If you're looking for a family getaway this summer that's an easy drive and has tons of fun things to do, Huntsville, AL is the place to go! Having grown up just 30 minutes west of Huntsville, it also holds a special place in my heart with both a link to childhood memories and home to much of my extended family. The high-tech city of Huntsville, which sprawls at the foot of a mountain in North Alabama, is equally at home in the 19th century or the 21st. Huntsville's tourist attractions reflect the heritage of Alabama's first English-speaking city, the strife of the American Civil War and the accomplishments of America's rocket scientists. My kiddos are true Floridians, born and raised so our favorite things to do when we head back "home" to north Alabama each summer is to explore the great outdoors! These kids are used to beaches, trees that are brown by the end of summer, and flat, flat land. The lush green foliage covered foothill mountains along with their cave systems and hiking trails are a literal breath of fresh air to us. This past summer, I decided it was time to check another item off of my personal bucket list, so we headed about 30 minutes east of Huntsville to Cathedral Caverns State Park. Originally called Bat Cave, Cathedral Caverns was opened to the public by Jacob Gurley in the 1950's. The cave was renamed because of its cathedral-like appearance. Purchased by the state in 1987, it was opened as a State Park in the summer of 2000. The first feature most people notice about Cathedral Caverns is its massive entrance. The huge opening measures 126 feet wide and 25 feet high, a possible world record for commercial caves. The grand entrance is only the beginning. Inside the cavern are some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has ever created including “Goliath”- one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference. Inside the cavern are some of the most beautiful formations Mother Nature has ever created including “Goliath”- one of the largest stalagmites in the world measuring 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumference. Cathedral Caverns features many amazing sites: a "frozen" waterfall, a large stalagmite forest and a most improbable stone formation - a stalagmite that is 27 feet tall and 3 inches wide! One of the many great things about this tour was the year-round 60° temperature of the cave (which felt amazing on a hot July day). This 60-90 minute tour took us on a 1.5 mile round-trip walk to the end of the paved walkway and back. The paved walkway also means this cave is even wheelchair accessible!
If a trip to north Alabama or south Tennessee are in your plans, I highly recommend a visit to the caverns! My crew included myself, my 13 year-old, 11 year-old, and 4 year-old, and this was an easy adventure for all 4 of us that we ALL greatly enjoyed!
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For the past year, I've been adding maternity gowns in a variety of colors and styles to my Client Closet. I want to provide Pensacola, Orange Beach, and surrounding areas the opportunity to have the perfect dress to show off the beauty of their pregnancy! Not only do these beautiful gowns fit a wide variety of body sizes and shapes ( I have dresses that fit sizes 4 - 24), they're just plain comfortable to wear! I've received SUCH positive reviews that I'm looking to add more dresses in more sizes, styles, and colors so that every mom has the opportunity to be photographed in the dress that perfectly suits her. Introducing Stock the Closet - Maternity Portrait Sessions. This is an amazing new program that benefits both the client and the photographer! I have a Wish List of fabulous, affordable Maternity Gowns that I would love to add to my collection. How does that benefit you? I'm glad you asked! Click here to see the dresses on my Wish List. Order the gown from my list that perfectly suits you. Wear that gown during your Pensacola, Orange Beach, Perdido Key, etc Maternity Photography session with me, and afterwards, turn it and the receipt in to me for credit towards your session fee! Any questions? Another amazing thing about many of these dresses (especially the 3 pictured below - available mid-July) is that they also make a stunning addition to your Newborn Photography, Family Photography, or Breastfeeding photography session! Finding Beauty in the Ordinary Photography offers Maternity Photography in northwest Florida that captures your family’s connections, emotions, and moments in a fun, natural way. Located in Pensacola and also offering family, newborn, and birth photography, service areas include but are not limited to Perdido Key, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Navarre, Pace, Milton, and Cantonment in Florida and Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Fairhope, and Daphne in south Alabama. Family portrait sessions tend to book up to one month in advance, while maternity, birth, and newborn sessions should be booked early in the second trimester to ensure availability at the time of delivery. Amanda offers a full service experience including a pre-session consultation, exclusive access to her Maternity and Newborn wardrobe, an online proofing gallery to share and download your included high-resolution digital images, and an array of professional print, canvas, and album options. I can’t wait to hear from you and help create your own beautiful heirloom memories!
Pensacola Photographer | Pensacola Family Photographer | Northwest Florida Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photographer| Gulf Shores Newborn Photographer |Pensacola Maternity Photographer | Pensacola Newborn Photography | Gulf Shores Maternity Photographer| Pensacola Birth Photographer | Pensacola Birth Photography| Orange Beach Family Photographer |
AuthorAmanda is the prop buying, location scouting, mom-bun rocking, flip flop wearing, owner/ operator/ and woman behind the camera for Finding Beauty in the Ordinary Photography. Categories
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Family Photography, Newborn Photography, Maternity photography, and Birth photography in Pensacola, Cantonment, Perdido Key, Pace, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Crestview, and Pensacola Beach, Florida and Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley, Elberta, Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort, Alabama.. |