"Hope On The Horizon" Says Dr. Guy Harvey ... But "It Takes Cash To Care"

by BeachnRiver

Billy's Seafood Market On Bon Secour River, Bon Secour , AL Is Beautiful At Sunset.

JOURNAL --- The photos above are of Billy's Seafood --- the only open air fish market located at the end of the road of a quaint fishing village of Bon Secour, just 15 or so miles NW of Gulf Shores, AL. The photos were taken at sunset--- a particularly beautiful time on the Bon Secour River.

The Workers At Billy's Seafood Market, Bon Secour, AL Are Helpful And Will Help You Make Selections.

The appeal of Billy's Seafood Market lies in the imperfections of the place. Billy's is basically a wooden shack perched on the water. The parking lot and bank are made of cast off oyster shells. The workers have names like "Bubba" and some sport mullets (the hairstyle) along with their white shrimping boots. Large shrimping boats dock in and around Billy's to unload their catch.

Billy's Seafood Market In Bon Secour, AL Is The Only Open-Air Seafood Market Located On The Bon Secour River. Shrimpers Deliver Their Catch To Billy's Market And To Other Waterfront Markets Along The River.

The place smells fishy. It is not air-conditioned, yet fish and shrimp are nicely displayed on ice. That it still stands is a testimony of owner Billy Parks who has re-built after Hurricane Ivan --- despite not having insurance. In my mind, it is one of the best and wholehearted reasons why I am hopelessly in love with where I live.

This place is filled with resilient "overcomers."

But Park's business/livlihood, along with countless other businesses (like ours), is struggling to survive after the BP oil spill attacked our coast.

Signs On Cty Rd 10 Foley, AL Direct Guests To Plenty Of Fresh Seafood.

Tourists To Gulf Shores, AL Hired Shrimping Charters Prior To BP Oil Spill.

The Captain's Galley On The Bon Secour River Was A Favored Restaurant To Enjoy Seafood Prior To BP Oil Spill

Up the road a bit The Captain's Galley --- a restaurant that has been in business for the past 25 years (except to rebuild after the past three hurricanes: Ivan, Dennis, Katrina) is now closed due to lack of customers --- thanks to the BP oil mess killing our tourism business. Report from Locust Fork News of Captain's Galley Closure

The Captain's Galley Has Been A Foley, AL Business For 25 Years But Did Not Survive BP Oil Spill.

Countless other businesses are teetering on financial failure and the local news media has daily coverage of one business owner or another who says they may not survive until the end of the month --- yet alone the entire winter season. (I consider them the lucky ones --- at least their stories get picked up on the wires and get regional and national attention --- which may in fact boost their business. The businesses who are obscure from media attention will suffer most.)



These days are a real test for any "overcomer" and it takes shear will-power to remain "positive" in thinking --- especially when successful and long-standing businesses are falling like dominoes all around.

I was listening to a Joss Stone song earlier this morning, "The Choking Kind," and the lyrics "you can kill ... with a knife or you can take her pride" choked me up. "How true, I thought." Although the song had nothing to do with oil spills or financial struggles it got me to thinking about what has been the worst part of this whole BP mess --- the assault on our region's pride.

I get a knot in my throat when I think of how pristine our little Gulf Shores was prior to the oil spill.

As You Walk Gulf Shores, AL Beaches You Are Struck By Beauty Of Sugary White Sand.

Aside from having the whitest sandy beaches in the country, we are home to countless endangered species and a refuge for so many others. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Cleaning oil from Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Freshly Caught Shrimp Bon Secour, AL.

Oysters Served "Nude" Wintzells, Orange Beach, AL

The pride in our area is almost palpable. You don't just eat a plate full of raw oysters --- you are eating potentially the catch of the day from some happy local oyster man.

Royal Red Shrimp Are An Alabama Gulf Coast Pride.

Signs suggesting tourists buy "Alabama Wild Shrimp" were put up to help the industry --- yes --- but they are the Gulf Coast's bragging right. Our "Royal Reds" are a unique specialty that taste like lobster and come from no other place on the planet.

