Mobile Bay June 2019
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES
PACK YOUR BAG
EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR SUMMER
NIXON’S MIDTOWN
THEY HAVE THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YOU!
PERFECT DAY
INSIDER TIPS FOR 6 BEACH TOWNS
+
TEN PLACES TO FISH FROM THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR! pg. 14
A SPIRIT FOR ADVENTURE TACKLE THE SEASON WITH GUSTO!
CLASSIC CRAFTS WOODEN BOATS TO MAKE YOU SWOON
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CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXV / ISSUE 6
JUNE 2019
45 FAIRHOPE’S AUSTIN GREENE TAKES HIS STAUTER FOR A SPIN. PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN
Wooden Boats We Love Take a peek at nine local vessels that make us pine for summer days of old
53
A Perfect Day Before setting out for that day trip, get the scoop on can’t-miss spots in our coastal communities
60
Life’s a Beach Five Gulf Shores business owners on why they live in, and love, their beachside community
As a teenager in the 1930s, Lawrence Stauter began building wooden vessels, selling 12-foot boats for $25 and 14-footers for $35. Turn to page 45 to see some of Stauter’s later creations, as well as other local wooden boats of note.
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CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXV / ISSUE 6
JUNE 2019
18 ON OUR COVER Pratt Paterson’s 14-foot Stauter-Built, constructed in 1985 PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN
38 9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 REACTION
28
13 ODDS & ENDS 14 TRADITIONS No boat? No problem. Fish from the shore at these 10 spots.
18 TASTINGS A one-time Midtown drugstore, Nixon’s now cures a craving for liba- tions and sandwiches
22 GOOD STUFF Hit the beach in style with these looks 28 SPOTLIGHT Gulf Coast Pedal Tours offer tourists and locals a new way to experience downtown Mobile
21 COLLECTIONS Find your next beach read, with help from some local book fanatics
31 SPOTLIGHT Author and Mobile native Lauren Denton dishes on her writing process
17 THE DISH
35
COCKTAILS AT NIXON’S / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU LIONFISH AS FARE / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU TAKE A RIDE WITH GULF COAST PEDAL TOURS / PHOTO BY ELISE POCHÉ
SPOTLIGHT Lisette Normann of The Fairhope Store and The Orange Beach Store talks creating a coastal brand
38 BAY TABLES Chef Brody Olive is taking on the invasive lionfish, educating diners in the process 66 JUNE CALENDAR
73 AWARENESS The knowns and unknowns of foxes on Dauphin Island 74 LEGENDS A pirate makes a mysterious deathbed confession in Mobile 76 ASK MCGEHEE Mobile’s parking meter history 78 IN LIVING COLOR A Mobile family enjoys a dip at the turn of the last century
The invasive lionfish has no natural predators, and females can lay up to 30,000 eggs in one mating session! On page 38, meet chef Brody Olive, who is doing his part to help curb this Gulf invasion, one tasty dish at a time.
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Mobile Bay VOLUME XXXV
No6
JUNE 2019
PUBLISHER T. J. Potts Stephen Potts Judy Culbreth EXECUTIVE EDITOR Maggie Lacey MANAGING EDITOR/WEB Abby Parrott EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Amanda Hartin PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Virginia Mathers ART DIRECTOR Laurie Kilpatrick EDITORIAL INTERN Emma Newell
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
ADVERTISING S R. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Joseph A. Hyland Anna Pavao ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Ray
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION Anita Miller ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Eleanor Inge Baker, Mallory Boykin, Emmett Burnett, Jill Claire Gentry, Joshua Givens, Tom McGehee, Breck Pappas, John Sledge CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Summer Ennis Ansley, Matthew Coughlin, Chelsea Hargett Francis, Elizabeth Gelineau, Spence Harrison, Elise Poché ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES
3729 Cottage Hill Road, Suite H Mobile, AL 36609-6500 251-473-6269 Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be sent to: Mobile Bay P.O. Box 43 Congers, NY 10920-9922 1-833-454-5060 MOVING? Please note: U.S. Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through their bulk mail unit. Please send old label along with your new address four to six weeks prior to moving. Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2019 by PMT Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions will be edited for length, clarity and style. PUBLISHED BY PMT PUBLISHING INC .
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EXTRAS | EDITOR’S NOTE
Dive into summer
T
here’s nothing quite like the freedom of summer vacation when you’re a child. When I was little, my parents bought a 900-squarefoot teardown of a place on stilts on the most westward street of Dauphin Island. The end of the road, as it were. Hurricane Frederic had ravaged the house and left it in shambles, and we put it back together one sheet of plywood and bucket of paint at a time. There was nothing fancy about the little box of a place, but some of my fondest memories were made there. Linoleum floors, window units and a hand-me-down stove saw us through countless summer vacations. Once breakfast was over on hot summer mornings, I would follow my older brother’s lead as he built rivers with the hose under the house, made forts in the dunes and found adventures in the marshy grasses. One summer, he took his fort-building game to new heights by sinking beach umbrellas down to sand level, then digging out underneath to create basement-level rooms. Expanding on this ingenious idea, one weekend he made a series of three umbrella forts and connected them with passageways in the sand, creating a playground of epic proportions. It was “Swiss Family Robinson” stuff. Well, it seemed epic to me at the time. I was probably 5, and we were enjoying a freedom that I had never experienced in town. A freedom to pursue summer fun to the fullest. As the MB staff and I planned the annual Summer Fun issue, gathering ideas for boats, snacks, fishing and hot and sweaty summer play, we developed an overwhelming itch to get out of the office and soak in the sun. We travelled the beach roads and backcountry roads, meeting new people, watching the water and riding on boats every chance we could get. It was a pretty good way to make a living! We hope you will follow our lead this month and find an adventure or two — and a childlike spirit to go with it.
Maggie Lacey EXECUTIVE EDITOR
maggie@pmtpublishing.com
MB EDITOR MAGGIE LACEY FROLICS ON THE SANDY SHORES OF DAUPHIN ISLAND WITH HER OLDER BROTHER AND SISTER, CIRCA 1986.
STORMY DAYS WHEN WARM WEATHER ARRIVES, IT’S TIME TO SWITCH YOUR SIPS. ANYTIME I’M BY THE WATER, I’M POURING A DARK AND STORMY (GINGER BEER AND DARK RUM WITH A LIME) . PHOTO BY ELISE POCHÉ
[PERFECT DAY ] SEE MORE LOCAL IDEAS FOR THE PERFECT SUMMER DAY ON PAGE 53.
COME SAIL AWAY I LOVE TO SEE KIDS LEARNING TO SAIL IN THE OPTIMIST DINGHIES AT THE FAIRHOPE YACHT CLUB. THEY CALL THESE BOATS BATHTUBS FOR A REASON.
SNACK TIME THE GROUPER BITES AT SUNSET POINTE ARE FRESH CAUGHT AND COOKED PERFECTLY EVERY TIME. LOVE THE GULF COAST REMOULADE! PHOTO BY BLAIR MERRILLS
SUIT UP I’M ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CUTE BATHING SUITS FOR THE KIDDOS. BLUE AND WHITE ALWAYS FEELS COASTAL. FLORENCE EISEMAN GIRLS SWIMSUIT $92 THE HOLIDAY VIV & LOU BOYS SWIM TRUNKS $24 MARCIE N ME
MB’s 2019 Inspiration Home is hammering along! Swift Lumber has been delivering truckloads of wood for framing, and the third floor of the house is about to go up. I can’t wait to see the amazing treetop views from that level. Stay tuned... ARCHITECTS MAC AND GINA WALCOTT WATCH THE PLANS COME TO LIFE. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
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EXTRAS | REACTION
Tell us how you really feel ... CEREAL-OUSLY GOOD On April’s “Tastings,” featuring Cereal Killer
- Michelle Vaz It really is a wonder for the palate. - Magan Flores The article was great, and the menu sounds awesome. Can’t wait to try it. - Brandie Durham
FROM DRAB TO FAB GREEN WITH MEMORIES
On April’s cover story, “A Renovation Rescue Mission,” featuring Bobby Isakson
On April’s “In Living Color,” featuring the Lakewood Golf Club at the Grand Hotel
What a great article, Bobby.
The putter on the 18th hole is my father, Mark Lyons Jr. We played often; those were great old days.
Beautiful home — I can’t wait to see it. - Weston Simpson
I have a good memory of playing there once in the late 1940s, when the divots we made came out so neatly they could be replaced in their original condition. In 1960 and 1962, I was fortunate to win the Club Championship, which added to some wonderful memories.
DIVING INTO HISTORY
I played the Grand Hotel hundreds of times, from 1949 until the mid-1980s. I made three holes-in-one, and I had two eagles on par 4s. - Dexter Corte Although my time at Lakewood didn’t begin until 1960, I had a unique view of all activities at the club. My dad, Ewing Pomeroy, was the golf pro there from 1960 to 1981. - Joe Pomeroy
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My Perfect Day What would your dream day on Mobile Bay look like? Explore some ideas on page 53, and then share your itinerary with us. Tag us on social media at your favorite spots! (@mobilebaymagazine)
Going to the Chapel It’s wedding season, y’all, and we want to showcase your big day! Submit all the details about your wedding with us, and we’ll feature it on the Web. More details online.
- Leah Marie Parson
- Bocky Lyons
- Bobby McNeely
Find additional local stories on mobilebaymag.com. Here’s what’s new on the website!
PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN
BOOZY FRENCH TOAST AT CEREAL KILLER PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
Breakfast is my love language.
[MORE ONLINE]
On April’s “Ask McGehee” about the CSS Hunley The first submarine delivered to the U.S. Navy was built by the Electric Boat company in Groton, Connecticut, and delivered in 1899. The electric boat company is the anchor division of General Dynamics.
Best. Summer. Ever.
- Jim Boudreaux
Party Pics
I saw [the Hunley] a few months ago in the conservation tank at the old Charleston Navy yard. Clemson has a fantastic museum with artifacts and dioramas on display. - Jody Calhoun
Want to share your thoughts and reactions? Email maggie@pmtpublishing.com.
Make summer 2019 one for the books. Go online for a list of activities and events you should know about. Share your event with us! Fill out the Party Pics registration form, and submit your photos to be featured in a gallery on the Web.
Join Our Email List Get the latest in fashion, food, art, homes, history and events delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for our email list at mobilebaymag.com.
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EXTRAS | ODDS & ENDS
Hooked on Summer text by BRECK PAPPAS
BREAKING NEWS:
THE ROLLER COASTER IS
135 YEARS OLD
The first American roller coaster opened to the public on June 19, 1884, at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. The ride went 6 mph and cost just a nickel. Fast forward
[ JUNE 21ST ] Did you know “OWA” means “Big Water” in the Muscogee Creek language, and that’s what families can see from the peaks of OWA’s highest amusement-park rides: big views of the Gulf of Mexico.
to 2019, and you can get a major dose of thrill on the Rollin’ Thunder roller coaster at OWA in Foley. Big drops, inversions and corkscrew movements will give you the “Summer Fun” feels!
700 The age of a hand-hewn canoe
IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY
30
MINUTES OF CYCLING TO BURN OFF THAT GLASS OF BEER OR WINE
discovered in 1976 on the west
bank of the Alabama River near
It’s a good thing
Fort Mims. The Native American
the pub crawl
artifact is housed at the History
with Gulf Coast
Museum of Mobile.
Pedal Tours lasts
Wooden boats sure have come a long way over the centuries. Take a gander at some local wooden vessels that make us swoon, page 45.
two hours. Meet owners Mackenzie and Matt Kelly on page 28.
SUMMER SOLSTICE Take advantage of more than 14 hours of daylight by sitting outside with your next favorite summer read. Need a book recommendation? MB’s got you covered, page 21.
[ JUNE 16TH ]
Father’s Day ROSES ARE THE OFFICIAL FLOWER FOR THE CELEBRATION.
A red rose is worn on the lapel if your father is living; a white rose if he is deceased.
“Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” - Henry James
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GUMBO | TRADITIONS
Good Things Come to Those Who Bait Leave the boat at home and enjoy these 10 local fishing spots with nothing more than your favorite bait, rod and reel. text by JOSHUA GIVENS
B
aseball might be America’s national pastime, but fishing is the pastime of the South. Any Southerner will tell you that the rod and reel are just as common a summer sight as swimwear and suntan lotion. Across our area, local anglers know exactly where to spend the perfect afternoon casting a line from a sandy shoreline or wooden pier. We might not be able to tell you who’s batting in the big game this weekend, but we can certainly tell you where the fish are biting. So, in the spirit of summer fun, here are MB’s top 10 recommendations on where to bait your hooks and test your luck without having to bring the boat along. Cedar Point Pier 18250 Dauphin Island Parkway, Coden With its cool coastal breeze and beautiful view, it’s easy to see why Cedar Point is a beloved fishing spot. You’ll catch plenty of red fish during the day and white trout, flounder and ground mullet at night. Much of the pier’s decking and structural materials were rebuilt after Hurricane Nate in 2017. Don’t own a rod? No problem. The pier rents them out! You can even purchase bait and some snacks. Big Creek Lake, Mobile County This 3,600-acre reservoir is seated in west Mobile County and serves as the public water supply for the Mobile metropolitan area. Bring your live minnows and jigs and prepare to reel in anything from bass and bluegill to redear sunfish, channel catfish and a whole lot of gar. Arlington Park, Mobile At the east end of Broad Street, across from the Fort Whiting Armory, sits a slightly lesser
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known pier where the fishing can be great. There’s no public lighting, so you’ll want to arrive when the sun’s out. The water is shallow, so it will be hit or miss with the trout. Fort Gaines 51 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island Here’s a personal favorite of FOX10-TV chief meteorologist and host of “FOX10 Outdoors” Jason Smith, who says, “I like fishing around the rocks and jetties. The best time is when the tide isn’t too strong.” Sand Island, Just off Dauphin Island Due to the changes wrought by major hurricanes, the location formerly known as Sand Island is no longer an island at all. In fact, it’s now landlocked with Dauphin Island, making it possible for local anglers to walk there from the pier for an afternoon of speckled trout fishing. Redfish and drum also abound. “The advantage to Sand Island is that you can always find a place where the wind is protected,” Smith says. Halls Mill Creek [Bridge], Mobile County Follow this tributary of Dog River, and you’ll find several docks and shell flats where you can catch speckled trout and even some bream and crappie. Be sure to fish deeper in the winter and summer and shallower in the fall and spring.
Schwarz Park 3701 Riviere du Chien Rd., Mobile South of Dog River, this spot boasts plenty of speckled trout and the occasional redfish. You’ll want to use your plastic shrimp or dead shrimp for bait. Navco [Luscher] Park 2459 Dog River Dr. N., Mobile There’s a cozy little landing here where you can park and fish off the bank or right out of the trunk of your car! Come armed with your live and dead shrimp bait to attract the white and speckled trout. Battleship Parkway, a.k.a. “The Causeway” It’s undeniably one of Mobile’s more popular spots, particularly between the battleship and Felix’s Fish Camp restaurant. As Smith notes, the flounder catch can be good here “if you’re using gulp curly tail. You get more of an edge if you use live bait or bull minnows.” William Brooks Park 601 US-43, Chickasaw There’s plenty of bream, bass and catfish action to be had at William Brooks Park if you don’t mind making the trek northwest toward the narrower and shallower Chickasabogue Creek. MB
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FOOD | THE DISH
Bite of the Bay MB’s contributing food fanatics share the local dishes that made them hungry for more.
PHOTO BY SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY
MARY RISER, Festival Director, Fairhope Film Festival
THE O’HENRY GEORGE AT WHIT’S FROZEN CUSTARD “Daphne’s hottest place is actually the coolest — Whit’s Frozen Custard. The O’Henry George is my favorite, a concoction of vanilla custard drizzled with peanuts, hot caramel and fudge (reminiscent of an O’ Henry candy bar). Although the flavor was named after one of the owner’s sons, I like to pretend it’s an homage to economist Henry George, whose 19th-century teachings served as a model for the single tax colony of Fairhope. What an interesting and funny coincidence!” WHIT’S FROZEN CUSTARD • 1204 MAIN ST., DAPHNE • 378-9204 • WHITSCUSTARD. COM/AL-DAPHNE
ROBERT BROWN, VP, Pitman Brown Building Company
FRIED CHICKEN AT THE DEUCE COUPE “As a huge fan of Dragonfly Foodbar in Fairhope, I’ve been wanting to try the Deuce Coupe at The Fort. Owners Doug and Brie Kerr never disappoint. The idea of chicken and waffles has never appealed to me. However, when I saw a picture of one of the creations at the Deuce Coupe, I had to have it! I ordered the crispy buttermilk green curry fried chicken with sweet and sour slaw topped with a peanut sauce and spicy aioli, all presented in a waffle cone. Like everything at Dragonfly, the flavors where off the chart and complementary.” DEUCE COUPE AT THE FORT • 29001 BASS PRO DRIVE, SPANISH FORT • 307-6444 THEFORTPARK.COM
NICHELLE RODGERS, Marketing Specialist, USA Health
DIRTY FRIES AT EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR “Tucked away under the Hilton on the outskirts of Bienville Square, Eugene’s Monkey Bar is a true gem. I visited one evening after work during their ‘Wine Wednesday’ and was not disappointed. I ordered the wine flight and decided to stick to an appetizer for my first visit. It was a tough decision, but I landed on the dirty fries. The white cheddar, bacon bits, green onions and housemade remoulade made for the perfect cheat meal. The portions were enough to share with the table. I’m ashamed to say I went back that Friday and ordered it again — it’s that good!” EUGENE’S MONKEY BAR & GRILL 15 N. CONCEPTION ST. • 378-9377 EUGENESMONKEYBARANDGRILL.COM
What dishes made you drool and left you hungry for more? Share them on our Facebook page! june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 17
FOOD | TASTINGS
Nixon’s text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
THE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER
M
idtown has a new neighborhood bar. Owner John Thompson, known for developing legendary haunts such as Callaghan’s and Manci’s, opened Nixon’s in February. The bar and restaurant occupies the 1920s-era building that housed Nixon’s Drugs for 80 years, located at the intersection of Old Shell Road and Kenneth Street. “John has always been into the history of Mobile, so that’s why he decided to do a throwback to the original name of the building,” says general manager Leigh Collins. “The decor just followed the drugstore theme so naturally.” Immediately upon walking into the restaurant, you’ll see a beautiful wooden bar with an assortment of glass containers filled with candy — Blow Pops, Smartees, peppermints and Jolly Ranchers — nostalgic to the era of tiny local pharmacies with soda fountains. In addition to standard cocktail offerings, Nixon’s pays homage to the soda fountain with drinks such as the Cherry Lime Rickey and the Buzzed Brown Cow milkshake.
Modern pieces from artists like Abe Partridge mingle with neon beer signs and old pharmaceutical ads to create a funky vintage vibe. “It’s gone over really well — we always have so much of the neighborhood in here and lots of return business,” Collins says. “It’s appealing to a lot of different groups of people. Friday afternoon and Saturday, we have tons of strollers and kids in here, and then of course, it’s a completely different crowd at night.” Nixon’s has become a popular gathering spot for sports fans, and seven televisions in the small space ensure everyone has a great view of the game. The kitchen, run by kitchen manager Brian Reed, focuses on affordable, approachable items: sandwiches, wraps and salads. The roast beef and turkey are roasted in-house, and all of Nixon’s sauces are made from scratch. “We wanted to keep the menu reasonably priced so people can come here to eat three times a week,” Collins says. “We really do want to be the gathering place for Midtown.” MB
Nixon’s • 1801 Old Shell Road • 3 – 11 p.m. Wednesday – Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday – Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 586-8780 • facebook.com/Nixons-546481102517305 • average entree price $11
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THE NIXON SANDWICH
[ON THE MENU ]
SEARED TUNA STEAK A tuna steak is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic salt, seared and topped with a zingy house-made wasabi aioli and a sweet-and-savory toasted sesame dressing.
THAI WRAP WITH CHICKEN Grilled chicken, paired with crunchy fried onions, creates the illusion of fried chicken — a creative way to work around the deep fryer.
THE NIXON
“TBS”
House-roasted shaved roast beef, caramelized onions and melted provolone make The Nixon one of the best roast beef sandwiches in town.
This classic and popular sandwich features shaved house-roasted turkey breast, bacon, Swiss cheese and a honey mustard aioli on a hoagie.
“HAVE A CIGAR” CUBAN SANDWICH Hoagie bread is stuffed full of shaved ham, smoked pulled pork, melted Swiss cheese, creole mustard and Wickles pickles.
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GUMBO | COLLECTIONS
Page Turners MB asks local book fanatics to share their must-read summer selections. compiled by AMANDA HARTIN
LAUREN DENTON Author “Save Me the Plums” by Ruth Reichl This mesmerizing memoir recounts Reichl’s experience of taking over as editor-inchief of Gourmet magazine during a time when women weren’t typically in charge and when the farm-to-table idea was just beginning to catch on. PEGGY P. CUNNINGHAM Author “At Briarwood School for Girls” by Michael Knight When the threat of a theme park begins to intrude on the lives of the faculty and students at Briarwood, secrets will be revealed and unexpected alliances will form. Follow the cast of memorable characters as they reckon with questions about fate, history and the possibility of happiness.
GENIE JONES Fairhope Public Library “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid The band skyrockets to the top of the charts until they suddenly and inexplicably break up. Band members, their friends and loved ones, managers and critics look back and share their version of events, brilliantly capturing the groovy and meteoric music scene of the ‘70s.
JUDY CULBRETH Editorial Consultant Mobile Bay Magazine “Educated” by Tara Westover If you've ever thought your childhood was troubled, read Tara Westover's remarkable true story of resiliency and grit.
STEPHANIE CROWE Page and Palette “Cemetery Road” by Greg Iles Marshall, Jet, Nadine and a host of corrupt, rich, bad guys make for a tense read that can’t be put down. Along the way, secrets are laid bare, and the evils that plague Mississippi are shared through the experience of his characters.
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LET’S GET
BEACH READY THE ONLY THING THAT CAN IMPROVE A GORGEOUS DAY AT OUR BEACHES IS THE RIGHT STUFF! THIS ROUND UP OF THE CUTEST BEACH DUDS AND BEST GEAR FROM LOCAL SHOPS WILL GUARANTEE A SANDY GOOD TIME. styling by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
ADRENALINE 328 FAIRHOPE AVE., FAIRHOPE 990-0699 ADRENALINESURFANDSKATE.COM • BIG CITY TOYS 4504 OLD SHELL ROAD 308-8997 BIG-CITY-TOYS.SHOPLIGHTSPEED.COM • EASTBAY CLOTHIERS 39 N SECTION ST., FAIRHOPE 928-6848 EASTBAYCLOTHIERS.COM FANTASY ISLAND TOYS 335 FAIRHOPE AVE.,FAIRHOPE 928-1720 FANTASYISLANDTOYS.COM • GIGI & JAYS 400 FAIRHOPE AVE., FAIRHOPE 928-2011 FACEBOOK: GIGIANDJAYS • HOLIDAY 4513 OLD SHELL ROAD 342-4911 SHOPTHEHOLIDAY.COM • MARCIE N ME 8150 COTTAGE HILL ROAD 634-4844 FACEBOOK: MARCIENMEGIFTS • SADIE’S 5 S SECTION ST., FAIRHOPE 929-3222 SADIESOFFAIRHOPE.COM
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BOYS OF SUMMER Indulge his wild side with shark fin snorkels and rip-roaring kickboards that bring “Jaws” to life! Your little boys will be ready for summer fun in no time with these hot picks.
