Baldwin County Heritage Museum

If you drive east from Foley on U.S. 98 to Elberta, a hidden treasure awaits. In an unassuming wooden building with a windmill and few pieces of antique farm equipment out front, a wealth of ordinary and extraordinary treasure is hidden.

“…it holds bits and pieces collected from the daily lives of the men and women who built this county,” is on their website.

That statement says it all. I made my first visit to the Baldwin County Heritage Museum recently and once inside I wished I had been there sooner. It is not your typical stuffy museum. There are a few displays behind glass and a few “do not touch” signs, but most of the articles are within reach and can handle the touch of a hand or two.

The museum sits on 5 acres and has more than 20,000 square feet of display space. Outside of the main building, there is a school, a church, a potato shed, pole barns and a blacksmith shop along with numerous pieces of antique farm equipment and tractors. I’m talking about a real school and real church, not replicas, which were donated to the museum and moved to the property.

Back inside, there are so many small things to see that made up life in years past. One corner is furnished as a 1920s parlor. Exhibits include fishing tackle, tools, wooden wagons, scrub boards, antique sewing machines, clothing, children’s toys and so much more. Every room is filled with beauty, history and humor.

The BCHM is also home to Odyssey’s Shipwreck! Treasures from the SS Republic. This unique exhibit opened in August 2008. The SS Republic, a Civil War-era side-wheel steamship was lost in a hurricane off the Georgia coast en route from New York to New Orleans in October 1865. It was carrying a fortune in gold and silver and other goods to help rebuild the south after the Civil War. The crew of the Odyssey discovered the wreck in 2003. With videos, interactive exhibits and actual artifacts, you can relive the excitement of the discovery of the treasure-laden ship.

I recommend making this little museum a stop while you are enjoying the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast. It will give a little insight to early years of Baldwin County and how its future was shaped.

Bass Pro Shop

Beachin' Brett and I took the short ride to the Bass Pro Shop store in Spanish Fort. For any outdoor activity - fishing, hunting, camping, boating - you name it - they've got everything you could ask for. They feature a huge aquarium filled with the fish found naturally in this area. If you're looking for a hunting and fishing supplies and can't find what you need please let me know. They even have a really good restaurant right in the store - The Fish Company Restaurant.
It's an amazing store, and a short 30 minute drive from our house. It's well worth it.
See you at the Beach!!

Hidden Treasure - Baldwin County Heritage Museum

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a hidden treasure - pun intended - this week with Ms. Beachin' and the boys. It's the Baldwin County Heritage Museum. It's a terrific little museum that's probably not as well known as it should be. It's right off of Hwy. 98, just outside Elberta. A short drive from anywhere on Pleasure Island. They currently feature an outstanding display from the sunken ship S.S. Republic, a Civil War era steamer. The display is amazing and the artifacts are unbelievable. It's a very enjoyable trip and I highly recommend it. Check them out online here.