Down by the Bay

Josh and I are back from a weekend getaway. Based on the hours spent planning the trip and the multi page Margaret and Louise instruction manual we left Baileigh the babysitter, you'd think we were going to Paris or Fiji, or some other exotic spot halfway around the world. 


Our real destination was a grand total of 3 hours by car from Baton Rouge..to the great state of Alabama, down by the Mobile Bay. In Mobile and Fairhope, we had all the fun we were looking for. With tips from friends, Brad and Ida Ross and Brittany and Leigh, and this article  in Garden & Gun, we hit up some great spots!


First stop Saturday morning was Mobile's McCoy Outdoor Company which housed largely hunting and fishing gear and an impressive gun selection. If Josh were writing this post, it might be titled "McCoy Outdoor Company."

Next stop: Atchison Imports, an antique and interiors store in Mobile where I could have spent the entire day (and may have been abandoned by my traveling companion). The building itself was remarkable...104 year-old brick walls covered in ivy and bordered by a sea of hydrangeas. Behind these doors:

...is a beautifully renovated 20,000 square foot warehouse filled with antiques and reproductions, lamps, home accessories and a fantastic selection of coffee table books, all under one roof. 

This place alone was worth the trip. Josh was a big fan of the book selection. His top pick:



A GREAT gift for hunters and cooks by Wild Abundance Publishing



We left Atchison Imports with a pair of chairs, a lengthy wish list, and some great ideas.


From there, we were off to the great little town of Fairhope on Mobile Bay. Fannie Flagg has ties here, and it does feel a bit like a modern day scene from Fried Green Tomatoes.

(We didn't do a great job taking pictures in Fairhope. Above is from this site.)

Our favorite stop in Fairhope:

...featured on the Food Network's Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives. My Black n' Blue Burger... 

and Josh's Seared Tuna Panini merited the honor!

Then my cell phone went *beep* and this appeared from Baileigh the babysitter:

Big babysitter brownie points for sending proof that the girls were doing just fine without us. 

After Fairhope, it was back to Mobile for dinner at NoJa. Our meal was delicious but even better was our waiter who had a striking resemblance in looks and personality to our favorite character from Big Bang Theory: Sheldon. Sous-vide capped prime rib? BAZINGA!


Last stop was The Battle House Hotel for 9 hours of uninterrupted zzzzz's. By Sunday morning, we were eager to get back to...

Admiring her treat from our trip..."Applejax" the My Little Pony and her bazillion accessories.

and

We're home!


P.S. Over the weekend especially, the victims of the recent tornadoes and their families were on our hearts and minds. Consider visiting this great state and supporting their economy as they begin to recover and rebuild.