The girls and I just arrived back home from what was one of our best beach trips EVER! The only bad thing about it was that Jonathan didn’t get to go with us. We missed him! But we didn’t slow down one bit.
Let me just say that Baldwin County, Alabama, is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Despite the oil spill, there is still so much fun to be had. We didn’t even go on the beach, so I couldn’t tell you if the oil was bad. There was no smell. We certainly did our part to help the local economy.
When we arrived, it the girls about 14 seconds to find things they wanted to do at CC and Pop’s house. Mary Anneliese fished in the bay with her Barbie fishing rod…
And Patterson hit Pop up for a ride around the neighborhood in the golf cart. Never mind that she just got out of the car after a six hour road trip to get there! My girls think the golf cart rides are the best part of vacation.
Jimmy Buffett was in town doing a free concert, his own contribution to stimulate tourism in his hometown. We didn’t have tickets to see him live, but we did something which I thought was even better since we had the kiddos. The city of Foley held a simulcast party in the park. They brought in a huge screen to televise the concert. People brought blankets and lawn chairs.
They pumped in sand and made a “beach” for the kids to play in.
They even had a live “opening act,” a local musician named Billy Pelletier. He played songs like “Key Largo,” “No Shirt No Shoes No Problem,” and “Your Mama Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock and Roll.”
CC and Pop got in on the action.
It was a very laid-back, very fun evening. The music was outstanding, and the atmosphere made it even better. He sang his greatest hits like “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Come Monday,” and Mother, Mother Ocean.” Oh my, was it ever fun!!
The next day we had a little fun at the pool.
Followed by lunch at Tacky Jack’s. You might remember that President Obama ate at Tacky Jack’s a few weeks ago when he came to tour the oil spill damage. I LOVE the laid-back lifestyle of Baldwin County. I would never, ever go into a restaurant in my swimsuit at home.
After we took little Pitter Patter home for a nap, we headed back out for more fun. We love Lulu’s and didn’t want to go home without stopping by for some fun. My girls have so much fun at this place. We can easily stay there several hours – long after we have finished eating. By the way, I have never had gumbo as good as my parents and grandparents make it. I usually don’t even bother ordering it in a restaurant because it’s just not as good as theirs. However, Lulu’s is not far behind. I was pleasantly surprised. I think the roux makes ALL the difference between a good gumbo and disappointment.
Please continue to support the Alabama Gulf Coast. The local economy NEEDS your business. They will recover, but will recover more fully if we don’t move our vacations elsewhere. There is still so much fun to be had on the coast!
We spent a few pennies this past week. Had a great time and it never lasts long enough. I agree… don't cancel your beach vacation to Gulf Shores or Orange Beach! There is still so much to do. We were in Perdido Key and there was no oil to be found. We went to the beach for pictures two days in a row and NO oil! Can't wait to go back! Wish I was still there!