Most people traveling along U.S. 98 probably breeze through the little town of Lillian with little more than a passing thought, but Curry Weber isn't like most people. The audio engineer and archaeologist moved to this community on Perdido Bay nine years ago, and he's determined to find out as much as possible about its past.
Something that even some of my friends don't know about me is I'm into birds, and have been for over 30 years. The preferred term is "birding" for people who are seriously into it, but I've never quite put myself in that category, even though I do own a handful of reference books, some nice binoculars and even a high-powered spotting scope.
When Jennifer Blackwood was working as a Pharmaceutical Rep in the Panhandle of Florida, she had a favorite old gas station in Seaside, which she frequently visited. “ It had a lot of personality, and when I saw Battles Wharf Market, it reminded me of that special place.” And here she is, the new owner of the iconic market on Scenic 98, just north of the Grand Hotel.
We spent Easter weekend on 6150 acres in Gulf Shores known as the Gulf State Park. I could walk on the beach and see nothing but water and sand for miles, which is quite rare in the condo-dense Gulf front strip from Gulf Shores to Perdido Key.
In 2006, after hurricanes Ivan and Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Mark White, having recently moved from Vail, Colorado, to Alabama, found a BBQ joint in Orange Beach that didn’t survive the storms.
May is upon us and the dog days of summer are not far behind. There are still plenty of exciting outdoor events to take advantage of the weather throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area and across the Gulf Coast. If you fancy a road trip, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival cranks up again Thursday for the 2nd weekend of festivities.
This is more than a story about Moe’s Original BBQ. It’s a story about perseverance, leadership, music, finding your calling, faith, survival, being knocked down repeatedly, getting back up, and a big dream finally coming to fruition. Attitude and reflection are also a big part of this story.
Food is a big part of what we do at Scenic 98 Coastal. Our approach is to write about places we enjoy, where the experience is always satisfying. We don’t consider ourselves food critics, but we enjoy all kinds of options from no frills to fancy. It’s all about the experience, and a good dining experience comes in many flavors.
It was the gentle hum of the plane’s engines that signaled the beginning of my adventure to Puerto Rico, a place I’d heard about for years but had never set foot in. As the plane descended toward San Juan, the island’s vibrant colors—lush greens, deep blues, and warm sands—appeared beneath the clouds, a stunning contrast to the gray of the city I had just left behind.
Have you ever been fooled by The Fairhope Inquisitor? Lots of people have over the last seven years, and it could very well be happening again right this moment.
Christmas Art is a rich part of Fairhope’s legacy, and the art series entitled The Twelve Days of Christmas has become one of the City’s most legendary symbols of the season.
I’ve noticed these days that more than a few restaurants are creating their own hot sauces. It’s hard to know from which to choose. Many start with a base sauce, easily sourced from a variety of products on the market. The names may be familiar, and most people have their favorites. For us, it’s Crystal Hot Sauce.
This is a story about a story slam, a live storytelling event where participants share personal stories based on a theme. My favorite podcast, The Moth, “promotes the celebration of the commonality and diversity of the human experience through the art and craft of true personal storytelling.”
If you drive by the Weeks Bay Visitor Center and see a school bus or two parked out front, just know that it’s a field trip that’s not just fun and games. There’s probably some serious learning happening, too, and it could even be life-changing.
Where to begin? I had so much fun with this story, that I had to rewatch Almost Famous again to see the reference to Topeka, Kansas, the inspiration for the parent company that produces Moon Crush Curated Music Vacations. This classic 2000 movie is about a band on the rise, and the story fits like a glove for the journey of Andy Levine, Chief Promise Maker. He created and launched the Moon Crush concert series in Destin, Florida, and hosts it several times a year. It’s the industry of cool!