The terrain looked like I expected it would. There are gently rolling hills with a mix of tall, skinny pine trees and sturdy hardwoods, and there are cow pastures and a few farmhouses nearby. Though I've covered thousands of miles throughout Mississippi in my life, I had never been to the site of Lynyrd Skynyrd's horrific plane crash until last month. 

Road trips are a good thing. Whether they are planned well in advance or spur of the moment, I always enjoy hitting the road. First, a road trip shakes up your routine by doing something different and is especially good for a change of scenery. Around these parts, you don’t have to go far in any direction to find something interesting to do, but you will need a boat to head south.

After 48 years of marriage, Hubby Jim was not too concerned when I suggested he let me plan our anniversary weekend. It may have been because my birthday had just passed two days before, and he thought, “Whatever suits her, suits me.” But I stopped trying to read his mind years ago.‍

Fairhope is a wonderful place to live, but sometimes I just need some Culture, with a capital C. (theater, music, architecture, etc.) A trip to New Orleans satisfies this craving every time, and it is so easy and fun. Broadway in New Orleans has always been my motivation, and in January I was lucky enough to attend two shows on tour, Hell’s Kitchen and, more recently, Hadestown.

There aren't many Italian restaurants in Baldwin County, so when I saw a social media post about a new one, Fresco in Bon Secour, I recruited publisher, Zeb, for a mid-week lunch excursion. I say excursion because Bon Secour is about a 40-minute trip from Fairhope, and on a cold, sunny winter day, the back roads ride was beautiful. Having lived in Baldwin County for almost a half-century, I am always amazed when I realize that I haven't been down this road before. Located in the Old Tin Top building on Bon Secour Highway, we are pleasantly surprised to see a thriving lunch crowd, since they have only been open a month.

Although the rest of the country is in the deepest throes of winter, where Southern Bayou Grill sits on County Road 32 (just west of the intersection with County Road 33), it looks as welcoming as spring sunshine, with its Mardi Gras colored umbrellas and brightly trimmed picnic tables.

Niall Fraser, pronounced “Neil” to his American friends and associates, hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, but moved to Edmonton, Canada, when he was 6 years old. His older sister was born in Troon, Scotland, as were his mom and dad and many, many other family members. 

In addition to the Top 5 below, don’t miss our breakdown of the upcoming weekend events across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets section every Wednesday morning. The Tidbits and Best Bets calendar is also hosted on the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!