Speaking of birthdays, numbers have a way of creeping up on us. Friday, April 3, was my father’s birthday; born in 1925, he would have been 101. Born and raised in North Carolina, he met my mother at Duke University. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering in just three years after enlisting in the Navy’s accelerated commissioned officers program during WWII. He served as a captain of a converted PT boat assigned to rescue downed pilots in the Pacific Theater.

This April is lining up as a great time to take advantage of the Spring weather with a variety of outdoor events and festivals. Be sure to check Tidbits and Best Bets each week for the latest music, live performances, and festivals in the Scenic 98 Coastal communities along the Gulf Coast!

It’s the early 2000s, and the Back Door Poets are hosting a poetry reading at Van Gogh’s coffee shop. Seating is couches from thrift shops or donated. Folk art hangs on the walls. Punk rockers, nerds, geeks, hippies, vegans, and other cast-asides of society gather to share stories and camaraderie, and outside they share beers and cigarettes. Many of the patrons walked around the corner from a house known as the 309 Punkhouse.

The word "stunning" is often used to describe the sounds of The Krickets, and it doesn't take long to understand why so many people feel that way. Even if their songs weren't captivating on their own, the beautiful blend of their voices would instantly make you want to lean in and listen.

Three years ago, I was fortunate to see the film, En Selle: The Kyrgyz Ride, when it was screened in Ashley Parsons' hometown of Mobile. It was an incredible tale of Ashley and her partner, Quentin Boehm’s, travels on horseback on the Ancient Silk Road, a 1600 kilometer (994 miles) journey through the mountains and steppes of Kyrgyzstan. 

Lexi Angeles’ shop on West Cervantes Street creates a space for vintage lovers and local vendors to grow together.

If brunch is one of your favorite meals of the day, you’re in luck: The Ruby Slipper Café, located at 100 N. Royal Street in Mobile will fit the bill nicely.