Shoulder Season is described as the time between peak vacation seasons. Along the Scenic 98 Coast, many off-season events take place that capture the great weather and attract crowds for the hospitality industry. Foo Foo Fest in Pensacola, starting soon, was designed to do just that; attract visitors for a good time spread over several days.

At the end of a long, hot summer, a group of eight friends journeyed to Italy and France in late August for a fantastic two-week experience. I will not bore you with all the details, but we were fortunate to have a seamless vacation with no problems with air travel, local transportation, food, or accommodations. We are very thankful for that!

Remember all the essays we wrote in school comparing and contrasting various topics? We used those “blue books “ with lined pages and got cramps in our hands from writing in cursive. Do children even learn cursive anymore? My essay for today compares and contrasts beach destinations in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and our beloved Scenic 98 Coastal area.

After the extreme heat of summer that seems to have encompassed the world, a couple of weeks ago, we had a weekend respite in New Orleans. My Father’s Day gift this year was for Linda and me to be treated to dinner followed by a concert by Jackson Browne at the Saenger Theater. My three sons, Zeb, Bryan, and Matthew, took care of everything.

Who ever heard of a 7-day visit to New Orleans? Especially when you live less than 3 hours away. Bob, our elderly chihuahua, and I recently spent seven days dog-sitting for our son and his wife while they took their toddler to Walt Disney World. There are so many historical sites we never take the time to see, so I researched and scheduled our seven days with mostly new restaurants and sightseeing.

‍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. 

Bob and I bought a new car a couple of weeks ago. It’s a Tesla that Bob has been wanting and researching for months, so we headed out for a short road trip with our elderly chihuahua, Emma Claire. 

By now, most people know or have heard of Ben Raines. He’s made the news a lot, written books, and discovered things like the last slave ship, the Clotilda, and an underwater forest offshore of Gulf Shores.