When I was a boy, it was a big deal to stop by Punta Clara Kitchen and buy some fudge and pralines. It was a special treat, made me happy, and I thought it was a pretty cool place. They moved the kitchen while I was in college, but it was still close, so I didn’t mind.

‍ “The Captain and the Farmer” sounds like a good summer novel, full of rich characters and earthy plot lines. In reality, the characters are a local husband and wife team who are living the dream, on land and sea.

As far as good times go, Gretsch Lyles and the Modern Eldorados never disappoint. The Sunday afternoon before Labor Day, they put on an outstanding performance for the Summer Concert Series at the American Legion Post 199. The beach was packed, the weather was perfect, and everyone was having a grand time.

Many decades ago, my time at LSU and in Louisiana, included many visits to a Po’ boy lunch spot. Domilise’s tops that list with Parasol’s and Mother’s running right behind. And it takes a lot of napkins to make it work.

Are you looking for a white tablecloth evening in Orange Beach? Voyagers at Perdido Beach Resort will not disappoint.

Where do I begin to tell the story of Big Earl and the Sexual Biscuits? Let’s start with the facts. Big Earl is not his real name.

When I say “Queen of Real Estate”, it’s not hyperbole. Mary Courtney Cane lives and breathes the Mobile and Eastern Shore real estate market, and she comes by it naturally.

Right in the heart of Pt. Clear, there is a unique shop that shares an old home where Punta Clara Kitchen is located, next to the Wash House restaurant, and just down and across the street from the Garage Studio. We will get to all those places soon, I promise. But the Market on Main is our focus today. What a fantastic place!

It’s football season and that means Bloody Marys and cheese straws. No one does cheese straws better than Jimmy Dill. His cheese straws are so famous that he started Tailgate Cheese Straws. Jimmy and his wife Paige, decided to start Tailgate later in life and it’s been quite the ride.

It had been a pretty big night. With the sun finally shining, we dusted ourselves off and flip-flopped our way into Playa at Sportsman Marina in Orange Beach. It was the first sunny day we had experienced in a month of Sundays, literally, and chose to sit on the porch and watch the boats go by.

Stephanie Easterling is the owner of Wildflowers Floral Design in Fairhope. It’s a bustling place full of people, flowers, and merchandise for the home. Twenty-two years ago, Stephanie came to Fairhope for a Mardi Gras weekend and was hooked. Stephanie says she was inspired by the flower beds in Fairhope. “The town was absolutely beautiful, like a Norman Rockwell painting.”

As we hung up the phone, Taylor Atchison was walking into a Mobile Planning Commission meeting where he serves as one of its commissioners. At stake is the future of the Mobile Civic Center. Taylor was invited to be on this commission by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson who based his choice on Taylor’s experience in redeveloping several successful projects in Mobile’s historic areas.

Field trippin’ along Scenic 98 is one of my favorite things to do. I like seeing what crops are ready to harvest, cows in beautiful pastures, and crossing bridges to check on rivers and bays along the way. Linda and I will run down to Bon Secour whenever we get a chance and stop by Billy’s Seafood. Situated at the end of the road on the west side of Bon Secour River, past Tin Top Restaurant, Billy’s is an authentic boat-to-market place.

The Pearl & Horn is another great restaurant in Pensacola. This weekend, we did a bit of damage at the Palafox Market Saturday morning, before putting our name on the list for lunch at a new restaurant from the folks at George’s Bistro & Bar. Chef George and his wife, Luba, gave the community something special when they opened George’s Bistro & Bar in uptown Pensacola. Pearl & Horn is their newest creation that highlights their cultural food experience and brings the area something to talk about.

U.S. Highway 98 was initially built in 1933 as a route from Pensacola to Apalachicola. It has since been extended, and now runs 964 miles southeast from Natchez, Mississippi to Palm Beach, Florida. Beginning at the Causeway in Mobile, heading east, Scenic 98 hugs some of the most beautiful coastlines along the Gulf of Mexico to St. Marks, Florida. This is a drive worth taking.

When I was a boy, my grandmother, who was a phenomenal “country-cooking-at-its-finest cook” came to visit from North Carolina, she would bring me a large tin of homemade Toll House cookies. She brought more than one tin for the rest of the family, but this one was mine, and I carried them around with me until the last one was gone. My love for chocolate chip cookies knows no bounds.

Ten years ago, a small group of young, professional, enterprising men and women from both sides of the Bay and all walks of life came together to create an organization. Their goal was to make a difference in the lives of young people, to level the playing field so to speak.

My grandfather, a dentist in Mobile, was a speckled trout fishing enthusiast, even though he was allergic to trout. Before the Dauphin Island bridge was constructed, fishing trips involved loading an outboard motor, gas tanks, trawl net, tackle, ice box, etc. into a car and driving to Cedar Point, renting a skiff, and outfitting it. A trip to Sand Island was a big day.

One of my favorite activities in the Fall in Fairhope is the Live at Five Concert Series It is so much fun to pack your cooler and your lawn chairs, gather your friends, and set up the perfect spot to experience an outdoor concert. 

I find wedding planning an interesting process. It’s chaotic and stressful on so many levels. Most planning involves the bride, the bride’s mother, the mother of the groom, and, on occasion, the groom himself. But what about the father of the bride? What’s his reward at the end of the day? He’s usually the afterthought until it comes time to pay the bills.

On a sultry, First Friday Art Walk evening in August, we met some friends at The Book Cellar to listen to some great music and to see who was out and about. As the event space for Page & Palette, The Book Cellar is becoming the go-to place for music, drink, and author events. There’s an author event this evening that I wish I could attend featuring Rinker Buck as he will tell tales of his “Huck Finn” style adventures in Life on the Mississippi. It starts at 6:00, but arrive early to get a good seat, meet friends and chat over a cool libation.

I once heard someone say, “Hurricanes are devastating, but every time one hits, we recover, and we make things better.” JR McKinny might agree. He and his wife, Barre, own It’s Tamale Time in Phenix City, Alabama. How they got there is a fascinating story.

It's so much fun to go out for drinks with girlfriends and Downtown Fairhope has many excellent places to imbibe. The newest addition to the GNO (girls' night out ) scene is The Monkey Bar on Section Street. Ellen Semple, the owner, acquired the old PNC bank building and renovated it to open Five Gold Monkeys, a boutique store specializing in fine furniture, fabric, accessories, and gifts. This is the second location of the store, the first being in Mobile.

I had never heard of Cardio Tennis until my daughter-in-law suggested it would be a good subject for a fitness article. She’s a bit of a fitness freak, so I knew there had to be something to it. Turns out it’s a real global thing. So, I checked around to find out if there were any programs in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. There are!