Rent-A-Dog at the Pike Co. Animal Shelter

Hello again!

Today’s post will not be focusing on a specific place in Troy, Alabama, instead it will explore an activity that just recently became available to the Troy community.

The Pike County Animal Shelter, Troy’s local shelter for cats, dogs and other pets, has recently started a program called “Rent A Dog.”

How it works is very simple: anyone interested in taking a shelter dog out for the day can simply swing by the Animal Shelter. Here, they can pick out a dog that they are interested in spending time with. They can take this dog anywhere that is friendly to pets in Troy, including Petsense, the park, etc. When they are done, they simply bring the dog back to the shelter!

 

(Pictured: Hope is a shelter dog who is currently looking for a forever home, but in the meantime would love to spend a day playing with someone interested in renting a dog!)

There are many benefits to the shelter having this program. The dogs in their shelter spend much of their time in cages, with perhaps only one short walk to stretch their legs a day. With the rent a dog program, the shelter volunteers’ workload is made lighter, as they do not have to worry about walking as many dogs.

Additionally, the dogs get valuable socialization time not only with many different people, but also get a change of scenery by getting to explore different environments. This makes the dogs easier to adopt out to a greater variety of home structures.

However, there are also benefits to people wanting to rent shelter dogs out for a day. If a person or family is considering bringing a pet into their home permanently, spending some one-on-one time with a dog for a whole day gives them a feel for what the dog is like and whether it is right for them.

Another benefit is that people, especially students, who are animal lovers but may not have the means to own one can still go play with a dog—which can be a nice break from the stress of classes and studying!

Rent a Pet is a collaboration of resources by people and animal shelters that benefits both parties in the end!

If you are interested in Renting a dog out for the day, the Pike County Animal Shelter is located on 904 Henderson Highway in Troy, AL. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

Happy Travels!

Top 6 Restaurants In Troy, AL

Hello All!

I hope you have brought your appetites with you, because in this blog post I will be talking about my top 6 picks for restaurants in Troy, Alabama. Although Troy is what most would consider a small town, it features many different and interesting places to grab a bite to eat.

 I would like to notify my readers that this post is based off my opinion only. So without making you wait any longer, lets dig in!

1.       Mossy Grove Schoolhouse (Best Steak)

Although the name is misleading, this hidden gem is no longer an educational institute. Instead, you can buy one of the best meals in town! Mossy Grove features a variety of seafood items on their menu ranging from fried oysters, catfish, crab and shrimp, their steaks (marinated in a secret sauce and topped with pineapples) are a must if you are considering stopping here for dinner!

2.       Hook’s BBQ (Best BBQ)

 

(Pictured: view of the front of Hook’s BBQ restaurant)

Hook’s is the best around for barbeque, hands down. If you’re looking for date ideas, their sample platter that comes with virtually a little bit of everything on their menu is only $13 and more than enough food for two people! However, if you’re looking at going solo, their ribs are a must-try. (and if you have room for dessert, try their pound cake! Word of caution: be prepared to leave with the smokey barbeque smell clinging to your hair and clothes!

3.       Flo’s (Best Wings)

Flo’s can be a bit hard to find slightly off the main Square, and it’s even harder to catch them during their sporadic business hours—but the food is definitely worth it. They feature a fairly simple menu of burgers and sandwiches, but their wings, which come in several different flavors are the best around—come dine here with several hours to kill, as they cook everything to-order!

4.       Sips on the Square (Best Pizza & donuts)

Unique, made-from-scratch pizzas and beer—what’s not to love? Sips is the best local pizza joint in town. And on an unrelated (to pizza anyway) note, if you can wake up early enough in the morning, they also serve the best donuts in town!

5.       Julia’s (Best Breakfast)

In Troy, we don’t have breakfast at Tiffany’s—we have breakfast (or brunch if you’re not an early riser) at Julia’s! Their all-you-can-eat buffet is sure to please!

6.       Sister’s (Best Home Cooking)

Although Julia’s also has great southern-style comfort food, Sister’s also deserves a spot on this list. Their fried chicken is renowned throughout Troy.

A reminder to my readers that these opinions are mine alone. I did not receive any kickbacks from featuring these restaurants in my article (although I wish I had.) Some of these restaurants we will visit individually and in-depth in future blog posts, but this short list of the best should tide you over until the main course.

Bon Appetit & Happy Travels!

Park Street Sidewalks

Hello, All!

I made it back from Tennessee, and now it is time to start talking about the great city of Troy, Alabama again!

Today we are going to talk about some pretty big changes that are currently underway in the downtown area on Park Street!

If anyone passes by this area on a regular basis, you might have noticed bright orange traffic cones lining the side of the street, construction trucks and workers and roadwork signs. This is because the city of Troy is constructing a sidewalk down the street!

Troy’s TAP2016 project works towards implementing the Downtown Plan by working on the pedestrian and bicycle link between the University and downtown.

This sidewalk aims at giving residents of Troy an alternate transportation route that is safe from motorists on the actual street.

