I am not much of a Sports girl, I didn't attend big universities with all the Teams, but I am a very good eater and therefore enjoyed my experience with Tammy’s Bar and Grill in Fairhope. A ladies’ lunch at a Sports Bar is a bit of an oxymoron!

Joel Hamilton was destined to become a zoo director from the very beginning of his life. Born and raised on a defunct 125-acre farm in Connecticut, surrounded by an additional 800 acres of former farmland, he spent his youth stomping around outdoors. “If it was daylight, I was outside playing, fishing streams, and generally absorbing the environment.”

One of the main focuses of Scenic98Coastal.com is to help promote and market the small business community. Kassidy Gibson, helps small businesses improve their face to the public. In the digital-driven world, this is an important distinction that many businesses overlook.

The story of Bellingrath Gardens and Home is fascinating, and I plan to catch up with the Museum and Home Director, Tom McGeheet this spring to explore its auspicious beginnings when the gardens are in full bloom. His reputation as the area’s preeminent historian is legendary.

House concerts have become a thing. Private homes host musical artists with invited guests who help cover the expenses of the musical guests with a suggested donation.

As an author of 23+ books and contributor to 17 anthologies, I have garnered enjoyment from learning about all kinds of places and people and sharing stories about them with the reading public.

When my sister-in-law was visiting from Maryland, we decided to go on a field trip to the Africatown Heritage House, a museum that houses "Clotilda: The Exhibition" about the survivors and descendants of slaves transported on the Clotilda, the United States last known slave ship, many of whom established Africatown. The exhibit lets visitors share the experience of the journey to and from Africa, bringing stories of the 110 captives, showing artifacts of the burned and sunken shipwreck, and exhibiting how strength, optimism, and resilience created the community of Africatown.

If you’ve driven down Highway 59 through Loxley, Robertsdale, and Foley on the way to the beach, you’ve probably seen Hood’s Home Center. It’s hard to miss the giant colorful rooster guarding the various building supplies, hardscape, and yard swings that front the highway. It looks chaotic but I promise, it’s by design.

Early this year, Laura Stafford, owner and operator of Gourmet Goodies in Daphne, received a call from a man in Pensacola who told her he had eaten one of her homemade Crawfish King Cakes the year before. He was on his way to a party in New Orleans and was wondering if he could swing by and pick one up on his way through town.

If you read our piece about Roger Fritz’s new book, A Luthier's Life, or better yet, if you attended the book release party at the Mobile Art Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927 next to the Saenger Theater, then you might know a bit about what the arts Council does to support the arts community.

The October Newcomers luncheon, held at the James P. Nix Center, was replete with catered, individual charcuterie boards by the relatively new kitchen business called Rouxsters. Newcomer members and their guests listened attentively to the presenter, Fairhope Film Festival’s executive director, Mary Riser, who announced the details of the weekend-long event, being held in several areas around Fairhope November 9-12.

Before you ask retired dentist Dr. Barry Lee Booth a question about veterans, maybe you should know that he himself is a veteran. Dr. Booth is fond of saying, “Every day is Veterans’ Day,” and he is passionately dedicated to promoting and celebrating veterans from all branches of service. To list Booth’s accomplishments regarding what he has done for veterans, all one needs to do is look around the state of Alabama. Beginning with his tour in Vietnam (1966-67) in the Navy attached to the 1st and 3rd Divisions of the Marine Corps, much of his life has been dedicated to promoting veterans’ sacrifices in service to our nation.

Linda and I enjoy discovering new places to eat. It's even better with friends who are knowledgeable about different cuisines and are able to recommend various restaurants. In this case, we were at an event in downtown Mobile and took the opportunity to all meet at Slurp Society Ramen Shop where Von’s Restaurant used to be at 69 St. Michael Street.

“Feets don’t fail me now!” That’s really not the way it goes. This phrase is what I thought of after visiting with the founders and owners of Running Wild, a terrific running shoe and athletics store in Pensacola, where it was first established, and a second store in the heart of downtown Fairhope. The brainchild of Paul and Cherie Epstein, Running Wild is where you get the right shoes, apparel, and accessories for your running and fitness needs.

It was a hot, tense day at the Panama Canal. Reporters and other interested and curious people watched as the huge (45,000-ton) battleship, the USS Alabama, squeezed its way through the locks. The suspense grew as onlookers saw the tiny clearance the massive ship had: only 11 inches on each side.

Meet Akievia McFarland, Traffic Anchor and Multimedia Journalist for WKRG News 5. Her love for storytelling, great work ethic, and bubbly personality have helped her excel at this early point in her career.

With Halloween just around the corner, you can be sure that the ghosting season is upon us. Here are a few scary sites that you can find just off Scenic 98, or not too far from it.

I first met John A. by reputation. I sort of knew him, but not really. We had never met in person until a few weeks ago when we had lunch at Grace in Mobile. John A. is from Evergreen, Alabama, home of Conecuh Sausage, but lives in Mobile, actually on Fowl River with his wife Kelly.

You may have recently heard or read about the new Fairhope Art Alley that’s being created between the public parking garage and the rear of the buildings lining the north side of Fairhope Avenue behind Bone and Barrel, Sage Restaurant, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, among other establishments. The alley has always been there, and the city is just dressing it up to make it more user-friendly.

At David Gibson’s suggestion, I reached out to Corbett Davis, III, the third-generation owner, CEO, and President of Jewelers Trade Shop on Palafox Street in Pensacola. It’s a beautiful store with a knowledgeable and friendly staff. As I waited for Corbett to finish his conversation with a customer, I perused the cases of beautiful watches, gemstones, and gold and silver jewelry.

A Sunday afternoon drive to pick up friends from Pensacola International Airport resulted in an epicurean pleasure by way of George Bistro + Bar on 9th Avenue in “The City of Five Flags.“ Very close to the airport, I did the right thing by making a reservation because, at 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday, it was bustling!

Southwood Kitchen is one of the top restaurants along the Eastern Shore, and Chef/Owner Jeremiah Matthews has some new concepts in store. Imagine my surprise when I sat down with Jeremiah and he told me he was friends with my late nephew. I always enjoy meeting people who knew De, or Ben as he was known to his friends.

I caught up with Chris Andrews, owner and operator of Bienville Bites and Taste of Fairhope Food Tours, to discuss his upcoming book release party at The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile on Monday, October 23. Who better to write about the City’s rich culinary history dating back to before the French laid claim to the area?

Several people have mentioned how much they love going to Blakeley Park, and how it’s thriving under the leadership of Mike Bunn. While I’ve visited Blakeley Park on several occasions, I’ve never taken full advantage of all it has to offer. We have noticed the many Delta and Mobile Bay tours they offer each week, and try to include many in Tidbits and Best Bets in the newsletter.