the best zoo I have seen in this region and highly worth the visit. Memphis, San Diego, Atlanta and Washington are the only 4 zoos with pandas.

I was going to chime in about this zoo, but you beat me to it. I went there a couple of years ago with my wife, and it was one of the best experiences I've had at a zoo. If you are looking for a zoo that is somewhat close, I would definitely suggest Memphis over any of the other ones in the area.

(01-03-2013 08:40 PM)Matrix Wrote:  I've driven or walked past that plantation home (Arlington) countless times, and cannot recall whatsoever any desire to visit its' confines.

I've never seen anyone on the grounds, either. Is it actually up for tourists to patronize or is it closed to the public?

Arlington was hardly a plantation. It was the home of Judge Mudd. Elyton/Jefferson County soil was not good growing area for plantation style operations and lack of convenient river transport made it a real back water. Mudd cooperated with Union troops inplanning an attack on Tuscaloosa and burning the university (God Bless the Union).
Arlington was known as the Grove when owned by Mudd and basically had a house staff of slaves (any slaves owned was horrible but it was hardly Tara). Arlington was bought by one of the Union officers and named after Robert E. Lee's home which was appropriated to be the cemetary which it is to this day. The house had its heyday when bought by industrialists who extensively renovated the place (Munger family who also built 4 large houses in that neighborhood that still stand and look great!). Arlington is not a good antebellum example at all but is instead a good example of a house that has changed and evolved with changing times like the city it is in. The city acquired it in the 50's and it became a museum. It hosts weddings, meetings and has wonderful food for events and in the summer has Thursday lunches that sell out early. The collection of antiques is very good if you are into that sort of thing and the staff works closely with the local neighborhood association and the chair of the board live a block from the place in an old Munger house. There is very little emphasis on the antebellum nature of Arlington and more on the decorative arts and full history of the place. I understand any reticense by African Americans for any antebellum stuff but Arlington goes out of its way to be very senstive and in no way glorifies the "old South" as you see at some larger similar museums. Full disclosure while I was president of Arlington West End neighborhood in college and law school in late 70-s-early 80's I got involved and di several events there and have been on the board ever since. I don't know beans about antiques and decorative arts but it is a wonderful facility for meetings/weddings and such and is a part of our history. Give it a try Matrix.

For all the crud in this thread, I've learned quite a bit about Birmingham. Lots of lesser known, yet interesting tidbits in here.

Elyton was primarily sustained by its location where roads from other parts of the state converged in its valley. The best farm land in the Jones Valley area was in the eastern section where the city's airport eventually took much of it. This is where "truck crops" were later grown and the Italian grocers like the Bruno family got their start. Crossroad hub towns like Elyton were not major military objectives as no rail lines existed here, but it did serve as a focal point for forays out to other targets like the U of AL (at that time run as a military type school) and the Tannehill Iron Works. That is probably what saved Arlington House from destruction and that it was relatively a new house.

Did you know that Robert Jemison, one of the "Barons", was the designer of two cities in this area? One was Fairfield in the western section of the valley and the other was Mountain Terrace / Mountain Brook in the eastern section. The Jemison family remains one of the areas aristocratic families from that period.

(01-04-2013 11:05 AM)uabrsc3 Wrote:  

(01-03-2013 08:40 PM)Matrix Wrote:  I've driven or walked past that plantation home (Arlington) countless times, and cannot recall whatsoever any desire to visit its' confines.

I've never seen anyone on the grounds, either. Is it actually up for tourists to patronize or is it closed to the public?

Arlington was hardly a plantation. It was the home of Judge Mudd. Elyton/Jefferson County soil was not good growing area for plantation style operations and lack of convenient river transport made it a real back water. Mudd cooperated with Union troops inplanning an attack on Tuscaloosa and burning the university (God Bless the Union).
Arlington was known as the Grove when owned by Mudd and basically had a house staff of slaves (any slaves owned was horrible but it was hardly Tara). Arlington was bought by one of the Union officers and named after Robert E. Lee's home which was appropriated to be the cemetary which it is to this day. The house had its heyday when bought by industrialists who extensively renovated the place (Munger family who also built 4 large houses in that neighborhood that still stand and look great!). Arlington is not a good antebellum example at all but is instead a good example of a house that has changed and evolved with changing times like the city it is in. The city acquired it in the 50's and it became a museum. It hosts weddings, meetings and has wonderful food for events and in the summer has Thursday lunches that sell out early. The collection of antiques is very good if you are into that sort of thing and the staff works closely with the local neighborhood association and the chair of the board live a block from the place in an old Munger house. There is very little emphasis on the antebellum nature of Arlington and more on the decorative arts and full history of the place. I understand any reticense by African Americans for any antebellum stuff but Arlington goes out of its way to be very senstive and in no way glorifies the "old South" as you see at some larger similar museums. Full disclosure while I was president of Arlington West End neighborhood in college and law school in late 70-s-early 80's I got involved and di several events there and have been on the board ever since. I don't know beans about antiques and decorative arts but it is a wonderful facility for meetings/weddings and such and is a part of our history. Give it a try Matrix.

Nothing like illumination. Okay, "rsc3", I'll pay it a visit sometime this spring, I'll have a little more time to myself around then.

Birmingham's zoo is much nicer than it used to be. It is well worth checking out. I take my grandson there when I get the chance.

(01-04-2013 02:03 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  Elyton was primarily sustained by its location where roads from other parts of the state converged in its valley. The best farm land in the Jones Valley area was in the eastern section where the city's airport eventually took much of it. This is where "truck crops" were later grown and the Italian grocers like the Bruno family got their start. Crossroad hub towns like Elyton were not major military objectives as no rail lines existed here, but it did serve as a focal point for forays out to other targets like the U of AL (at that time run as a military type school) and the Tannehill Iron Works. That is probably what saved Arlington House from destruction and that it was relatively a new house.

Did you know that Robert Jemison, one of the "Barons", was the designer of two cities in this area? One was Fairfield in the western section of the valley and the other was Mountain Terrace / Mountain Brook in the eastern section. The Jemison family remains one of the areas aristocratic families from that period.

Well I learned something Bamanblazerfan- I well knew the Jemison Mountain Brook connection but either forgot or did not know the Fairfield one...but it sure makes sense that he did. I remember Marie Jemison...that was one southern lady larger than life character!

Gosh... we are finally learning s**t up in here. It's a miracle!

(01-04-2013 06:09 PM)BlazingGoat Wrote:  Gosh... we are finally learning s**t up in here. It's a miracle!

Happy New Year, "Goat On Fire!"

While you all debate Birmingham's tourism merits, downtown and southside is packed to the brim all over the place with Ole Miss fans for the bowl game. Lots of good things being said about bham on twitter