Our Weekend of Shopping and Relaxing

Saturday of Markets and Antique Shopping in Pensacola

T&W Flea Market

    Our first stop on Saturday was T&W Flea Market in Pensacola. Lots of ground to cover and lots of space available for anyone looking for a booth. Honestly, I am not usually a fan of flea markets, but this one has a good variety of products. 

    There are shops inside selling new and interesting items for gifts, everyday use, household, and more. There is also yard sale, antiques, and makers' booths. We didn't eat there, but they also offer several options for lunch while you're shopping. I can't help but wonder if there is even more available on the first weekend of the month.

    Definitely worth checking out if you like picking.

Pensacola Community Market 

    Calling all Makers and Shoppers!!! The Pensacola Community Market is a pop-up market that happens on various days and at various locations throughout Pensacola. It was a small market on Saturday but had some great vendors! The jewelry pictured is by TTE Designs, made from vintage tins. There were several jewelry booths, kids' clothing, gardening supplies, and homemade items. Check out the Pensacola Community Market website for information on becoming a vendor because the market also happened at a fantastic location - which brings me to our next stop...

Trader Bo's

    The Pensacola Community Market was in front of Trader Bo's so we made two awesome finds in one. Trader Bo's is full of amazing vendor booths and finds. Each booth is organized, neat, and easy to shop. Too much great stuff to try to name here, you're just going to have to check them out!

Franklin Antiques

    Our final stop in Pensacola on Saturday was Franklin Antiques. This is another goldmine for "junk shopping" ( as we call it). Not really any junk here, just rows and rows and rows of booths. We were concerned we might get lost in the maze! :) We purchased numerous great items here, including a sterling silver salt spoon that my daughter turned into a pinky ring.

Sunday Relaxation at Pirate's Cove

After a full weekend of shopping, we spent Sunday relaxing on the beach. We also had some laughs watching kids and dogs playing in the sand and water. Unfortunately, our day was cut short by a storm rolling in but we held on as long as possible. 

Garth in Birmingham and More

 

Garth Brooks in Birmingham

    Pictures and videos do not do justice to the fun and excitement of this concert. The crowd singing was magical, and Garth put on quite a show. The group I was with was all at least 10 years younger than Brooks, and none of us could run around the stage like he did, much less sing. 

    We were also treated to the privilege of being recorded for his next album for Amazon Music. I am really looking forward to when the music from this tour is released.

Fairfield Inn, Birmingham, AL

    For our trip to Birmingham, we stayed at the Fairfield Inn with Marriott on 1st Street. The hotel is clean and comfortable, staff was very friendly and helpful. It's convenient to the stadium but not close enough to walk in heels. We took an Uber to the concert. 

    Two things to be aware of when staying at this hotel. First, valet parking is limited. If you arrive too late in the evening or leave and try to return late in the evening, you will have to park on the street. 

    Second, apparently, 1st Street is the strip for drag racing in Birmingham. Starting at about midnight on Saturday night, cars were flying down the street. This was not great for loading and unloading late at night, having to park on the street when valet was not available, or for sleeping. We don't remember hearing the racing cars on Friday night. Also, this was one night; maybe it doesn't happen every weekend. 

Moon Shine Rooftop Bar

    We enjoyed a lovely evening of drinks, snacks, and watching the sunset at the Moon Shine Rooftop Bar atop the Elyton Hotel on Friday night. The atmosphere was terrific, the staff friendly and helpful, and we also enjoyed conversations with several patrons. The bar is also conveniently located next door to the Fairfield Hotel where we were staying. 

To see more of our adventures in Birmingham, visit us on Instagram and Facebook.

Support Our Veterans - Fairhope, AL

GASTON-LEE VFW FAIRHOPE, AL

Magnolia Corn Maze - Summerdale, Alabama

REVIEW

We had a great time at the Magnolia Corn Maze! Kids in our group were from ages 6 all the way to 43 years old and everyone enjoyed the experience. A few tips for your trip:

• Check the Magnolia Corn Maze website for scheduling. Closer to Halloween the corn maze is "haunted" at night. Little ones and grown ups (like me) who don't enjoy being scared, would probably prefer going a times it's not scary.
• Also, check the website for the various activities and options for admission. If you are interested in participating in all the activities, it's more economical to purchase the higher admission ticket. Also note that paintball is a separate activity.
• When going in the evening, don't forget the bug spray.
• Riding the hayride at night was fun but quite dusty. Visitors with asthma and/or allergies should be careful with this ride.

