We arrrived in New Orleans on August 24 and rented our car from Hertz. We drove into the Quarter, as my husband had a job interview at Muriels. (he didn%26#39;t get the job, sadly).
Unfortunately, I wasn%26#39;t feeling all that well-I had picked up a %26#39;bug%26#39; and had a sore throat and sinus infection. We were treated to lunch at Muriels, which to be honest, doesn%26#39;t have great food. After interview, we drove to Moss Pt, Ms, to meet our daughter who lives there. We hugged and talked and had a couple drinks with her, then she bid us goodbye and we drove to GS. We got there just after dark.
We stayed at a really great condo we got through VRBO.com. It wasn%26#39;t on the beach, but by Ft. Morgan Rd, and called Laguna Breeze. We loved it. It had a pool in the back, and the whole time we were there, it was wonderful and quiet.
We went down the road, did a little grocery shopping, and came back. I still wasn%26#39;t feeling all that well, but husband made us a lite bite to eat, and when curled up on our condo couch and watched a little tv. Then we fell asleep and woke up to go to bed!
The next day I felt somewhat better. We unpacked our stuff, and then took a drive to the beach. It was truly wonderful, I love the water. We didn%26#39;t stay that long-it was hot and neither DH or I can take very long prolonged exposure to sun after being in icky old NY for so long. We went and got some lunch at Sea and Suds...it was ok....and then took a drive down Ft. Morgan rd. That night we found the beaches in Ft. Morgan, which we LOVED. Afterward, we got some shrimp to take home and steam. It was great!
The next day we went to go see the Blue Angels practise! It was just great and we really enjoyed it! We had breakfast at the Pancake House which was very tasty, then that afternoon we went to a local alligator farm. We just loved this, as the guy who showed us around was incredibly informative, and knew all the gators by heart. Do go here, if you haven%26#39;t been. They take in %26#39;nuisance%26#39; gators who%26#39;s only crime, some of them, is being over the size limit for gators in Al and Fl.
Afterward, we went to the Shrimp Basket, and had some shrimp and fried pickles. We made copious use of our antacids that night!
To be continued......
Trip Report Aug 24-Sept 4
The next day we went to go see the Blue Angels again, and husband got signed autographs from the Angels, for my stepdad, who is a retired Navy Man. then we stopped and had a bite to eat on our way back to Gulf Shores-We went to Waffle House and then husband put in some resumes at a few places (we are trying to relocate back down to the Gulf Coast-he%26#39;s from Mobile, originally). Then we went and looked at some homes for sale. None that were in our price range were what we liked-we have champagne taste and a beer pocket, as my grandfather would say! After that, we went up to Creola and Pritchard, to where husbands parents are buried. It was sad for him-he only last his mom last year, and it still hurts him, they were close. After that, to cheer up, we stopped and ate at the Original Oyster House! Yummy! I think it was just about one of the best places we ate the whole time there.
the next day we were to go see my aunts in Lecanto, Fl, but I was just not feeling well enough for the trip, and that morning we took it easy, we went to the condo pool and just relaxed, read and took it easy. Later we went to the beach, and it was great. Then we picked up some food to go at DeSotos. That was pretty good.
The next day was my birthday, and it was so wonderful! Husband took me to see the White Tigers of India at the Gulf Coast Zoo! I got to talk with the trainers, and on the whole, this %26#39;little zoo that could%26#39; is nice. However, I do think the animals need larger enclosures, with more interaction for them. Zoos, even nice ones, depress me-I hate to see animals looking unhappily caged, though I will say the people that work there seem to honestly care about the animals, and I liked that.
After we spent some time at the zoo, we went back and had a swim in the pool, then went to the beach. I love the water of the gulf. It was a little cooler. We stopped, had an ice cream at Scoops, then we went grocery shopping because husband wanted to cook me a birthday dinner. He%26#39;s a Chef, and with his hours, at times I hardly ever get to taste his cooking! It was wonderful! We had a lovely meal-he stuffed a tilapia with local shrimp and crabmeat, and served it with a rice and local vegatable medley.
