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Birmingham mother takes family on exotic adventures during quarantine

May 2, 2020 By Kara Kennedy

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
Brittany Todd Miller and her daughter sip on tea in London

Parents have had to come up with more ways than ever before to entertain their children during these uncertain times. Many families have also taken this time to become closer by learning new things together. A Birmingham, Alabama mother recently took things to a higher level and amazed friends and family with her adventures called the ‘Quarantine Travel series.’  

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels to Italy
The Miller family first themed dinner was in Italy

No traveling during COVID-19

Brittany Todd Miller, a children’s party planner, used her creative ideas to help her husband, four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son experience imaginary and real-life exotic places during Alabama’s safer at home order. The quarantine travels also helped the family take their minds off of what is going on in the world with the COVID-19 virus.

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
Dinner out of this world in Outer Space!

“The ideas came to me when I was making spaghetti for dinner one night and calling it Italian night,” said Brittany, owner of Parties By B. “So, I called my husband and told him that since flights now are so cheap, that I went ahead and purchased some tickets to Italy and that I hope he didn’t mind. Of course, he didn’t believe me, but it did spark the idea to pretend like we were visiting Italy while eating dinner that night.” 

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
The family went to Japan one night for dinner

Dinner in Italy, India, Japan and Arendelle

By the time her husband got home that night, she had set the stage with props, for a pretend plane ride, complete with clouds, cafe lights and she made a gondola. After visiting Italy, the family embarked on many adventures around and out of this world including, India, Japan, Arendelle (the fictitious town in Disney’s Frozen, and chosen by Miller’s four-year-old daughter), Outer Space and England. The destinations were chosen based on what she was cooking for dinner and what decorations she had on hand. She also created some of the decorations with lots of hot glue and spray paint. Each themed dinner exhibited Miller’s attention to detail.

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
Brittany’s attention to detail is simply amazing, right down to the replica of London’s Big Ben.

Big Ben, London’s Tube and High Tea

Her most recent dinner in London was complete with a replica of Big Ben and a ride on London’s Tube. Simply put it was amazing.

“During this time in our life, community and world I believe that it is important to keep my family happy and safe. I’ve always loved themed parties and I used this family home time as an opportunity to use my gifts and make some fun family memories,” added Brittany. 

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
London’s dinner was London’s quintessential fish n chips!

Brittany’s daughter caught on to the travel fun immediately and loved the adventures as much as she did. Prior to ‘visiting’ or taking the adventure, the family learned something about each country or destination by watching YouTube videos and Disney movies. In addition, Brittany taught her daughter about each destination through activities themed crafts and coloring activities. 

Inspired Southerner Quarantine Travels
No trip to London would be complete without a ride of a double-decker bus.

She goes on to say that some of her family chores took a backseat during this time but the most important thing is that it was a learning experience for her children and other family members. You can follow more of Brittany’s creative party ideas on Instagram at Parties By B.

Filed Under: Family, Life, Travel Tagged With: COVID-19, Parties, Safer at home, Themed dinners, Tourism, Travel

Alabama design firm wins national awards for Bicentennial PastPort

December 18, 2019 By Kara Kennedy

Sponsored

Inspired Southerner PASTPORT
Tatum Design’s creative work for the PastPort wins local, regional and national awards

Tatum Design ‘s work for the Alabama Bicentennial PastPort initiative has earned 39 creative awards at the local, regional and national levels. To date, the PastPort has won 34 ADDY Awards, including four Golds and 20 Silvers at the local level, a “Best of Show” and five Gold regional ADDY Awards, and three Golds and one Silver at the 2018 American Advertising Award’s National ADDY competition in Chicago.

Award-winning PastPort Initiative

The PastPort brand and identity was the “Grand Prize Winner” and “Best of Region – South” at the 2018 HOW/PRINT Regional Design Awards and was selected to be featured in the prestigious 2020 Graphis Design Annual. Posters designed for the initiative will also be honored in the 2020 Graphis Poster Annual. The PastPort APP, which was designed by Tatum and programmed by MotionMobs, was showcased at this year’s Google Flutter Conference. 

Tatum Design
The Alabama PastPort tells unique stories about the history of the state.

Alabama Travel and Tourism

The Alabama Bicentennial Commission reached out to Tatum four years ago to help create a collateral piece that would encourage travel throughout the state leading up to Alabama’s 200th anniversary. However, Tatum envisioned something much bigger. As an Alabama-based design firm, they wanted to create a multi-faceted initiative that would set the tone for the entire statewide celebration and bring Alabama history to life like never before.

Tatum Design PastPort
Tatum Design led the PastPort creative and won 39 design awards

History in the Making

Tatum’s goal was to celebrate every county in the state, big and small, equally. Inspired by historical people, places and events, Tatum named the initiative and crafted an immersive brand that would allow people of all ages to personally connect with Alabama history and chronicle their adventures at stamp sites within every county as they explored the state. Tatum wanted the PastPort book to serve as an educational resource, travel guide and commemorative keepsake.

Alabama PastPort
Travelers learn about Alabama’s history with the PastPort

Collaborating with Alabama Bicentennial

Tatum designed custom artwork and wrote lively narratives for all 67 counties and each of the state’s seven geographical regions. The curation of subject matter was a collaborative process between Tatum Design and the Alabama Bicentennial Commission, as well as state archivists, historians and the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The research was a vital part of Tatum’s creative process, guiding the narratives and inspiring the custom artwork Tatum created for the PastPort book. 

