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.

Nevertheless, we ended up driving from Fairhope straight to the Auburn campus for two nights, with side trips to Montgomery and Opelika. If that sounds a little odd for a romantic weekend, I submit, what’s more romantic than a former dormitory building becoming a boutique hotel?

Simply getting away was a real treat, especially to places we’d never been, or at the very least, just driven through. It allowed us to discover some real gems of our adopted state.

The entire impetus for the trip centered around this one detail: It was to become our first time seeing a production on the Alabama Shakespeare Festival stage. 25-26 Season | Alabama Shakespeare Festival. I’d purchased our tickets to a matinée performance months ago, but if there are still seats available for the production I’ve highlighted below, every seat in the beautiful theater is a good, comfortable one.

I’d read up on the story of the infamous Lehman Brothers and knew Jim would be interested in the feature entitled “Lehman Trilogy.” As is his habit, Jim follows not only history but trends in finance, having been a small business owner. An avid reader, he knew a great deal about the Lehman empire, but he and I knew very little about the actual production we were about to experience. If any of our readers would like to attend the play while you still can (the play runs until February 15th), we highly recommend it. Three talented, professional actors portray three Lehman Brothers (and they take on other parts as well) for three hours, two intermissions, and an unforgettable afternoon. 

The theater is top-notch. The ushers were helpful and seasoned, preparing us for a production that included lively narration of the family’s story, with Yiddish terms sprinkled in, and a most delightful dialogue among the brothers with three distinct personalities. The play was rich (as were the brothers, very, very rich at one point!) and the stories told were entertaining and informative. 

We learned that the Lehman Brothers basically put Montgomery, Alabama, on the map during the mid-1800’s. As Jewish immigrants from Bavaria, they first sold fabric, then cotton, and then became innovators of the railroad system we still use today. Their entrepreneurship was unprecedented. But that was only the beginning of their empire. If you want to read more about them, or better yet, travel the three hours to Montgomery for the live production, get your tickets now, before the run ends on the 15th of February. Lehman Brothers - Encyclopedia of Alabama

I had good reason to want to stay in Auburn, as I’d been wanting to conduct some family research there. When we arrived on the campus, it was a Friday. \We checked into the Collegiate Hotel, The Collegiate Hotel | Boutique Hotel Near Auburn University. Our play wasn’t until Saturday afternoon. The front desk was a tremendous help when it came to suggestions for dinner and breakfast the next day, a fine place where locals thronged, called Staks.

Our hotel manager also helped me with some family research I’d been wanting to do ever since I’d become an Alabamian three years ago. 

I told her, “When I was growing up in West Virginia in the mid-1970’s, my mother, from Huntington, drove us in her Ford station wagon to a family reunion there. She was very proud to introduce us to her first cousin, Bob Davis, who was at that time, the basketball coach for Auburn University.” I asked the hotel manager about Auburn’s Tiger Trail: Names and dates are embedded in bronze plaques, a sidewalk memorial honoring former players and coaches through the years, located along every sidewalk in town. I wondered if Mom’s cousin’s name might be among them.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “But you are welcome to look him up in one of our collegiate yearbooks here in the lobby. They’re organized by dates, starting in 1915 to today.” Jim had no problem finding the annuals from the years Davis coached: 1973-1978. I quickly snapped some photos from the yearbooks. Having only met him once during those years, Mom’s pride in him stayed with me. The photos and copy I recorded displayed his dedication to the school, and I enjoyed seeing his face clearly and noting our family resemblance. 

The last day, and a perfect ending to our weekend, was spent enjoying Sunday brunch at Botanic in Opelika. I’d been urged to experience the beautiful restaurant, built by the founder of Chicken Salad Chick, New Botanic in 'bama, and highly recommended by friend Susie Cerf, a transplant to Fairhope from California, who grew up in Selma, Alabama. (You can also read about the fun Selma connection in a former article I wrote about my friend and her unique wedding gift, for this publication. I’m glad to attach it here.

Scenic 98 Coastal - Artistic and Familial Connections, from California to Fairhope, Alabama! -

Jim and I navigated our way to Opelika (next door to Auburn) for the Botanic’s lovely, delicious Sunday Brunch. I was forewarned (Thanks, Susie) to make these reservations well in advance. If you’ve yet to experience the lush, botanic atmosphere and cuisine of Botanic, I’m here to tell you it’s a must-do. ShopBotanic – OF AND FOR THE EARTH 

The scenery and food were outstanding, the service was as well (our waitress grew up in Fairhope), and prices were not as high as I might have expected them to be. On the Botanic premises, besides the restaurant, there’s also a Garden Shoppe and The Market, which just reopened. I believe I chose well when it came to planning an anniversary weekend away. But you don’t have to wait for a special event. I can guarantee that if you’re ready to take an excursion to Alabama’s Lee County, Central Alabama, there’s so much to offer. And we were treated like family.