Having sidewalks that completely link the downtown area to Troy University also promotes healthier habits such as walking or cycling to class, work or for leisure or exercise.

According to Melissa Sanders, the director of planning and zoning for the city of Troy, the addition of this new sidewalk also aims at encouraging new developments such as businesses, apartment complexes and more.

“The addition of the approximately 1340’ of concrete sidewalk will improve the existing transportation system, as well as, enhance the overall curb appeal along Park Street in this area. The addition of a concrete sidewalk will greatly impact the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists traveling to and from downtown Troy and Troy University. The new sidewalk will provide a designated walking and biking path where none previously existed. Additionally, the proposed sidewalk will provide an ADA compliant travel way over steep slopes related to the nearby ravine and drainage features.  In the area adjacent to the ravine/drainage area, there will be a railing to improve safety of the pedestrians and bicyclists using the sidewalk.” 

And while Sanders could not definitely say without a shadow of a doubt that these new sidewalks would promote tourism in the downtown area, she did confirm that there is a large draw to tourism that comes with having maintained, easily accessible sidewalks in an area. After all, people are more likely to frequent places of interest if they are easier and safer to access.

Check back next week for more content!

Happy Travels!

2019 Journalism Symposium

Cover Shot:

This Monday, Troy University's Hall School of Journalism and Communications held its annual Journalism Symposium. This year's speaker was Troy alumni Micah Grimes, who is the head of social media for NBC and MSNBC.

Establishing Shot:

A lot of preparation went into ensuring that the symposium ran smoothly. Here is a panoramic shot of the last minute setting up that was done by TROY TrojanVision News, presenters and more.

Detail Shot #1:

The theme of this year's symposium was use of social media for journalistic purposes, notably, Twitter. Pictured here are some students using their smartphones to document the events that occurred at the symposium. Students could tweet questions for the speaker using the hashtag, "#TroyGrimes."

Detail Shot #2:

Many faculty and staff members helped to put the symposium together. Even Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. stopped by to help introduce Grimes.

Detail Shot #3:

Students listened as Grimes shared invaluable lessons that he learned from his many years of professional experience.

Filler Shot #1:

Not only was the symposium a chance for student journalists to cover an impactful story, journalists from other stations and papers came to cover the events that took place.

 

Filler Shot #2:

Micah Grimes, who was also a football player for the Troy Trojans during his undergraduate years, incorporated themes of learning from your losses and mistakes and utilizing them in order to become a better journalist.

Filler Shot #3:

Robbyn Taylor, a lecturer of the Hall School of Journalism, served as the symposium's moderator. I worked alongside her as a panelist and helped her answer questions from the audience.

 

Filler Shot #4:

Micah used this PowerPoint slide to explain to the audience the different ways information has been distributed as well as the rapid advancements made just over the past few years.

Closing Shot:

After the symposium ended, Steve Stewart, a professor who is retiring at the end of this year shook Micah's hand and thanked him for his time.

Exploring Murfreesboro: A Sidebar

Hello again!

As I mentioned previously in my other blog for this week, I am currently in Murfreesboro, Tennessee attending 2019’s Southeastern Journalism Conference at Middle Tennessee State University. If you would like to read more about the conference and MTSU’s campus, you can read my other blog here.

There is a lot going on at this conference, and MTSU is a large campus with an equally large number of events and things to do!

However, the city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee itself is rich in history and full of many interesting landmarks, places and things to do.

Murfreesboro is the fastest growing city in Tennessee, as well as one of the fastest growing cities in the country. It is considered part of the Nashville metropolitan area of middle Tennessee. Since it is only an hour away from Nashville, a hotspot for the music industry, many concerts featuring musicians—several of which are local rising stars are regularly held.

Murfreesboro is also home to many historical landmarks and museums. In fact, Murfreesboro has existed since the Civil War era, with two significant battles, The First Battle of Murfreesboro and The Battle of Stones River (also called The Battle of Murfreesboro) being fought here. Additionally, World War II resulted in Murfreesboro becoming a critical area for industry and manufacturing. The Nissan plant is currently the largest employer for the city.

Many immigrants, especially from countries significantly impacted by warfare, have settled in Murfreesboro. Notably, Somalians and Kurds have made there home here, which in turn has attracted more international students for MTSU, located in the city. Controversy erupted in Murfreesboro when plans for a community center and mosque faced backlash from anti-Islam activists. The center was the target for vandalism, and protests from both sides as well as the issue itself was the subject of national attention. The center and mosque were officially restored in time for the end of Ramadan in 2012, and all remaining lawsuits were dismissed by 2014.

Murfreesboro is home to several museums for history and science, including the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring and the Stones River National Battlefield, which features artifacts and information regarding the Battle of Stones River mentioned earlier. It also features several parks such as Old Fort Park, a 50-acre park that includes baseball fields, tennis courts, a playground, golf course and bike trails.

As mentioned in my previous post, I will be back next week posting more content related more so to traveling around Troy, so be sure to visit my blog then!

Happy Travels!

SEJC at MTSU

Greetings, all!

