(Photo) Toomer’s Drugs.

Piece 1: The Hotel at Auburn University/Toomers Drugs/Campus Walkabout. Auburn University (AU) in Auburn AL, located in the central part of the state just east of Montgomery, features an architecturally and horticulturally beautiful campus.

For our little adventure to the area, we based ourselves at The Hotel at Auburn, located on the edge of campus off South College Street. This lodging option is very comfortable and convenient to most points of interest at AU.

From the hotel, it was an easy stroll to Toomer’s Drugs, located across from famed “Toomer’s Corner” (at the intersection of South College Street and East Magnolia Avenue) where fans drape large trees with toilet paper to celebrate football victories.

The drugstore dates back to the late 1800’s and is a classic soda fountain-style layout known for its fresh-squeezed lemonade. Also, take notice of the decorative tile floor when you enter!

We did a campus walkabout on a Monday morning just after the start of the academic term, and it was fun being within the throng of students briskly moving along Thatch Avenue (a mainly pedestrian and non-motorized road that cuts through the middle of campus) toward their first class of the day.

The clock tower at Samford Hall, an attractive focal point where Thatch intersects South College, is viewable from The Hotel at Auburn.

My “Heisman Pose” at Jordan Hare

Piece 2: Jordan Hare Stadium Tour/AU Bookstore/AU Student Center. In planning our visit to Auburn University (AU), we definitely wanted to get a tour of Jordan Hare Stadium (where the school’s football team plays).

I connected with Ben Thomas, a former AU football player now serving the University as Director of Facilities, and he arranged for two students to give us a peek inside parts of the stadium most people don’t see.

We saw the decorative and memorabilia-laden hospitality space (used for recruiting student athletes), which includes the Heisman Trophies won by AU football legends Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Cam Newton.

We also got to walk through the home locker room, and saw the inside of the stadium from field level.

Back outside, along the eastern edge of Jordan Hare, statues commemorate significant AU football players and coaches…right across from the campus green.

The stadium is close to the Haley Center, which includes the campus bookstore (full of souvenirs and attire), and the AU Student Center, where we enjoyed a lunch of Bodda Burger sliders (made with AU-raised beef). Yum!

Touchable Plants (Kreher Sensory Forest)

Piece 3: Kreher Preserve & Nature Center. Traveling north on College Street, the Kreher Preserve is about a 10-minute drive from the center of the Auburn University (AU) Campus.

A property of the AU College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, the Preserve offers trails for nature walks and hikes, educational programs/activities for adults and youth, and several exhibits.

Structures on the property include a well-appointed open air pavilion/classroom and a 150-seat multilevel amphitheater.

I would say the most interesting feature of the Preserve is the Sensory Forest. This accessible trail engages all seven external senses; the five we always think about (sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste) plus the vestibular sense of balance/movement and the proprioception sense of body awareness/coordination.

It’s a unique experience in nature for all ages.

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