Stephanie Easterling is the owner of Wildflowers Floral Design in Fairhope. It’s a bustling place full of people, flowers, and merchandise for the home. Twenty-two years ago, Stephanie came to Fairhope for a Mardi Gras weekend and was hooked. Stephanie says she was inspired by the flower beds in Fairhope. “The town was absolutely beautiful, like a Norman Rockwell painting.”

As we hung up the phone, Taylor Atchison was walking into a Mobile Planning Commission meeting where he serves as one of its commissioners. At stake is the future of the Mobile Civic Center. Taylor was invited to be on this commission by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson who based his choice on Taylor’s experience in redeveloping several successful projects in Mobile’s historic areas.

Field trippin’ along Scenic 98 is one of my favorite things to do. I like seeing what crops are ready to harvest, cows in beautiful pastures, and crossing bridges to check on rivers and bays along the way. Linda and I will run down to Bon Secour whenever we get a chance and stop by Billy’s Seafood. Situated at the end of the road on the west side of Bon Secour River, past Tin Top Restaurant, Billy’s is an authentic boat-to-market place.

The Pearl & Horn is another great restaurant in Pensacola. This weekend, we did a bit of damage at the Palafox Market Saturday morning, before putting our name on the list for lunch at a new restaurant from the folks at George’s Bistro & Bar. Chef George and his wife, Luba, gave the community something special when they opened George’s Bistro & Bar in uptown Pensacola. Pearl & Horn is their newest creation that highlights their cultural food experience and brings the area something to talk about.

U.S. Highway 98 was initially built in 1933 as a route from Pensacola to Apalachicola. It has since been extended, and now runs 964 miles southeast from Natchez, Mississippi to Palm Beach, Florida. Beginning at the Causeway in Mobile, heading east, Scenic 98 hugs some of the most beautiful coastlines along the Gulf of Mexico to St. Marks, Florida. This is a drive worth taking.

When I was a boy, my grandmother, who was a phenomenal “country-cooking-at-its-finest cook” came to visit from North Carolina, she would bring me a large tin of homemade Toll House cookies. She brought more than one tin for the rest of the family, but this one was mine, and I carried them around with me until the last one was gone. My love for chocolate chip cookies knows no bounds.

Ten years ago, a small group of young, professional, enterprising men and women from both sides of the Bay and all walks of life came together to create an organization. Their goal was to make a difference in the lives of young people, to level the playing field so to speak.

My grandfather, a dentist in Mobile, was a speckled trout fishing enthusiast, even though he was allergic to trout. Before the Dauphin Island bridge was constructed, fishing trips involved loading an outboard motor, gas tanks, trawl net, tackle, ice box, etc. into a car and driving to Cedar Point, renting a skiff, and outfitting it. A trip to Sand Island was a big day.