Alabama
15th Anniversary
October 22, 2009
State of Alabama
City of Fairhope
Marriott Grand Hotel and Resort
Day One
We left quite early from home and flew from chilly Seattle through rainy Dallas/Ft. Worth to sunny Pensacola (home of the Blue Angels) and then drove the 50 miles west to the east coast of Mobile Bay to begin our Alabama anniversary. We rented a convertible and driving with the top down made the sunny 80 degree day even more enjoyable. We arrived at the Marriott Grand Hotel and Resort a little after 5 o'clock which gave us just enough time to get in our room and get settled before a sunset walk around the resort property. As we strolled along the beach amazed at the colors of the sunset over Mobile Bay we also saw fish jumping out of the water and pelicans diving into the water. It was a beautiful way to end an exhausting day of travel.
Day Two
We began the day with a groundbreaking joint workout in the fitness center. Eric is a good influence! After a vigorous bit of exercise, we sipped coffee and enjoyed pastries on the veranda. Then we decided to head up to Mobile to tour the USS Alabama, a WWII era battleship. We crawled through the entire ship, climbing ladders and ducking through hatches. It was immense and complex and very impressive, especially the 16" guns what could hurl projectiles 21 miles. We were in awe of the men who served on ships such as these. We walked through the French Quarter of Old Fairhope and found a little sandwich shop for lunch.
We had to hurry back for our 15th anniversary wedding ceremony which was officiated by Marcus H. Smith, retired Methodist minister. We had a wonderful chat with Mr. Smith in the lobby of the Grand Hotel and jointly chose (due to a torrential downpour) the indoor wedding site by a picturesque window overlooking Mobile Bay. He gave us a good reminder of God's purpose for marriage and the importance of that covenant. It was, again, good to recommit ourselves to one another. He gave us a nice certificate of vow renewal as well. The three of us sat and had tea together, getting to know each other even more. What a delightful man, Mr. Smith. We finished the day with an excellent two-hour meal at the Saltwater Grill in the hotel with laughter and great conversation. Fifteen years doesn't slow us down. We are still having fun together!
Day Three
For the first time ever in anniversary history, we spent most of the day in different places. Eric began with a vigorous workout and then headed out to play a round of golf at the Dogwood Course at Lakewood Golf Club. It was a beautiful day and he was able to play the first seven holes solo. At that point he was joined by our recent friend, Mr. Smith, who found Eric on the course and played the rest of the holes with him. Eric saw lots of wildlife such as alligators, heron, egrets, turtles, and most prolific. . . mosquitos. Julie spent the day at the Grand Spa with a full day package known as the Grand Southern Belle. What a pampering! Head to toe! It was relaxation that she hadn't experienced in a long time.
We were reunited and took a fun buggy-bike ride through the resort grounds followed by a walk along the beach path enjoying the stunning sunset. The Grand Dining Room was the spot to be for our three-hour dinner. The cuisine and conversation were amazing. We enjoyed a miniature duck burger, seafood gumbo, asparagus and lobster bisque, venison, and lamb. Julie also cracked open her first crawfish. Wow. We waddled back to our room along the windy path as waves crashed and sprayed us with bay water.
Day Four
Eric began with a brisk workout while Julie snoozed a bit extra. After a fresh baked pastry, we drove south to Gulf Shores. We went to the Civil War era Fort Morgan where during the battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral Farragut issued the famous command, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" We now know the whole story surrounding that pivotal battle. In addition, the fort is in a beautiful location on a narrow point of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from Mobile Bay. We were amazed at the number of oil drilling platforms just offshore in the Gulf which changed our expected view considerably. We drove back over to the popular beach getaway of Gulf Shores where we had a bit of lunch at The Hangout and then stepped out for a walk on the beach. We enjoyed the fine white sand and the warm water. After stopping at Scoops for some ice cream, we returned to the hotel for a relaxing sunset walk and cocktail. We had wanted to try the famous Southern Mint Julep. So we sat on the veranda and sipped our mint julep watching the sun sink over the horizon.
Day Five
Our last day in Alabama started with another lovely workout looking out the big picture windows over the Grand Hotel marina. We had a little coffee and pastry while we packed up to leave. But before we left the Grand Hotel we had one other event/big meal to attend. This was the Jazz Brunch in the Grand Dining Room. It was an enormous buffet spread attended by a six member New Orleans style jazz band. We feasted on eggs, waffles, prime rib, pork, and literally 100's of other items, but by far the favorites were the coconut rice (Julie) and the bacon (Eric). By the time we left an hour and a half later we were stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable. Good thing we had a hour drive back to Pensacola to allow time for digestion. It was another cloudless sunny day as be bid farewell to Alabama for this year. To maximize our anniversary time we had a late flight into Seattle. Because of storms in Dallas we were delayed several hours and didn't land in Seattle until after 2AM. It was a very relaxing trip and we arrived back refreshed although a little tired from our final travel day.