This week we will take a slight diversion away from traveling around Troy, Alabama, and instead focus on a group of people from Troy that are traveling to a different state in pursuit of furthering their education. I have spent the past few days in Murfreesboro, Tennessee attending the Southeastern Journalism Conference representing Troy University. There are a total of 13 students attending and competing in on-site competitions, and learning from the many speakers and workshops the conference has to offer regarding multimedia journalism. We are learning a lot in the few short days we have been here!

This year, the Southeastern Journalism Conference (or SEJC for short) is being held at Middle Tennessee State University (or MTSU for short.) SEJC is an annual conference that approximately 45 colleges throughout the southeast participate in. The goal of the conference is to strengthen the ties between these colleges and their respective student journalism organizations while providing lectures, workshops and networking opportunities so that those in attendance can expand their knowledge, skills and contacts within the profession. Click this link for more information regarding SEJC.

Middle Tennessee State University sprawls across over 500 acres of the city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Its current overall enrollment consists of almost 22,000 students. Some of their more successful schools and programs are their agriculture, biomedical, and communication and journalism departments. The latter department is one of the major reasons why MTSU was chosen as 2019’s Southeastern Journalism Conference location. Sidelines, MTSU’s independent student newspaper, is an award-winning digital news source for students that covers events around campus, but also events and happenings in Murfreesboro as a whole. Click here If you are interested in exploring and learning more about MTSU.

This year’s Southeastern Journalism Conference took place February 14^th through the 16^th. In between competing, attending lectures and workshops, and exploring the campus of Middle Tennessee State University, Troy University students also got the chance to explore the city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. If you would like to read more about Murfreesboro, check out my other blog post for this week that gives a more in-depth look at some of the places and things to do in the city.

Next week we will resume exploring good ol’ Troy, Alabama.
Happy Traveling!

Exploring Troy University

For readers who already know a little bit about Troy, Alabama, Troy University makes up a large portion of the city. As mentioned previously in my “5 Fun Facts About Troy, Alabama” blog post, the university is even the largest source of employment for people in and around the city.

That being said, the university alone is a large source of things to do for people traveling in and around Troy! While several of the things that will be listed and suggested will only be available for Troy University students, faculty, staff and alumni, the people that fall into these specific groups should nevertheless take advantage of these opportunities, especially if these respective people are also interested in getting the most out of traveling in Troy!

Several of the experiences Troy University has to offer will be individually featured in their own separate blog posts in the near future. But for now here are just a few of the experiences that Troy University offers year-round.

The Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park and International Arts Center is an area of campus that is sure to delight art and history enthusiasts. Between their exhibits which frequently rotate to showcase a variety of artwork and interactive museum on the Great Wall of China and its terracotta warriors, there is something for everyone to enjoy! There are several different areas to explore at the IAC, many of which we will explore individually in future blog posts.

If you are looking for something a bit more, dramatic, then try to see if you can catch a play or musical put on by Troy University’s Theatre and Dance Department! The department puts on several productions a year, so there is always something new to watch!

If you would like to look for more information on events and activities that Troy University has, there are two excellent places where students, faculty, staff and alumni can look for ideas. The first is Troy University’s website under the “Student Life and Resources” tab. Here, a variety of information regarding the various experiences Troy University has to offer can be found.

The second place you can look is Troy Today, Troy University’s official blog! Here, readers will find information and oftentimes exclusive content including upcoming events the campus is hosting.

 

Happy Traveling!

Troy Department of Public Relations and Tourism

As readers who have visited this blog in the past already know, the purpose of this blog is to highlight certain unique areas and events in and around Troy in order to inform and educate those interested in exploring the area. However, it is possible that not every area and event Troy has to offer will be featured in this blog!

So where do readers who are looking for further traveling experiences go for more information and ideas on places in Troy to travel?

Luckily for the city of Troy, they have a whole department that focuses on this exact matter. Located in the bustling, historic downtown area (which in and of itself has a variety of attractions that we will explore in future blog posts) the Troy Department of Public Relations and Tourism is the ideal spot to discover anything and everything you might need to know for traveling in the city.

The Troy Department of Public Relations and Tourism offers a variety of pamphlets and information packets available to the public free of charge. Additionally, friendly and helpful staff with a wide variety of knowledge are available during their hours of operation for any additional questions or information that tourists might have or need answered.

I visited the Troy Department of Tourism yesterday and was very pleased with the materials and information that the staff gave me.

While I know of several places and events in Troy that I personally think are important, and have a list of recommendations I could give to anyone who asked me what are some things that you must absolutely see or experience while they are in the city of Troy, I want to make sure that I cover the majority of experiences that the city has to offer to tourists. Visiting the department gave me a lot of new information and materials for future travel ideas and blog posts.

The Troy Department of Public Relations and Tourism is located at 113 N. Market Street in Downtown Troy. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.  Additionally, you can reach them by phone at (334) 670-2283 or by email at pr@troyal.info. For additional information, you can also visit their website by clicking this link!

 

Happy Travels!