Fairhope residents Dean and Pagan Mosher seem to lead a life that’s only found in storybooks. Maybe that’s because they live in a house that looks as though it came out of a storybook. Enter the world of these two, and you will find yourself feeling as though you are in a kind of fantasy life.

When conviction meets passion and perseverance, anything can happen. Going against conventional thought to blaze new trails can be a lonely endeavor, but it’s the path from which most great innovations produce better outcomes.

Don’t you love it when a local gal gets recognized at a young age, goes off to find fame and fortune in the Big Apple, but yearns to return to her roots? That’s the story of Judy Culbreth, writer, editor, and online dating expert. Who knew?

It’s oyster season, folks. Thank goodness, and Hallelujah! Linda and I kicked off the Thanksgiving holidays by attending a wonderful oyster roast party. There, I met and enjoyed the hard work and delicious oysters provided by Brandon Smith, owner of Grayson Bay Oyster Company, and his “Crafted Emerald Coast” oyster catering business, ECOyster Mobile Raw Bar.

Connect to Your Coast, is the motto of the Alabama Coastal Foundation, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Mobile. It makes a coastal impact message throughout the state of Alabama and beyond.

The mere mention of the name “Pirates Cove” brings a slew of memories to mind for most people living in LA (Lower Alabama). Like this writer, multiple generations of families have been coming to this oftentimes rowdy eatery and entertainment venue, and they come for not just the food, but the laid-back atmosphere, the pageantry, and the stories they’re sure to hear and share.

Devon Walsh is a local gal if there ever was one. Born at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, a graduate of McGill-Toolen High School, and the University of Notre Dame, she is the epitome of a Southern woman who has a bright, outgoing spirit and loves everything about the people and the area we call Scenic 98 Coastal.

On a drizzly Monday a few weeks ago, we made our way to the new Jesse’s on the Bay just past the Peninsula Golf Club on Ft. Morgan Road. It was Linda’s birthday, and this is where she wanted to celebrate. Reservations were made a few weeks earlier when we stopped on our way home from a day-long boat trip.

My friend and neighbor, Scott Miller, has the most beautiful golf swing I’ve ever witnessed. Smooth, methodical, and consistent, it’s a rare combination seldom seen in amateur golfers. His is a swing that golf dreams are made of.

The Wharf in Orange Beach has become a central part of the town’s budding community where people come to shop, dine, listen to great music, and participate in all manner of sportfishing tournaments. I sat down recently with Jim Bibby, Owner Representative at The Wharf, and Mary Kate Lantrip, Social Media Manager, to learn more about The Wharf’s impact on tourism and residents in the area.

Ameri’ca Tickle is a 5th-generation member of the Allegri family, who settled in the Daphne area in the late 1800s. Her roots in the Scenic 98 Coastal area truly run deep!

I am not much of a Sports girl, I didn't attend big universities with all the Teams, but I am a very good eater and therefore enjoyed my experience with Tammy’s Bar and Grill in Fairhope. A ladies’ lunch at a Sports Bar is a bit of an oxymoron!

Joel Hamilton was destined to become a zoo director from the very beginning of his life. Born and raised on a defunct 125-acre farm in Connecticut, surrounded by an additional 800 acres of former farmland, he spent his youth stomping around outdoors. “If it was daylight, I was outside playing, fishing streams, and generally absorbing the environment.”

One of the main focuses of Scenic98Coastal.com is to help promote and market the small business community. Kassidy Gibson, helps small businesses improve their face to the public. In the digital-driven world, this is an important distinction that many businesses overlook.

The story of Bellingrath Gardens and Home is fascinating, and I plan to catch up with the Museum and Home Director, Tom McGeheet this spring to explore its auspicious beginnings when the gardens are in full bloom. His reputation as the area’s preeminent historian is legendary.

House concerts have become a thing. Private homes host musical artists with invited guests who help cover the expenses of the musical guests with a suggested donation.

As an author of 23+ books and contributor to 17 anthologies, I have garnered enjoyment from learning about all kinds of places and people and sharing stories about them with the reading public.

When my sister-in-law was visiting from Maryland, we decided to go on a field trip to the Africatown Heritage House, a museum that houses "Clotilda: The Exhibition" about the survivors and descendants of slaves transported on the Clotilda, the United States last known slave ship, many of whom established Africatown. The exhibit lets visitors share the experience of the journey to and from Africa, bringing stories of the 110 captives, showing artifacts of the burned and sunken shipwreck, and exhibiting how strength, optimism, and resilience created the community of Africatown.

If you’ve driven down Highway 59 through Loxley, Robertsdale, and Foley on the way to the beach, you’ve probably seen Hood’s Home Center. It’s hard to miss the giant colorful rooster guarding the various building supplies, hardscape, and yard swings that front the highway. It looks chaotic but I promise, it’s by design.

Early this year, Laura Stafford, owner and operator of Gourmet Goodies in Daphne, received a call from a man in Pensacola who told her he had eaten one of her homemade Crawfish King Cakes the year before. He was on his way to a party in New Orleans and was wondering if he could swing by and pick one up on his way through town.

If you read our piece about Roger Fritz’s new book, A Luthier's Life, or better yet, if you attended the book release party at the Mobile Art Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927 next to the Saenger Theater, then you might know a bit about what the arts Council does to support the arts community.

The October Newcomers luncheon, held at the James P. Nix Center, was replete with catered, individual charcuterie boards by the relatively new kitchen business called Rouxsters. Newcomer members and their guests listened attentively to the presenter, Fairhope Film Festival’s executive director, Mary Riser, who announced the details of the weekend-long event, being held in several areas around Fairhope November 9-12.

Before you ask retired dentist Dr. Barry Lee Booth a question about veterans, maybe you should know that he himself is a veteran. Dr. Booth is fond of saying, “Every day is Veterans’ Day,” and he is passionately dedicated to promoting and celebrating veterans from all branches of service. To list Booth’s accomplishments regarding what he has done for veterans, all one needs to do is look around the state of Alabama. Beginning with his tour in Vietnam (1966-67) in the Navy attached to the 1st and 3rd Divisions of the Marine Corps, much of his life has been dedicated to promoting veterans’ sacrifices in service to our nation.

Linda and I enjoy discovering new places to eat. It's even better with friends who are knowledgeable about different cuisines and are able to recommend various restaurants. In this case, we were at an event in downtown Mobile and took the opportunity to all meet at Slurp Society Ramen Shop where Von’s Restaurant used to be at 69 St. Michael Street.