Our Gulf Shores tourism didn't rise on the backs of theme parks, high rise entertainment centers or the glitzy glamour found along many coastal areas.

Fishing Alabama's Gulf Coast At Gulf Shores Is A Favorite Pastime.

Our appeal was as a laid back "natural" destination --- a fishing destination --- a place to take the family to bathe in all of God's natural glory --- the kind of thing that some tourists long for but never get to see once the filter of commercialization sets in.

Speaking for myself, I didn't fall in love with Gulf Shores/Orange Beach because of nearby outlets and malls and proximity to numerous chains found in many "destination towns." I fell in love with the area because of the many "mom and pops" along the one road Hwy (59) and beach boulevard.

You Can See Gulf Shores Beach Boulevard From The Inside Of This Popular Souvenir Shop.

In my mind these type businesses are what gives the "character" and charm to the area. It is not a forced "theme" park imposed feeling --- it is the "real thing" --- and the "character" comes from the owner's stamina to survive years of struggle forging a living where sand, water and wind continuously impose their will to overcome.

This Photo Of A Rainbow Was Taken After A Gulf Shores, AL Storm.

You can't buy this type of "feeling."

Our Precious Gulf Coast: Allison's Opinion of the Oil, or Lack Of.

By Allison

Dear Fellow Bloggers,
In an attempt NOT to totally throw our media under the bus I am going to share with you what is really going on on the Gulf Coast. The media has completely made more of a mess of the situation than is actually there.
We actually vacation in the Florida side of Perdido Key. We are maybe 1/2 of a mile from the Flora-Bama.
However we spend a lot of time in the Alabama side each trip. Between the restaurants, visiting friends, the outlets and Waterville we stay busy the whole time.

Honestly, there is oil in the Gulf.

I saw it - ONLY ONE MORNING.

I saw tar balls too but they were cleaned QUICKLY.

However not once did I have black tar on my feet.

The oil comes and goes on a daily basis. There are clean-up crews there first thing to get it off of the beach and to get it away from the shore. The clean-up crew is local and they are getting paid to clean up our beautiful white beaches.
I ate dinner at Cobalt which is located right on Perdido Pass/Bay. I never smelt anything the whole time I was eating there. The next day there was an article written by someone staying right on the Bay and he said that every time he opened the door the smell filled the room. Hmmmm, funny I never smelt a thing. I did smell the exhaust from the barges and boats working to build the new steal wall.

We still played on the beach and we walked along the water's edge. We did stay in the pool a lot - mainly because it was hot!

Our last day there was an article in the PNJ that our water was clear - yea. So we got in the Gulf and enjoyed ourselves.

I can't guarantee that your beach trip will be like mine.

I can't guarantee there will be no oil.

In fact I went thinking it would be a lot worse - but I still went.

I can guarantee that you will make memories that you will keep with you for a lifetime, even if you can't get in the water.

Don't give up on our Gulf Coast because of a little oil.

I am asking begging you to keep your reservations.

For the first time in my life I walked right up to Tacky Jacks and sat down to eat breakfast. That is not normal - especially in June and on a Saturday. These places that we have depended on for so many years for our entertainment NEED US NOW.

This post was originally published at The Youngbloods on June 21, 2010.

"You Have No Events Scheduled Today"

I wanted to republish this post as a part of our ongoing series on supporting our beach towns during our crisis. Beach N River is another great way to alternatively enjoy the coast during this time, but they also have some other great suggestions of where to enjoy the coast. And finally, I wanted to provide a feel for what is going on in the lives of those who count on the beach for their livelihood.

By Beach N River

For the past week these are the words I read when opening my email, "you have no events scheduled today."

This is not a comforting statement to an owner of a kayak rental business catering to tourists.

The phone has not rung in the past week (except for one caller who I referred to a river tubing business on account they had two small children I couldn't accommodate).

In fact, everything I said that might happen in my last blog post seems to be happening.