CRAB TEE MUSTARD AND KETCHUP KIDS MARCIE N ME • $25
GREEN AND NAVY SUN SHIRT
PARTHENON SAND TOY
GIGI & JAY’S • $53
BIG CITY TOYS • $3
NAVY BUCKET HAT GIGI & JAY’S • $37
CORAL REEF BATHING SUIT
SHARK KICK BOARD
MICHAEL’S • GIGI & JAY’S • $70
GIGI & JAY’S • $30
SURF BOARD BATHING SUIT
SHARK FIN SNORKEL
MARCIE N ME • $24
BLING2O • MARCIE N ME • $15
BLUE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE SAND TOY BIG CITY TOYS • $3 COOL DOWN HYDRATING AFTERSUN GEL SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $10
BLUE MASK GOGGLES BLING2O • MARCIE N ME • $25
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HEAD TO THE TROPICS Natural straw materials, tropical botanicals, a few animal prints and just the right pop of color make a chic and sophisticated vacation vibe. A cool-girl rash guard gives sun and surf protection, but underneath is a vintage-inspired bikini that will make waves. BROWN STRAW FEDORA WITH SUEDE BAND JANESSA LEONE SADIE’S • $220
ORANGE COLOSSEUM SAND TOY FANTASY ISLAND TOYS • $3
HAND-PAINTED FAUX LEATHER EARRINGS AUDRA STYLE MARCIE N ME • $35
OVERSIZED SUNGLASSES DIFF7 SOUTH • $85
SILVER KISS 72 X 37 BEACH TOWEL TURKISH T THE HOLIDAY • $45
TROPICAL PRINT BATHING SUIT BCBG • SADIE’S • BOTTOMS $76, TOP $98, SHIRT $118
STAINLESS STEEL INSULATED 20 OZ BOTTLE SWIG MARCIE N ME • $29
LEOPARD PRINT FLIP FLOPS IPANEMA • 7 SOUTH • $2
BEACH FORMULA DRY SHAMPOO SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $15
BLACK STRAW BAG MUDPIE THE HOLIDAY • $56
CORAL GOGO KEY CHAIN BOULEVARD • MARCIE N ME • $22
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SPLASHY & BOLD Equal parts sporty and preppy, these beachy-cool goods set the tone for trips to the sandy shores of south Alabama. Boring bathing suits need not apply.
YELLOW LEANING TOWER OF PISA SAND TOY FANTASY ISLAND TOYS • $3
APALACH SUNGLASSES
SUNGLASS PRINT SWIM TRUNKS
COSTA • ADRENALINE • $249
BLUE SWIM SHOES 7 SOUTH • $150
STAINLESS STEEL INSULATED 20 OZ BOTTLE SWIG • MARCIE N ME • $29
MICHAEL’S SWIMWEAR • EAST BAY CLOTHIERS • $98
RED MINI LAZER SKIM BOARD ZAP SKIMBOARDS • ADRENALINE • $107
PREMIUM MOISTURE SUNSCREEN LOTION SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $30 SONNY LIFEGUARD HAT SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $30
BLACK SUNGLASSES RAY-BAN ADRENALINE • $213
ISLAND RESERVE PEPE’S CLEAR WATER STRIPED POLO MARGARITAVILLE
BURNT ORANGE STRIPED TOWEL THE HOLIDAY • $29
BLUE TRUCKER HAT OLD POINT CLEAR 7 SOUTH • $28
EAST BAY CLOTHIERS • $75
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SWEET AND SANDY
Your little go-getter needs beach duds with spunk to match her plucky attitude. Pink, purple and plenty of girly flair make for vacation perfection.
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PINEAPPLE SUNSET BIKINI
SPF 70 SUNSCREEN LOTION
SWEET GOGGLES BLING2O
MAAJI • ADRENALINE • $62
SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $16
MARCIE N ME • $23
HURRICANE PRINT SANDALS
ISLAND GREEN SAND DOLLAR TEE MUSTARD AND KETCHUP KIDS
PINK STAINLESS STEEL INSULATED 20 OZ BOTTLE
PINK SILICONE KEY RING
MARCIE N ME • $25
SWIG • MARCIE N ME • $29
O-VENTURE • MARCIE N ME • $28
PINK STRIPE TOWEL
PINK EIFFEL TOWER SAND TOY
MERMAID SNORKEL BLING2O
THE HOLIDAY • $29
BIG CITY TOYS • $5
MARCIE N ME • $15
CLASSIC GLITTER GOGGLES
TEVA • ADRENALINE • $40
BLING2O • GIGI & JAY’S • $25
COOL AT THE POOL
Red, white and blue is always a summer winner, but this updated take on a classic color palette feels as fresh as a Gulf Coast breeze. TASSEL STRAW HAT POOL TO PARTY • SADIE’S • $94 CLUBMASTER SUNGLASSES RAY-BAN • ADRENALINE • $168
FISH PATTERNED COVER-UP ROLLER RABBIT SADIE’S • $195
RED TAJ MAHAL SAND TOY FANTASY ISLAND TOYS • $4
RED ONE-PIECE SWIMSUIT TRINA TURK • SADIE’S • $160
COOL DOWN HYDRATING AFTER SUN LOTION SUN BUM • ADRENALINE • $12
STRIPED BEACH TOWEL TURKISH T • THE HOLIDAY • $29
STAINLESS STEEL 20 OZ INSULATED BOTTLE SWIG • MARCIE N ME • $29
RUBBER KNOT SANDALS IPANEMA • 7 SOUTH • $30
WOVEN PAPER PURSE HELLO 3AM • MARCIE N ME • $37
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PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT
Gulf Coast Pedal Tours Meet Mackenzie and Matt Kelly, the brains behind Mobile’s party bike. interview by BRECK PAPPAS • photo by ELISE POCHÉ
around and showing them Mobile. We both love Mobile and wanted to bring something new down here. We did a little more research and found a company that builds the pedal vehicles here in the U.S. Matt: The boom of Downtown and what it’s done over the last few years was definitely a driving factor. Whenever we had the idea to do this, one of the first people I reached out to was Mayor Stimpson, and he was all over it. MB: Why the decision to make the vehicle pedal-optional? Matt: We went on a pedal tour that required you to pedal the entire time — that’s for a certain crowd. I don’t know if I enjoyed it or not (laughs).
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hat could possibly be better than pedaling down Dauphin Street with 11 of your closest friends, stopping for drink and food specials along the way? That’s the exact thought that inspired Mackenzie and Matt Kelly to launch Gulf Coast Pedal Tours in October 2018, which offers customizable, private pub crawls or public mixer rides through the heart of downtown Mobile on an insanely fun 12-person vehicle. MB recently had the chance to sit down with the owners of Mobile’s newest attraction-on-wheels.
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Mackenzie: We wanted to do something that we would enjoy doing ourselves, and we know that once people are having fun, they might not want to pedal the whole time. So we wanted to have the option to have the motor on board and make it more accessible to everybody. MB: How did Gulf Coast Pedal Tours come to be? Mackenzie: We had been dating for eight years, and the whole time, all he would talk about was how he wanted to own a business. Finally, we got married and started talking about a real business. We actually went on a pedal tour a few years ago and kind of put it in the back of our minds. We started thinking about it and doing a little research. Matt: This was after she told me “no” to about 50 different business ideas. Mackenzie: (laughs) Finally one stuck. I was like, ‘OK, sounds fun.’ I enjoy driving people
Matt: Most people pedal for a few minutes, then they just kind of kick back and relax. MB: Where was the vehicle built? Matt: Fredericksburg, Texas. Mackenzie: A tour operator there had changed to a different style of vehicle, so they hadn’t used this one as much, and it was run-down a little bit. We basically bought the base structure, and then all of the woodwork and painting we did ourselves. That was probably the hardest part, the manual labor of the mechanics and stuff like that. But it was fun — it was a learning process.
MB: What is it about riding down the street, seeing people and being seen, that’s so much fun? Matt: Well, you’re the most popular person for two hours whenever you’re on here. Mackenzie: Oh, absolutely. People are taking pictures, videos. We have a bell on the bike, and that’s one of the most popular things — ringing that bell and interacting with people on the street. It kind of breaks down barriers. People you wouldn’t normally interact with will come up and ask how your ride is. Matt: I think there’s an allure of being able to legally drink on a vehicle and have us drive you around downtown (laughs). And besides the afternoon thunderstorms, we’ve got the best weather around. Even during the winter we were doing rides. Just bundle up a little bit and you’re good! MB: What’s the feedback been like so far? Mackenzie: Everybody’s enjoying it! We had a group on Wednesday who said it was the best Wednesday night they’ve ever had! Matt: What kind of shocked me was that I thought this was something people would come do one time and that would be it, but we’ve got one group who has just booked their fourth ride with us. Mackenzie: One thing that I didn’t expect was for so many locals to do it. But I’d say 90 percent of the groups that we have are locals. Even though they’ve gone to these bars and restaurants before, it’s a whole new experience. MB: Why is something like this good for the city as a whole? Matt: With all the new things that are happening down here, I just think it’s a way to get people engaged and get them into the Downtown area to experience the revitalization that’s occurred over the last few years. We get a lot of people from Baldwin County who come over that didn’t even know Mobile had a brewery. So it’s a new way to get people down here, experience the revitalization and hopefully bring them back, whether they’re riding with us or not. MB
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PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT
Writing with Water in Mind Native Mobilian and author Lauren Koffler Denton shares with her former college roommate her thoughts on books, writing and the way water sets the stage for her rich Southern stories. interview by ELEANOR INGE BAKER
EIB: All three of your novels, “The Hideaway,” “Hurricane Season” and now “Glory Road” are set in lower Alabama. How has growing up on the Gulf Coast informed your fiction? LKD: Water got into my blood early on. We spent lots of time during the summers and on vacations on the Gulf, Mobile Bay and in Bon Secour. I didn’t realize how important proximity to water was to me until I moved away from it and missed it so much. I set my stories in some way near the water so I can set my head there for however long it takes me to write the story. These days, my family spends most of our vacations in Perdido Key on Ole River. (Technically Florida, but the water itself doesn’t know when it passes from Alabama to Florida.)
EIB: “Glory Road” is a story set in present day in the fictional small town of Perry, Alabama, just north of Mobile. Your character Jessie graduated from high school in 1997 — the year you graduated from UMS-Wright. Did pulling from your own memories help you to develop this female character’s experience? LKD: I rarely use specific situations from my own life, but I do try to infuse a character with feelings and emotions I feel or have felt in the past. I did specifically pull music from my own life. I wanted a ABOVE Author Lauren Denton at age 6, standing by her family’s boat near Bon Secour Bay in Gulf Shores.
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scene with Jessie and her high school friend, Ben, reminiscing over one of those big, black zip-up CD cases, listening to the music that was a soundtrack to their younger years. All I did was imagine my own big, black zip-up CD case from high school, which was stolen out of my car and I still miss terribly. But Counting Crows, Dave Matthews — I loved reliving the music through that scene. EIB: Mother / daughter dynamics loom large in this novel. I was especially interested in 40-year-old Jessie’s relationship with her 14-year-old daughter, Evan. The girl does not exhibit the typical teenage angst I often read in novels — or that I myself had as a teenager. As Evan navigates her teenage emotions and new experiences, Jessie talks less and listens more. I want to be like that when my little girl is a teenager. LKD: That’s exactly what I thought! Honestly, I learned a lot from the way Jessie relates to Evan in the story. With my own daughters, my tendency is to talk way too much without listening enough — and Jessie does the opposite. Maybe it was my way of preemptively figuring out how to deal with a teenager, so when we get there, I won’t be so caught off guard. EIB: Jessie owns a gardening shop, and, in many ways, her business defines who she is. What made you give Jessie this profession? Do you have a green thumb? LKD: I’m actually not a gardener. I can keep some plants alive, but in the book I channeled my mom, who is a wonderful gardener. I love the idea of coaxing beautiful things from dirt that looks empty and lifeless. It’s an apt metaphor for life and unexpected changes that come along. EIB: How has reading played a role in your writing life? When we were roommates at Auburn, you read voraciously. Which books have most influenced the way you write? LKD: Because of my lifelong love of reading, I knew before I started writing what made a story satisfying for me. The quieter 32 mobilebaymag.com | june 2019
stories stay with me long after I finish them — the character-driven instead of the plotdriven stories. I love Sarah Addison Allen’s “Garden Spells” and Sue Monk Kidd’s “The Secret Life of Bees” — Kidd’s book was a huge eye-opener for me and my writing. A couple of my recent favorites are “Last Ride to Graceland” by Kim Wright and “Gods of Howl Mountain” by Taylor Brown. MB
Excerpt from “Glory Road,” Denton’s newly released novel: “Down a few steps was another portion of the dock, but this part was older, basic, and no frills. Just two Adirondack chairs at the end and a pair of rubber water shoes. It was a calm evening, but the water made music, lapping against pilings, wood slats, and a canoe tied to one of the railings. I could see why Olivia wanted the ceremony out here by the water. As we spoke, the sun was already sliding down toward the horizon. Passing clouds lit up like electric-blue-and-purple slashes across the sky. In minutes everything would be a blaze of orange and pink.” Eleanor Inge Baker is a freelance writer and author of “Bon Temps — Alabama’s Mardi Gras.”