We relaxed that evening together, with a bottle of wine and each other! Our condo had a jacuzzi in it, and it was a religious experience...
The next day we drove to visit my aunts, which took the whole day. It was an ok trip, but sooooooo long. We came back that same night-he wanted to because we wanted to be in Gulf Shores.
That morning we woke up, and we both were ill-my throat was on fire and he was coughing. This was the morning Gustav decided he was going to pay Gulf Shores a visit.
We found a local %26#39;walk in%26#39; clinic. they were open, and husband and I were seen, if a bit sullenly, by both the doctor and %26#39;assistant%26#39; who turned out to be not sullen but scared. She was new to Gulf Shores, and was freaked out by the boards being put up over the windows. We found out the clinic did not take our insurance, but neither of us argued-we just wanted to feel better. We got prescriptions, and they were not covered because they were not at the pharmacy we usually use. So another expense-but we didn%26#39;t feel well, and we got them.
When we got back to the condo, our lovely condo owner called us very concerned. She heard that they were evacuating Ft. Morgan road. We weren%26#39;t on the lagoon side, so she wasn%26#39;t sure, but husband stated he would call the local sherriff dept and ask. He got someone on the phone who told him that yes, they were evacuating, and even where we were, though we were pretty close to the turn off for Ft. Morgan. The nice woman on the phone stated that they wouldn%26#39;t force us to go, but if the lagoon flooded it might block off the road...and that there was some concern about that, it had happened before.
I didn%26#39;t want to go, but had never been through a hurricane. Our lovely condo owner called, and stated she hadn%26#39;t been able to get a hold of her nephew, who lived there, and that she would be happy to give us an extra day if needed, but thought it was %26#39;better safe than sorry%26#39; but she%26#39;d leave it up to us, and was very kind.
My husband decided we should probably go, as after talking with one of the other condo owners, was told that they had lost power in the past, and it could get hairy. He didn%26#39;t think anything would happen, but he said there was an air of heightened
concern since Katrina.
We didn%26#39;t know where to go-and I asked if Fairhope would be %26#39;ok%26#39;. He said actually it would be, as it is somewhat %26#39;sheltered%26#39; and the storm wasn%26#39;t predicted to hit there. We drove to Fairhope, and husband had called the AAA and been given the name of two places to stay, one was the Holiday Inn Express, the other the Key West Inn. We had a coupon for the Key West Inn, so he drove up to them, and went in to see about a room.
WARNING: NEVER NEVER NEVER stay at the KEY WEST INN IN FAIRHOPE! IT IS A FLOPHOUSE!!!! We went to check into our room, and the bathroom smlled of urine. The room was dank, smelly, and the bed looked as though someone had just been rolling around on the coverlet. There were dark stains on the wall. I told Husband this was horrible, and he agreed. He had already had issues with the front desk, because they weren%26#39;t honoring the coupons-though it wasn%26#39;t a weekend-and they stated that they did not give AAA discounts....though in the AAA booklet it stated they did.
As I was sitting in the horrible room with our luggage, waiting for husband, a girl came in, stated she was the %26#39;manager%26#39; and that she would show me our new room. She told me %26#39;follow me%26#39;. I was so taken aback (not to mention not feeling well, and scared because I had never been through a hurricane before) that I went. She led me to the room next door, which was about as cheerful as a cell in Alcatraz) and said, hands on hips %26#39;this room is your new room%26#39;. Then she walked away. My husband came and I told him what had happened. We were both tired and hungry. He looked at the room-the bathroom didn%26#39;t stink, but there were stains on the walls, the air conditioning wasn%26#39;t working well, and it looked like one of those places you rent by the hour, only not as classy.
I was really upset, and not feeling well. After arguing with the front desk, who refused to refund the %26#39;night%26#39; paid for, husband and I left, and drove to the Holiday Inn Express. It was night and day, and cost only $20.00 more. Husband called AAA and reported the Key West, but we were out $110.00 Still, at least the Holiday Inn was clean and pleasant. We had alot of company too-it seemed alot of New Orleans was there!
