Spring is a great time to make connections on the byway. On trips down the byway lately, several examples of that fact have popped out at me as obviously as the buds on the trees. It has made me realize how lucky we are to have such diverse options for spending time with friends and family.
A few days ago, I got the opportunity to meet Ryan, from Wisconsin, and his grandpa. They were fishing in the bay at a boat launch near Fort Morgan. This would be their last outing for this year because they were flying back home the next morning. They’d been down spending the week together during Ryan’s spring break. It seems he shares his passion for fishing with his grandpa and they both had a great time while they were here.
The weekend before that, I went with a friend to the annual Arts & Crafts Festival, held in beautiful downtown Fairhope. While there, I met a group of women from Montgomery, Alabama who make the festival an annual girls’ getaway. They rent a house on the water and spend the weekend shopping, eating and enjoying the sunshine.
Not long ago at a restaurant, I saw a group of golfers out enjoying some local seafood. These guys from the Birmingham, Alabama area started an annual golf trip here 41 years ago. — Yes, 41 years ago! Needless to say, they are passionate about their golf and about their time away on the coast.
Meeting these people makes me wonder how many other traditions revolve around connecting with family and friends along our byway. And it makes me smile to think of all the stories that are being told around dinner tables, living rooms, and water coolers about the experiences here.
I don’t know if Ryan will still be fishing here every spring 41 years from now, but I bet he’ll still have memories of the trips he made with his grandpa. And I hope he’ll be making new memories and finding new ways to explore Alabama’s Coastal Connection.
Please check our calendar of events and all the local information sources and make your plans to start your own traditions.
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