Scenic 98 Coastal was officially launched on April 14, 2022, when our first newsletter was emailed to 142 subscribers made up of family and friends. Over the last two years, we have enjoyed telling stories and sharing experiences with our readers, now over 5,000 strong. Telling stories is what we are all about! With everything going on in the world right now, we hope to be a positive voice that celebrates this community and all it has to offer.

The smallness of my hometown, Evergreen, Alabama, meant a lack of separation. The poor and the wealthy, the educated and the ignorant, the sane and crazy, and the sick and healthy were thrown together in a tiny, rural piece of geography.

With Halloween just around the corner, you can be sure that the ghosting season is upon us. Here are a few scary sites that you can find just off Scenic 98, or not too far from it.

I have mixed feelings about reunions and this year has been my season for reunions. They seem, well, to be a lot of trouble and you are never quite sure what you are going to get for your effort. I hear this same refrain from others. Lots of vacillation takes place, with all the pros and cons. It’s a commitment we are not sure we want to make.

The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” is a tried and true axiom. Scenic 98 Coastal strives to offer its readers sage advice on where to go for good food, great entertainment, and fun places to shop. It's what we do. This week we bring you the go-to place for rock-solid advice on any subject, but it’s not free.

As I write about my retirement and the pursuit of happiness, I know that each adventure I share brings me a great deal of fulfillment. The journey is not always easy and joyful because of the insecurity and judgments that I hold about it. I think this is mostly about breaking out from old patterns of thought.

My Dad was born in 1927 in Mobile, Alabama. He was a big man with a big voice who liked to tell stories. And, I think because of his size and his booming voice, sometimes it sounded like he was exaggerating; maybe he was, I wasn’t sure. However, like most little kids, I enjoyed these big stories, but as I grew older, I began to wonder whether these stories were real, heavily embellished, or maybe not true at all.

The Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope has served as the cornerstone of the art community for as many years as I can remember. Since 2017, Bryant Whelan has been its Executive Director. Bryant has announced her retirement at the end of May, and a search for her replacement has recently been completed. Hers are indeed big shoes to fill!