Meteor Crater aka Could've Been the End of Us All

Me, fighting the wind, at the top observation deck.

After leaving the Petrified National Forest and Painted Desert, we took I-40 south towards the Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater. It’s an uneventful drive, to be honest, dotted with cheap tourist traps and sleepy towns. (“What’s with the all the freakin’ dinosaur statues?” My fiancé was nearly pulling his hair out at the sight of them by the end of the drive.) Once you turn to Meteor Crater Drive, there is another long stretch through the flat lands that are accentuated by round signs that pop up from the terrain advertising the park, facts about the meteor, and other fun desert weirdness.

The rim of the crater rises about 15 stories from the landscape, broad and flat like a natural plateau. The entrances to the lookout points and museum require an ascent (via stairs or an elevator) of about two stories. Even with the guardrails I was afraid of losing my balance and tumbling into the crater somehow; my small frame wasn’t much against the storm winds blowing in from the south. I clung to the handrails and made my way towards the top of the lookout point. The storm cell’s ominous clouds serve as a backdrop to all of our photos.

Full view of the crater, from museum doorway.

The view is breathtaking. The massive crater—two miles around, one mile across, and over 500 feet deep—burrows into the earth with an eerie beauty. When it landed, it would have killed everyone and everything for miles but now it’s harmless and awe inspiring. Though it’s hard to tell from the observation deck, the crater isn’t quite round. The edges are quite squared, which is more easily seen in an aerial view; some believe these corners is due to jointing in the strata.

In the depths of the crater are an array of strange materials placed there by early researchers and astronauts in training: a grill, a 6 foot tall astronaut with a flag (which is barely visible from the rim) and a small structure. I thought those things were a bit distracting to be honest and wish that they would’ve removed everything but the astronaut maybe. Aside from being funny, he gives viewers a good point of reference for depth perception. The other items just looked like trash at the bottom of a bowl.

A piece of the troublemaker!

My fiancé and I descended the staircase (hold on!) and passed briefly through the museum. I recommend spending more time in the museum especially if you have pre-teen and teen. Kids in that age group really seemed to get the most out of the exhibits. They were informative and had a few interactive elements that I liked. My favorite was a chunk of The Holsinger meteorite that formed the crater. I wish to God that I could’ve tried picking it up, just for fun, to get a better idea of the size and mass of the meteor that hit the earth so long ago. (Note: don’t try picking it up. You can’t. You’ll probably be arrested, aside from looking really stupid.)

I’d recommend a few of these tips to fellow travelers:

-Don’t rush. Giving yourself time to soak up the natural beauty around you is part of the fun. If you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to see the painted desert as some colorful hills and the meteor crater as a hole in the ground. Stop, think, and seriously enjoy them!

-Eat a lot before you set out. The food options are few and far in between. Stopping in Flagstaff and Winslow are your best bets but even then it’s slim pickings, especially for those with dietary restriction or a hatred for chain fast-food establishments.

-The informative stuff matters. Take the time to watch the videos, read the placards and whatnot. Understanding what you’re looking at enhances your experience exponentially.

The Petrified Forest & Painted Desert

My fiance and I took a trip to Phoenix, AZ in mid-July. Here's a bit of what went down:

Our first stop of the tour.

I’m not going to lie: the morning started off horribly. My fiancé and I planned to hike Camelback Mountain around 5am but only four hours of sleep got the best of us; he went back to sleep and I stared at the ceiling for an hour, which put me in a pissy mood (sorry, Babe!). I was a bit scared that this would be the suckiest day of our vacation, which would be horrible after leaving a less than divine experience in north Scottsdale.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, my fiancé and I headed northbound towards anywhere. Truth is, neither of us knew which of the parks we wanted to see first but we knew the general direction that we needed to go. We decided upon the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, and Meteor Crater. (Canyon de Chelly was also on the list but was ditched at the last minute. It is nearly eight hours from Phoenix.)

