The terrain looked like I expected it would. There are gently rolling hills with a mix of tall, skinny pine trees and sturdy hardwoods, and there are cow pastures and a few farmhouses nearby. Though I've covered thousands of miles throughout Mississippi in my life, I had never been to the site of Lynyrd Skynyrd's horrific plane crash until last month. 

Road trips are a good thing. Whether they are planned well in advance or spur of the moment, I always enjoy hitting the road. First, a road trip shakes up your routine by doing something different and is especially good for a change of scenery. Around these parts, you don’t have to go far in any direction to find something interesting to do, but you will need a boat to head south.

After 48 years of marriage, Hubby Jim was not too concerned when I suggested he let me plan our anniversary weekend. It may have been because my birthday had just passed two days before, and he thought, “Whatever suits her, suits me.” But I stopped trying to read his mind years ago.‍

Fairhope is a wonderful place to live, but sometimes I just need some Culture, with a capital C. (theater, music, architecture, etc.) A trip to New Orleans satisfies this craving every time, and it is so easy and fun. Broadway in New Orleans has always been my motivation, and in January I was lucky enough to attend two shows on tour, Hell’s Kitchen and, more recently, Hadestown.

There aren't many Italian restaurants in Baldwin County, so when I saw a social media post about a new one, Fresco in Bon Secour, I recruited publisher, Zeb, for a mid-week lunch excursion. I say excursion because Bon Secour is about a 40-minute trip from Fairhope, and on a cold, sunny winter day, the back roads ride was beautiful. Having lived in Baldwin County for almost a half-century, I am always amazed when I realize that I haven't been down this road before. Located in the Old Tin Top building on Bon Secour Highway, we are pleasantly surprised to see a thriving lunch crowd, since they have only been open a month.

Although the rest of the country is in the deepest throes of winter, where Southern Bayou Grill sits on County Road 32 (just west of the intersection with County Road 33), it looks as welcoming as spring sunshine, with its Mardi Gras colored umbrellas and brightly trimmed picnic tables.

Niall Fraser, pronounced “Neil” to his American friends and associates, hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, but moved to Edmonton, Canada, when he was 6 years old. His older sister was born in Troon, Scotland, as were his mom and dad and many, many other family members. 

In addition to the Top 5 below, don’t miss our breakdown of the upcoming weekend events across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets section every Wednesday morning. The Tidbits and Best Bets calendar is also hosted on the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!

In a renovated 100-year-old cottage behind the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs. Ms, a quaint new restaurant, The Traveler, stands ready for 4 hungry traveler friends who are visiting from Fairhope. The Traveler’s concept is inspired by Walter Anderson's adventurous spirit and his travels around the world. Almost everything at the restaurant, from furniture to native plantings to coffee cups, is artist-designed, curated, or made. 

I do have some regrets in life, and two of them are connected to an unforgettable evening in a hotel room in Vicksburg, Miss. What I mean is, I can't find the cassette tape of me playing music there with the blues legend Willie Dixon, or the handwritten lyrics he gave me as I was leaving.

Jeff DuBois is a guy who doesn't smile a lot, even when he's having a good time, and it's just the way he is. But if you catch him breaking into a grin, it might be because the dance floor is full of people having fun at his Lucky Horseshoe Saloon.

In addition to the Top 5 below, don’t miss our breakdown of the upcoming weekend events across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets section every Wednesday morning. The Tidbits and Best Bets calendar is also hosted on the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!

The friendly little Loxley Farm Market stands along one of those curves on Highway 59 as it snakes through town, and it's kind of easy to miss if you don't know it's there. Enough people have found the place, many of them stopping in again and again, which has kept the family business running strong for 30 years.

When someone recommends a place to eat I’ve never heard of before, and I make a point of checking it out and have an amazing meal, I wonder why it took me so long to discover it. This is the case with Neighbors Seafood and Chicken in the Tillman’s Corner area of Mobile.

I saw a documentary film last night at the Fairhope Public Library that terrified and inspired me at the same time. Sallie’s Ashes is the story of how the late Sallie Smith and two of her friends set off on a late-in-life crusade to try and force Alabama Power and the Environmental Protection Agency to remove and recycle 21 million tons of toxic coal ash that is sitting in an unlined retention pond on the bank of the Mobile River, only 25 miles upstream of our beloved Mobile Bay. 

I first met Aimee Risser, the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Central Gulf Coast, through my late close friend, Mike Lapeyrouse. Mike ran the American Equity Underwriters insurance division at The Cooper Group, Inc. in Mobile.

As a seasoned musician, Bob Erickson has played hundreds, maybe thousands of shows over the years, but one of the most memorable was recently on the campus of Pensacola State College. The very special occasion was The Tree-Oh's performance for an upcoming episode of StudioAmped on WSRE, which he says was an incredible experience for him and his bandmates.

The sign at the front door of the new American Legion Building says,“ Come on in, Sit where you please, and be at Ease.” In the military, we know ‘at ease’ means to stand in a relaxed attitude with the feet apart and the hands behind the back. On the bay at 700 South Mobile Street, it means to be free from worry and relaxed. Veterans and Civilians alike will feel this vibe when they take a seat in the brand-new restaurant/bar that just opened last month.

What are Recommendables? It’s a new feature from the folks at Scenic 98 Coastal for discovering businesses, restaurants, services, things to do, places to see, and expert advice that we feel comfortable recommending to our subscribers based on our personal experiences. 

When you step into the MAX in downtown Meridian, you may have an urge to look up toward the sky. The high ceilings of the two-story rotunda help draw attention to huge, eye-catching portraits of many of Mississippi's greats in the arts, music, and other creative disciplines.

You may or may not know what the Great Loop is all about, but it’s a voyage reserved for those with a keen sense of adventure, patience, and fortitude. It’s funny how some things just align for lifelong dreams to come together. Bryan and Carol Megginson have the 2020 pandemic to thank for their recent adventure.

Worthwhile causes and organizations abound throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, and I’m always amazed at the impact these humanitarian efforts have in improving people’s lives. 

Worthwhile causes and organizations abound throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, and I’m always amazed at the impact these humanitarian efforts have in improving people’s lives. 

Years ago, after Charles Morgan had opened Harbor Dock’s Restaurant in Destin, and before Chuck’s Fish in Mobile and Dharma Blue in Pensacola existed, they had a cook from Andalusia, Alabama, named Ann Jones who worked in the Harbor Dock’s kitchen for over 30 years. One day, she suggested to Charles that they open the restaurant for Thanksgiving.