Life on the Alabama Gulf Coast Gcaa Art Market November 7Th Gcaa Christmas Open House November 7Th Gcaa Art Market December 5Th Classes Available by Appointment!
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beachin’November 2020 LIFE ON THE ALABAMA GULF COAST GCAA ART MARKET NOVEMBER 7TH GCAA CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE NOVEMBER 7TH GCAA ART MARKET DECEMBER 5TH CLASSES AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT! Gulf Coast Arts Alliance 251.948.2627 [email protected] gulfcoastartsalliance.com 225 East 24th Ave Waterway Village, Gulf Shores Monday-Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm 2 Beachin’ ● November 2020 November 2020 ● Beachin’ 3 4 Beachin’ ● November 2020 November 2020 ● Beachin’ 5 6 Beachin’ ● November 2020 November 2020 ● Beachin’ 7 beachin’ A specialty publication of Gulf Coast Media about the cover publisher Parks Rogers Light dances across the waves of the Gulf of [email protected] Mexico as the water rolls onto the sandy, white beaches of coastal Alabama. November 2020 November November 2020 beachin’November LIFE ON THE ALABAMA GULF COAST managing editor Photo by Jack Swindle Allison Marlow [email protected] design and layout Paige Marmolejo [email protected] advertising LouAnn Love [email protected] 251.943.2151 Frank Kustura [email protected] 251.923.8129 contents Bethany Summerlin [email protected] 251.266.9982 Feature 10 Love letters to the coast Beachin’ magazine is published monthly by Gulf Coast Media, 901 N. McKenzie Street, Foley, AL 36535 251.943.2151 Nature Distributed free by The Alabama Gulf Coast Category 2 Hurricane Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and at other locations throughout Gulf Shores, Sally packs a punch Orange Beach and Fort Morgan. 13 All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Gulf Coast Media accepts no responsibility in the guarantee of goods and services advertised herein. Beach Happenings November events 14 on the coast Find the e-edition by visiting issuu.com and searching for Food Beachin’ or Gulf Coast Media. Mix yourself a hurricane You can also access our e-editions through GulfCoastNewsToday.com. 18 Just click on the “Magazine” tab and select “Special Publications.” Taste of the Gulf Where to eat 20 at the beach 8 Beachin’ ● November 2020 November 2020 ● Beachin’ 9 HundredsLove of thousands ofletters people flock to the Alabama downto and the hope for the best. When coastthe sun rises the next Gulf Coast every year. Many say it is their favorite place to morning, they rise with it, rakes and shovels in hand, ready be. to rebuild. But for a small handful of people, it’s not just their They love this place and all that comes with it — the favorite place, the island towns of Orange Beach and Gulf beautiful sunny days, the horrific howling winds of Shores are their home. hurricanes and everything in between. After Hurricane Sure they enjoy the restaurants, the activities and Sally struck in September, as they took to the streets the gorgeous sea side. But more importantly, they love again to move trees, clean out flooded homes and start the people who work day in and day out to craft homes, anew, there again was a community coming together and schools, civic organizations and government out of what working to restore their favorite place in the world, the others see as their weekend getaway. land they love, their island homes. When storms churn in the Gulf and visitors are sent Read as they tell you why they stay, why an annual packing, they stay. They fill sandbags and generators, vacation just isn’t enough on this sun kissed island. Read bring food and water to their elderly neighbors, hunker and they will tell you why they love the Alabama Coast. This is home I am one of the few people days during Hurricane that can say they grew up on the Danny. I remember being Alabama Gulf Coast. My parents pregnant with my daughter moved to Orange Beach in 1981. My during Hurricane Dennis, and then laugh. dad was the go-to electrician with a month later having a 4-week-old We help. I think that is Von Electric, in the area. My mother during Hurricane Katrina. what makes our community so worked for my father handling the Once a storm comes through strong and is the reason I stay here back end of the business. we are relentless. We do whatever to raise my family. I will stay and We lived on the water along Bay it takes to rebuild. We all have the endure whatever storms come La Launch in Orange Beach. Living same goal and that is to get our along our way. I will be the shoulder along the water and the Gulf Coast small town back to normal. After to lean on when my neighbors and we have