The drive to the Petrified Forest is absolutely stunning, particularly for a southeastern girl with limited access to desert and mountain landscapes. Close to Phoenix, the stark hills rise like hiccups from the terrain. Desert shrubs and succulents dot the land. As we progressed closer to Flagstaff, the cacti gave way to pine trees. The wind rustled tall grasses in the vast expanses of nothingness between the foothills. As exhausted as I was, I couldn’t sleep. I kept my face pressed against the glass with my future father-in-law’s camera clicking away. 

Since I hadn’t planned on visiting the Petrified Forest, I expected all of the wrong things. I imagined that the landscape would change into more forested area as we breezed down route 180; somewhere along the lines a canyon would drop beneath us and inside—preserved by heat and obscurity—would be a forest of rock-solid trees rising from the depths of the canyon.

Beautiful colors within petrified wood.

Wrong.  The route 180 looks like rural Arkansas during a dust storm: hot, dry, and sunny with expanses of fields for miles and miles. Somewhere in the distance, gray mountains peeked over the horizon. A patch of greenery here and there signaled water. A few trees survived in these areas, along with a few residential compounds that looked like they were living off of the grid.

The entrance to the park pops up out of nowhere. Even after passing the sign, there are miles to drive before reaching the Petrified Forest’s information center and trails. The petrified trees have long since fallen and many have crumbled. Massive hunks remain, radiating various colors from within in a way that in intriguing and captivating. You don’t think looking at fallen trees would be cool until you’re actually doing it. Purples, reds, oranges, greens—the rings of the tree are obscured by glistening hunks of color that represent the presence of silica, manganese, carnotite, and cinnabar. The trees are almost fully quartz, so solid they can only be but with a diamond-tipped saw. It’s a bit mind-boggling. (I asked my fiancé how long he thought it would take human bones to petrified, if our composition permitted that at all. Seriously, I’d like my bones to be that awesome long after I’m gone.)

We only spent about 30 minutes at the Petrified Forest Welcome Center trails. I’d recommend spending more time. I believe that watching the video in the center will give you a better idea of how the trees were formed and what the environment looked like before when the trees were alive.

Blue hills towards the south of the park

We hopped back into the rental car and made our way towards my favorite part of the park—the Painted Desert. We began in the low-lying hills and buttes with beautiful bands of blue, gray, and white. Those closest to the road rose no higher than fifty feet; they are low but often wide, providing stunning panoramic shots that my camera simply wasn’t prepared for. (I must go back with the proper equipment!) To the naked eye, though, the vistas are stunning.

And they only get better. As you progress towards I-40, the hills become larger mesas that plummet down into canyons, like miniature Grand Canyons that are equally stunning in color though less in scale. The rocks and sand are painted bands of red, orange, pink, amber, and white.

The region that we passed through is part of the Chinle Formation, a series of hills, buttes, and mesas that are composed of fluvial deposits. Researchers estimate that these lands were formed 200 million years ago when the region possessed wetlands. Rivers carved through the mudstone and sandstone to create the masses we see today. When nearby volcanoes erupted, they altered the normal composition of the sediment and mineral deposits, contributing to the bizarre bands of color. In short, the colors are bookmarkers for what was happening in the environment at the time.

My fiance at a lookout point in the northern red badlands

I could’ve spent hours on that route, pulling over at all of the lookout points, snapping photos and simply absorbing the beauty of it all. Unfortunately, we were trying to cram in a lot in a little time so we drove through the badlands stopping only a few times.

Next stop: Meteor Crater!

Power Hang Gliding near Chattanooga

The much awaited video is finally here!

This adventure took place 15 miles outside of Chattanooga, TN with FlyThis.biz, a power hang gliding (or hangliding) business owned and operated by Erik. He was our pilot and companion during the experience. He is incredibly friendly, informative, and simply a pleasure to work with. We highly recommend him.

