Big News! Mobile Ballet Eastern Shore has moved to a new location on Equity Drive in Daphne, Alabama. After years of renting, the dance school has purchased and expanded to a much larger space, with three studios, an area for dressing rooms, and offices. 

Full disclosure, Raine Bedsole is one of our closest friends and she is also an extraordinary artist. She was recently selected as one of 9 artists out of more than 250 applicants to complete a sculpture to be placed in The Underwater Museum of Art, less than a mile from the sugar-white sands of Grayton Beach, Florida.

On a recent afternoon in Pensacola, Linda and I met a friend for lunch at BarSteak on Palafox Street. When I walked in the door, a man and woman sitting near the front called out, mistaking me for a friend of theirs. They must have been thinking of George Clooney or Brad Pitt. I get that a lot, so I took the opportunity to stop and introduce myself. 

I think we all know what it feels like to be stressed out from your big important job, and one day yell out, “ I just want to work in a plant shop!” Ashleigh McKenzie was just like Samantha Stevens in Bewitched when she wiggled her nose and nodded her head and ”Poof,” she now works in a plant shop! ‍

With Spring Break right around the corner, the excitement is building in the hospitality industry throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area. I sat down with Steve Hicks and Paul Stewart, two longtime friends and part-time business partners, who will soon be cutting the ribbon on Beach Village Resort, a 71-unit Orange Beach resort.

The beginning of March signals spring is on the horizon and kicks off “festival season.” The Scenic 98 Coastal area has tons of outdoor events coming up this month which will offer a variety of art, shopping, music, food, and entertainment options. Many of these events are free to the public and benefit vital community organizations.

Food meets drink meets good times! Mackenzie Klyce and Max Donaldson own and operate Mobile’s new eatery, the Velvet Pig, located inside the Ice Box at 755 Monroe Street in Mobile.

We did a story at the end of last year on Pensacola’s Grayson Bay Oyster Company. The interview took place at Odd Colony Brewing Company on Palafox Street. As I was talking to Brandon Smith about farm-raised oysters, we enjoyed a Tidal Guide draft beer, made exclusively by Odd Colony. 

Try this on for size… How does a fisheries biologist end up with a regional chain of sunglasses and casual fashion stores? That’s what I set out to learn when I met with Joe Jerrigan at his offices at The Wharf in Orange Beach. 

Since Casi Callaway stepped away in 2021 from her position as Executive Director to become the first Chief Resilience Officer in the State of Alabama, Mobile Baykeeper has had new leadership. Taking her place as Executive Director at Mobile Baykeeper is William Strickland. I first met William several months ago, when he made a presentation to the Point Clear Property Owners. 

I went on a Safari in Gulf Shores to discover a new restaurant. On the way to a beach getaway, some girlfriends and I stopped at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo to find a much-talked-about restaurant, Savanna. As a zoo visiting mother and grandmother, I can say I have never enjoyed a restaurant at a zoo, until now.

Being a musician is hard work. Whether playing in front of an audience of thousands or sitting on the dock of the bay with a couple of friends, musicians always seem to experience pure joy when making music. It doesn't seem like work at all.

“I’ve had an amazing life, and every day is still wonderful,” says Stephen Savage. Stephen Savage is a fixture in the Scenic 98 Coastal community As an event photographer, you will run into Stephen at almost every Eastern Shore function. If not there, you’ll see him on Facebook or Instagram. His photos capture the good times and create memories.

Growing up in Mobile, I spent much of my youth attending and watching my two older brothers play sports. My dad was especially involved with Murphy High School’s track team, raising money for their booster club. It was called the Cinder Club because running tracks in those days were made of cinder that required long spikes on shoes to gain traction.

If you ever get a chance to visit with Gus Silivos, Owner/Executive Chef at Agapi Bistro + Garden in Pensacola, you are in for a treat. A few Fridays ago, Linda, her son Jack, and I had dinner at Agapi while it was pouring rain outside. We sat at the bar enjoying a wonderful meal and interacted with the delightful staff. 

There is a pottery studio and showroom in Navarre, Florida, called Holley Hill Pottery. The owner/artists are Marty, Brenda, and Jason Stokes, co-founders of the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society and the WoodStoke Pottery and Kiln Festival which is coming up on Saturday, February 10th.

This time of year, especially for those who want to escape to warmer weather, head South. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to traverse the waterways by boat through South Florida and arrive at a tropical Bahama destination. I’ve heard of many who’ve done it, with trepidation at crossing the Gulf Stream. It can be a harrowing experience. Here is one such tale and we hope it conjures up a Parrothead version worthy of Jimmy Buffett.

Some people are lucky to have been born with creative genes. How creativity manifests itself can take many tracks, often depending on a person’s environment. In the case of ultra-talented Fairhope resident Elisabeth Hays, it was the free reign she was given as a child to do whatever she wanted to do in her art room, the finished attic of their home.

If you’ve ever been strolling down Palafox Street on the weekend, you may have noticed a shuttered restaurant nestled in between Intermission Bar and Graffiti Pizza. Being new to Pensacola, and with a culinary background, I was intrigued by this eatery that always seemed to be closed. How do they afford rent on such a popular street? What is the story behind this mystery spot? I started asking around town, and I am sure glad that I did! Read on to see what I discovered about Four Seasons Catering & Eatery, a true staple in the Pensacola community.

What is an Agronomist? - an expert in the science of soil management and crop production. Carmen Flamini is an agronomist working for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as an agent specializing in home grounds, gardens, and pests. She serves Baldwin, Butler, Conecuh, and Escambia Counties. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System provides educational outreach to the citizens of Alabama on behalf of the state's two land grant Universities: Alabama A&M University and Auburn University.

Mike Hutchison was born into a musical family and points to the church as the catalyst for his early love for music. His career has involved stints as a youth music minister, a professional musician, a manager and owner of a retail music store, a music teacher, and a bandleader. His band, Blind Dog Mike & the Howlers, is a local staple and his Baldwin County Instrument Exchange store has serviced and guided local musicians for decades.

The first half of February is chocked full of Mardi Gras events after the festivities kicked into gear at the end of January throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area. Most of our readers have their established Mardi Gras traditions, but if you still need a Mardi Gras plan or are new to the area, check out the following links for parade schedules and other information.

There has been a lot of buzz about a new Asian Fusion restaurant in Daphne, so on Friday night, my party of three happily set off for the 20-minute drive, to experience the much-talked-about place. Reservations are recommended, so we were early birds and a table was ready for us at 5:15 pm. At 6:45 when we were finished, the establishment was packed! This tells us they are doing something right!

For generations of anglers, sailors, and shippers, the image of Middle Bay Light, as the locals call it, means you are about halfway across the Bay of Mobile. Built “up north,” the prefabricated house arrived in Mobile in 1885. Mobile Bay itself is quite shallow, and before the arrival of the lighthouse, the channel was marked with wooden stakes and barrels. n In the early 1880s, a 17-foot channel was dredged so large vessels could reach the Port of Mobile, and a lighthouse was deemed necessary to mark the channel.