Once Again the Dolphin Sighting Guarantee Comes Through
As we set out on a cruise on Alabama’s Intracoastal waterway, captain Ritchie Russell began the patter that marks every voyage. He joked about his first-mate Alan, and how he’d have to don a dolphin suit if no dolphins showed up. He talked about how his wife says he eats […]
Model Trains and Sweet Pie in Foley Alabama
Foley has an attraction that fascinated me during our visit this week. It’s a complex and detailed array of O gauge model trains that is located inside a former train station downtown. The set up is a model train lover’s fantasy–sixty feet long, twenty-two feet wide, multilayered and full of […]
Foley Alabama Brings their Heritage On the Road
The town of Foley Alabama is truly a little engine that could. Kathy Danielson joined us on our bus and introduced us to this vibrant and creative town about 30 miles south of Mobile. She runs the visitor’s bureau for the town of about 10,000 and talked about some of […]
Roll Tide or War Eagle…In Alabama You’ve Gotta Make Your Choice
In Alabama you’ve got to make your choice at a very early age. Unless you’re bound by your family tradition, it’s never too early to decide whether you love Auburn or The University of Alabama. Here, there is no doubt about which camp anyone is in. It’s refreshingly unambiguous. I […]
On Mobile Bay, Hurricanes Are a Regular Visitor
It looks like rain for the next three days. That’s always a bummer on a press trip to a beach community that likes to brag about the great weather. Oh well. Tonight we’ll stay at some condos in Gulf Shores, the beach community where you can walk down the beach […]
Hurry Down to the Beach–it’s a Jubilee!
We drove south toward the Gulf of Mexico and on the bus we met Alex Robinson, the pretty and young chamber of commerce representative from the town of Fairport, population 16,000. She said that when she was young she used to come to Fairport to visit her grandparents, now she […]
Cajun and Creole Cottages in Mobile
I love these houses down here in Mobile. Among the names for these beauties are Creole and Cajun cottages. Or bungalow and mini-mansion. These are in some of the city’s historic districts. I also couldn’t resist this little cutie in a park.
A Day In Mobile
Random scenes from a day in the deep south. Above AJ’s Peanut shoppe, where they roast fresh peanuts in the shell in a 30-year old roaster. The shop was once owned by Planter’s Peanuts. Next the green scenery of Bellingrath Gardens, on the Fowl River. Deco ‘man’ symbol on the […]
Sweet Home Alabama…In a Good Way!
Just as I suspected…Mobile Alabama is full of upbeat people who have a great city to show off. I knew it and laughed when I was met with derision in the cafe when I told people my next destination. They’d start singing “Sweet Home Alabama,” and mocking my choice of […]
Closed for 31 Years, The Battle House Is Alive and Well
The Battle House Hotel is a gem that was closed for 31 years. Two years ago the retirement systems of Alabama, (in other words the pension funds of state workers), invested heavily into many tourism facilities such as cruise ship terminals and hotels in the region. That makes sense I’m […]
Ask the Driver to Find Out What’s New in Mobile
We touched down in our needle-thin regional jet at Mobile’s airport, where drive Bill Hyde met me and the group. It’s all women, I noted, and as I sat up front, I kept my attention on Bill, peppering him with those questions I like to ask when I first arrive […]
Alabama’s Small Towns Might Just Be Charming
Unlike other times when I am about to travel, I’m not feeling like I’m forgetting something or feeling disorganized. Part of this comes from flying out at a leisurely time, I depart for Alabama at 12:30 pm and tonight we’ll stay at the historic Battle House Hotel in Mobile. I […]
On a Sunny Playground, A Grandson Finds Bliss
I’ve written before about how little joys make life worth living. Today I got a chance to go back in time, spending five joyful hours with my grandson Nathan. It brought back the days when I was in my early twenties and raising my daughter Kate. My son Sam came […]
Colon Cleanse? White Spackle Coating? Rubbish!
I’m a regular listener to talk radio, and sometimes I hear ads that make me wince. “Some doctors say that the inside of your colon has a layer of spackle or paste lining the inside. Colonclense removes this, and you’ll also lose weight the announcer screams. I’ve heard this ad […]
Tidbits from a Night of Reading
Last night I sat reading and reading every section of the WSJ. As we lay in bed, Cindy asked me what it was that was getting such rapt attention. I ticked off just a few of things that fascinated me more than even the Idols results show. *General Electric is […]
Mridula’s Taj
Mridula Dwivedi is a friend and photographer who writes for GoNOMAD and blogs regularly. Here is her Taj. She has a big following for her Travel Tales from India blog.
We Love It When Our SEO Pays Off
My funky ringtone woke me up way too early this morning. Out of a sound slumber with Mama cat by my side, I sprang out of bed to hear that Sara isn’t coming in. Ugh! So here I am having my first cuppa after opening the cafe. I must admit […]
When Reader’s Digest Calls, I’m Ready for Our Close-up
It doesn’t take a whole lot to make me very happy. I think that’s one of the secrets to a great life…letting tiny joys fill up your life and content you. Today I got an email that led to a call from a writer named Cathie Gandel from Bridgehampton NY. […]