Oct 2008

If you grew up like I did, enjoying the country music from the group Alabama, then you know that the group isn't active any longer. But the guys haven't given up their love of music and performing.

When I saw that Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry of Alabama were going to be at the Flora-Bama next week, I decided to head down early and enjoy their concert before the start of the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival which begins on the 13th.

Jeff, Teddy and a host of other great performers are putting on a Veterans' Day concert. All active duty military and veterans with ID get in free. That's pretty cool. I'll get to enjoy a great show and party with our country's finest.

Or at least to sing along with. In mid-November you can find me and my friends in toe-tapping heaven along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast. That's because it is the time for the annual Frank Brown Songwriters Festival. The event takes place across a ten day period from November 13th through the 23rd.

There isn't one central location. Instead the fun is divided up among bars, clubs, lounges and even non-traditional locations like an art gallery, a museum and a campground. And many different cities get to play host - from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach across the state line to Perdido Key and Pensacola.

We always use the event as an excuse to visit as many different bars and clubs as we can in 10 days. Find your favorite at www.fbisf.com/venues.html

Even before the big night of trick-or-treating arrives, there will lots to do for all the ghosts, goblins and Gulf Coast ghoulies.
Lulu's, a Gulf Shores eatery popular with locals and visitors alike, partners with Baldwin County Schools' for the second annual BooLu's Haunted House. The proceeds from the event benefit the art department for the school system.
For younger spooks and sprites, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo presents Boo at the Zoo 2008 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The Web site, www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.org/, states, "Tickets to the Halloween carnival are $2 per child and $1 per adult, which includes face painting and all of the kid-friendly games, such as tic-tac-toe, pumpkin bowling, pin the wart on the witch and pass the pumpkin. Admission also includes the costume contest that starts at 6 p.m."
That takes care of children and adults, but what about those other family members, the pets? Relax -- and break out the mini costumes. Saturday, the pooches can go to the Wharf's Howl-o-ween Doggie Parade and Costume Contest. There's just enough time to make it from there to downtown Gulf Shores for the first-ever Boneyard Bash. So as Halloween draws near, remember: There will be haunted hay rides, haunted hot-air balloon rides, haunted houses, haunted mazes -- if you can think of it, chances are, someone has haunted it.

I'm sure the first thing anyone thinks of when heading for the Alabama Gulf Coast is a jousting match, right? No? Well then surely it's an authentic German sausage, hmmm? No again, huh?
This coming weekend, anyone headed for the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area needs to make plans for some unusual entertainment.
The 25th Annual Renaissance Festival "GATALOP 25" by the Barony of the Osprey, the Mobile branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, is Thursday through Sunday. During the event, Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island is transformed into a medieval "Meridian Fortress by the Sea."

There will be vendors, artisans, battles and lots of pagentry. For details, visit www.baronyofosprey.org/Gatalop.htm.
The Elberta Volunteer Fire Department offers its semi-annual Original German Sausage Festival from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, and the event takes place in the town park.
According to its Web site, www.elbertafire.com, festival-goers usually purchase SEVEN THOUSAND pounds of sausage during the event -- and that is usually sold at least two hours before the festival ends. In addition to German sausage and sauerkraut, visitors also can try "German-style filled cabbage, potato salad, goulash, red beans & rice, hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, ice cream, popcorn and peanuts. There will be baked goods as well as arts & crafts for sale at the festival. The Bellview Stumpfiddle Band will perform with the North End Stompers, and cloggers, carnival rides and polka, country and German music will also be provided for entertainment."
With a bit of careful planning, visitors to the area can be stuffed like a sausage before knight-fall!

Well, it finally has happened: The price of gas has started to drop and availability is up. Off-season rates for accommodations are being offered. Now is the perfect time to sneak off for a long weekend -- heck, make it a week -- on the Alabama Gulf Coast. (Or, for you retirees, check into the "snow-bird" specials. Some promotions offer deals for stays of up to four months!)

I was daydreaming and tooling around my favorite Web site, www.thebeachiscalling.org, when I ran across the Packages & Deals page. I found getaways for families, for kids' birthdays, for couples only -- the kinds of deals I would expect to find. But did you know that some places in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer Guys Only packages? What a perfect idea! Your honey can round up some friends and head off for a long weekend, leaving you time to schedule playdates for the young'uns or spend some quality time with them.

And if your sweetie comes back from a beach retreat feeling refreshed and renewed, you might be able to get him to do a bit of straightening up in his "man cave." (I know, I know, but I can dream, can't I?)