Thanksgiving Beach Adventure

We're home from our Thanksgiving week escape to Orange Beach, Alabama. I'm relaxed and happy, but already wanting to go back. The two of us been going there regularly for over 30 years. It's my favorite place to visit, especially in late fall.

Here are a few observations from our adventure:

If you wash and wax your car before vacation, it will rain before you get out of the county.

 

Walking on a sandy beach is the perfect way to begin and end each day.

Doc's Seafood advertises that they serve “the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world” and they are still absolutely right.

 

There were more dogs on the beach, despite the no dogs on the beach rule. That chihuahua looked totally embarrassed about wearing a pink ruffled sundress.

 

Beach sunsets are amazing but seeing a red half moon sinking into the gulf is phenomenal.

Another delicious meal at DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen: Parmesan Encrusted Flounder with Tarragon Aioli, two sides, rolls, and tea was the lunch special.

 

I sure wish we had bought that little bitty $99,000 beachfront house back in 1991.

 

The best plan for the day is no plan at all, just go with the flow. Antique and thrift store shopping, exploring side roads, and reading on the balcony.

Watching and listening to the waves is a natural stress reliever.

 

I intend to stay longer next time!  I'll take the Featherweight and sew by the sea. 

See you back here next week with my latest quilt. 

Oasis + Fabric

oasis: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

As I hinted last week, we've just returned from a seven day trip to my favorite oasis – Alabama's gulf coast. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offered sunshine, balmy temperatures, and an escape from daily routines.

The highlights:

Morning and evening beach walks. Calming sound and scent of the waves. Amazing sunsets. It didn't take long for me to slow down to beach time.

Outstanding meals, including “the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world” at Doc's Seafood (it absolutely is!), Parmesan Encrusted Flounder at DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen, fried whitefish with corn fritters at Mikee's, and a perfectly awesome bacon cheeseburger at Duck's Diner.

Touring the wonderful exhibits at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, plus the bonus of Blue Angels flying down our beach daily.

We shopped at thrift stores, local shops, a giant flea market, and …. FABRIC STORES! As usual, I filled a grocery cart with quilting prints at Fabrics by the Pound in Summerdale, AL. 

A & E Fabrics in Pensacola started their Black Friday sale early (50% off); so many beautiful designs that it was difficult to choose! It was my first visit, but I'll be back. My stash has grown by another 67 yards thanks to encouragement by my tolerant, generous husband.

Everyone needs a break from routine life now and then, even retirees! Find your oasis and plan your escape.

Barefoot On The Beach

We just got home from a most delightful week in Orange Beach, Alabama. The weather was perfect, lows in the mid 50's and highs in the mid 70's. Our tenth floor suite at the recently renovated Island House Hotel in Orange Beach was super clean and spacious. The view and the beach were beautiful. The waves sounded amazing. There weren't many people around until Saturday and even then it wasn't really crowded.

Pecan Encrusted Grouper - DeSoto's

And, oh my, the seafood! 

Our favorite Gulf Shores restaurants, Mikee's Seafood and DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen, are still providing mouth-watering meals. Mikee's fried shrimp, fried red snapper and pan grilled grouper are so delicious. DeSoto's pecan encrusted flash fried grouper and Parmesan breaded flounder were the best I have ever eaten. We tried a new spot, Doc's Seafood Shack, which claims to have “the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world” – and I believe they may be correct. Medium tailless shrimp with a light flaky batter were fried to perfection. Several new places looked promising, but there are just too many restaurants and not enough time!

Shopping load from the beach

Of course, there was shopping. Fabrics By The Pound, located in Summerdale, has an outstanding inventory of high quality quilting fabric and batting. What I bought wasn't sold by the pound, but the prices were reasonable at $7.99 per yard and sale prices of $4.99 per yard. Their decorator and upholstery fabric was nice, and the staff was very friendly. I was there for a while; filled a buggy with fabric bolts. Our car was a bit heavier on the way home. At Foley Antique Marketplace, Jerold found a $50 bargain with a Zenith Transoceanic radio, circa 1954.

There's new construction going on with condos and beach houses in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Fort Morgan is still mostly houses, thank goodness. 

To cap our trip, as we were sitting on the balcony on the last evening, we saw some unusual activity on the beach. A guy in khakis set out a blanket, cooler, and a sign of some sort, then left it and hid behind a dune with a girl in a dress who had a huge camera. Got our binoculars, and another well dressed couple was hiding behind another dune nearby. Soon after, a young couple came down the beach and stopped at the blanket. You guessed it, a proposal. They hugged, he dropped down on one knee, and she said yes. How cool is that? I hope they stay married at least as long as we have.

The beach is truly my happy place. I love being there, feeling the breeze, smelling the sea air, and hanging out with my guy. If we had an opportunity to move there, I would have to think about it, but it might not take long to decide. It is a magical, relaxing, calming spot. 

Perdido Pass Bridge, Orange Beach