Can you guess why I posted the above photo? I posted it to show the lack of traffic traveling South on Hwy 59 toward Gulf Shores, AL. This photo represents the first time hubby and I were able to drive South toward Gulf Shores beaches during peak summer tourist season and have the highway virtually to ourselves.

This is not a good thing folks.

We, like most "locals" travel back roads to do our business so as not to get bottle necked in tourist traffic. We may have complained. Alright we did complain ... at times ... and for that ... I repent.

In fact, right about now hubby and I wish we could take back every inconvenience we endured during summer "tourist" season because we (I'm sure other local business owners would agree) would rather have "too much" business than have NONE.

We are ever so grateful to the loving and kind visitors who have kept their plans to vacation on Alabama's Gulf Shores despite the scary images shown nightly on TV.

For every home/condo/hotel rented, for every meal eaten, for every dollar spent in our gift stores and yes, for every fishing/kayaking/tubing/sailing adventure taken --- maybe one less teacher will lose a job, one less business will shut down, one less home will be put up for sale.

I've been closely reading and participating in the threads on the Alabama Gulf Coast Facebook Wall. For the most part guests are sympathetic. Many "friends" ask in what ways they can help and several offer condolences.

But there are a few who smell the blood in the streets.

These "friends" insist everything be discounted to free with the disclaimer "after all we are choosing to support you and your community by our presence." Some have gone so far as to suggest a for profit amusement park offer their facility to guests for free ("their losses will be re-reimbursed by BP --- all they have to do is file a claim," they argue).

While I'm the first person to admit I am a bargain hunter (and free is quite a driving bargain) my mind kicks into empathy whenever I hear of an area devastated by a disaster. My sympathetic heart (which has endured now three major floods, hurricanes, a devastating ice storm, a fire and business losses due to an ailing economy) engages in ways seeking to support communities I'm fond of by breaking my "vacation" bank.

Although Hurricane Katrina damaged some local areas, our beloved Gulf Shores was mostly spared a direct hit. We knew our neighbors in Biloxi, MS were devastated. We also observed their nominal National media coverage compared to that of New Orleans, LA.

Hubby and I made trips to eat at open (read: struggling) Biloxi restaurants and play in the casinos. The town was a mess. Roads were closed and there were several detours. Debris was still in yards. Buildings were barely standing. Century old live oaks were missing from the well known boulevard. The lighthouse leaned. In essence --- the landscape was not a pretty sight.

Discounts nor aesthetics factored into our decision to try to support their economy. We simply wanted to use our (hard earned) dollars to support an ailing neighbor.

Trust me, I understand those who say this oil spill mess is a different scenario. I agree the presence of oil on our beaches is disgusting, probably toxic and can have a negative effect on a person's health if inhaled/touched. To those who are concerned of long-term effects and have health issues I say: stay away from the beaches ... or at least stay indoors in an air-controlled environment overlooking the beaches.

However, there is so much more Coastal Alabama has to offer tourists in terms of sightseeing, history and culture that in my mind if the beaches were permanently closed I would still brag and encourage visitors to vacation here.

When is the last time you were able to see live guides tell Civil War stories in an old fort?

Can you say you've been to the oldest city in the United States? (No, it's not St. Augustine, Fl it is our neighbor to the East, Pensacola)

If you love to garden, landscaping and love flowers, are you aware Bellingrath Gardens is considered the "Castle of the South" and boasts spectacular landscaping with hundreds of variety of flowers?

Do you have loved ones in the Armed Forces? How proud would you feel to see the inside of a real "heroic" battleship?

There are so many reasons to explore the Alabama Gulf Coast --- all within an hour drive from Gulf Shores, AL. If you think of it, many of us choose our vacation spot based on only a couple of reasons.

For example, hubby and I once chose to explore a State Park because of the WPA architecture. We traveled all the way through Florida's "Forgotten Coast" to see why it was "forgotten."

Get this: we traveled to Bayou La Batre because we enjoy the movie Forest Gump and wondered what about the shrimping village inspired the author .

