Super Chili Bowl Cook-off
If you like it hot, then make plans this Saturday, February 4, to attend the 18th Annual “Super” Chili Bowl Cook-off. At 11:00 a.m. at the Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster Bar, not far from Gulf Shores, Alabama, chili enthusiasts will gather to compete for cash prizes and title rights. For those wanting to taste, tickets will be sold for $2.00 each or 6 tickets for $10.00. Each ticket purchased is good for one cup of chili. All proceeds from this event will benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. The day long event includes food, good times and continuous, original music provided by the Flora~Bama® Players. Souvenir t-shirts, free beer and other give-a-ways will be provided for all participants. So, make plans to taste some of the area’s best chili and support a good cause. See http://www.florabama.com for cooking guidelines and restrictions.
Fishing Inshore in February
Fear not all ye fisherman―we have just what the doctor ordered! In February, anglers can 
expect to catch big bull reds, sheepshead and any other species of inshore fish off Alabama’s Gulf Coast beaches. According to Clyde Brothers of Clyde’s Inshore Fishing, based at Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach, the primary targets inshore in February are the big bull reds. You can also find redfish and sheepshead along our shores and at the mouth of Perdido Pass. In our area the average redfish in February will be 32 to 39 inches long, weighing 12 to 30 pounds each. Inshore fishing for speckled trout picks-up around the end of March. During the first of March, pompano begin to show up as well.
To see the entire article, visit “What’s Biting” at http://www.gulfshores.com/fishing/biting/?id=197 .
To book a trip with Clyde Brothers at Clyde’s Inshore Fishing, call him at 251-752-0421, or visit www.clydesinshorefishing.com.
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Senior Bowl 2012
Get ready for some football! Make plans for Saturday, January 28, 2012 for the Annual Senior Bowl held at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kick off is at 3:00 p.m. and will be nationally-televised by the NFL network. The Senior Bowl is the nation’s most unique football game and the premier pre-draft event. This event annually features the country’s best senior collegiate football stars and top NFL draft prospects on teams representing the North and South, coached by the coaching staffs from two National Football League teams. Admission varies for different levels and seating locations. Visit http://www.seniorbowl.com for more information and ticket prices.
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Get Your Mardi Gras On!
If you missed the parade on Saturday, fear not as we have a month full of festivities and celebrations as we start the 2012 Mardi Gras season. Mardi Gras is celebrated all along the 
Gulf Coast and originally started in Mobile in 1703. The celebration, originally called Boef Gras or Fat Beef, began by Michael Krafft. On New Year’s Eve in 1830, Krafft and his friends were reluctant to end a dinner party at the customary time. They raided a nearby hardware store, took up rakes, hoes and cowbells and proceeded to wake the town. They soon formed the Cowbellion de Rakin Society, the first of Mobile’s many modern mystic organizations. The Cowbellions presented their first parade, complete with floats and theme, in 1840. The Civil War brought revelry in Mobile to an abrupt halt. Joseph Stillwell Cain, on Fat Tuesday in 1866, donned full Chickasaw Indian regalia and dubbed himself Chief Slacabamorinico. Cain and six of his friends set out to raise the morale of citizens in the defeated city. Dubbing themselves the “Tea Drinkers,” and fired up by drink much stronger than tea, they took to the streets in a decorated coal wagon pulled by a mule. Cain was a founder in the Order of Myths, the organization which today holds the final Carnival Season parade Mardi Gras night. He also helped organize many more parading societies. Cain’s role in reviving Mardi Gras is observed each year on the Sunday before Mardi Gras Day, known as “Joe Cain Day.” On this day thousands of Mobilians in costume and on individually designed floats parade through the streets of downtown Mobile.
The date of Mardi Gras is determined each year by the date of Easter. Mardi Gras Day, or “Fat Tuesday,” is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which begins the 40 days of the Lenten season. Nighttime parades and other public festivities begin about 10 days before Mardi Gras Day. Carnival Season balls, receptions and other private functions begin in the fall and continue through Mardi Gras Day.
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Mardi Gras at the Beach
This Saturday, January 21, marks the first Mardi Gras parade of the 2012 season. It all
happens on Dauphin Island, near Mobile. The celebration will continue for the next month as bands, floats and revelry ride through the downtown streets of Mobile, Daphne, Fairhope, Pensacola and of course in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The feel is a different for each location and parade, but the spirit of fun and festivity can be found at each one.
