The Happy Olive, located on De La Mare Avenue in Fairhope, is a fun shop with fun people working there. Sue Rusyniak is the new owner, who purchased the store three years ago from Richard and Vickie Bailey, who founded the shop 11 years ago. The staff works hard, but they love what they do. 

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to catch John Nodar, meteorologist for WKRG News 5. He’s the first one to tell you what you can expect from today’s weather. There’s a lot behind the person standing in front of that weather map. 

Carmen’s Lunch Bar is always on the top of my list when visiting Pensacola. It’s a favorite little neighborhood place that is always inviting, warm, and friendly. In addition to featuring a different take on lunch, and a superb meal, I seem to enjoy ordering the same outstanding things each time. I know I should branch out more because my lunch companions are always oohing and aahing about their selections too.

‍I already appreciated a few things about Baldwin County’s Magnolia Springs before I got a close-up view of her community. Over the years, whenever we’d visit the area, in my humble opinion, Jesse's Restaurant – Magnolia Springs, AL, has outstanding food, service, and atmosphere. Then I read Fanny Flagg’s charming novel, A Redbird Christmas, with my West Virginia book club before I relocated here. The author shows how a northerner can relocate to the community of “Lost River,” i.e., Magnolia Springs, and find a welcoming community. 

Not so fast! There has been a recent Elvis sighting in the Scenic 98 Coastal area, and we know where you can find him. Meet Jason Braly, originally from Athens, Alabama. He has an interesting story and career that eventually led him to Fairhope, where he is an artist, an actor, a voice-over specialist, and on occasion, an Elvis Impersonator.

You may not be familiar with the history of downtown Mobile, Alabama. It was the center of activity where businesses, hotels, and restaurants thrived. It was and still is the center of city and county government. I was a kid when my parents would take us to Contstantine’s Restaurant at 80 St. Francis Street after church or the lunch counter on the corner of Bienville Square at Dauphin and North Conception Street during Mardi Gras.

For those of us who grew up in this area, Magnolia Springs was the place we would stop on the way home from Gulf Shores to jump in the natural springs that were so cold we would turn blue and shiver the rest of the way home. In the present day, boaters can idle into the Magnolia River and find a different version of the Springs in a small cove called “The Cold Hole.“ The water is deep and very cold and will lower your body temperature on a hot summer day.

We are fortunate along the Scenic 98 Coastal area to have so many fine local musicians to see and hear at great venues! It’s something that makes the Gulf Coast special. A couple of weeks ago, Linda and I ventured to Avenue Pub in Orange Beach to hear our good friend, Mike Estep, play with his old high school buddies, The Selma Boys. The weather was a bit dreary that afternoon, but the music and food were outstanding.