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PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT
Branding Success Lisette Normann of The Fairhope Store and The Orange Beach Store reflects on her journey from candy vendor to lifestyle brand curator. text by BRECK PAPPAS • photos by CHELSEA HARGETT FR ANCIS
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he bright blue doors of The Fairhope Store are propped open on this warm morning, and owner Lisette Normann stands before a display of merchandise — hats, tumblers, license tags, T-shirts — all bearing the logo that has become synonymous with the bayside town. “I read one time that only 5 percent of people in the world actually do what they love for a living,” she says. The artist and entrepreneur considers herself a proud and thankful member of that small club. When Lisette first sketched the word “Fairhope” on a notepad in 2010, substituting the “A” for the roofline of a pier, even she couldn’t have imagined the journey she had begun. But the more you learn about Lisette, the more it becomes clear that her journey to The Fairhope Store began many years before picking up that notepad. A Fairhope native, Lisette had a childhood that was magical, even by the standards of the enchanting Eastern Shore. Her family owned and lived in the Fairhope Hotel, which provided an endless cast of characters to occupy the young Lisette. Her grandfather, Wallace Milham, looms large in her memory. A one-time bread truck driver for Malbis Bakery, the enterprising Milham eventually opened up The Yardarm restaurant on the Fairhope Pier, as well as the neighboring marina. But Milham’s legacy would extend far beyond his own endeavors. When Lisette was 6, her grandfather asked what she would like to do to make money. “I want to open a store,” she answered. “Well, what would you sell in your store?” Lisette considered her grandfather’s question and decided she’d sell what she loved: Nutter Butters, orange push-ups, grape lollipops and peanut bars. “OK, let’s do it,” her grandfather said. Before long, Lisette was operating her own snack bar on Fairhope Pier, responsible for keeping track of her inventory and profits.
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“I was taught that you could be successful at anything if you love it,” she says. “And that was him. Every move he made, he loved it.” So it’s not all that surprising that, upon returning home to Fairhope after working for more than a decade in New Orleans as an oil painter, Lisette heard the faint echoes of that conversation with her grandfather. “I just kept thinking, ‘What can I do to celebrate this town?’” Having lived for a stint in St. Simons Island, Georgia, she says that when she returned to Fairhope, “almost everything I wore had Sea Island on it.” It got the artist thinking, why doesn’t my hometown have merchandise like this? “I worked for about eight months on how I could say Fairhope in a cool way,” she says. “My inspiration was being away in New Orleans and then in St. Simons Island — what was it that I missed? When I would come home, where would I drive in my car and say, ‘I’m home?’ It was the houses and the piers.” In 2011, The Fairhope Store officially opened its doors in a small space next to Page and Palette. In its first day of business, which coincided with a Condoleezza Rice book signing next door, The Fairhope Store was completely sold out. “I had to paper up the doors and windows again and say, ‘We’ll be back!’” In the years since, the lifestyle brand has taken on a life of its own, allowing Lisette to move
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the store to its current location on De La Mare Avenue and to employ a stream of local teens. “One of the best parts of my business is that I have the ability to change the lives of the kids working here,” she says. “I can empower them to step off cliffs and go do big things with their lives.” In 2016, Lisette opened The Orange Beach Store, an undertaking inspired by the same love of place that kick-started her journey with The Fairhope Store. The bright orange logo has taken a firm hold in the beach town and beyond — Lisette says she has sold well over 70,000 Orange Beach stickers to customers worldwide. Patrons can purchase the beachy merchandise online, from a brick and mortar location on Perdido Beach Boulevard or from a pop-up store at The Wharf. “It was a big jump,” she says, wondering “am I going to be able to do something that’s 45 minutes away, am I going to be able to keep our core values implemented and still be who we are? And we can. We totally can!” In October of 2018, when The Fairhope Store received the Gold Retailer of the Year Award from the Alabama Retail Association, Lisette packed her table of 10 at the awards ceremony with her young employees. “I wanted them to see what it feels like to take something that was a thought — and look where you can go with it.” Her grandfather couldn’t have said it better himself. MB
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FOOD | BAY TABLES
Gulf Invader An accomplished chef on Alabama’s beachfront is introducing diners to the delights of an invasive species. text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
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bout 25 large mullet gather tightly together and swim very slowly in unison through the shallow waters of Cotton Bayou. The dock owned by the Perdido Beach Resort extends out some 250 feet over grass beds where minnows, crabs and stingrays alternately feed and duck for cover. There are not a lot of grass beds left along the highly developed inland coastline, so this small patch is a respite for inshore species. Out in the open Gulf waters, however, local fish are having a hard time protecting themselves from one predator in particular. A beautiful striped fish that no other aquatic animal can touch swims in alarming numbers around reefs and rigs. It’s an invasive species that is reeking havoc on the natural balance: the lionfish. First spotted in Gulf waters in 1985, this native of the Indo-Pacific was likely an aquarium pet that was released somewhere in Florida. It reproduces rapidly, and with no natural predators in this new environment, the lionfish has survived, thrived and multiplied. With a steady diet of just about anything, the zebrafish, as it is also known, is toppling a delicate ecosystem. It can now be found swimming anywhere from Delaware to Brazil. I walk the dock in the late spring sunshine, chatting with chef Brody Olive about his introduction to lionfish. The executive chef at the Perdido Beach Resort is making it his mission to curb the invasion, one tasty appetizer at a time — a goal that is worthy but certainly not easy. His endeavor began in 2014 when Olive and local chef Chris
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CHEF BRODY OLIVE
Sherrill were cooking side-by-side at the Seafood, Science and Celebrity event on Dauphin Island, a Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner featuring numerous Southern culinary icons. They struck up a conversation with some divers who were talking about spearfishing for lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico. Olive and Sherrill were intrigued and alarmed but determined. As if the lionfish had thrown down a gauntlet that the chefs simply must pick up, they founded a small nonprofit called The Nuisance Group to educate consumers about invasive species and to promote their inclusion on local menus. Fixing an environmental issue through delicious cuisine seemed like a win/win. Beachgoers, however, tend to look for snapper, grouper and other large, recognizable names on menus; diners feel confident ordering them. But Olive wants to push diners at Voyager’s, the fine dining restaurant at the Perdido Beach Resort, to broaden their palate. The first step is educating patrons about underutilized fish, such as lionfish, and
the second is helping them overcome their fears. “It’s a venomous fish,” he tells me, “but not a poisonous one. The meat is healthy and delicious, a delicate fillet with a buttery quality.” Once people try it, Olive hopes they
will begin to recognize it on other menus or even ask for it by name. Identifying the problem and creating a demand sounds like an easy way to eliminate this invasive species. But unless you plan to dive for them yourself, finding lionfish meat can be a challenge. They are not commercially fished in large numbers and spearfishing removes them at a much slower pace than nets or other fishing methods. And a labor-intensive product equals high prices. “I’m not selling lionfish to make a profit,” Olive admits. “At $20 a pound, it can get pretty pricey.” Olive keeps it as an appetizer on his ever-changing menu so he can be sure not to run out. Even purchasing 200 to 300 pounds at a time can’t provide enough product for a regular entree portion. “We buy as much as we can find, whole, and then clean them and blast freeze them,” Olive tells me. “I don’t know how we cooked before the IQF freezer,” a device that allows the fish to stay as fresh as the day it swam. Whole Foods offers lionfish in some of their Florida stores, but as of yet, no seafood markets in our area offer it. Those who dive will enjoy the hunt, but cleaning the fish around its venomous spines can be a little tricky. Seek help the first time you attempt it, Olive advises. This spring, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and the Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama put up $10,000 in prizes for a lionfish tournament that harvested 2,140 pounds of lionfish in just 10 days. A drop in the bucket, perhaps, but Olive appreciates the effort. “After a roundup, many people donate the fish to our restaurant since we are experienced and prepared to process and serve them. Nothing goes to waste.” As we reach the end of the resort’s boardwalk, having watched stingrays and dolphins swim alongside charter boats and center-consoles out for a day of recreation, you can’t help but think about the impact one powerful species can have on an ecosystem. Olive smiles and puts back on his signature do-rag and sunglasses as he heads back toward his beachfront kitchen, confident in the knowledge that he is creating more than just delicious food. He is creating a legacy as well. MB
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PAN-ROASTED LIONFISH SERVES 4 4 lionfish fillets, or any smaller fish such as yellowtail snapper, mangrove snapper, flounder or tripletail salt and pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 sprig thyme 1 sprig parsley 1 clove crushed garlic 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 lemon
Lightly season fillets with salt and pepper. Heat cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Lay fish fillets flesh side down. Sear for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Flip fillets and turn heat off. Add sprigs of thyme and parsley. Add garlic and butter. Melt butter, then squeeze lemon into pan. With a tablespoon, scoop butter mixture back over fish 3 or 4 times.
LIMAS AND ROASTED TOMATOES 1 cup fresh or frozen lima beans 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 spring onion bulb, chopped 4 ounces Divina roasted tomatoes, drained 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/4 cup white wine 1/2 ounce aged sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon butter salt and pepper, to taste
Simmer lima beans in chicken or vegetable stock for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. In medium saute pan, add oil. Heat over medium. Saute onion until lightly browned. Add roasted tomatoes, garlic and beans. Add white wine, and simmer for 8 minutes. Add vinegar and butter. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
HEIRLOOM GRITS 2 cups water 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup Bayou Cora stone-milled heirloom grits* 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon fresh parsley pepper, to taste
Bring water and heavy cream to a boil, being careful not to boil over. Whisk in grits. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and reduce heat to low. Simmer grits, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes. Add butter, parsley and pepper. * bayoucorafarms.com june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 41
FISH TIRADITO (LIONFISH) SERVES 4
If unable to acquire lionfish, substitute another light fish, such as flounder. 1 lime, zested 1 orange, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 1 serrano pepper, finely sliced 1/4 cup green onion whites turbinado sugar, to taste and garnish 6 ounces fish, sliced sashimi-style Maldon salt, to taste and garnish extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish microgreen, for garnish
In a bowl, whisk together first six ingredients. Season with salt, to taste. Adjust acidity with sugar for spiciness. Place thinly sliced fish in center of serving plate; spoon sauce on and around fish. Garnish with salt, sugar, oil and microgreens.
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Want To Go Spear Fishing? The following charter boats will take you out to the lionfish and let you give it your best shot! Open water dive certification usually required. Reel Surprise Charters San Roc Marina, Orange Beach, AL 251-981-7173 reelsurprisecharters.com Gary’s Gulf Diver Sportsman’s Marina, Orange Beach, AL 251-747-6563 gulfdiver.net
Get In On The Action! Another tournament kicks off this fall! Orange Beach Open Spearfishing Tournament September 27 - October 12, 2019 With $10,000 in cash prizes alabamaspearfishing.com
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WOODEN BOATS WE LOVE The Best of the Bay text by EMMETT BURNETT • photos by MATTHEW COUGHLIN
JOHN THERRELL 18-FOOT STAUTER-BUILT
“Why wood?” This question is often asked of those manning watercraft built with nature’s fiberglass alternative. Their answer? A simple,“Why not?” Why not, indeed. Mobile would not be Mobile if not for wooden boats of old seeking our shores. For many, the romance of wood on water still prevails. Here are nine such boat people, commanding vessels formerly known as trees.