“We wanted to tell the full, unbridled story, not just the familiar historical accounts we all learned in school,” said Wendy Tatum, Co-owner and Creative Director of Tatum Design. For the larger counties where well-known events took place, we dug deeper to bring the lesser-known details to light. While researching the smaller, more rural counties, we were led on adventures that uncovered more pieces of the puzzle and confirmed that every square inch of Alabama is uniquely fascinating, and every county plays an important role in the larger story of our state.” 

Inspired southerner PastPort
The PastPort tells the history of Alabama’s 67 counties

The Creative Process

Prior to the implementation of the PastPort initiative, Tatum tested its concept through extensive visioning exercises and helped attract sponsors by designing prototypes to demonstrate how all of the brand touchpoints would work together. From conception to launch, the project took 18 months to complete and required the tireless dedication of Tatum’s entire creative team. 

Tatum Design  Alabama PastPort
Travelers are encouraged to get their PastPort stamped when visiting Alabama attractions

“This was a project that was close to our hearts,” said Travis Tatum, Co-owner and Executive Creative Director of Tatum Design. “Our team is extremely collaborative by nature and by design. As Alabamians and as creatives, we felt a deep sense of responsibility to capture the true spirit of our people, our land and our history. We are truly honored to have led the creative efforts of this monumental initiative, and we are humbled by the overwhelming recognition our firm has received from so many prestigious design competitions.” 

For more information about Tatum Design, visit www.tatumdesign.com. 

Filed Under: Art, Life, Southern business, Travel Tagged With: Alabama Bicentennial, Alabama travel, bicentennial, PastPort, Tourism, Travel

Cheaha State Park is a fun day trip for the whole family

September 6, 2019 By Rebekah Ledbetter

Planning a day trip that the whole family will enjoy can be difficult. Especially now that school is back in session, but just 25 minutes off I-20’s exit 188 is Cheaha State Park.

Inspired Southerner Cheaha
Mt. Cheaha is Alabama’s highest peak. Photo by Cheaha State Park

Alabama’s highest peak

In the heart of the Talladega National Forest, stands Alabama’s highest peak, Mt. Cheaha. The mountain is 2,413 feet above sea level making it the highest point in Alabama. Anyone who visits or hikes to Mt. Cheaha will experience breathtaking views. Cheaha gets its name from the Creek Indian work chaha which means high place.

The boardwalk at Cheaha State Park is wheelchair accessible. Photo by Cheaha State Park.

Our state parks are one of Alabama’s greatest assets and they offer fun for everyone in the family. Cheaha State Park’s best feature is a boardwalk to one of the most beautiful overlooks in the state of Alabama. The boardwalk is handicap accessible. There are also stairs throughout the park that lead to the trails and which run alongside the boardwalk. The stairs are for the trailblazer of the family or those who want a challenge.

The boardwalk

At the end of the boardwalk is wheelchair accessible and there you will find a breathtaking view.  

Inspired Southerner Cheaha State Park
Mt. Cheaha State Park has breathtaking views

The adjacent hiking trails lead to Bald Rock, which is in front of the boardwalk. 

Inspired Southerner Cheaha State Park
The boardwalk leads to this scenic view. It is elevated and wheelchair accessible.

Another popular and recognizable feature of the park is the tower. 

Inspired Southerner Tower at Cheaha
Tower at Cheaha State Park

The tower

In front of the tower is a plaque which designates it as the tallest point in Alabama!

Be sure to take a few quarters for the viewfinder, and climb the stairs to the top of the tower for yet another incredible view! If you remembered to bring a few quarters up be sure to use that viewfinder to your advantage! 

Bigfoot

Across from the tower, you will find Bigfoot. Bigfoot’s purpose at Cheaha is to be the mascot of the 7 Leave No Trace principles. You will find Bigfoot along the trail as a reminder to be just like Bigfoot and ‘leave no trace’. 

Cheaha State Park has made plenty of improvements to the park, including renovations to the restaurant and the addition of the pool. Just across from the Welcome Center and Gift Shop is the Walt Farr Native American Relic Museum. There you will find an amazing collection of arrowheads, spearheads, and other Native American Treasures. 

In addition, Cheaha offers excellent sites for camping and has a hotel for overnight stays. For more information on these amenities, and for the park itself, be sure to check out their website here. 

Filed Under: Family, Inspiration, Life, Outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alabama, Alabama travel, day trip, Family, Outdoors, Southern Travel, Travel

Nashville: Opryland’s A Country Christmas a tradition for 35 years

December 20, 2018 By Kara Kennedy

Opryland’s A Country Christmas has been wowing audiences for 35 years and this year’s event is bigger and better than ever with the addition of an indoor/outdoor water attraction.

[Read more…] about Nashville: Opryland’s A Country Christmas a tradition for 35 years

Filed Under: Holidays, Life, Southern Cities, Travel Tagged With: A Country Christmas, Christmas, Nashville, Opryland, Tourism, Travel

Stop by PieLab in Greensboro, Alabama for a slice of pie, sense of community and joyful conversation

November 11, 2018 By Kara Kennedy

InspiredSoutherner PieLab
Michigan students visit PieLab. Photo courtesy of PieLab

On a recent day trip to Selma, Alabama a friend and I decided to drive through Greensboro, Alabama to have lunch at PieLab. I have been wanting try the restaurant for a while because they are especially known for their homemade pies.  [Read more…] about Stop by PieLab in Greensboro, Alabama for a slice of pie, sense of community and joyful conversation

Filed Under: Food, Life, Southern Cities, Travel Tagged With: Alabama, Greensboro Alabama, pie, PieLab, Travel

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We tell real stories about the south. ~Kara Kennedy, Publisher

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