Here is the video from our trip. We were not able to take video of the Knockerball game because I didn't want to bust my lip open again while taking video. :) The game is great fun and not having video of it is quite unfortunate, especially the part when Chuck turned me upside down inside the Knockerball. LOL

Labor Day Weekend Estate Sale - Mobile, AL

 Old Mobile Antiques

Here is the link for more information...

LABOR DAY WEEKEND ESTATE SALE

We went to this estate sale last month. Had a great time, saw lots of interesting pieces, and bought some cool stuff. 

Sorry this is so short, just passing along information. :)

The Factory Trampoline Park - Gulf Shores, AL

We had quite the adventure at The Factory Trampoline Park in Gulf Shores, AL.

    

                                                

                      

Shout out to South Baldwin Urgent Care and  

Plastic Surgeon Dr Fred Fedok 

for taking such great care of me! 

Stay tuned for updates on Instagram @GulfCoastEvents.

 

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Big Kahuna's Destin, FL - GREAT DEAL on a 2017 Season Pass

You don't want to miss this deal!

Get a season pass for the 2017 season when you purchase a one day ticket to 

Big Kahuna's now!

Here are the details from their website:

2017 Season Pass $44.99 per person plus tax
This is your lucky day. You have the opportunity right now to enjoy unlimited visits to Big Kahuna’s for the rest of this summer and all of next summer for just $44.99. How? Just buy a single day admission, and you’ll get free unlimited admission through the end of the 2017 season.

•  FREE admission the remainder of 2016 season and the entire 2017 season
•  Unlimited use of the Water Park on any regularly scheduled operating day.
•  Don’t forget to purchase your Parking Pass for only $20!

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Even if you can't go for the rest of the 2016 season, this is a great deal for next summer. Get yours today!

New Orleans for Street Performing & Local Fun

I am from New Orleans and try to take my kids there as often as possible. I used to own a restaurant called A Taste of New Orleans in Fairhope, AL where I served local New Orleans fare. It was through that experience that I realized there are lots of things about New Orleans that most tourist miss - namely Roast Beef Po-boys and Sno-balls.

On this adventure to the Big Easy, I took my son, Dawson, to the French Quarter so he could be a street performer for the day. He is a hip hop dancer and LOVES to perform. I purchased a Sonic Suitcase from Dr Music to use in my basketball practices during drills and Dawson's dream to go dance in the French Quarter began - it was the first thing he asked when he saw the Sonic Suitcase.

So here is a video of clips from Dawson's performance. There is no music due to copyright rules on YouTube but it's clear he is having a blast and the kid's got moves!


After all that dancing and watching him dance in the August heat - it was sno-ball time! There are sno-ball stands in every neighborhood throughout New Orleans - it never occurred to me that wasn't the case across the country. Every summer growing up in New Orleans we knew when sno-ball season started for our local neighborhood stand.

Two of the more famous places are Hansen's Sno-balls, Mr Hansen invented the sno-ball machine. And Plum Street Sno-balls where you can get your treat inside a Chinese takeout container instead of a cup. That is where the picture below was taken. My usual order is chocolate with condensed milk, which is what my daughter Briana bought. However, when I'm super hot and thirsty, my go to is a large spearmint sno-ball. They are SOOOO delicious! You have to try one when you're in NOLA.

We ended our adventures for the day with an impromptu trip to the Lakefront. The kids asked a million times where we were going, I just kept telling them it was a surprise. I have told me kids stories of how we used to go out to the Lakefront when I was a kid with cardboard boxes and used them as sleds to slide down the levee. This was the day they were going to experience it. A quick stop at Lakeview Groceries on Harrison Avenue for boxes and we headed to the levees. As soon as the levees came into view my kids knew what was going on. I wish I had video going to capture their reaction - it was priceless.

Of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without some beignets and Cafe au Lait from Cafe Du Monde. So enjoy this short video of these adventures and I'll be sure to post more soon.

Welcome to GulfCoastEvents.org

Hello! Here is the first video made with Periscope. Stay tuned for more videos on fun things across the Gulf Coast. Watch the video for more info on how this will work and why. 😃

UPDATE: We are no longer using Periscope due to connection issues at most places we go. You can now follow us on Instagram @GulfCoastEvents for immediate viewing of what we are up to.