Saturday Getaways in Birmingham!

This was one of those weekends with nothing planned that we knew we had to get out of town.  I love living in Meridian, I really do, but as for things to do in the town itself...there isn't much if nothing is planned or scheduled.  Luckily, there are so many awesome cities and towns just a short drive away, within bounds, that there is always somewhere to explore.

After weighing the practical and fun sides of some different places, our finger landed on Birmingham on the map for this Saturday.  Birmingham is about two and a half hours from Meridian and a super easy drive.  (We went this fall for Rob's birthday)  We woke up in the morning, got ready quick, and started the drive.  We stopped about halfway in Tuscaloosa to grab iced coffees from Dunkin' Donuts (as good as I remember!) before finishing the drive.  First stop in Birmingham was First Avenue Rocks.

First Avenue Rocks is a 5,000 square foot indoor rock climbing facility.  Located in an old warehouse downtown, it was the perfect spot to do something active while the weather is still "not so nice".  I've never done anything like this before but figured I was pretty active and would be able to wing it.  Holy geez, this is a lot of fun but quite a workout!  I don't know why but I pictured myself being harnessed in but the majority of the gym was free climbing (no ropes/wires).  After getting over my initial jitters, we had a great time climbing and my triceps and shoulders definitely felt it the next morning.

We worked up an appetite while climbing so we grabbed lunch at Urban Standard.   Rob and I split the pimento cheese sandwich and the duck BBQ.  The pimento cheese was a little eclectic for my tastes but the pulled barbecue duck with pickled granny smith apples....amazing!  I would definitely like to come back and try their coffee and breakfast.

After lunch, we hit the more practical (but still fun for us!) stops: a two story Target (dreams do come true!) and Whole Foods.  We spent a ridiculous amount of time in both and loved every minute of it.  Thank goodness we packed a cooler to bring home tons of goodies.  A fridge full of healthy food made for an easy and inspired week of meal planning!