My fiance and I composed the video of footage recorded using GoPro Hero in addition to video recorded by Erik's on-board camera. There are also bits of film from my fiance's iPhone. Sorry for the changes in quality and the generic music. The videos will progressively get better as we improve as editors :D




The experience was amazing. Guests are given a brief overview of the craft before hopping in and descending a ramp into the water of Rankin Cove, Marion County Park. (Note: your feet will get a bit wet.) After taxiing to gain speed, the trike lifts effortlessly from the water and continues to rise...and rise...and rise...until it reaches 2,000. The trike maxes out at 14,000 and I suppose elevation depends on Erik's discrepancy and the comfort of his guest. The speed was about 45mph, which is hard to gauge that high up with no points of reference (other than clouds and cars on the ground that look like ants). It's a comfortable speed that feels exhilarating without the wind pressing your cheeks back to your ears.


The ride lasts for about 30 minutes, with Erik describing the natural and man-made landmarks along the way. You can also learn a few meteorological tips. It's important to make sure that you can hear him, as his comments greatly enhance your experience. I think my fiance got even more out of the ride than I did because he could communicate better with Erik. 


You may also be given the opportunity to steer! I loved it, though I didn't feel as comfortable as my fiance who steered for about 15 minutes. If you chicken out, just let Erik know and he'll take the reigns, no harm done.


By far my favorite part of the trip was the descent. We made corkscrew spirals downward, with the craft nearly on its side. I loooooooooved it and wished that we could've just done that a couple of times. Landing was a breeze (like I said, he's a good pilot) and the gentle splash of the water on my legs was a much welcomed refreshment in the hot summer sun.

We encourage you to give it a try! Check Groupon for deals.

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 3

Breakfast Battles

I happened to stay at a Holiday Inn, which I mistook for a Holiday Inn Express. The former does not serve breakfast (boo!) so I searched town for inexpensive breakfasts. There was a Denny’s across the street but I wanted places with a more local touch.

International Café

I stumbled across International Café, located in a strip mall on Calle Real in Goleta. Although I went to this location three times I always got the same thing because it was sooo good: smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, capers, tomatoes and red onions. It was delicious!

The bagels seem fresh though they weren’t quite my style. I prefer super soft, fluffy bagels and theirs were thick and chewy. International Cafe offers vanilla coffee, which everyone before and after me always seemed to order. I recommend you follow their example and try it when you stop by. The regular coffee won't rock your world, so try something different.

The service didn’t thrill me, either. All three mornings there were young girls working, perhaps college students. They would’ve worked a bit faster if they weren’t busy complaining to each other about class schedules and homework.  They were kind to the customers but the time thing could be a downside if you’re in a hurry. I never was so it worked out fine.

Overall Rating: 7/10 So-so service still can't ruin a good lox bagel.

Tupelo Junction

By far my favorite breakfast experience took place at Tupelo Junction in downtown Santa Barbara. Had I discovered it earlier I would've gone there multiple times. 

The storefront is small, with two outdoor tables situated near the sidewalk. Upon entering, the restaurant opens up into a broad, warm room with tasteful country kitchen decor. I sat in one of the few window seats to enjoy people watching and basking in the warm winter sunshine.

I enjoyed everything that touched my mouth. Tupelo Junction has a decent tea selection. The whole leaf earl gray was warm and rich (I add milk and honey to mine). They refill the water here, which is important to me. I drink a lot of tea and quality leaves can be used more than once (so it's a waste not to!).

I ordered a scramble with two eggs, Gouda cheese, applewood bacon, caramelized onions and spinach served with a side of seasoned potatoes and banana nut bread. Scrumptious! I loved how all of the flavors worked together to create a warm, hearty party in my mouth. The Gouda was particularly nice, a much welcomed break from the cheddar that's so common on scramble/skillet dishes. And good lord is it filling! I skipped lunch that day. (Not completely--I ate ice cream and was just fine until dinner).

The hostess and waitress were both incredibly pleasant and attentive. 

My only regret is not coming multiple times to try the beignets. The ladies next to me were nearly orgasmic with happiness as they ate theirs!

