Many old-timers who grew up in Baldwin County and the surrounding area have fond memories of hanging around Judge Roy Bean’s place. A proverbial “hole-in-the-wall” on a spit of land between Fairhope and Daphne (actually, in Montrose), it was owned by the late Jack West and was the go-to spot for people to gather with friends, play with the resident goat (Billy) in the backyard, listen to music and perhaps rub elbows with Jimmy Buffet, who oftentimes stopped in unannounced.
As a young boy growing up on the coast, Fairhope resident Don Bates’ favorite spot was the family fish camp in Manchac, Louisiana, built by his grandfather in the 1940s, where he ran his Uncle Charlie’s fishing lines usually tied to an old cypress tree that, more often than not, was also home to an osprey nest. Back when he was young, Bates says, “sighting an osprey was about as common as sighting a unicorn,” due to the threat of extinction posed by DDT usage.
It’s been my experience with so many Southerners possessing a discerning palate, that your average restaurant will be just a flash in the pan, or part of a conversation that goes something like, “What was that place before it became whatchamacallit?”
There is an old adage that goes something like “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” For Donnie and Lottie Barrett, this saying fits them to a “tea” (pun intended).
Did you know that one of the strangest and most fascinating museums in the world is in Foley, Alabama? The Holmes Medical Museum, on the corner of Highway 59 and 98 in Foley at 111 West Laurel Avenue, is listed in Atlas Obscura as one of the top 15 strangest museums in the Yellowhammer State.
Forty-five years in the making, local author Theresa Jensen Lacy is publishing her 21st book, a family cookbook. “It was back in 1982 that I realized none of my people used a cookbook,” she said.
When I met Justin Parrish, my first impression was that he was a tall, pleasant, unassuming guy who possessed quiet confidence and listened more than he talked. We were discussing website issues which he wanted to help resolve for me. Shortly after our meeting, he sent me a proposal that literally saved our two-week-old budding Scenic98Coastal newsletter.
Lacey specializes in history and travel writing and is author of a series of "tour-able history" books, including AMAZING ALABAMA: THE BICENTENNIAL EDITION. Lacey is author of 23 published books and 17 anthologies, including New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her latest, a cookbook, is one she began writing in 1981. Titled Around Our Southern Table, it contains recipes from four generations of Southern cooks and was completed with encouragement from friend and fellow author Rick Bragg. From 1990 through 2005, Lacey was a military correspondent, covering the activities of the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles). Lacey is also a freelance journalist and has published nearly 900 articles for newspapers and magazines. Her articles have appeared in publications including Southern Living and Vanderbilt Magazine.