On viewing an 18-foot handcrafted boat made in 1962 with African mahogany, one might think it is royalty. One might be correct. This boat is the Bay Queen. With newly renovated wiring, seating and other nautical niceties, the Bay Queen is owned by Mobile’s Sam Winter. Like everyone else, he is respectful of the workmanship and how special wooden boats made on the Mobile causeway are. “There aren’t that many still around these days,” Sam says about wooden boats such as his Bay Queen, which is hand-washed, toweldried and garage-stored at the end of each voyage. “The ones that are left must be taken care of. “Old wooden boats come with stories,” Sam adds. “Owners on both sides of the Bay know each other. We share those stories. When launching a wooden boat, add another 30 minutes to allow time for visitors to approach, ask questions and share tales. Some people want to take pictures.” The Bay Queen currently explores the Mobile Delta, the Dauphin Island area, Fowl River and other coastal waters, driven by
SAM WINTER’S 18-FOOT STAUTER BAY QUEEN
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“PIROGUE” IS A FRENCH WORD FOR A SHALLOW-DRAFT VESSEL DESIGNED TO MANEUVER SWAMPLANDS.
Sam with his family onboard. Skiing and other outings prevail with more to come. As for the future, Sam proclaims he will never sell his Bay Queen. “We hope all the work we put into our boat will keep it running for many years to come.”
Adorning a wall of John Therrell’s office is a framed collection of memories. A sales receipt, brochures and childhood photos reference the boat he grew up with in the 1980s. Today that boat is his. “Dad bought it new in 1980,” John recalls, a Daphne resident and financial planner, about the 18-foot Stauter-Built. “I spent my childhood with dad on it.” Today, his own family is in the same boat. He recalls a summer when he and wife Mandy observed their two girls (today ages 6 and 8). From the family’s wooden boat, the parents watched as their children ran the beach, playing with hermit crabs. “This is great,” former Texas resident Mandy thought as her children played. “Our girls are here, enjoying nature’s beauty. When I was their age, I was in the mall.” “Wooden boats are unique,” John says. “Each has its own life and nuances.” The Therrell’s boat has additional qualities. It is a third-generation family heirloom.
For many in the new boat market, a pirogue that is prone to turning over is perhaps a deal breaker. For 76-year-old John Craig Shaw? No problem. Game on. Craig is the commander of an 11-and-a-half foot Pensacola-built pirogue named Swamp Thing. Caution: handle with care. The good ship Swamp Thing is great fun but unforgiving. “You have to be pretty agile to keep it from tipping over,” Craig says, who speaks with experience from days on Fish River. Though he has never been tossed in the drink, relatives have. “Two people turned over, and they lost their fishing gear and most everything else on the boat, too.” But
JOHN CRAIG SHAW’S 11.5-FOOT PIROGUE
all ended well, Craig recalls. “They swam and pulled Swamp Thing back to shore.” The key to taming the pirogue with attitude is a large concrete block lodged in the center of the craft. “It’s the ballast,” Craig says. Otherwise I would be swimming!” He suspects the two who spilled into the watery depths did not have the block installed, perhaps to make room for fishing gear. “Swamp Thing is too little for fishing,” Craig adds, “and it’s never had a motor.” His boat is made of one sheet of marine plywood. The feisty little pirogue runs on oar power — for those remaining topside.
JOHN THERRELL’S 18-FOOT STAUTER CEDAR POINT SPECIAL
Like most wooden boats of Mobile Bay, there is story behind the watercraft known as The Last Call. Acquired by Fairhope’s Austin Greene in the summer of 2017, it almost never made it past the summer of 1979. june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 47
THE LAFITTE SKIFF WAS DEVELOPED IN THE 1930s BY EMILE DUFRENE OF LAFITTE, LOUISIANA.
AUSTIN GREENE’S 16-FOOT STAUTER BAIT BOAT
In the path of Hurricane Frederic, boat builder Lawrence Stauter telephoned the vessel’s first owner, urging him to get his newly made boat “now, before the storm hits, or you may never see it.” The owner heeded sage advice, which probably saved the boat from death by hurricane. Today, The Last Call, the little boat that survived a massive storm, still navigates Mobile waters. Like most wooden boats of yesteryear, it was built to the buyer’s specifications. It was originally designed as a bait boat to accommodate shrimpers and crab fishermen. Austin purchased it from the first and only other owner, the man who heeded the call. Today, The Last Call is heavily used in Greene family outings on Fish River, Weeks Bay and Mobile Bay — the same bay where torrential rain and wind almost claimed the boat four decades earlier.
Family, fishing, overnight trips and adventure; the dream is alive for Point Clear’s Reid Key. Life is good aboard a 37-foot Lafitte Skiff. “She’s as cool as she looks,” Reid proudly says. “The vessel is built of cypress and built well. She clips at about 20 knots (23 mph for the nautically challenged).” But the boat of distinction is more
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than a sleek wooden presence on local waters. She is Bay therapy. “Water is liberating,” Reid says about mindeasing offshore life. “When I am on my boat way out in the water, I am not consumed with 10 million projects.” There’s plenty of time for other projects back in the always-in-a-hurry other-world of dry land. And as for the 40-year-old vessel, Reid notes, “I have always been enamored with a wooden boat. You can put ‘new clothes’ on it. Give it a new paint job, and you give it a new personality. Much of the work on a wooden boat, I can do myself. That is part of the romance of a wooden watercraft, making it into what you want it to be — expressing your personality.”
With no previous experience, Silverhill’s Phillip Counselman dove right in and landed in a wooden boat he built himself. The two-and-a-half year project is finished, in theory. But the University of Mobile associate professor of art notes, “Actually,
REID KEY’S 37-FOOT LAFITTE SKIFF
PHILLIP COUNSELMAN’S 18-FOOT HANDMADE DORY
it is never going to be finished. I am always doing things because I enjoy it.” The 18-foot Dory style wooden boat is a beauty to behold. “I like the simplicity of design and contoured lines,” Phillip says. The associate professor’s boat plans were from a company specializing in “quick build” boats, easily constructed. Phillip takes issue with the “ease of building” claims. “It’s still complicated,” he says with a smile. “Building a boat is a challenge and, at times, difficult.” The end product pleases his happy crew: wife Laura and fouryear-old daughter Alice. “We love being out on the water,” he says. Launched last August, Phillip says, “The boat is still new to us, and we are enjoying riding around in Weeks Bay. I hope to start fishing from it in the summer.” The boat is Phillip’s first build, and it won’t be his last. He is currently working on wooden boat number two — a classic TN Simmons Sea Skiff, another Dory style 18-foot vessel. REID KEY’S 37-FOOT LAFITTE SKIFF june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 49
Pratt Paterson grew up around boating. “We moved back to Mobile about three years ago,” the executive director of Wilmer Hall says. “One reason we returned was to be close to water again.” Earlier this year, Pratt bought a 1985 14-foot Stauter-Built. “Stauter is known for quality work, and it was a Mobile-area company,” he recalls. “Ever since I was a child, I wanted one.” The Mobile skipper notes that there is just something about boats made of wood. “We are attracted to it,” he says. Wood talks to you in creaks and squeaks. Pratt continues, “There is a good feeling being on a wooden watercraft. “Right now we mainly putter around in it,” he laughs. “We spend a lot of time in the Mobile Delta and cruising Dog River.” More adventure is coming. “So many people live in our area and never experience the Bay, Delta or rivers,” Pratt notes. “Not us. “We take every chance to be in the water.”
LOCAL BOAT BUILDER LAWRENCE STAUTER OPENED UP HIS CAUSEWAY WORKSHOP IN 1947. IT’S ESTIMATED THAT 10,000 STAUTER VESSELS HAVE HIT THE WATER.
PRATT PATERSON’S 14-FOOT STAUTER CEDAR POINT SPECIAL
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The Chandeleur Slugger, so named for its history of Chandeleur Islands fishing trips, is a 53-by-17 foot mothership, says the vessel’s pilot Jonathan Jones. The Biloxi lugger sleeps up to eight and often. “You don’t get there fast, but you get there,” says Jonathan’s sister, Ameri’ca Tickle, of Fairhope/Point Clear. “I am on it every chance I get.” “Getting away from the hustle and bustle and actually living on the water for a few days is better than fishing a few hours and leaving,” Jonathan notes. But with rewards comes challenges. “On a wooden boat, you must be a Jack of all trades,” Ameri’ca notes, and speaking about her brother, adds, “Jonathan knows the boat’s engine room better than the rest of know the fun stuff.” “This boat is as strong now as the day she was built 40 years ago,” her skipper says. It is no stranger to Blakely Island, Dog River and other Mobile and Baldwin County waters. A professional artist, Ameri’ca describes wooden boats from a creative talent perspective. “There is a timeless, handcrafted element to wooden boats,” she says. “A wood boat is more than a boat. It is a piece of art.” MB
JONATHAN JONES 53-FOOT CHANDELEUR SLUGGER
THE BILOXI LUGGER’S ORIGINS LIE IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY. ONCE LUGGING POUNDS OF SHRIMP THROUGH THE SHALLOWS, MANY VESSELS HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO PLEASURE YACHTS. june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 51
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A PERFECT DAY HOW TO SPEND YOUR SPARE TIME
IN OUR PERFECT COASTAL TOWNS
Six in-the-know locals share their top picks for spending a leisurely summer day in their neck of the woods. Clear your schedule, and take note of these six perfect days just begging to happen. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
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SURF AND ADVENTURE
WHERE TO SHOP
Down Under Dive Shop is my favorite. They’ve got all the gear you can dream of, and that’s also where I took my freedive training classes.
GULF SHORES
with SAM SUMLIN
GET OUTSIDE
I fish probably 200 or more days a year. There’s just so much variety in our area. I also surf and spearfish when conditions allow.
PHOTO BY GRANT HESSE
Born and raised on the coast, Sam is a true waterman. Whether he’s surfing or fishing, there’s not a moment that the Gulf isn’t just below his salty feet. As co-founder and creative director of High Seas Design House, he has gotten to know countless businesses along the sandy shores of south Alabama and decided to share a few tips only a true local would know.
SUNSET SPOT
The Point at Fort Morgan has the best sunsets. It’s worth the drive down for sure.
GO-TO LUNCH SPOTS
Both of these places have amazing service and are locally owned and operated. Hog Wild BBQ The best wings on the planet
GEAR
Sam loves his “Pro Lance” board made by Cronin Surfboards. His personal board is solid black, but it comes in tons of colors.
The Beach House Kitchen Fantastic tacos
SUMMER SIP PHOTO BY KYLE HOWARD
ONLY THE LOCALS KNOW
There are still a few great places to get away from the crowd. Jeff Friend Trail on Little Lagoon is a great spot to go and still enjoy the water.
The Summer Dream at Beach House Kitchen & Cocktails off of West Beach — my girlfriend loves them. Plus, they use Alabama spirits. PHOTO BY ELISE POCHE
CAFFEINE UP Foam Coffee is where it’s at.
SPLURGE
PHOTO COURTESY ALABAMA STATE PARKS
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The Lemon Ice Box Cake Ice Cream from Matt’s Ice Cream is my favorite. Then I meet my trainer at Results to relieve the guilt.
SNACK TIME
Smoothies and Acai Bowls from Soul Bowlz | PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
IN THE KITCHEN
Most of my friends are fishermen, so we cook whatever the fresh catch is. Lately, we’ve fixed a lot of blackened pompano tacos. The great thing about living here is that, if you do it right, all the fish is free.
EASY GOING ISLAND SNACK TIME
DAUPHIN ISLAND
Sweet baked treats and a coffee from the Lighthouse Bakery are the perfect pick-me-up.
with BUFF TEAGUE
Buff knows a thing or two about relaxing on the island. Her family has owned property on the west end since the 1930s. She and her husband even held their wedding reception at the Estuarium. These days, however, with four young kids in tow, life is all about adventure. Her family loves the authentic feel and low-key lifestyle of this barrier island.
SUMMER SIP
Myers & OJ, preferably on the deck of Islander’s looking out over Sand Island
PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPLURGE
Snow cone and a pizza at Island Rainbow Pizza, where you can also find Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream.
IN THE KITCHEN
Locals love West Indies Salad, of course! Invented not far from here, it’s a summer staple.