Overall Rating: 10/10 for excellent food, great views and a menu that offers something for everyone.

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 2

Noodle City

If you’re staying in Goleta, CA (near the Santa Barbara airport) then I beseech you to visit Noodle City.

Noodle City is two blocks from my job. I was on my way to another restaurant when I saw it. The aroma of pho drifted outside from the open door. I stopped in my tracks on the sidewalk and peeped inside. The tiny establishment was packed. It was a high energy place in a laid-back town. I couldn’t resist stepping inside.

There were maybe three waitresses for all 35-45 guests that were packed inside but those girls were handling it. No one missed a beat. The service was fast and courteous (though not steeped in Southern hospitality like I’m used to).  

I ordered pho with seafood. It was straightforward; the only oddities were the fried blocks of tofu which I've had before but theirs were particularly delicious. They were a nice touch. The seafood was good but I’m not going to claim that they pulled it out of the ocean that morning or anything. The dish was flavorful and piping hot, just as it should be!

What makes this place is the atmosphere. Santa Barbara isn’t a particularly diverse city when it comes to ethnicities so the diversity found at Noodle City was invigorating. It was like every person of any color was eating there. And some of them brought their white friends!

I’m laughing as I write that but it’s true.

I chatted a bit with the table of guys beside me. They ordered pho with chicken, a broken rice and pork dish, and a vermicelli dish with chicken and shrimp. Consensus? It was all excellent. The guys mentioned that they stop in at least once a week. Noodle City is the “best Vietnamese restaurant in town.”

Overall Rating: 9/10 for great food, fun atmosphere and speedy service

Santa Barbara- Food, Fun, and Fabulous Sites 1

I arrived in Santa Barbara on a business trip and couldn’t wait to check out the food scene. I got a few suggestions from local coworkers and created an itinerary of must-sees and must eats. Check back for updates!

Shintory Sushi Factory

After reading rave reviews online, I decided to stop into Shintori Sushi Factory on State Street. It isn’t in the downtown portion of State Street but it’s easily accessible if you’re headed that way.

Atmosphere: Shintori is easy to miss. The small read awning and red sign blend in with the surrounding signage. Once found, the entrance and interior are both unassuming and underwhelming. It’s a small restaurant with about 7 tables and a bar. Nondescript images are easy to ignore. One TV flashes silent pictures at guests while the sushi chefs rock out to reggaeton. 

The menu has a lot of common favorites as well as a few local specialties. As my litmus test, I got a rainbow roll and their version of a Beauty and the Beast (BBQ eel and tuna over a California roll). The rolls are smaller than what I’m accustomed to at my favorite hangouts in Atlanta but they were still filling. The fish was good. Not stellar but it was just fine.

The sauce on the eel was HORRID to my taste buds. I’ve gotten BBQ eel multiple times and at least two dozen restaurants and I’ve never had sauce like this. It’s as if the standard sauce was sprinkled with cigarette ashes! Perhaps it was sprinkled with ashes. I hadn’t offended anyone that I was aware of…Bitter sauce on eel is just a bad idea. I scraped the BBQ sauce off of the roll and doused it in soy sauce to try and fend off the flavor.

There were a few cute odds and ends. Each meal comes with a edamame appetizer, and many rolls are served with veggies on the side like peas, carrots, and grape tomatoes. Gotta get in your veggies! The two waitresses that assisted me were very kind.

Overall Restaurant Rating: 5/10 for decent, filling food that simply didn’t wow me.

Image Credit: Asian Food Grocer

Gulf Shores Vacation: Day Four

The next morning was the first day of real sunshine. Not “But I’m at the beach so I may as well be outside,” sunshine that is also accompanied by icy 15 mph winds. I mean legitimately sunny, cloudless weather of at least 70 degrees. I couldn’t have been happier—unless it was 80 degrees.

