Oct 2008

Have you seen the new license plate from the state of Alabama? It's a touch ironic that I used the phrase "Sweet Home Alabama" in my last post, because that's what's going to be on our vehicle tags for the next several years. But that's not even the best part. The new tags also feature a beach scene!
Here's some material from the Associated Press article about the tags:

Gov. Bob Riley assigned the state tourism department to design the new license plate and chose a beach scene to reflect the Gulf Coast’s importance to Alabama’s tourism industry. Together, Baldwin and Mobile counties generate more than 30 percent of the state’s $9.8 billion tourism revenue.

“A lot of people outside of Alabama don’t even know that we have beaches,” Riley said. “When we put more than three million tags showing sea oats and a beautiful sunset over water into circulation, that will change.”

Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell said the design is a major boost to the hospitality industry.
“Having the ‘sweet home’ phrase included is a real plus,” he said. “‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is the third most played song identifying a destination, behind ‘New York, New York’ and ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco.’”

I can't wait to get my new tag. See you at the DMV!

There has been so much financial stuff in the news lately, and it has prompted lots of discussion about the best way to accomplish the country's goals. As I took a stroll outside today, I had a thought: On days when Alabama is as beautiful as it is today, we should charge admission!! The temperature is perfect; the sky is blue; there's a wee bit of a breeze; and the nights are starting to just hint at the coming of winter (a term we generally use pretty loosely down here!). And the Alabama Gulf Coast is the perfect place to be on days like this: The Gulf still is warm, but the air somehow seems lighter, fresher, sweeter. It's what might be called, to coin a phrase, “Convention and Visitors Bureau” weather. Sweet home Alabama? You betcha

Tick-tock, tick-tock. That's the countdown to the National Shrimp Festival, which is Oct. 9-12. It's not too late to plan a trip – although you will need to act quickly. To find out some special deals on rooms or other rentals, check out www.thebeachiscalling.org. From the home page, click on the “Packages & Deals” tab. In the center of the page, there's a link named “Special Events.” Follow it to find all sorts of deals on condos and other rental properties. If you've never been to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores during the festival, you should rectify that immediately. Come on down. We'll leave the tails on for you!