We went out and got a bite to eat in the local waffle house, then went to Fairhope Pier, because it was still pretty nice out...a few clouds passing by. When we were out on the Pier, the wind picked up, the sky got very dark, and it began to rain sideways! I had never seen anything like it! The wind because quite fierce, and husband and I and some folks who%26#39;d been fishing all got up next to a building, and then, when it let up a bit, ran to the car! When we got there, we were soaked through.
Husbands daughter came up from Ms. to stay with us the night, saying she was scared. She had been through Katrina, and was just really scared after that experience. It was fun having her there, and I felt a little better truthfully. She slept on the pull out sofa in our room. She wound up leaving very early the next morning, but that evening we swam in the hotel pool, and looked up at dark clouds racing across the sky, with tiny stars dissapearing again and again behind them. It seemed lovely and tranquil.
We ate steamed seafood that night in a place down on Fairhope%26#39;s %26#39;main street%26#39;. I was surprised they were open, but they were! The food was good.
That night I listened to the rain and wind whipping around the hotel! When we went down for breakfast the storm was whipping branches around and the rain would come and go in brief, intense bursts. The scariest part was the tornado warnings which would come on the TV out of nowhere.
However, we called at 11 am to find out that Gulf shores was allowing people to return to our area, and we left, with me feeling the wind pushing at the car, and worrying a tornado would get us-but we made it back to the condo. After settling in, we drove down to the beach. The surf was really high, and very rough. The wind was strong and whipping signs back and forth. We drove down the blvd, and noticed the sand blown in drifts into the road. After a bit, we turned and went back to the condo.
We called LuLus. Couldn%26#39;t believe they would be open, but yes, they were. We went there to eat, and had a great meal!
The next day we were supposed to leave to spend the night in New Orleans, but New Orleans was closed, and the Royal Sonesta had cancelled our reservation. Our condo owner was lovely. She stated that we could stay another night-it was fine with her. We cleaned the condo-I did the laundry and washed the floor anyway, and then we went to the beach. We spent most of the day there, and that evening we got some fresh seafood and cooked it.
We left early Thursday morning for New Orleans, and we were the first plane out.
I am sorry to be back here, in icky, New York. My first Hurricane...the storm....not the drink....was exciting. Husband put in some resumes at places, but so far no %26#39;bites%26#39;.
I really hope that he will get a job down there...I hated to leave. I believe that the Alabama Gulf Coast is the most beautiful place in the world....
and wishing I was back there...
Thank you!
Fyre
Trip Report Aug 24-Sept 4
Fyre,
Sounds like an exciting trip! Your husband might want to contact the culinary department at Faulkner State Community College in Gulf Shores. They have a good culinary school and they might be able to get him some contacts in the business.
http://www.faulkner.cc.al.us/
You sure did pack it in on your trip, wow! Thanks for sharing. Good idea DD to contact Faulkner. I must say I know of many places that need a chef, just don%26#39;t know of any that are looking :-).
also try this:
baldwincountynow.com/admarket/…
As you know I live in Fairhope and i was upset by these comments.
I called and spoke to the manager today. He admitted that they only offer a certain number of AAA discount rooms.
He swears that he would have given a refund if the party was unhappy with the room.
He has also invited me to view the hotel with him. I will do this next week and report back.
Dave you%26#39;re a true advocate for our visitors. Thanks and let us know.
We liked Fairhope, what little we saw of if, but thought the Key West was nothing short of horrible. I%26#39;ve been alot of places in the US, and Europe, but this reminded me of one of the old time %26#39;homeless SRO%26#39;s%26#39;. It was truly nasty, and the attitude of %26#39;management%26#39; was not very nice, either.
I think it had alot to do with price gouging, and when I went to the hotel review section of Trip Advisor, the amount of negative reviews of that place far outweighed the positive ones. We wouldn%26#39;t have gone, truthfully, if we had not been forced to evacuate, and I believe that the Key West saw their chance to capitalize on misfortune. But we didn%26#39;t see that many people checking in, and that should have been a clue to us.
I would have rather slept in our car than stayed there.
Make sure they show you some of the rooms on the first floor, that was where they tried to stick us.
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