So, it was with the trip billed as our “Last Hoorah,” the finale in a series of adventures that began 16 years ago with a trip to Florida and the Keys and included romps through the Northeast from Niagara Falls to Maine to the Statue of Liberty, a hair-raising climb through the Rockies including Glacier National Park, Yellowstone and fishing Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, a look at the Grand Canyon and Death Valley and a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley with a trek up the West Coast into the great Northwest to a whale watching expedition in the San Juan Straits.

In 1966, my brother did his senior architectural thesis on the redevelopment of Dauphin Street in Mobile. Fast forward fifty years and the transformation is almost complete. We caught up with Charles Morgan, owner of Chuck’s Fish, Five Mobile, and El Papi Mexican on Dauphin Street to get his thoughts on Mobile’s future. First, a little bit about Charles.

Jon Robitaille founded Bay Cities Improv Company in 2013 because of his love for the art of improvisational comedy. He studied improv at Carolina Improv in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina before moving to Fairhope. At the time, there was no improv in the area at all.

We recently learned about a new 8-room hotel in the historic district of downtown Pensacola, Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel. On a recent visit to Pensacola, we decided to drop by, and we are glad we did! We met Jessica Berry, who gave us a tour of the property located at 400 Bayfront Parkway. At first sight, it feels like a place to come to relax and enjoy.

Years ago, my friend, Harris Brown, and I fished around Dauphin Island in high school and college in a 16’ Stauter. He has always been a much better fisherman than I am, and it was his boat. Since I had a summer construction job, we would drive to the island and fish late afternoons. The deal was I would buy the gas and he would charge a pair of flip-flops at Ben Burgers for both of us to avoid the sand spurs when launching and retrieving the boat. Well worth it.

There is nothing like being on the open water as the sun is setting and feeling cool breezes on your face. That’s when the sky’s colors begin to paint a magnificent masterpiece that is as brilliant on Mobile Bay as any place in the world. Middle Bay Sailing Charters helps you do just that in style.

This may be the inscription at the entrance to Hell, but it’s also the motto of Pirates Cove Yacht Club, home to the most heavenly cheeseburgers and divine Bushwackers this side of Perdido Bay. Sitting right on the water in Josephine, Alabama on Roberts Bayou, Pirates Cove is the least pretentious, best dive beach bar in the world! As one Louisiana patron says: “There are no uppity pinky-in-the-air people here.”

On a tip from Dana Proctor at FIT 360, I headed down to the Fairhope Public Beach a few weeks ago to catch up with Danial Ware, team rider and ambassador for Cabrinha Kites.

Two years ago, on January 1, I committed to getting in physical golf shape to hopefully improve my game. Amateur golfers of all levels and ages buy the best clubs, state-of-the-art golf balls, best shoes, take tons of lessons, and hit thousands of range balls but don’t understand why they don’t improve at a better pace. There is one piece of equipment that most golfers ignore, and it is the key to improving their game. Their BODY!

In the Scenic 98 Coastal communities, from Mobile to Pensacola, there are so many nice golf courses to choose from. Golfers from all over the country travel to the area to play and enjoy all we have to offer in terms of food, scenery, entertainment, and great golf!

My daddy loved to fish. His mother, my grandmother whom I called Grammy, was better at it than he was, but she never bothered to mention that tidbit as it would discourage him from joining her on the riverbank with the cane pole.

Now and then, someone comes along that is bigger than life. When I think of the remarkable people I have known, Mike deGruy is top of mind.

Richard Rutland has been fishing the waters around Dauphin Island for as long as he can remember. Literally. He makes his living at it.

Thursday night we had reservations for a special wine pairing dinner at Local and Company, a cool, attractive restaurant in Foley on Hwy. 59.

Rhonda Hart just comes across as someone you want to be friends with. She grew up in a musical family, starting in Oregon before moving to Nashville in the 80s and 90s with her mom and stepfather, Tommy Collins.

Anya Scott grew up in New York City after her family immigrated from Moscow, Russia In 1979 Before leaving Moscow, she attended the renowned Gnessin Russian Academy of Music.

While my friends and I had attended concerts at The Wharf Amphitheater before, with 3 nights of shows over Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, this time we opted for the ease of staying on-site and booked a condo overlooking the marina at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Kristin Alpine is the kind of person that exudes warmth, friendliness, and a real desire to want to help others. We first met a few years back when she was working in home health.

Today’s celebrity pastry chef owns her bakery called Whipped Up. The fact that its owner just turned 16 and has yet to get her driver’s license is just part of the story.

When Dana and Jim Maloney learned that their middle son and his wife were about to deliver their first granddaughter into the world in 2017, they decided to move from North Carolina to the Eastern Shore of Alabama to be a part of her life.

I met Robin Shilling a couple of months ago at Warehouse Bakery & Donuts. We were both having lunch at one of the community tables.

Tom and Carol Patterson are passionate sailors. In fact, Tom, and his son, Peter began a voyage to sail around the world in 2001.

We have named Andrew Saunders Poet Laurette for Scenic 98 Coastal. Thanks, Andrew for your wonderful contributions to our newsletter, We look forward to many more.

While the Director of the Mobile-area YMCA’s special populations program, Susie Foster wanted to give her participants in the program opportunities and experiences outside of the “white coat” environment.