Everyday Living

The Colors of Seaside

~ Travel

“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Genesis 9:16

Memorial Day weekend usually initiates summer.  We are drawn to the beach, the lake, and grilling is practically a requirement!  Ice cream freezers are also placed in service.  As we traveled north Friday afternoon from northwest Florida, southbound traffic was obviously well above normal.  It may seem the reason for this holiday is overshadowed by our need to kick summer into high gear.  But, there is significant evidence that folks here in the south do remember the real purpose for setting aside a special day.  There are hundreds of events scheduled to honor all who have stood in the gap to protect freedom and also to pay tribute to many who stand today.  Then there’s all those flags!   The red, white, and blue is proudly on display.  May we all take time to remember that freedom is very costly, and it is always under attack.  We pray that all of you have a wonderful and colorful Memorial Day.

Speaking of color… 

 
* 
*
 
*

*

* 
*

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* 
*    
*  
*
*  
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
*      

We are so glad that you came along on our walk through the beautiful beach town of Seaside, Florida! final-closer-both-1Linking with Pieced Pastimes, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl,  Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Home

Small Town America: Down By The Bay

~ Travel

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope”
Romans 15:13

For most of us, when we think of the Gulf Coast, we think: “beach”!  Places like Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Destin, and even Panama City may come to mind.  We do have some of the whitest sand and most beautiful shorelines imaginable, but let’s come back north a few miles to the bay area.   There are two little gems that Katy and I visited this past weekend that some of you may know-Magnolia Springs and Fairhope, AL. It was a weekend full of shopping in cute stores, eating good food, and taking in beautiful scenery!  Come along with us on this little get away to true small town America!   Magnolia Springs is truly a small town with a population of less than 800  The Magnolia Springs Bed and Breakfast was an enjoyable stay with friendly innkeepers!  The home was built in 1897!  I love a secret garden and path!   Magnolia Springs is nestled within the curves of the Magnolia River!  A majestic canopy of giant oak trees line the streets as well as camellias, azaleas, and of course magnolias! The Magnolia River remains the only river route mail delivery in the continental U.S.! Who doesn’t love a garden gate with a basket of flowers!   Jesse’s Restaurant with a glassed-in porch and fine dining with a casual atmosphere!  An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with goat cheese, gulf shrimp and creole remoulade!  Fresh redfish with succotash! Excellent and so fresh!  The boats at The Grand Hotel.  This photo was taken from inside their covered walking bridge! Love this nautical gate as seen on the drive to Fairhope!  Fairhope is such an artsy town!  Flowers lined the streets, all color coordinated!   Old Glory flying over the bay! A team of Tanzanian dancers were just in front of the Fairhope pier.  They were filming for a gospel video and we got a little sneak peak!  With the ray of sunshine coming down and their hands raised to the heavens, I am reminded…
“Let them praise his name with dancing…”
Psalm 149:3-4
 This salvia was right at the overlook spot for the bay.  There were many walkers, runners, and people just out enjoying their day!   There were some gorgeous church buildings! This little chapel with its red door sat right off the road, and of course we had to stop for photos! Notice the windows! This was taken walking down the walkway towards the chapel. We had dinner at Pinzone’s, an Italian restaurant in downtown Fairhope-alfresco style!  This restaurant “breathes Italian heritage with old world architecture, cobblestone walks, and Italian inspired food!” Fresh pears complemented with gorgonzola cheese on Tuscan flatbread.  The hint of cinnamon that you see sprinkled on top added excellent flavor! Everything about this town is cute and quaint-even the Welcome Center! The Fairhope Flower Clock sits at a very busy intersection, so please imagine trying to get photos of it!  It was quite the sight!   We had to take a break from all of the shopping for a Heath Ice Rage from Page and Pallette Bookstore!   Notice the matching baskets hanging in front of the downtown clock! A beautiful gazebo that caught my eye as we drove past! This fountain was next to the gazebo pictured above-the landscaping was beautiful! Ended our day in Fairhope with a beautiful view of the sunset and dinner at Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina! And look at this public library in another small town just north of Fairhope, in Loxley, AL…isn’t it the cutest?!

What about you?  Do you have any favorite small towns that you’ve visited?

pam closing

Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl,  Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm, The Turquoise Home

Visiting Visby

~ Travel

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God”
‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭16

Visby is one of Butch’s favorite villages that we have have been privileged to visit.  We only spent a day, but leisurely walked the perimeter of its city wall and took in the medieval history, local culture, and breathtaking beauty of the sea!  Visby stakes its claim to be the best preserved medieval city in Scandinavia.  It is the capital of Gotland, Sweden’s beautiful “holiday island”, famous for its soft sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, distinctive grey-fleeced sheep, and wild orchids.  The island lies between Sweden and Latvia in the Baltic Sea. The town is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Lace up your walking shoes for a little stroll through this quaint Scandinavian village! Arriving from the sea, the old town’s skyline greets you!  The most notable structure of the city is the stone wall built during
the 13th century!  The spectacular town wall is about 2 miles long and was built of
limestone.  There are 44 towers dotting the wall!  Lovely homes line the cobble-stone streets!  One of the 44 towers The preserved historic buildings of Visby-merchants’ homes, storehouses and warehouses-reveal its heritage as the largest trading hub in the Baltic Sea!  Overlooking rooftops, to a spectacular view of the sea!  Visby Cathedral was built as a church for German traders.
Construction started at the end of the 12th century!  The cathedral has a massive square tower and two smaller ones!  Views of red tiled roofs, medieval ruins, and the Baltic from the hilltop
where the church is located!  The Visby Cathedral is the only medieval church still in use, with
twelve other churches in Visby preserved as ruins only!  Behind and to our left, is the open-air ruins of St. Karin’s Church.  Our beautiful ship, Marina (Oceania Cruise), is anchored in the distance! The limestone wall is beautifully preserved!  The old town center of Visby!  The beautiful colors of Scandinavia!  The town is sometimes spelled Wisby! Roses abound all over Visby as it is often called the city of roses!  The ruins of St. Karin Church date back to 1233 dominating the central square of the old town!  The church was the first Franciscan monastery founded in Sweden!  The skyline of Visby is dominated by St. Karin Church with its
arcade of towering arches!  Visby is a popular vacation destination for Scandinavians during the summer!  The harbor remains the epicenter of Visby!

Thank you for traveling with us. Where would you like to visit?  We love reading your comments!

final-closer-both-1Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl,  Cozy Little House, Rattlebridge Farm