endured many storms. each storm, both Orange Beach and community need me. The people in Opal, George, Danny, Erin, Ivan, Gulf Shores continue to revitalize this community continue to help Dennis, Katrina, and now Sally are our community with improvements our small town feel like home. This all storms that I vividly remember. to benefit our citizens. is home. I remember as a child playing in After each storm there was lots of the water in the street. I remember damage. But what I always saw was Kristie von Eberstein- Wheeles going to the beach after Hurricane our community coming together. Realtor at EXIT Realty Gulf Shores Opal and finding lots of large shells. Neighbors helping neighbors they and owner/instructor I remember it raining for days and had never met. We hug. We cry. We at Wheeles Karate & Jiu Jitsu 10 Beachin’ ● November 2020 We are survivors, thrivers 2020 was supposed to be the year the best place on earth to of “Go big or go home!” But it ended live, work, and play. up being the year of “Stay home, it’s We are survivors. We safer at home!” It became a year that are thrivers. We are high fivers, describe 2020, reminded us to keep going because well maybe fist bumpers these but if there is one thing that I am tomorrow is a new day. days. We celebrate each other’s certain of it is that we live in the most As an involved small business accomplishments and know that amazing and resilient community owner on the island, I watched many when we work together everyone that I have ever been a part of and organizations cancel events, cut wins. We may compete at times I am proud to call Coastal Alabama back on employees and expenses, and we may not agree on all of the home! helplessly watch the world that they issues, but when it matters most, we knew screech to a halt, and then understand that all we have is each Tara McMeans have everything they worked so hard other. After all, no man is an island. Owner of Design Print Promote for destroyed. These are our friends, If there are lessons to take away in Gulf Shores associates, and neighbors. These from the challenges we have faced are the people that make our this year, I hope we learn to island be grateful for what we have, focus on the things we have in common instead of our differences and remember that things are just things and they can be replaced, it’s the people that make this community great! Uncertainty is definitely one of the words I would use to Why I love Gulf Shores I am from Hawaii and met my and other public facilities and being husband, Rick, there. You would called by my first name. There is a think there isn’t a place to compare feeling of being in a place where you the Gulf Coast Arts Alliance. with Hawaii, but I have found it, know your friends will be right there To sum up why I love Gulf Shores, right here in Gulf Shores. for you for any reason. I belong. I would have to say the beauty, the We have made our home here Gulf Shores is a town where weather, the progressiveness, but for many years, and there is no residents are from everywhere. It’s most of all, the wonderful people I place I would rather be. It isn’t just a melting pot of America…the best like to call my friends. the incredible beauty of the Gulf of part of America. They are friendly, Mexico and the sugar white sands happy people who want to pitch in Maria Bastin that I love. I love walking into a and help. I have found that to be true Board of Directors restaurant, a local shop, the library in the small non-profit we founded, Gulf Coast Arts Alliance November 2020 ● Beachin’ 11 We are at our best in times of crisis The people who live alongwater, breathing the coastal air, or for the cold, and toys for the Alabama’s coast are as much a admiring the sunrise and set. We children. part of the landscape as the wild leave only footprints, are guardians much as the area has changed creatures that share our beaches, of sea turtles, keepers of stories, over the years, certain qualities bays, swamps, and woods. builders of community, and disaster endure. Kindness, integrity, strength, We are a salty people who never survivors. and resilience flow through our tire of the teeming marine life, We are compassionate and community like a gentle stream watching a moonrise over the irrepressible, fierce protectorsswirling beneath our feet. of families and When the latest crisis has ended, neighbors. We are and out-of-town visitors return with at our best during the inevitable question of why we times of crisis or stay, we know the answer. We stay disaster; always because we know this community the first to reach and understand it is the best and the the stranded as only place for us to be.