We then traveled to Fairhope to explore the streets the author may have walked.

Here's my point: unless your heart is dead set on going to a beach to lay out in the hot sun taking occasional dips in a) either a cold ocean and/or b) sharing your space with throngs of others who have the same plans, why not search your heart and think about what you most enjoy about your stay along Alabama's Gulf Coast?

My guess is it will have something to do with Gulf Shores fun restaurants, shopping excursions, natural scenery and "Southern" hospitality.

Ya'll come down! WE MISS YOU!

p.s. Can I pencil you in?

Oil on Our Beaches, But Don't Abandon Them!

This post is modified from the original posting at my other blog, Grasping for Objectivity.

Alabama was not blessed with much coastline (I personally feel that is due to Florida being a bit greedy on coastline-choosing day), but the beaches we did get are gorgeous. Different than any other coastline I’ve ever been to, the Gulf of Mexico beaches have the most luxurious of white sand to sink your toes into, the perfect amount of waves for families to play in, and our little beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have just the right amount of civilization to make it fun without being over commercialized.

However, all of that is in the process of changing. The BP oil crisis has made it to our beaches, and won’t be leaving for quite some time.

We headed down here on Friday to spend some time with family and to enjoy our favorite getaway town. We knew that we were within days of the projected oil landfall, but we didn’t realize that we would be down here for the historical Day One.

We ate dinner Friday night at Sea N Suds, admiring somewhat melancholically the pristine beaches and gorgeous water. The twitter reports had already started coming in that there were small amounts of oil being found down the beach, so we knew this would be a last moment.

On Saturday, we headed to the beach to see for ourselves.

It was a gorgeous day – perfect for swimming in the ocean. The air was warm, the water was warm, the waves were perfect.

But it was too late.

The sand was lined with globules of nasty, thick oil:

It stuck to our feet and refused to come off – which makes me shiver to think what it is doing to the countless animals that come in contact with it.

And toxic tar balls were floating in the water, resulting in the waters being deemed unsafe to swim in due to hazardous chemicals.

All I could think about was that this was just day two. It was going to get SO much worse. AND they haven’t even stopped the leak yet!!

I know I’m not the most educated person on this issue – one of the least, I’m sure. But I can’t get past this point: If you’re technologically able to drill through the ocean and earth and harness oil, then you should be technologically able and responsible enough to fix things in a reasonable timeframe when they go wrong. And if you’re not, then quit putting our world in peril with your mistakes.

Of course, I had just seen the BP commercial the night before, apologizing profusely and promising that everything would be made right, and that thousands of people and hundreds of boats were working on the cleanup all over the coastline. I even heard one BP exec say when interviewed on the news, “We have twice the number of people that are needed working on cleanup.”

But there were no signs of BP here this weekend, unless you count their nasty mess. No signs of anyone doing anything except beachgoers staring in shock and dread of what was to come for our precious beaches.

From some expert’s reports, our ecosystem may not be restored to its natural state for the rest of her childhood:

And I cannot tell you how much that breaks my heart.

And there are so, so many more people and animals that are and will be much more tragically impacted than us.

I don’t see how BP can ever “make right” how vastly they’ve taken away from all of us.

However, though we may not have been able to prevent the ecological damage that BP did to our shores, we can help prevent the economical fallout to our precious beach towns!

I am committed to continuing to visit and take my vacation dollars to our coast, because if we don’t, when things DO go back to normal ecologically, what we knew as our towns will no longer exist.

There are so many great attractions in our beach towns besides our obviously affected beaches, and I intend to feature as many of these as I can this summer. Hopefully this will help people adjust their vacations without relocating them.

If you would like to make suggestions as to what should be featured, or better yet, if you would like to write one of these feature posts, please comment on this post or email me at rachel@alabamabloggers.com.

Also, if you know of reputable organizations to which we can support that will help the restoration of our Ecosystem, please share!

Our beach towns need us! And I am committed to doing whatever I can to help them survive. I encourage you to join me in this cause!