ONLY THE LOCALS KNOW Keep an eye out for the resident bald eagles flying overhead.
SUNSET SPOT
West End beach, especially during the Dauphin Island Sunset Concerts
BACK TO NATURE
Dauphin Island is a wade fisherman’s paradise.
GO-TO DINNER
Flounder Ponchartrain at Pirates Bar and Grill cooked to perfection by Chef Phillip Patronas
GET OUTSIDE
BEACH STYLE
The Audubon Bird Sanctuary is amazing, especially if you can get there during spring or fall migration. It’s a great activity with the kids!
Buff is wearing a colorful kaftan and bold earrings by Island Belle, a new brand from Mobile artist and entreprenuer Bonnie Fuchs. shopislandbelle.com
WHERE TO SHOP
Ship & Shore has everything you could possibly need for a trip to Dauphin Island. The Happy Octopus Boutique has fun women’s clothing, jewelry and sun hats.
GEAR
A paddle board is the best way to enjoy the beautiful water. Bonus: you get a workout without feeling like it. yoloboard.com
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A DAY IN TOWN SNACK TIME
FAIRHOPE
Panini Pete’s Food Network Famous beignets are delicious, and he is always keeping it fresh by cooking up special flavors.
It’s tough to pin Alex down for her favorite places to go in downtown Fairhope. As the executive director of the Downtown Fairhope Business Association, she just can’t play favorites! “I love all these guys so much,” she gushes. Her family of five spends as much time as possible strolling these picturesque streets and participating in endless family-oriented events.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SUMMER SIP
The “Fairhope Float” at Mr. Genes Beans has my favorite coffee vote, because it’s mixed with ice cream. I have tried this at home, and it’s just not the same. The “Fairhope Float” can’t be replicated. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
GET OUTSIDE
CAN’T MISS
Greatest outdoor activities: the Fairhope Farmers Market, Glow in the Park movies, parades, Art Walk — all in Downtown!
SUNSET SPOT
PHOTO BY BEN SMITH
Orange Street Pier You can
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see the skyline of Mobile across the Bay, and it really is breathtaking.
PHOTO BY DAVID DITTMAN
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
Many old timers say they can predict when a jubilee is coming, and if you know one of these people, get on their phone chain. Not much makes me jump out of bed at 2 a.m., but if I get that call, I am headed to water!
SPLURGE
I love everything at Fairhope Chocolate, but the salted caramel turtle is my absolute favorite.
IN THE KITCHEN
Whatever we are cooking — boiled crabs, fresh fish, gumbo — I head over to Red or White, and they help me choose the perfect pairing. I love the Whispering Angel Côtes De Provence Rosé.
ONLY THE LOCALS KNOW
The City of Fairhope changes their plantings out seasonally, and if you are lucky enough to see them pulling the flowers up, you can take them home to replant.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
with ALEX ROBINSON
WHERE TO SHOP
Fantasy Island Toys It’s been in the heart of downtown Fairhope for over 50 years and is one of those places that just gives you the warm and fuzzies. Local secret: When you are short on time, call ahead and order a birthday gift. Their gift wrap is complimentary, and your present will be party-ready when you arrive.
BACK TO NATURE
The Fairhope Pier and Rose Garden are perfect backdrops for a photo and a great place to start a walk. Sidewalks begin at the waterfront and will lead you all the way into Downtown or along the beautiful public bayfront parks.
SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE
ORANGE BEACH
with ANGELO DEPAOLA
GET OUTSIDE
It’s always fun to spend the day on the water. Head out early for some fishing, then swing by the dock for lunch and hit the local spots like Robinson Island or Johnson Beach for some time in the sun.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
PHOTO BY ALABAMA AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Angelo is literally surrounded by boats day in and day out — his real estate office is located above the dock store at Orange Beach Marina. While he admits it’s tough to watch people heading out to fish when he is working at his desk, he concedes life at the beach “does not suck.” This foodie, who can often be seen streaming videos from restaurant kitchens, doesn’t mind working one door away from a James Beard award-winning chef either.
PARTY TIME
Take a self-led Tour de Bushwacker! My favorites are Pirates Cove, Flippers at Bear Point Marina, Anchor, Tacky Jack’s, Fisher’s, Playa, and definitely the FloraBama Yacht Club.
GO-TO LUNCH
Fisher’s Dockside The Bama Burger with crispy Tabasco onions or the Fisher Burger with homemade tomato jam and pimento cheese are my go-to lunches. Pro tip: Ask for extra tomato jam — it’s just so good.
BACK TO NATURE
Hugh Branyon Nature and Bike trail at Gulf State Park
CAFFEINE UP
Locally roasted coffee, homemade pastries and ice cream from BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SUMMER SIP
SUNSET SPOT
One of my favorite things to do in the late afternoon is grab a bite and a cocktail at The Gulf and watch the boats return from a day of fishing. PHOTO BY MICHELLE STANCIL
The Mojito at Playa at Sportsman’s Marina — so refreshing.
ONLY THE LOCALS KNOW Spend Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends at the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club, located at Orange Beach Marina, watching the tournament fish being weighed in at the dock.
GEAR A Shimano Tiagra 80W saltwater reel for landing the big catches. WHERE TO SHOP
J&M Tackle This store has all the fishing gear you could need, but I love the local knowledge. Fishing reports, how to catch what, where they are biting, the best gear to use — they know it all.
SPLURGE BOATING STYLE
Shades at the Wharf is locally owned and operated and has all the sunglasses you can imagine, plus beach apparel. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
Southern Grace Dinners Top chefs from across the South cook with James Beard awardwinning Chef Bill Briand at Fisher’s Upstairs.
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BACK TO NATURE
DOG RIVER
with FRANK TERRELL Dog River flows in Franks veins, having lived along its shores his entire life. Growing up on the river gave him ample opportunity for fishing, boating and exploring the wild lands around him. Now, he is raising his own children on that same stretch of water and working hard to protect it, too, as the president of Dog River Clear Water Revival.
PARTY TIME
Mudbottom Revival The people that put this event on do a wonderful job and always raise a ton of money to keep Dog River clean, keep people educated about pollution and create public access points for the people of Mobile. PHOTO BY CHAD EDWARDS
GEAR
I always fish with live shrimp since I tend to catch more that way, but I don’t get to go often enough!
GET OUTSIDE
I love that stretch of Halls Mill Creek beyond the railroad trestle and Hippie Beach
IN THE KITCHEN
I like to boil and pick crabs on my dock on Sunday evenings in the summer. My kids would check our crabs traps for hours if you let them.
WHERE TO SHOP
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
You can get to these three bait shops by water, and they consistently have live shrimp. Deer River Bait and Tackle West Marine at Dog River Marina C&S Live Bait and Tackle Local tip: My son likes C&S the best because they give him candy every time he comes to the register.
TRY IT OUT We recently started pulling a shrimp trawl behind our boat right outside of the river in the Bay. It’s fun but we are not very good at it.
Mobile Yacht Club The yacht club is the last place you can go by water on the river for lunch since The River Shack closed. They have good burgers and cold beer. They also have a playground and a swimming pool for the kids.
GO-TO DINNER
Trout Almondine from The Grand Mariner Restaurant is our regular. Local seafood and views of the Bay from the Dog River bridge can’t be beat.
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SUMMER SIP “GAME CHANGER” 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) premium orange juice with no pulp 8 ounces (1 cup) premium pineapple juice 8 ounces (1 cup) dark rum 2 ounces (1/4 cup) spiced rum 2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream of coconut 4 cups ice cubes
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
LUNCH TIME
OLD-FASHIONED FUN
POINT CLEAR
with COURTNEY MALOUF Raising her two kids in the quiet enclave of Point Clear is a blessing for Courtney, where picture-perfect scenery, history and tradition abound. When she’s not selecting merchandise for her family’s furniture store, she is enjoying all this tiny town has to offer. Known for her impeccable taste, you would do well to follow Courtney’s lead for an idyllic day.
Since Point Clear faces west along Mobile Bay, you won’t find a bad spot to watch the day come to an end.
WHERE TO SHOP
Chapel Farm Collection Find beautiful gifts or that fun splurge for yourself, like the Neely and Chloe bag (below).
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
PHOTO COURTESY THE GRAND HOTEL
SUNSET SPOT
OLD SCHOOL
Mass at the un-air-conditioned Sacred Heart Chapel in the summer has become a tradition in our family. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SUMMER SIP
Berry Mojito with Grey Goose and lots of extra fresh limes from Bucky’s at the Grand Hotel
GET OUTSIDE
Biking or walking the boardwalk is so rejuvenating. There’s always a nice breeze in the afternoons.
GO-TO DINNER
Fish special at the Wash House. It’s always fresh caught, like the tripletail (below). The spring rolls are a great appetizer. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
PHOTO COURTESY THE GARAGE STUDIO
The Garage Studio So many cute gift items in a wide price range. Lots of original coastal and religious artwork.
SPLURGE
Punta Clara birthday cakes. The butter cake with marshmallow icing and crushed pralines is divine.
TIME WITH THE KIDS
Having tea at the Grand Hotel is such a great tradition to start with your children. Hotel guests are welcome to tea and cookies daily at 3:45. A reservation for high tea is also available. Then they shoot a cannon outside and tell the history of the Grand Hotel at 4 p.m. daily. Feeding the ducks at the pond is so fun when the kids are little, too.
GEAR
Courtney can zip from Point Clear to Two Sister’s Bakery in Battle’s Wharf on her Felt Bike from Pro Cycle and Tri in downtown Fairhope.
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LIFE’S A BEACH Five Gulf Shores business owners talk shop on the shores they call home. text by AMANDA HARTIN • photos by ELISE POCHÉ
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M
adelynn Mann gazes out over the sun-kissed marsh. She’s just unlocked her shop for the day, but she’s not in a rush to begin dressing mannequins or updating racks. Instead, she takes a few moments to center herself and to chat about her pup, Rover, an English cream golden retriever. “He’s my shop dog, and he’s a ladies’ man,” she says with a laugh. Back inside, Madelynn tells of her lifelong love of the fashion industry, something that, along with working in other boutiques, inspired her to start her own business. Located in the lower level of Glow Yoga, Pieces Boutique has been open for just over a year, offering swimsuits and beach-ready clothing and accessories. “There’s a really happy vibe here,” she says through a pearly white grin. “Pieces [Boutique] definitely belongs on the beach.” And so does Madelynn. Six years ago, her morning view was quite different. An Iowa native, she moved south right out of high school. Sweaters, boots and snow have given way to sundresses, flip-flops and sugar-white sand. “My sister and I spent many childhood summers here visiting our granny,” Madelynn says, explaining how she gravitated toward Gulf Shores. “It was like our second home.”
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MADELYNN MANN PIECES BOUTIQUE
Home, Sweet Beach Home
“THERE’S A REALLY HAPPY VIBE HERE. PIECES [BOUTIQUE] DEFINITELY BELONGS ON THE BEACH.” - Madelynn Mann, owner of Pieces Boutique
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Located along 32 miles of powdery coastline, Gulf Shores is home to almost 12,000 full-time residents, according to data available in 2017. The family-friendly town packs 223 annual days of sunshine and enough saltwater catches to satiate a hard-core “seafoodie’s” appetite. Pedestrianand bike-friendly streets boast shops slathered with colorful murals, and kitschy kitchens offer a plethora of unpretentious bites. Perhaps the real draw to the state’s fourth fastest-growing city — besides the brilliant sunrises and sunsets, of course — is the detectable congeniality among locals, particularly business owners. The city’s motto, “Small Town, Big Beach,” rings true for Madelynn. “I love that it’s a small town,” she says, “but the Southern hospitality is my favorite part.” Hospitality is what initially connected Madelynn to another entrepreneur, Nathalie Sousa, during a pop-up event at the yoga studio. The two became fast friends. Like Madelynn, Nathalie, a native Brazilian, knows there is something special about Gulf Shores. “I first came here as a temporary worker at a local resort,” she says. “I fell in love with the area, so I decided to stay, go to college and make America home.” That was 20 years ago. Over the course of those two decades, Nathalie
traveled throughout the country but couldn’t escape the pull back to the Gulf. “The beach is my sanctuary,” says the avid runner and natural food chef. “It’s my favorite place to pray, relax, exercise and clear my mind.” Press & Co., of which Nathalie is the owner, also tops the list of her favorite places. The juice and wellness company’s mission goes beyond just providing healthful cleanses and supplements. “My passion is helping others become healthier,” she says. Nathalie knows she’s not alone in her quest; she has husband-and-wife team, Kale and Saidy Troha, by her side. After the doors to the Trohas’ store, Foam Coffee, are locked, Nathalie can be found inside the industrial kitchen, pressing, bottling and refrigerating her organic fruit- and vegetable-based beverages. “Foam Coffee is definitely the best coffee shop in town, and I’m not just saying that because the owners have become my close friends or because you can find Press & Co. juices there,” she says, gratefully. “You honestly can’t find better coffee or a more relaxed, cool vibe anywhere around.”
