On a picture-perfect Thursday afternoon in early September, Zeb Hargett and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch in downtown Mobile. The air had that feeling that fall was around the corner, and the downtown streets were alive with people strolling, chatting, and enjoying the day.

On a recent visit to Mobile’s Museum of Art, as I entered from the picturesque lobby overlooking Municipal Park, I was taken aback by the immersive experience of the two main exhibits on display. The hallway leading into the main gallery begins the journey. Cryptic Underwing is a glass and mixed-media exhibit created by local Fine Arts Professor at the University of South Alabama, Rachel Wright.

In 1965, Kelley Wolff’s grandmother, Betty Joe Wolff, opened Page & Palette, the renowned fourth-generation bookstore in Fairhope. She opened a second store location in Perdido Key’s Coquina Village shopping center in 1985, and Kelley worked at this store. Her identical twin, Karin, took a break from the family business and worked in the Orange Beach location of Coastal Video.

When you live in Pensacola, you don’t have to go far to feel like you’re on vacation; here, the best adventures are right in your own backyard. Throughout the year, my family and I often slip away to one of my favorite little spots, Perdido Key. Like a pearl, it was once a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, but today it’s a place you can’t wait to tell your friends about. So listen up, friend, you’re gonna wanna hear this! From the moment you ease down Perdido Key Drive, that salty stretch slipping beneath the Theo Baars Bridge, you can already feel the experience that awaits.

Summer 2025 is officially in the rearview mirror and there are all kinds of festivals and outdoor events happening so you can get out and enjoy the cooler weather. In addition to the Top 5 below, don’t miss our breakdown of events happening across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area over the weekend in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets – or visit the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!

There are many adages in marketing, such as “When economic times are bad, you should increase your marketing presence.” However, the marketing budget is usually the first item cut by businesses when times are tough. Who’s right? A common premise is that nobody knows what does and doesn’t work in advertising, but nothing works if you don’t advertise. 

When Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville first landed on Dauphin Island in 1699, he came face to face with a sight that would unsettle even the bravest explorer. Scattered across the beach were piles of human skeletons and bleached bones resting in the sand, as if left behind by some gruesome event. Believing he had discovered the aftermath of a massacre, he named the island Massacre Island.

With the Ryder Cup Golf Competition this weekend, it seemed like a good time to check in on one of the PGA Tour’s preeminent golf legends, Jerry Pate. As he is always on the go, we managed to meet at his office at Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation in Pensacola. We reminisced about life, his company, his golf playing days, the people he has encountered, and his role in helping build Pensacola into the city it’s become.