I thought that the water was still too cold for a swim so I planned to lay out on a beach towel and soak up the sun. My boyfriend, however, was still in his “But I’m at the beach…” mode and decided to go snorkeling. It makes me cold just thinking about it. Gear in tow, we drove a golf cart down to the beach and began our activities.

The Beach 

Much to my disappointment, my boyfriend discovered that this portion of the Gulf doesn’t have many of shells. (Clear water, pretty white sand, and no shells was great for laying out on my towel but bad for bringing back souvenirs.) My boyfriend was also a bit started by the quantity of jelly fish bobbing along in the water. I think he saw a few sting rays, too. They are what eventually drove him back to the shore. He’s the sort of guy that has to be doing something and I felt bad that his snorkeling was cut short so I pulled myself from the sand and decided to go for a walk with him.

The community isn’t very large. Less than 3 miles along the coastline is well-developed and then the quantity of homes starts to dwindle. I wanted to keep walking (I can walk on the beach for years!) but we decided to turn back after a mile or so and headed inside for lunch.

Gulf Island Grill

I don't know how to review Gulf Island Grill. We all ordered buckets of seafood by the pound in one form or another. I got a 2 pounds of clusters and 1/2 pound of shrimp and entered bliss. I was stuffed beyond a reasonable capacity but I couldn't have been happier. My boyfriend got 1/2 lb Oysters and 1/2 lb shrimp in addition to some an oyster appetizer and half of my gumbo appetizer . My sister and brother-in-law split a St. Martin's Platter and were satisfied, though not gorged.

Fresh seafood is simply delicious. The restaurant doesn't "make" any of the sea creatures, so I don't know how to rate the establishment on how it tasted; maybe they tossed some Old Bay and garlic in the pot while everything steamed. What was prepared (the gumbo) was chuncky and well-seasoned but it was overshadowed by my obsession with crab legs so...I dunno. 

Overall rating 6/10 for freshness and moderate prices for the portion sizes.

After lunch, we drove to a shop called David’s Gallery. It’s a tattoo parlor, clothing store, and natural remedies shop all fitted into one building. The areas are clearly designated but are connected to one another via a series of doorways. Inside, the employees looked like a cross between hippies and bikers: serious piercings and tattoos, mellow, easy to talk to, not afraid to toss out a “curse word” in front of the customers, complementary. Take them or leave them. They did have a great selection of skirts upstairs that were hand dyed and made from natural fibers. I snagged one that reminded me of a Raggedy Anne doll that has traveled to Tunisia. Beautiful.

After our brief shopping stint, we decided to head back into Fairhope for the Oktoberfest. Tickets were $30 per person. Fortunately, before we could cross the threshold, a couple exited the event and heard us debating whether to enter.

“Don’t waste your money.” The woman warned. She seemed weary and disappointed.

“Seriously, it’s not worth it,” groaned in her partner. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.  “They’re serving, like, small samples of Miller Lite and Budweiser. And they’ve got store brought pretzels and hotdogs. It was a complete waste.”

The two walked away hand in hand, ticked-off but determined to redeem the night. 

We were certainly grateful for their input. My boyfriend and I lingered around the entryway for a moment longer, listening to the pop music and watching the sparse population mingle and stroll between the booths. We looked at each other and shrugged.

“Let’s walk around a bit. If nothing jumps out at us, why don’t we head back to that place with the Christmas lights on the sign that we passed on the way in?” I suggested. I received no opposition.

I fell in love with the town all over again that night. Sure, the family-oriented Oktoberfest was a bust, but walking through the town had a beautiful, magical quality to it. The storefronts were filled with seasonal decorations and unique crafts. I saw a few cafes and restaurants that I’d want to come back to during the day, if given the opportunity. 

In an effort to get back to the parking lot (and not pass through the Oktoberfest area again) we took a different route. Along the way, my boyfriend laughed, “The cat is leading the way.”