On Beach Time Watching them, it’s easy to see where Foam Coffee gets its chill quality. Saidy, whose countenance shines with a beachy glow, coolly rings up a regular’s mid-day espresso. Kale stands alongside her, casually carrying on a conversation while the drink
“THE BEACH IS MY SANCTUARY. IT’S MY FAVORITE PLACE TO PRAY, RELAX, EXERCISE AND CLEAR MY MIND.” - Nathalie Sousa, owner of Press & Co.
NATHALIE SOUSA PRESS & CO.
SAIDY AND K ALE TROHA FOAM COFFEE
is brewed. They are about as easy-going and down-to-earth as one might imagine minimalistic, coffee-brewers-by-the-beach to be. Now both seated at a roomy table, Saidy, a self-described behind-thescenes person, admits she initially didn’t know much about business ownership. Of her early days at the Art Institute in Chicago, the Gulf Shores native says, “All I knew was that I loved coffee shops. My plan was to move home and design them.” As co-owner, she finds herself a little more front-and-center than she originally envisioned. Kale on the other hand, an Elberta native, seems quite comfortable in the spotlight. His years of competitive skimboarding explain his confident, surfer-like style and demeanor. Thanks to his mother’s affinity for the beach, Kale’s family moved to Gulf Shores in the mid-‘90s. He and Saidy met years later at Shrimp Festival, and not long after, the two married in Bali. They’ve been serving caffeinated joy one cup at a time to residents and vacationers for the past two years. june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 63
commuting around Gulf Shores. “One of my earlier dreams was to be able to exist conveniently without the use of a car,” he says. It’s now a reality: the proximity from his home to work, school and the beach is only one mile. “Work is so much better if you ride a bike there.” During free time, he, his wife and two daughters can often be found volleying a ball on a sand court (Eddie coaches beach volleyball). “All of my hobbies are centered around the beach,” he says, shielding his eyes from the late-afternoon sun. “That’s what I love most about living here.” “Here” is where he moved after college, even after spending the first few post-collegiate months traveling to places such as Hawaii and Central and South America. Much like Madelynn and Nathalie, Eddie was always drawn back to the Gulf. Upon making Gulf Shores his home, he opened his first gym in 2002. “I always knew I would live and work near a beach someday,” Eddie says. “The location is amazing.”
Beach Reunion
EDDIE HENRY RESULTS GYM
“NOTHING CLEARS MY HEAD AND RELAXES ME MORE THAN MOVING WATER.” - Eddie Henry, owner of Results Gym
Between honeymooning in the Indonesian islands and traveling all over the east and west coasts — either for competitions or coffee bean sourcing — the couple has seen their fair share of shorelines. “I don’t take our beach for granted,” Saidy says when asked about Gulf Shores. Eddie Henry, owner of Results Gym, doesn’t take the beach for granted either. “Nothing clears my head and relaxes me more than moving water,” says the Cleveland, Ohio, native.
Fit for the Beach Over the past 15 years, Results Gym has developed into a comprehensive training facility that incorporates everything Eddie has learned in his profession — from nutrition to weight training and all points in between. “I don’t have a very stressful job,” he says, “but if it has been a long day, the water melts away all of my worries.” One thing Eddie doesn’t worry about much is
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It’s nearing sunset when the group gathers on the public stretch of beach just west of The Hangout. The scene is reminiscent of a family reunion — laughter, hugs, excited chatter and quick updates. There are no strangers here; they all know one another. That’s the nature of being a business owner in a “small town.” But the relationships cultivated amongst the group are perhaps most special to one in particular. “Each person here has been instrumental in developing my business,” Nathalie says, her eyes shiny with tears. “I met Eddie years ago, back before I was ready to settle down and focus on a healthy lifestyle,” she says, now with a sheepish smile. She and Eddie, by way of Results Gym, “go way back.” More recent is her relationship with Madelynn, a friend on whom she can rely, and with the Trohas, without whom she’d have no kitchen workspace. Although Nathalie’s specific connection to each business owner is unique, the others have similar stories. Stories of how they met at chamber of commerce events or during pop-up sales or catching waves. With such sincere camaraderie and support among the group, it’s easy to wonder, does the adage, “A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at the office,” apply when you work at the beach? The answer really doesn’t matter, especially when you work near friends. MB
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EXTRAS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CRAWFISH COOK-OFF
Serving up June!
THROUGH JUNE 2
JUNE 7
JUNE 8
THE FLORA-BAMA FISHING RODEO Categories range from catfish to billfish and everything in-between at this everyman’s rodeo. Catch will be weighed-in daily. Stick around for the beach party and live music.
CRAWFISH COOK-OFF 5:30 - 8 p.m. Feast on crawfish, potatoes, corn, hot dogs and more. Fairhope Brewing Company beer will also be on tap. Tickets: $15 per person; 10 and under, $5; 2 and under, free.
KYSER MIREE TOURNAMENT 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Catch red snapper, speckled trout and other fish at this tournament. Proceeds go toward a scholarship in his name as well as local child-welfare organizations.
FLORA-BAMA YACHT CLUB FLORABAMA.COM
THROUGH JUNE 8 THE TOUT ENSEMBLE: EDMOND DECELLE & THE STUDIO DECELLE From the 1920s to the 1960s, Edmond DeCelle was a prominent artist and designer of Mardi Gras. MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM MOBILECARNIVALMUSEUM.COM
BLACKBURN PARK NORTHBALDWINCHAMBER.COM
JUNE 8
MOBILE BIG GAME FISHING CLUB KYSERTOURNAMENT.COM
JUNE 12
FUSE PROJECT DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Enjoy dishes from food trucks, activities for kids and more while watching dragon boat teams compete.
KIDS GULF DISCOVERY DAY 9 a.m. - noon. Learn about the wildlife and ecology of the Gulf coast. Admission: $14 for adults; $8 for ages 5 - 12; free to members and to ages 4 and younger.
USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK FUSEPROJECT.ORG
BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG
To have your event included in the online or print edition of Mobile Bay Magazine, email calendar@pmtpublishing.com. 66 mobilebaymag.com | june 2019
JUNE 15
JUNE 20 - SEPTEMBER 21
RIDE YELLOW 7 a.m. Ride through North Baldwin County and the Tensaw Delta to benefit various cancer charities.
EMILY STAPLES-VAN ANTWERP-HEARIN: A CELEBRATION OF THE GRAND DAME OF CARNIVAL 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. M, W, F / Sa. Celebrate the lasting legacy of a true Southern lady who reigned as Queen of Carnival in 1934. Admission: $5.
BAY MINETTE RIDEYELLOW.ORG
JUNE 15 - 16 REPTILE AND EXOTIC ANIMAL SHOW 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sa. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Su. Enthusiasts will enjoy the opportunity of this great reptile and exotic animal show with thousands of top quality animals not found anywhere else in the area. Admission: Adults, $12; children ages 5 to 12, $5; ages 4 and under, free.
MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM MOBILECARNIVALMUSEUM.COM
JUNE 24 - 28 ZOO CAMP 2019 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Campers will get to know the zoo inside and out through various activities. Fee: $175.
THE GROUNDS REPTICON.COM
ALABAMA GULF COAST ZOO ALABAMAGULFCOASTZOO.COM
JUNE 20
JUNE 27 - 29
NIGHT MARKET AT THE FORT 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Enjoy a fun evening of shopping, featuring local makers, bakers, crafters and artists.
DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN See some of the top, most-talented young women from around the country compete for scholarship money.
THE FORT CONTAINER PARK THEFORTPARK.COM
MOBILE CIVIC CENTER THEATER DISTINGUISHEDYW.ORG
Orange Beach Grand Slam
JUNE 13 - 15
Compete in the big game fishing tournament at The Wharf. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
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JUNE PERFORMANCES
[ONGOING EVENTS]
See below for the best the Port City stages have to offer.
JUNE 1 - 2 “GUYS AND DOLLS” 7:30 p.m. F/Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Delight in tunes such as “Luck Be a Lady” during this musical set in New York. CHICKASAW CIVIC THEATER • CCTSHOWS.COM
BIKE NIGHT
JUNE 6
WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS Develop your gardening skills through various informational sessions all summer. Admission: $13 for adults; $7.50 for ages 5-12; free to members and to ages 4 and younger. BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG
CHRISTOPHER NITSCHE: LIMINAL SHIP II 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Christopher Nitsche creates art from hurricane debris. Adults, $12; Seniors, $10; Active Military, $8; Students, $8; Children under 6, free. MOBILE MUSEUM OF ART MOBILEMUSEUMOFART.COM
BRUNCH AT SOUTHERN NATIONAL 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sip on mimosas while feasting on decadent brunch items with a Southern twist. SOUTHERN NATIONAL SOUTHERNATIONAL.COM
FAIRHOPE FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK 6 - 8 p.m. Shop, dine, wine and explore downtown Fairhope. DOWNTOWN FAIRHOPE
DAPHNE FARMERS MARKET 2 - 6 p.m. Pick up local produce and arts and crafts in Daphne. THE CORNER OF MAIN STREET AND SANTA ROSA
MOBILE SCAVENGER HUNT: PARADE THROUGH MOBILE 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Explore the city’s iconic buildings, great green spaces and Mardi Gras attractions. Tickets: $11. HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE LETSROAM.COM
BIKE NIGHT 4 - 8 p.m. First Wednesday of every month. Bike around Downtown and enjoy beer, food, live music and a good time. Free. BOB’S DOWNTOWN CORNEROFFATANDHAPPY.COM
BIENVILLE BITES 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Taste award-winning dishes from seven restaurants in historic Downtown. Admission: $55. DOWNTOWN BIENVILLEBITESFOODTOUR.COM
MOBILE HAPPY HOUR WATERFRONT CRUISE Tu, Th. Savor cocktails aboard The Perdido Queen Paddlewheel among the sights and sounds of the city’s waterfront. 1 WATER ST. PERDIDOQUEEN.COM
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HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH 7:30 p.m. Embrace ‘90s nostalgia with the “Only Wanna Be With You” band and special guests Barenaked Ladies. Tickets: $72 - $129. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
JUNE 7 - 23 “HELLO, DOLLY!” 7:30 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Classic hits are featured in this musical about a matchmaker in turn-of-the-century New York. Tickets: $10 - $20. JOE JEFFERSON PLAYERS JOEJEFFERSONPLAYERS.COM
JUNE 14 THE FAB FOUR 8 p.m. Experience the ultimate Beatles tribute band. Tickets: $55, $45, $35 and $25. MOBILE SAENGER THEATRE MOBILESAENGER.COM
JUNE 15 DIERKS BENTLEY 7 p.m. The country superstar sings his hits on the beach. Tickets: $31 - $91. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
JUNE 27 KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND 7:30 p.m. “Get Down Tonight” and “Shake Your Booty” in a way you only can to ‘70s hit makers. Tickets: $42, $56, $66, $96. MOBILE SAENGER THEATRE MOBILESAENGER.COM
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[JULY HIGHLIGHTS]
JULY 3 - 4 GRAND BAY WATERMELON FESTIVAL 3 - 7 p.m. July 3. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. July 4. Celebrate the nation’s birthday by feasting on lots of watermelon. Don’t forget the “Pretty Baby” contest. Tickets: $5 per vehicle. ODD FELLOWS FESTIVAL PARK GRANDBAYWATERMELONFESTIVAL.ORG
JULY 3 INDEPENDENCE DAY AT THE WHARF 5 - 9 p.m. Fireworks and family-friendly activities at The Wharf honor the Fourth of July. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
JULY 4 FIREWORKS ON THE FANTAIL 7:30 - 10 p.m. Commemorate Independence Day aboard the USS Alabama. Tickets: $50 for adults; $25 for children 6 and over; children under 5 free. USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARKWAY USSALABAMA.COM
JULY 4 FAIRHOPE’S FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVAL AND FIREWORKS DISPLAY 7 p.m. The Baldwin Pops Band Independence Day Concert — with fireworks and family-friendly activities — will begin at 7:30 p.m. HENRY GEORGE PARK AND FAIRHOPE MUNICIPAL PIER • FAIRHOPEAL.GOV
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GRAND BAY WATERMELON FESTIVAL
JULY 7 RASCAL FLATTS 7:30 p.m. Sing along to some of the country band’s biggest hits. Tickets: $11 - $99. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
JULY 19 - 20 LUKE BRYAN 7 p.m. The country superstar and “American Idol” judge takes the stage. Tickets: $39 and up. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
JULY 12 - 14, 19 - 21, 25 - 28 “DEAD ACCOUNTS” 7:30 p.m. F / Sa. 2:30 p.m. Su. This contemporary comedy addresses family issues. Tickets: $12 - $18. THEATRE 98 • THEATRE98.ORG
JULY 19 - 21 ALABAMA DEEP SEA FISHING RODEO Compete with more than 3,000 anglers in more than 30 categories of fish. Don’t forget about the Liars’ Contest on Thursday night. DAUPHIN ISLAND • ADSFR.COM
JULY 26 - 28 “LOVE’S LABOR LOST” 7:30 p.m. F / Sa. 2 p.m. Su. Laugh along to one of Shakespeare’s comedies. Tickets: $15 - $20. MOBILE THEATRE GUILD MOBILETHEATREGUILD.ORG
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GUMBO | AWARENESS
The Red Foxes of Dauphin Island You might be surprised to learn about this barrier island resident. text by BRECK PAPPAS • photo by SPENCE HARRISON
“A cool breeze filters through the pines and palmettos as dusk settles on Dauphin Island. East End residents stroll leisurely down backroads, taking full advantage of the sun’s respite. But among the usual sights of houses, cars and humans is something a bit more unusual — the occasional streak of orange. Every now and then, the burnt-colored blaze stops long enough for gazers to spy two perked ears and a set of curiously attentive eyes, waiting and watching. The streak is gone as quickly as it appeared.” - Spence Harrison Spence Harrison is a wildlife photographer. He has been following a pair of red foxes in the dunes of the island for the past three years.
