*The rivalry between Bama and Auburn is real. Just seeing the license plate battle (who had which team on their plate) says it all.
*The light poles of The Old Grey Lady (the nickname of Legion Field) had to be at least 50 years old. They had weather worn rust and looked all of their age. Kind of like some of us fans.
*The So. Florida fans were unfortunate having the shady side of the field. Most of the time that is an advantage, especially in the south and summertime. Not so much on December 29 with a gusty cold front blowing through the night before the game.
*Birmingham is surrounded by the most southern end of the Appalachian mountain chain and that part of Appalachia is a striking feature of the city and area. I must say rather beautiful.
*Uptown Birmingham is nice, albeit a bit new by all appearances. It’s in the heart of downtown and had some nice restaurants and entertainment. It is a nice feature for Birmingham to showcase.
*I-20 through Atlanta reminded me of NASCAR--again. Everyone does 70 mph and above—easy.
*I am convinced that car turn signals are outlawed in Alabama. It seems that very, very few people used them. (See note on NASCAR and I-20 above…)
*You know you are in the south when you have the option of buying “Dreamland Barbeque” from one of those mobile van hitch and go restaurants.
*Sometimes the best part of traveling is turning down and getting some much needed sleep.
*The next best thing sometimes is the wake up free breakfast at the hotel. It’s never good to overeat, but…
*How is that 18 hour bowl game trips feel like 7 days after the fact??
*Having 2 bowl game travelers made some things less complicated. For example when people car pooled and traveled with 8 or more it can make choosing the place to eat a bit more complicated.
*Columbia SC feels more southern than Birmingham AL. It’s an intuitive thing. Hard to say why but it just feels that way.
*The Vulcan statue is an impressive sight as it oversees the city of Birmingham and gives a nod to metalworking and production of steel in the city.
*You know you are in the southern Appalachians when the warm up street party has a band with an electric ukulele and an electric banjo.
*Hotel coffee is never as good as the stuff at home. Never.
*Mid-level bowl games are less expensive in all ways compared to the major bowls. Cheap is good sometimes.
*It’s ok to lose a bowl game. It is obvious that many mid-level bowls are very family friendly. I saw tons of younger fans. That’s a good thing. Again, cheaper is good especially with families with kids who went to the bowl.
*This was my second bowl game. First was the Liberty Bowl in 2006. Lots of fun. Highly recommend if one is willing to spend the money and time.
*Most of all, hanging out with my son, Austin, now that is priceless.
*GO GAMECOCKS! Hoping to go bowling in 2017 in a bigger and better bowl.
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