Toomer's Corner Archives - There Goes Connie

Memory Food and Photos for Auburn Grads (title suggested by daughter Laura)

08/15/2016 By: CCPearson2 Comments

Steve and I recently spent a few days in our beloved Auburn — the place where we spent the first year of our marriage, from which we both have hard-earned degrees, and to which we both sent much hard-earned money when our kids were there. We needed to get away. We’ve had a lot of sorrow and stress since February of this year. We wanted to just “be” for a few days. Whipping out my Travel Writer Hat, I started researching the latest and greatest restaurants that I could review. Our kids, instead, balked at that idea and said we should stick to the “tried and true.” We managed to do both. In a future post, you will read about restaurants that have appeared on the scene in recent years and have begun gathering their own loyal followers.

For those who know The Loveliest Village on the Plains well, you will recognize the places in the photos, and hopefully, they will conjure up great memories.

Laura says, “When I think of Auburn, I think of chicken fingers. My two favorite places are Guthrie’s and Tenda Chick.” So Laura, these photos are for you. I hope you get to eat some soon.

I hear the chicken fingers are amazing.

Niffer’s is another traditional place for Auburn alums and for present students. I tasted their corn nuggets with honey mustard dressing for the first time this week. Oh my! Steve and I shared a basket and seriously couldn’t make ourselves stop eating them. Positively addictive. Niffer’s has great burgers. They have so much variety that even vegans and vegetarians can dine there with plenty of choices.

Niffer’s for terrific burgers.

Cheeburger Cheeburger is right down the sidewalk from Toomer’s Drugs as you go toward the railroad tracks. Or, if you’re merely thirsty, stop in at Toomer’s for lemonade.

Cheeburger Cheeburger! I wonder why they left spelled it that way??

The newly-planted trees at Toomer’s Corner will finally be ready for rolling with the upcoming football season. Let’s just hope that exuberant celebration event gets to happen many times beginning September 3, 2016 when Auburn plays Clemson. In case you were in a foreign country after Auburn won the National Championship in 2010, Google “Harvey Updyke” or “Toomer Trees” to read the full story. It has been a massively expensive restoration project to be able to bring this tradition back to the Auburn campus.

New trees are finally big enough to roll again. War Eagle.

Do you need a new Auburn t-shirt or sweatshirt? The 3 top places to look would be J & M Bookstore, Anders Bookstore and Tiger Rags. Tiger Rags is also the place to get your Game Day shirt when you arrive on a future fall Saturday.

A great place to buy Game Day shirts and Auburn gear of all kinds.

THE iconic building at Auburn is Samford Hall. It has provided the backdrop for thousands of family photos. Two grads — one from 1971 and one from 1972 — couldn’t resist the photo op either. Have I mentioned that I graduated the same day that Pat Sullivan did?

The building that represents Auburn to many people.

Samford Hall with 2 old grads in front.

“2 bits — 4 bits — 6 bits, a dollar. All for Auburn, stand up and holler!!!!! War Eagle!!!” 20 days until kick-off!!

Jordan-Hare Stadium with its massive Jumbotron!

Game Day at Auburn Should Be On Your Bucket List — Guest Post from Steve Pearson

10/19/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

Today, I am happily sharing this post from the blog of my Silver Fox who writes at both www.docsology.net and www.StevePearson.com. He’s a fantastic writer. And we just happen to share these three wonderful grandsons. I have his permission to share their day with all of you.

There’s something special about traveling for hours in a pickup truck with three young boys. Especially if those boys are your grandsons. Of course, the destination has a lot to do with the mood of the travelers. On October 3, 2015, our destination was Jordan-Hare Stadium on the campus of Auburn University for the football game between our Auburn Tigers and the Spartans of San Jose State.

The first decision of the day was easy. Pull off at the first McDonald’s and order whatever you want at the drive-through, then eat it while traveling south down I-65. The next decision was mine to make because the boys didn’t care whether I chose US 280 or staying on I-65 once we reached Birmingham. If you’re traveling that way and enjoy getting the flavor of small towns in central Alabama, take US 280. Stop in at any of the minimarts along the way and soak up some Southern drawl and “Good Ole Boy” culture.

But, I knew my companions were totally focused on arriving at the Loveliest Village on the Plains, so we sped down I-65 to Montgomery, then took I-85 North straight to Auburn.

The weather wasn’t perfect as we encountered periods of light rain all day. But, everything else was perfect. Boys between the ages of 8-10 have no reason to hold back their excitement. Not even the presence of an iPad for each one kept them from asking every few minutes how far we were from Auburn. Although Luke and Seth are brothers and Nathan is their first cousin, they functioned the whole trip as though they were a single unit. Without knowing it, they made it easy for me to become their age again by watching them lap up every moment of the day.

The campus covers 1,875 acres and every foot of it deserves to be seen and appreciated. Of course, the City of Auburn, AL which surrounds the campus is filled with bookstores, restaurants, and unique shops. Still, my resolve was for us to experience as much of Game Day at Auburn as possible. We parked on South College Street right across from where the campus begins and walked North toward famed Toomer’s Corner. Follow this link to learn some history behind one of the most important intersections in the state.