I immediately began checking the shadows for a scurrying cat ahead of us. Nothing. Seconds later I realized that he was referring to a face painted on the side of a fence. It wasn’t a cat, but a regular smiley face. Neither of us could place why but, from a distance, it had looked like the grinning face of the Cheshire Cat.

Into the Rabbit Hole

The restaurant, we found out, was called Fly Creek Café. A massive chalk board served as their sign, the names of upcoming artists sprawled in festive print under the logo. We headed down a gravel driveway that looked as if it was leading to a marina and warehouse. A tiny grouping of cars to the left of the corrugated steel structure reassured us that we were headed in the right direction.

The Red Queen: We should’ve known something was…off…when we first met the hostess. She wore a broad smile with bright red lips and a red carnation in her hair. As she greeted us, she cocked her head to the side and brushed her brown hair behind her ear. 

My boyfriend nudged in her direction with his chin. “Nice flower.”

“What?” asked the hostess, pausing with the menus in the crook of her arm.

“In you hair? It’s a nice flower...it looks good.” He seemed increasingly hesitant as he spoke. He looked to me for clues.

I smiled and nodded, tapping my temple, thinking that maybe she forgot that the flower rested above her ear. “It matches perfectly with your lipstick.”

“Um…,” the smile remained plastered to her face but she was completely clueless. “Right this way,” she enunciated and then headed out to the patio.

The outdoor seating area faces the water and the marina, making it a gorgeous place to chill at night. The boats rocked gently in the water, the moon shone brightly, and the other guests chatted merrily amongst themselves. 

A group of men hovered over a high-top with their beers, watching a single television rigged over the outdoor bar. For some reason completely unknown to us, the hostess sat our menus on the table they were standing at. The men dispersed but didn’t seem fazed by the incident at all.

Clown-smile in place, the woman looked us both in the eyes separately and said, “Toby will be right with you,” before walking away.

Toby never came. To this day, we have no idea who in the hell Toby is.

The Mad Hatter: The guy that eventually waited on us wasn’t Toby but he was awesomely weird. He spoke with a distinct Cajun accent (think Gambit from the 1990s animated X-Men series) but it ends up that he is from Romania. (I guess  Romania + Alabama accents sound like Louisiana?) That could’ve been incredible sexy if it wasn’t for his over-sized sweater. The sleeves drooped over his knuckles; he tugged at them like Jennifer Love Hewett used to in Party of Five. It just seemed more peculiar because he was at dude, maybe close to his 30s. 

He shifted from one side to the other as he spoke, doing a little jig, emphatic about everything he said, pulling on his sleeves. He recommended an appetizer by explaining, “Yeah, the stuffed shrimp are shrimp that are stuffed. There is crab meat on the inside, stuffed in the inside, and the whole thing is wrapped in bacon. It’s really, really, delicious. It’s real crab meat and lots of it. And real bacon. It’s reeeeally, reeeeally, good. You’ll love it. I’ll get it for you.”

We didn’t dare question him. He seemed so certain that we’d love it. We believed him. That was smart of us, because he was right. The stuffed shrimp were delicious (though I peeled off the bacon and gave it to my boyfriend). 

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum: We ran into a problem, though, when we wanted to order drinks. No drink list. No chalk board with drinks on it. My boyfriend asked two of the waiters (part of the group that hovered over our table before) if they had a drink menu and both men looked completely shocked that they hadn’t thought about giving us one sooner. They began their search for the drink menus by looking under the salt shakers on the table next to them. Then they looked under the napkin holder on an adjacent table.

My boyfriend, who was standing near them, turned back to me in disbelief. What are these guys doing? The menus couldn’t have been folded into the size of a business card and stuffed under a salt shaker…? He wasn't saying anything but it was all over his face.

That’s when the reality hit us. Everyone must have been high. Really, really high.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum eventually found a drink list (the size of an average menu, certainly not small enough to fit under a napkin holder). We flagged down the Mad Hatter and ordered our beverages. He seemed delighted to have us at his “tea” party. He assured me that my drink (basically a white Russian with lots of chocolate) was going to be really delicious. 

