Gulf Shores
Picture the scene. A cool breeze crosses your skin as you bask in the warm sun. There are hundreds of people smiling and chatting, friendly and open wandering around. You approach a white cabana tent where you hand in your ticket and are given a blue wristband, a wine glass custom engraved with the event's name (no cheap plastic here!) and a shoulder bag with a wine caddy, water cup and informative print brochures. You then wander from one wine tent to another, tasting and enjoying the offerings from across the world. After a few tastes, you wander to the gourmet food tent for a snack, which you take with you to the bayside dock. There, you enjoy the quiet lapping of the water against the white sands where you watch pelican's lazily flapping by.
Perhaps you watch one of the locals, an arrival by boat, wade through the shallow water to shore in his cut off khaki's and golf shirt. No shoes are required for this wine tasting event. Perhaps you'll enjoy a presentation from a nationally acclaimed chef, or perhaps you'll come the second day for the gourmet brunch.
What event is this? Its the Southern Breeze Coastal Wine Tour, and it is well worth the trip.
Of course, the visit to Gulf Shores wouldn't have been complete without some time spent on the beach. Naturally, I avoided the commercialized high rise hotels on the beach and opted to stay in Fort Morgan. The penninsula into Mobile Bay contains the Bon Sequor bird sanctuary as well as being a sanctuary for the endangered beach mouse. For this reason, it remains more a coastal beach community than a tourist destination spot, though most houses on the beach are available for rent during peak season months. Anyone going to the area that enjoys beaches that still include dunes, sea oats, and of course the tracks of wild birds and animals, this is the location for you. My hostess and I took a pair of beach chairs, a drink, and sunscreen to the wite sands and sat for an hour or so simply enjoying the show. There must have been a large number of fish off shore as the seabirds were diving and fishing with gusto. A few men attempted to share in the apparent bounty, as did the manta ray we saw leaping high into the air in front of us. The tableau would be unthinkable elsewhere, but we enjoyed the show tremendously. All in all, a lovely location well worth the journey.
Perhaps you watch one of the locals, an arrival by boat, wade through the shallow water to shore in his cut off khaki's and golf shirt. No shoes are required for this wine tasting event. Perhaps you'll enjoy a presentation from a nationally acclaimed chef, or perhaps you'll come the second day for the gourmet brunch.
What event is this? Its the Southern Breeze Coastal Wine Tour, and it is well worth the trip.
Of course, the visit to Gulf Shores wouldn't have been complete without some time spent on the beach. Naturally, I avoided the commercialized high rise hotels on the beach and opted to stay in Fort Morgan. The penninsula into Mobile Bay contains the Bon Sequor bird sanctuary as well as being a sanctuary for the endangered beach mouse. For this reason, it remains more a coastal beach community than a tourist destination spot, though most houses on the beach are available for rent during peak season months. Anyone going to the area that enjoys beaches that still include dunes, sea oats, and of course the tracks of wild birds and animals, this is the location for you. My hostess and I took a pair of beach chairs, a drink, and sunscreen to the wite sands and sat for an hour or so simply enjoying the show. There must have been a large number of fish off shore as the seabirds were diving and fishing with gusto. A few men attempted to share in the apparent bounty, as did the manta ray we saw leaping high into the air in front of us. The tableau would be unthinkable elsewhere, but we enjoyed the show tremendously. All in all, a lovely location well worth the journey.
posted by WarKitty at
1:56 PM