On a day like this one, the game seems to be on as soon as your foot rests on the sidewalk. For the youngsters, every sight and sound reveals a new discovery about a place they’ve heard so much about from relatives and seen on TV. The alumnus in the group can’t keep up with the flood of memories stirred by the same experience.

According to an app on my iPhone, we walked over 5 miles during the day. But, we need to go again because there’s far more to see and do at a Game Day in Auburn.

A few of the highlights of the day..

Iconic Samford Hall Tower in the background.

One of the two new Oaks at Toomer’s Corner.

The new Jumbotron is massive! Even from outside the stadium.

Front row for “Tiger Walk”.

Couldn’t pass up Cam Newton without a picture!

Another special memory for…Grandaddy!

Great place to dance to the music high above Pat Dye Field.

Are you kidding me? On the field after the game. A first for me!

“The Boys” sittin’ on the goal line. I’m feeling a post or two from this picture..

The way every Auburn fan hopes to end “Game Day”. Luke was nearby looking for Aubie.

Quotes of the day…

Luke: “I’ve never seen so much orange and blue!” and, “Look, there’s Aubie!”

Nathan: “Don’t worry, I know how to get down to the field.” and “My Mom and I ate here before the A-Day Game.”

Seth: “Look, there’s a Moe’s. Can we eat there?” and “Can we bring (cousin) Sam with us next time?

Auburn, Alabama — A Fall Saturday Place to Be and to Follow Traditions

09/30/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

Steve and I had a great trip to Auburn for a game a few years ago, but we messed up one big time. That was in our restaurant choice for dinner on Friday night. We reasoned that we needed to “be good” and stick to the low-carb diet we’d been on, so when we saw a bright, shiny, new place with Diner in the title, we thought, “It’s bound to have meat, vegetables and salad, so why not try it?” Big mistake. HUGE. The service was lackluster, and the food tasted bad, really bad and was overpriced to boot. When we left, I sent a text message to the kids spelling out our tale of woe. Matt quickly responded with a text of his own: “Who goes to a diner in Auburn???” The clear implication was that he wouldn’t be caught dead there. His choices would be Chuck’s BarBQue, Guthrie’s, Cheeburger/Cheeburger, or Niffer’s. He wouldn’t be looking for healthy, home-cooking. He’d be wanting to feel like a college student again. Laura’s text said: “Why would you go anywhere besides Cheeburger or Guthrie’s?” When I told her that we decided to be a little bit adventurous, her reply was classic — “You don’t go to Auburn for what’s different. You go because of what is the SAME! War Eagle!”

See why I love my children so much? They are such delightful people, and they were exactly right. Why do the old grads like Steve and me make pilgrimages back to the Loveliest Village on the Plains? Because of what’s the SAME. The traditions!

We learned our lesson the hard way and spent the rest of the weekend reminiscing and enjoying the tried and true.

The top picture shows the back of my t-shirt purchase on that day. Notice that “rolling the trees on Toomer’s Corner” was featured because their fate had been so much a part of the news since the previous winter’s vengeful poisoning by the disgruntled fan of a rival team. In the next picture, you can see for yourself how the trees at Toomer’s Corner were faring. Look closely at the tops, and you’ll see some sick-looking yellow and brownish leaves, especially when you compare their color to the trees behind them. Sadly, those trees have since been removed.

I always enjoy walking past Langdon Hall, the site of my Senior Piano Recital given in December of 1971. I started my college journey at Samford, studying with my much-beloved teacher Dr. Betty Sue Shepherd. But, I gave that up to marry Steve and ended up here. I’d do it all over again, dear Steve.

This is Gargis Hall where many of my music classes were held. It was old then, so it’s REALLY old now. 🙂 Stately architecture, though, don’t you think? And there’s a glimpse of Samford Hall’s iconic clock tower in the distance.

In this photo, Steve and I are headed to the game, and you can see Jordan-Hare Stadium in the background and Haley Center. I hear that they’re planning to tear down the Haley Center. I guess that piece of landscape will change soon — hopefully for the better.

Here is Aubie — award-winning mascot — entering the stadium before game time. Our grandson Luke aspires to “be Aubie” when he gets to college. Wouldn’t that be fun??

With 30 seconds left in the game, the score was 42-38 and thankfully, it stayed that way to the end. It was another day of chanting the cheers, singing the fight song, and pulling for the Tigers.

This is not the place to color outside the lines. We’ll stick more closely to what we know and love next time — hopefully in the not-too-distant future. War Eagle, everybody!

P.S. One of my favorite parts about being an Auburn fan is that whether we win or lose, we’re still Auburn fans. After disappointing losses on several occasions, I’ve still joined with the crowd chanting “It’s great . . to be . . an Auburn Tiger, yes, it’s great . . to be . . an Auburn Tiger . . . “

P.P.S. This coming Saturday Steve will be taking our 3 oldest grandsons to Auburn for a game. Memories will be made. Traditions will be passed down.

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