Thimble Mouse: While all of this was happening, we noticed that the other families in the area seemed to know one another. They huddled around a bonfire, sliding marshmallows onto skewers and talking wildly about a million topics at once.

One little girl, about 9 years-old, brunette with a pointed nose, grabbed my attention as being the most peculiar of the children. She asked a woman what the devil looked like; when the woman implied that the devil was a like shape shifter, the girl (whom we dubbed Thimble Mouse) didn’t like the answer. She insisted that the devil had a pointed beard and a red tail. Then she ranted on about how she could outsmart the devil. 

I lost track of the conversation but when I tuned back in the woman was telling Thimble Mouse that she must run laps around patio to burn off some of her excess energy. (I know: how about you stop feeding the child marshmallows at 11pm!) 

Thimble Mouse bolted around the patio three or four times before settling breathlessly into her chair and continuing to chat it up. A blond woman who sat across from her apologized to us profusely for the noise that her daughter was making. We told her to think nothing of it. The dad, I guess, chirped in and asked if we wanted any kids. They had three or four of them, boys and girls, and we could have our pick. The poor man seem exhausted even with a beer in his hands and I think he was only 30% kidding.

I changed my opinion to 60% when the couple stopped us on our way out. “Wait, Erica!” The woman said. I was startled that she remember my name. “What about a kid?”

Her husband laughed and shouted. “Don’t try to sneak out of here without one. We’ll slash your tires!”

Everyone around the bonfire laughed, including the kids.

“Really,” the woman continued more casually. “Which one do you want?”

“Pick me!” shouted Thimble Mouse, her hand extended high above her head.

I have no ideal how my boyfriend and I got out of that. We mumbled and smiled a lot and eventually made our way out of the Rabbit Hole.

Fly Creek Image. Mad Hatter Image

Gulf Shores Vacation: Day Three

The guys heard about the USS Alabama and decided that we should tour the battleship. I hadn’t toured a battleship in well over a decade and my sister never had. Why not?

USS Alabama Tour

Here are a few notes for surviving the ship tour:

• Lose weight and consider shrinking. The corridors are small, the doorways are smaller, and I am convinced that sailors were all 4’11’’ or shorter.
• Take breaks. They aren’t kidding when they suggest allotting at least 2 hours to tour the ship. There are God-knows how many levels and tiny rooms to investigate. Since many of the spaces are tight and the hallways are winding, it’s easy to feel a bit claustrophobic or oppressed.
• Go with people who really enjoy history or battleships. Enthusiasm is contagious. Otherwise, you’ll be bored to tears very quickly.
• Don’t bring babies. Who would? you wonder. Some woman thought it was a good idea and I swear she nearly dropped the child three times trying to climb through the doorways and up the ladders. It was absolutely frightening. And I don’t think there is anywhere to change a diaper.

 My sister and I only made it through the green tour. (There are also yellow and red tours, I think.) The guys went to the very top. I later joined them to tour the adjacent Air Force museum.  Notes to survive the Air Force museum:

• Read all the little plaques, even if you usually skip them. Interesting stuff! And most of them are short, sweet, and to the point.
• The flight simulator is a mixed bag. As a ride, it’s fun. The movements of the vessel are jolting but not horrifying (suitable for kids) and you can feel the vibrations whenever you’re "shot." What ruins the simulator are the 1994 or earlier graphics. I feel like the graphics on my Atari were better. Spoiled, modern patrons will be a bit disappointed.

Felix’s Restaurant

Snapper with crawfish Oscar sauce

Whether you’re coming or going from the USS Alabama, it’s hard to miss Felix’s Fish Camp and Grill. It’s a two story…shack?….made of corrugated steel that rises majestically from the swampy area along Route 16/Battleship Parkway. The building is so bad that it's cool and we just had to go in.

Yes, Felix’s is touristy. It’s next to a major tourist attraction, so go figure. But don’t fault the restaurant or the staff for picking prime real estate and making cash off of good planning.

