Zoe Lombard-Todd, Artistic Director of Children’s Dance Theatre and owner of Creative Outlet Dance Academy in Fairhope, has performed in the classic Nutcracker Ballet for more than 23 years. She knows the music and choreography backward, forward, and sideways. At 7 years old, she was cast as a baker with Alabama Dance Theater, under the direction of Major Burchfield.

Are you looking for a quick road trip that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit? We have the answer. Andalusia, a quaint small town with a big personality, is hosting the perfect family-friendly Christmas in Candyland celebration which runs December 6 through December 29. 

Orthopedic care has made great strides in improving the quality of life for people in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. As we age, stress on our joints can become acute, and fortunately, science and medical procedures have advanced so much that replacement surgery has become commonplace. 

Busy musician Jimmy Lee Hannaford loves playing cover songs at his gigs along the Gulf Coast, but he’s ready to reveal more of his artistic skills as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. That’s exactly what he does on his brand-new album, called Jubilee.

Ashley Terrell’s talent graces the homes of many art lovers in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. Her landscapes and abstracts are ethereal and soft with muted colors, painted with big brushes, so the shapes have no edges. With layers and layers of thin acrylic paint, she glazes the finished piece with a clear top coat. “The glaze makes the colors pop out, creating depth,” she explains. Get ready, Ashley has chosen to Change!

I have been looking forward to hearing the story of Cris Eddings and his mother, Yoshie, for a while. Cris is a partner in the original Chuck’s Fish in Tuscaloosa with Charles Morgan. My son first introduced me to sushi there, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Bright and always cheerful, Cris has a warm, inviting, and infectious personality.

The Fall Festival Season is upon us, and the November calendar is overflowing with chances to get out and enjoy the cool weather. It’s a great opportunity to relax before the hectic holiday season begins. There is something for everyone, with festivals of all sizes and themes offered across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area.

If you like classic Southern cooking with a healthy twist, you’re in luck. Cheryl’s Café in Spanish Fort offers a wide array of lunch options and plenty of choices for the most finicky eater. 

The GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL is about to take off again on November 1-3 in downtown Pensacola as it has, almost uninterrupted, since 1973. As always, the all-volunteer committee will put their heart into organizing a beautiful 3-day event and the fine artists who grace Historic Seville Square will provide the soul with their amazing creativity.

One yellow cat is responsible for creating the Hound Dog Music Festival benefitting the Baldwin Humane Society and Beth Fugard, chairman of the event for the last 8 years, is the mastermind behind it. She had a rental property in Silverhill with a nice tenant who had a yellow cat. The cat looked out the window when she walked her property, which was once the Woodhaven Dairy.

When Rob Holbert has some downtime, you might find him at the end of his backyard pier on the west side of Mobile Bay. But don’t expect him to linger too long out there. Being co-publisher of the Lagniappe newspaper, something he’s done for 22 years now, demands a lot of hours

Along Scenic 98 in Fairhope lies a gem of a restaurant that is sure to please the most demanding epicurean. Called “R Bistro,” owned by Misty Rider, this restaurant you will say is “tres magnifique” after tasting some of their offerings.

Felder Rushing is a celebrity: an author of eighteen books, thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, a radio talk show host (The Gestalt Gardener) on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and a guru to plant people all over the United States. He lives in Jackson, Ms., and is a horticulture specialist. Recently, I met and heard him speak in the Daphne Senior Center courtyard. Why? A Plant Swap!

A day trip or extended stay along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is always entertaining, especially when you add fine dining to the equation. On a recent visit, I met a friend for lunch at Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant and the experience was outstanding. Eileen Mahoney Ezell runs the restaurant with her brother, Bobby Mahoney, and cousins Tony Cvitanovich, Andra Osman, and JoAnna McAdams. It’s a family affair with lots of history dating back to 1737!

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Lynn Oldshue was born and raised in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Many famous people are from Yazoo City, including Willie Morris, Jerry Clower, and Zig Ziglar, to name a few. As the author of the blog and book Our Southern Souls, Lynn has earned a reputation of her own, capturing the essence through her storytelling, of thousands of everyday people living among us.. 

I wasn’t surprised to learn that Lynn Oldshue was born and raised in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Many famous people are from Yazoo City, including Willie Morris, Jerry Clower, and Zig Ziglar, to name a few. As the author of the blog and book Our Southern Souls, Lynn has earned a reputation of her own, capturing the essence through her storytelling, of thousands of everyday people living among us.. 

It’s pretty ironic that Beth Anne McCormick started The Eat Beat in part because she wanted to meet people. More than two decades later, she is a familiar face in most of the area’s restaurants.

Cherish Lombard is a busy lady. It's in her DNA. In addition to anchoring the 4:00, 6:30, and 9:00 p.m. newscasts on WRKG, she is the mother of two young children, balancing home and work life like a champ! 

If you live in or around Fairhope and want to enjoy a pizza without buying a whole pie, and maybe fit in a great salad or soup, you’re in luck! On the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Bancroft Street, Nini Squares (named after owners Chris and Rachel Cullen’s daughter, Nina) has offerings to satisfy the pickiest eater. 

It’s late September, my weather app says the wind is blowing 17 MPH out of the Northeast, it's 76 degrees and it feels chilly. (Full disclosure, a hurricane in the Gulf exacerbates these conditions.) My first visit to May Day Park at the end of College Avenue in Daphne blows my mind and the wind blows my hair and the Spanish Moss in the ancient oak trees. 

For eight days, from one side of Mississippi to the other, antique cars and trucks, celebrities, food, music, and contests await you along the Gulf Coast. Any day and every day is a good time to go and see the spectators lined up and down U.S. Highway 90 watching a steady stream of all the cars and trucks you have ever loved!

Summer 2024 is officially in the rearview with October bringing visions of Fall, Festivals, and Football. Dramatic sunsets paint vivid hues of red, orange, yellow, pink, and sometimes purple across the sky, as Autumn days grow shorter and the sun sinks lower. Sun rays have a larger distance to travel before reaching our eye, interacting with more air molecules, while the dryer, cooler fall air allows more of these colors to pass without being scattered by water molecules.

Some people were born to be restaurateurs. Count Bo Hamilton, owner of Ox Kitchen Fairhope, and newly opened Ox Kitchen Pensacola, located at The Garden at Palafox and Main, as one of them. Both restaurants serve a limited menu, including a perfect burger. Bo’s food philosophy is simple, fresh, and delicious, and his story is an interesting one.

Perdido, Alabama sits at the Northeast corner of Baldwin County, Alabama, near the Northwest corner of Florida to the east. The headwaters of the Perdido River are nearby. The river that runs through this area’s northern exposure toward the south is clean and cold and empties into Perdido Bay near Lillian, Alabama.