I recently met Michelle with her mother-in-law and son at Page & Palette during the Fairhope Witch’s Ride. Her mother, who doesn't drive, was thrilled to be out and about. “I feel like this is my calling, my ministry,” says Michelle. One day, she was on the way to the beach with a friend when her friend suggested that she take seniors on day trips. Michelle liked the idea and in September of this year, she started Driving Daisies.

Tamara Wintzell has been a staple in the Fairhope restaurant industry for over four decades. Think about that. From experience, I can tell you that 40 years ago, Fairhope’s restaurant offerings were sparse, to say the least. And yet Tamara has started, sold, and started again more establishments than you can shake a stick at. She’s an institution unto herself!

Exploring all the wonderful beach venues around Orange Beach with an almost 4-year-old granddaughter is a treat! Penny was visiting from Athens, Georgia. In mid-October, we set off to explore the Pleasure Island Tiki Bar next to Sportsman Marina on Canal Road and found musical treasure!

Someone once said, “Once you have had a wonderful dog, life without them is a life diminished.”

You may not know that in 1955, the Dallas Cowboys selected L. G. Dupre in the third round of the NFL Draft. He was a 5' 11” 190 lb. running back who played opposite Alabama’s famous linebacker Lee Roy Jordan. L. G. and Lee Roy became fast friends during their playing days and their “Cowboy wives,” Biddie and Sissy did too.

“Craig Reaves can drive everything but a train,” says his daughter-in-law, Lawren Reaves. As the owner of Bear Point Harbor, Craig has needed these skills on many occasions. He grew up in Columbus, Georgia, where his family owned a fourth-generation building demolition business that expanded into waste management, hazardous asbestos removal, a landfill, roll-off dumpsters, and a crane rental service. They sold most of the businesses in 2009 but kept the waste management operation until last year.

William and Elisabeth Hanes knew they wanted to be in the hospitality business after a weekend at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco with Elisabeth’s parents. The Ritz was a stark contrast to living with eight housemates on meager wages in Redding, California where they lived at the time. “It showed us how impactful hospitality can be,” says William.

One of my favorite things to do is go off the beaten path and discover new food delicacies, like buried treasure. That’s how I felt when Linda and I attended an event at Corner Copia Gardens a few weeks ago and found Divine Empanadas, a food truck owned and operated by Aaron and Margaret Penton of Daphne, Alabama.