After walking up a long ramp or taking the elevator (the restaurant is on stilts since it’s next to the water) guests enter the typical wood-clad, nautical themed restaurant. Southwest facing windows make for beautiful sunset views. I don’t think the windows are insulated, unfortunately, because it was extremely warm in the dining area.

We settled in, ordered our quintessential oyster appetizer and selected our entrees. I got the stuffed yellowtail snapper, topped with two crab cakes and served with fried green tomatoes. I’m a big fan of Felix’s crab cakes, especially when served on top of a thick snapper fillet. It was wonderfully prepared in flavor and texture. The fried green tomatoes only rank slightly above average, too soggy to be extraordinary. I’d certainly go back for the Come Back Sauce, a house blend created specifically for fried foods.

My boyfriend ordered the ½ shrimp ½ oyster poboy with a side of crab soup. We were instantly saddened by the sight of a typical hoagie. (Sea-N-Sud’s bun really spoiled us.) It didn’t help that the seafood didn’t impress, either. Fortunately, the crab soup stepped in to save the day, rich and hearty with chunks of crab.

Pork chops with crawfish sauce

Pleasantly surprised by her venture into the unfamiliar, I was glad when my sister ordered the crawfish smothered pork chops with jalapeño fritters (hush puppies). Plentiful crawfish, unique cream-based creole sauce, and a juicy pork chop makes this a recommended dish.  She was less than impressed by the fritters; they lacked spice and flavor.

Her husband ordered the fresh catch which includes grilled yellowtail snapper with crawfish Oscar on top and a side of grits. Felix’s Oscar sauce should win an Oscar for its stellar performance! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) His only complaint regarded the cheese grits. Grits. In a bowl. With shredded cheese on top. Not even melted.

Overall restaurant rating: 7/10 for great views, Come Back Sauce, fresh fish and hefty portions.

Mobile, AL Driving Tour

I wasn’t ready to make the trek back to Gulf Shores. I didn’t imagine that I’d ever come back to Mobile on my own (what’s there?!) so I begged my fellow travelers to do a driving tour through the city. We were all pleasantly surprised.

Mobile is by no means a large city but it has plenty of attractions and charm. We drove around a bit, meandering through one-way streets. Dauphin St. held my interest. It reminds me a bit of New Orleans or Charleston; it has glimpses of international influence, ornate wrought iron balconies, and quaint shops. The area is rather pedestrian friendly. We parked and hopped out to look around.

We passed Bienville Square and decided to stop at Spot of Tea. The restaurant is located directly across from Cathedral Plaza. We sat on the patio (the bottom, not the balcony, which doesn’t open until after 5pm) and watched a group practicing for a wedding in the Plaza. While no one was impressed with the teas (I’m kind of a tea person, so that was a big disappointment) we all agreed that Spot of Tea is an excellent location for people watching, sipping a beverage, chatting and letting the day pass by.

You can see Mobile from the pier in Fairhope

Everyone was in a pretty good mood after our short stop in Mobile so we took a different route back to Gulf Shores. We came up the US-98 alternate but headed back on Route 98 proper through Daphne and Fairhope. We were two for two in good ideas for the day.

I officially want a home in Fairhope. Residents have taken great lengths to maintain the small town. Its center is filled with character, each of the historic buildings preserved or renovated nicely. There are plenty of small cafes, shops, and restaurants that promote pedestrian traffic. And the flowers! Every street corner has a lovely little flower bed and hanging baskets of seasonal varieties. Such little touches are what made me fall in love with that place. 

Fairhope is an active community. Nearly every public building advertised an upcoming event including an Oktoberfest and a youth art show at the community center. People milled through the streets wearing light jackets and smiles; if I didn’t feel so giddy myself I would have been scared that we’d entered some sort of Amityville Horror scene. But I DID feel giddy and I couldn't wait to return the next day for their Oktoberfest celebration.