Mardi Gras

Getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas holiday is always tough for me. I had a nice visit with family complete with several days of celebrating and over-eating. Now the decorations have come down and regular life is setting back in.

But there’s always something to look forward to, and right now I’m setting my sights on the next big celebration: Mardi Gras. If you’re looking for a good place to party during this time, you should visit Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Several parades and events will take place in the area throughout the Mardi Gras weekend. And on Fat Tuesday—March 8th—LuLu’s Mardi Gras 6th Anniversary Celebration and Boat Parade will take place starting at 10 a.m., with live music from 1 to 9 p.m. Laissez les bons temp roulet!

Take a Tour

I was sitting around the other day, dreaming of my next vacation and browsing Brett/Robinson’s Orange Beach Today website when I discovered that of all the things I’ve done along the Alabama Gulf Coast, I’ve never taken a tour.

In particular, I’ve never toured from the air. And there are a couple ways to do this in the Gulf Shores area. One is by plane—or biplane. The Bird of Paradise biplane rides fly you and a friend (or just you) over Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, along the Bon Secour River, over Mobile Bay…pretty much all over the place. A hot air balloon ride is another aerial option, and there are a couple places in the area that offer this.

And while on the subject of alternate transportation, I’ve also never taken a ride on the Wales West Railway, which travels around woods, wetlands, a lake, gardens, and Victorian-style buildings. Too bad I won’t be there to try it out this month—I hear the train and park are completely decorated for Halloween right now.

Slo-Poker Run

It seems like the older I get, the busier I get, and lately I haven’t had as much time to spend with my family (yeah, now I can appreciate the lecture I got from my parents on this topic a few years back). Any opportunity for all of us to hang out is golden, and the Slo-Poker Run on Saturday, October 2nd is one of those opportunities.

There are so many reasons why I’m looking forward to this: it’s a family event (as I mentioned), it takes place on a boat (a pontoon boat, specifically), and it benefits the Children’s Miracle Network. Basically, you travel by boat to at least five of ten designated stops to try to get the best five-card poker hand. And the person who comes in first place will get $750 (there are other prizes, too). Of course, you won’t win anything—and you won’t be having nearly as much fun as the rest of us—if you’re not there. So be there.