D
auphin Island is not only home to birds, sea turtles, raccoons and nutria, it is also home to the Vulpes vulpes— the red fox. Although some residents believe that the foxes were introduced on the island to curb the feral cat population, Roger Clay, a biologist at the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, says that is not the case. “Cats are not natural prey for the fox,” he says. “Also, a healthy cat would likely be comparable in size to most of the foxes, much too large for a fox to prey upon.” Who brought them to Dauphin Island? Clay says it remains a mystery. “After Katrina established the mile-
wide gap in the island, the western seven miles of the island to the tip had no predators and so was a great place for ground-nesting birds,” Clay says. “Once the Katrina cut was plugged with stone after the oil spill, the sand built up enough to reconnect the West End, and soon foxes appeared out there. Not surprisingly, the colonial nesting birds, the terns and skimmers, have abandoned the West End with the fox likely playing a role.” Despite the concerns of some about the animals’ effect on the island’s native species, others have made it a hobby to enjoy the amazing lives of these fleet-footed foxes of Dauphin Island. MB june 2019 | mobilebaymag.com 73
HISTORY | LEGENDS
The Mysterious Disappearance of Theodosia Burr A pirate’s deathbed confession in Mobile added a further layer of intrigue to one of history’s unsolved mysteries. text by JOHN S. SLEDGE
T
he old pirate was dying. A lifetime of skullduggery on the high seas had left him with nothing but a broken body and rented bedclothes in a rude riverside shack. He knew the end was near and anxiously awaited the attending physician’s knock. He could not pay for the visit, of course, receiving it only because the doctor was one of Mobile’s most compassionate citizens, determined that no one should leave this world bereft of care. But the sea dog’s anxiety did not stem from any fear of death, which he had faced countless times. Rather, it came from a deep-seated urge to clear his conscience before “crossing the bar.” The doctor soon arrived, felt the pirate’s brow and took his pulse. Then the man unburdened himself and asked that his story be made public. Shortly thereafter, he died and was buried in the potter’s field. The doctor was unsure what to do. He had heard deathbed revelations of all sorts but never anything to compare with what he learned in the pirate’s shanty. He finally told a merchant friend who was also an enthusiastic gossip, and soon the story hit newspapers in Mobile, Montgomery and, eventually, nationwide. According to the papers, the pirate confessed that, 23 years earlier, he had killed Mrs. Joseph Alston, better known as Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of the former vice president of the United States Aaron Burr and wife of the governor of South Carolina. It was a sensational explanation for a famous mystery, but was it true? Theodosia Burr was born in 1783 in Albany, New York. She was the apple of her father’s eye, a bond so legendary that Lin-Manuel Miranda recognized it with the lullaby “Dear Theodosia” in his hit Broadway
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musical “Hamilton.” They were close all her life. When Burr was away on business, which was often, baby Theodosia could not hear his name spoken without falling into what her mother called “melancholy.” The nurse had to distract the child, and mention of the colonel was avoided lest she plunge into renewed despair. “Her attachment is not of a common nature,” Mrs. Burr remarked. In 1804, right before he coldly dispatched Alexander Hamilton on the Weehawken, New Jersey, cliffs, Burr affectionately wrote Theodosia that she was responsible “for a very great portion of the happiness which I have enjoyed in this life.” Three years later, when he was accused of plotting to set himself up as emperor of Mexico and the American West, there were those who whispered that Theodosia was to have ruled at his side. She steadfastly attended his resulting trial for treason, and after his acquittal she helped him depart for European self-exile. Despite the absence of her beloved father, Theodosia made a happy life with Joseph Alston, whom she’d married in 1801. But by 1812, clouds were gathering. Her husband, by then the governor of the Palmetto State, was distracted by his duties; their only son died at age 10; her father was far away, though then in New York; and Britain and the United States were once again at war. Beset by gloom and deteriorating health, Theodosia decided to go home to New York. Given her condition, a land journey was out of the question. She would go by sea, itself no small endeavor in the 19th century but possible in a few days with good weather. She departed from Georgetown, South Carolina, on Dec. 30, 1812, accompanied by her father’s personal physician and a French
maid. Their vessel was the Patriot, a small, fast schooner lightly crewed but with an expert captain and pilot. They set sail with a fair wind and then were never heard from again. “My mind is tortured,” her husband wrote to Burr a month later, “my wife is either captured or lost!” Theories abounded. As is often the case with unsolved celebrity deaths, there were those who sought fame by claiming responsibility. It appears that such was the case with the dying pirate in Mobile. He was not the first to claim a role, nor would he be the last, but his story gained widespread notice. In its June 13, 1835, edition, Niles Weekly Register shared the tale with its readers. According to the article, the old pirate had been part of a gang that overhauled the Patriot and killed her crew. None of the ruffians had the stomach to murder Theodosia, “who had not resisted them or fought them,” and so they drew lots to decide. “The lot fell on this pirate,” the paper reported, “who declares that he effected his object … by laying a plank along the edge of the ship, half on it and half off, or over the edge, and made Mrs. Alston walk on that plank till it tilted over into the water with her.” Burr heard this story and others but did not believe them. He was convinced his daughter had been lost in a storm — she had not been forced to walk the plank, nor been made a pirate’s wife, nor any other such fantastical notion. “She perished in the miserable little pilot-boat in which she left Charleston,” he told a friend sadly. “Were she alive, all the prisons in the world could not keep her from her father. When I realized the truth of her death, the world became a blank to me, and life had then lost all its value.” The colonel was probably right; the Patriot had likely foundered at sea. But somewhere in Mobile’s sandy loam lie the moldering remains of an old pirate who, with his dying breath, swore otherwise. MB John S. Sledge is the author of “The Gulf of Mexico: A Maritime History,” due fall 2019 from the University of South Carolina Press.
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HISTORY | ASK MCGEHEE
How long has downtown Mobile had parking meters? text by TOM MCGEHEE
The first parking meters in the United States were invented and installed in Oklahoma in 1935, and they were quickly embraced by cities across the nation. The inventor of the parking meter had turned to a Tulsa firm that had perfected timers for explosives used in the oil industry. The company producing the meters was called the Dual Parking Meter Company, based on their dual purpose of measuring parking time and collecting fees.
The Horseless Carriage In a 1904 interview, a Mobile car dealer said he had counted at least 18 vehicles operating in the city but that 30 orders were underway for new “horseless carriages.” Within 20 years, the number was pushing 14,000, with an estimated 1,500 more expected each year thereafter. Once the causeway and Cochrane Bridge were completed, thousands of cars joined the mix. The rapid rise in auto traffic was a national concern by the 1920s. Merchants were increasingly worried about a lack of turnover in parked cars, which led to a decrease in customers. Several parking timer devices were proposed well into the early 1930s, but it was the Oklahoma version that won out. Within two years, though, it had to be modified after motorists discovered ways to jam the mechanism. Both Birmingham and Mobile were quick to install parking meters, but in 1936, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled them illegal, terming them “an unauthorized exercise of the taxing power.” Mobile removed some 60 of the meters in Bienville Square in January of 1937 as a result. Alabama was not alone in the opposition of the new meters. Many states termed them “un-American,” as drivers were forced to pay what amounted to a tax without due process. North Carolina’s court ruled against them in 1940. To solve the problem in Mobile, officials urged the conversion of vacant property into parking lots. The recently cleared block on the south side of Government Street between Water and Royal streets was leased to a parking lot operator, and new ordinances were attempted to regulate truck parking and deliveries. Following World War II, the number of cars began a steep climb, and by 1948, the Alabama Supreme Court had reversed its earlier decision. Within a year, Mobile installed 625 parking
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ABOVE To solve the problem of “un-American” parking meters, at least four houses at the southeast corner of Church and Joachim streets were razed in the mid-1940s to create a parking lot. PHOTO COURTESY MUSEUM OF MOBILE COLLECTION, THE DOY LEALE MCCALL RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
meters produced by the Dual Parking Meter Company at a cost of $64.25 each — including installation. Mayor Charles Baumhauer announced that Mobile’s new parking meters — or rather their posts — would follow a color scheme. Bronze indicated a 15-minute limit at the cost of a penny. Silver allowed the car to remain an hour at the cost of a nickel, and green signified a two-hour limit, at the cost of two nickels or 10 pennies.
Running out of Buildings to Tear Down By 1955, things had not improved. A local columnist lamented, “It is impossible to find a parking space in downtown Mobile. Even the parking lots are full, and we’re running out of buildings to tear down to make more!” The problems with parking in downtown Mobile led to the 1957 arrival of Springdale Plaza, with its acres of asphalt offering free parking to thousands of cars. The air-conditioned Bel Air Mall opened its doors a decade later, and in August 1967, the former downtown retail district began its sad decline. Today, downtown Mobile is thriving once again with great restaurants, hotels, apartments and art galleries. With employees, residents and visitors vying for parking spaces, it appears history is repeating itself with the installation of new parking meters. Just don’t try to feed one a penny. MB
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END PIECE | IN LIVING COLOR
Family of Swimmers, circa 1900 Original photo from the Erik Overbey Collection, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama • Colorization by Dynamichrome Limited
Easy access to water during Alabama’s sweltering summer heat is just one of the many perks of living along the Bay. For residents in the early 1900s, swimwear included shoes, stockings and bonnets for women, while men wore suits that covered much of their torsos. By the 1930s, men were going topless. Do you know anyone in this picture or where it was taken? Let us know! Email ahartin@pmtpublishing.com.
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