October 22, 2009
State of Alabama
City of Fairhope
Marriott Grand Hotel and Resort
Day One
We left quite early from home and flew from chilly Seattle through rainy Dallas/Ft. Worth to sunny Pensacola (home of the Blue Angels) and then drove the 50 miles west to the east coast of Mobile Bay to begin our Alabama anniversary. We rented a convertible and driving with the top down made the sunny 80 degree day even more enjoyable. We arrived at the Marriott Grand Hotel and Resort a little after 5 o'clock which gave us just enough time to get in our room and get settled before a sunset walk around the resort property. As we strolled along the beach amazed at the colors of the sunset over Mobile Bay we also saw fish jumping out of the water and pelicans diving into the water. It was a beautiful way to end an exhausting day of travel.
Day Two
We began the day with a groundbreaking joint workout in the fitness center. Eric is a good influence! After a vigorous bit of exercise, we sipped coffee and enjoyed pastries on the veranda. Then we decided to head up to Mobile to tour the USS Alabama, a WWII era battleship. We crawled through the entire ship, climbing ladders and ducking through hatches. It was immense and complex and very impressive, especially the 16" guns what could hurl projectiles 21 miles. We were in awe of the men who served on ships such as these. We walked through the French Quarter of Old Fairhope and found a little sandwich shop for lunch.
We had to hurry back for our 15th anniversary wedding ceremony which was officiated by Marcus H. Smith, retired Methodist minister. We had a wonderful chat with Mr. Smith in the lobby of the Grand Hotel and jointly chose (due to a torrential downpour) the indoor wedding site by a picturesque window overlooking Mobile Bay. He gave us a good reminder of God's purpose for marriage and the importance of that covenant. It was, again, good to recommit ourselves to one another. He gave us a nice certificate of vow renewal as well. The three of us sat and had tea together, getting to know each other even more. What a delightful man, Mr. Smith. We finished the day with an excellent two-hour meal at the Saltwater Grill in the hotel with laughter and great conversation. Fifteen years doesn't slow us down. We are still having fun together!
Day Three
For the first time ever in anniversary history, we spent most of the day in different places. Eric began with a vigorous workout and then headed out to play a round of golf at the Dogwood Course at Lakewood Golf Club. It was a beautiful day and he was able to play the first seven holes solo. At that point he was joined by our recent friend, Mr. Smith, who found Eric on the course and played the rest of the holes with him. Eric saw lots of wildlife such as alligators, heron, egrets, turtles, and most prolific. . . mosquitos. Julie spent the day at the Grand Spa with a full day package known as the Grand Southern Belle. What a pampering! Head to toe! It was relaxation that she hadn't experienced in a long time.
We were reunited and took a fun buggy-bike ride through the resort grounds followed by a walk along the beach path enjoying the stunning sunset. The Grand Dining Room was the spot to be for our three-hour dinner. The cuisine and conversation were amazing. We enjoyed a miniature duck burger, seafood gumbo, asparagus and lobster bisque, venison, and lamb. Julie also cracked open her first crawfish. Wow. We waddled back to our room along the windy path as waves crashed and sprayed us with bay water.
Day Four
Eric began with a brisk workout while Julie snoozed a bit extra. After a fresh baked pastry, we drove south to Gulf Shores. We went to the Civil War era Fort Morgan where during the battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral Farragut issued the famous command, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" We now know the whole story surrounding that pivotal battle. In addition, the fort is in a beautiful location on a narrow point of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from Mobile Bay. We were amazed at the number of oil drilling platforms just offshore in the Gulf which changed our expected view considerably. We drove back over to the popular beach getaway of Gulf Shores where we had a bit of lunch at The Hangout and then stepped out for a walk on the beach. We enjoyed the fine white sand and the warm water. After stopping at Scoops for some ice cream, we returned to the hotel for a relaxing sunset walk and cocktail. We had wanted to try the famous Southern Mint Julep. So we sat on the veranda and sipped our mint julep watching the sun sink over the horizon.
Day Five
Our last day in Alabama started with another lovely workout looking out the big picture windows over the Grand Hotel marina. We had a little coffee and pastry while we packed up to leave. But before we left the Grand Hotel we had one other event/big meal to attend. This was the Jazz Brunch in the Grand Dining Room. It was an enormous buffet spread attended by a six member New Orleans style jazz band. We feasted on eggs, waffles, prime rib, pork, and literally 100's of other items, but by far the favorites were the coconut rice (Julie) and the bacon (Eric). By the time we left an hour and a half later we were stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable. Good thing we had a hour drive back to Pensacola to allow time for digestion. It was another cloudless sunny day as be bid farewell to Alabama for this year. To maximize our anniversary time we had a late flight into Seattle. Because of storms in Dallas we were delayed several hours and didn't land in Seattle until after 2AM. It was a very relaxing trip and we arrived back refreshed although a little tired from our final travel day.