Birmingham Pilgrimage
By Greater Birmingham CVB
05/19/2008
Throughout history, religious pilgrimages have drawn the faithful to significant sites all around the world. For many people, a pilgrimage is the spiritual experience of a lifetime. Located in the stretch of the American South known as the Bible Belt, Birmingham, Alabama receives thousands of religious devotees each year to tour the area’s sacred sites and religious communities.
Contact Information:
t: view phone 800-458-8085 ext. 206
e: view email twalton@birminghamal.org
w: view URL http://www.inbirmingham.org
- Tour the studios of America's premier Catholic TV network
- Visit the Gothic Cathedral of St. Paul
- Luncg at Niki's West
- Miniatures of world-famous pilgrimage sites
- Our Lady of the Angels Monastery Farm
Tour Dates:
Number of Days: 1
DAY 1: The Quiet Side
Start your morning in the “Little Everglades of the North” – the 32,000
acre, world-famous Horicon Marsh. Enjoy a one-hour narrated sightseeing
pontoon boat from Blue Heron Landing. Observe the different
bird species, plant life and animals in their natural habitat. Break
for lunch at Ginger’s Hide-Away. Head over to Widmer’s Cheese
Cellar in Theresa, Wisc.; one of the few original, family-owned stores
that makes Wisconsin so famous for cheese. For more than 80 years,
Widmer’s has produced some of the finest Brick, Cheddar and Colby
cheese in the world. Continue your afternoon with a scenic drive
through the glacier carved Kettle Moraine. Visit the Henry S. Reuss
Ice Age Visitor Center. Learn through film, exhibits, and panoramas
how the glaciers of the last Ice Age shaped the landscape of the
Kettle Moraine area. Overnight in Fond du Lac with dinner and
entertainment.
DAY 2: The Wild Side
Return to the time of stagecoach travel and see a community where
Yankee refinement met the Wisconsin wilderness – The Wade House.
Meander down the winding country roads and enjoy lunch and
shopping at the Country Crafts Barn. Built in 1885, this big red barn is
situated on a picturesque farm nestled in the rolling hills of the Kettle
Moraine. Pet a llama or see the fainting goats at Villa Loretto. This
unusual ranch run by nuns is part of the retirement complex they
operate. Enjoy a treat from the “Nun Better Bakery.” Fond du Lac
County is bountiful in harvest and beautiful in color. Taste the flavors
of fall, as you dip your own caramel apples or enjoy hot apple pie
and cider at the Little Farmer Orchard. Take a hayride into a field and
pick your own pumpkins. Relax on the drive along the shores of
Wisconsin’s largest inland lake, Lake Winnebago. View the fall colors
of 400-acre showcase Lakeside Park through a telescope from the top
of the Lookout Lighthouse. Finish off your day with a relaxing dinner
and overnight in Fond du Lac.
DAY 3: The Heart of Fond du Lac
Begin your day in the heart of Fond du Lac at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
View one of the finest collections of German and American woodcarvings
in the United States. The four-foot carved angel rod beams,
beautiful stained glass and old church lore are not to be missed.
Shop Fond du Lac’s Kristmas Kringle Shoppe. This two-story
Bavarian-style shop resembles streets of quaint European shops, lined
with themed Christmas trees, collectibles for all seasons, animated
figures, and imported ornaments. Stop for an early lunch at
Schreiner’s Restaurant, famous for their homemade bakery, daily specials
and New England clam chowder. Travel to the country for
change of scenery at Larson’s Famous Clydesdales Ranch, where the
gentle giants live. There is no other show like it in the United States.
See demonstrations and hear the story of a little lady’s love for the
gentle giants. This is an experience your group won’t forget.