Did you know that Mobile is recognized as home to the “America’s Family Mardi Gras” delighting both young and old from around town and across the nation? This celebration lasts for over two and a half weeks and culminates on Fat Tuesday, February 21, the day before Lent. For weeks, the streets of downtown Mobile will be filled with the sights and sounds of marching bands, festive floats and crowds of parade goers. The floats are glowing spectacles manned by masked riders festooned in satin and sequins, and armed with crowd-pleasing “throws’ such as beads, moon pies, doubloons and candy. You can see the entire schedule for parades and festivities in our area at http://mobilemardigras.com/parades/parades.php
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Baldwin County and its History
Why not visit a bit of history right in our backyard? The Baldwin County Heritage Museum was organized in 1981 by a group of area residents who wished to gather artifacts, tools, machinery along with the histories and the ethnic cultures of the men and women who settled in this county around the turn of the century. They designed and built a museum which showcases their collections. With over 20,000 square feet covering 5 acres, it provides a place for visitors to reconnect with the early history of Baldwin County.
The design for the grounds was done by the Landscape Architecture Program of Auburn University. There are over a hundred species of native flora and fauna growing on the grounds. Construction on the first building began in 1984 and was opened to the public in 1987. It resembles a turn of the century barn with a working windmill in front. This original building contained three public rooms—an all purpose classroom for lectures and meetings, an exhibit room and a large storage area for donated artifacts. Another building houses vintage farm equipment, tools and machinery, while another is a working blacksmith shop. The Baldwin County Heritage Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is closed on all national and state holidays. The Museum is located on U.S. Highway 98 in Elberta between Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, 3.5 miles east of the Foley Beach Express. Visit http://www.baldwincountyheritagemuseum.com for details.
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Explore the City of Mobile
Another interesting place to sightsee while you’re here is the city of Mobile and its 
attractions. Just before entering the downtown area, be sure and stop at Memorial Park and see the USS Alabama (from World War II), the submarine USS Drum, and other restored aircraft. At Battleship Memorial Park you can walk the decks of a mighty battleship, go below in a World War II submarine and view cockpits of combat aircraft. You can also see tanks, a Vietnam River Patrol Boat, and a plane like the one flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. Did you know the length of USS Alabama is 680 feet? Or that it weighs 42,500 tons when fully loaded? These are just a few fun facts you can pick up while you’re there. The park is open every day, except Christmas Day, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. depending on the season. Admission is $12.00 for ages 12 and up, $6.00 for ages 6 to 11 and those under age 6 are free. There is a $2.00 park fee per vehicle. The park is located on Battleship Parkway (Highway 90/98) just off Interstate 10, Exits 27 or 30.
Visit http://www.ussalabama.com/ for details and information.
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Historic Fort Morgan
It may be too cold to sunbathe on our shores, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sightsee! 
What better place that at Historic Fort Morgan. This is the site of the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. Here is where the early Native Americans settled and where Admiral David Farragut issued the infamous command “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
Fort Morgan was built on the site of an earlier work, Fort Bowyer, the scene of two important battles of 1812. It was one of two major brick forts built by the United States to defend Mobile Bay from foreign attack. The other fort, Fort Gaines, can be seen across the bay on Dauphin Island. Construction of Fort Morgan began in 1819 and in 1833, as the work neared completion, the new structure was named after General Daniel Morgan, a hero of the American Revolution.
Open daily, Historic Fort Morgan is located at the western tip of Mobile Point. To
reach the fort, follow Alabama Highway 180 west from Gulf Shores for roughly 18 miles
until it ends at Fort Morgan.
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Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to enjoy nature and walk the various trails and habitats of surrounding wildlife. There are approximately 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.
Neighboring amusements like Waterville USA, The Track Amusement Park and Adventure Island provide all sorts of entertainment for families of all ages. They have everything from water slides and go-kart rides to mini-golf and arcade games.
In addition, don’t forget the shopping in boutiques and at the Tanger Outlet Mall, deep-sea fishing and adventures, along with golfing on signature courses—all sure to please even the most discriminate vacationer. Whatever you enjoy, we have it all on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
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Start the New Year with Us
Make plans today to visit us this spring and summer. Reed Real Estate is located on the Fort Morgan Peninsula and this area provides a serene and relaxing seclusion. We are just a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach where you can relax in a total beach setting. Families can enjoy the pristine beaches and sparkling waters amid the various nature trails and birding sanctuaries.
Historic Fort Morgan is well worth the drive to see an actual part of history. Construction of Fort Morgan began in 1819 and in 1833, as the work neared completion, the new structure wasnamed after General Daniel Morgan, a hero of the American Revolution. Open daily, Historic Fort Morgan is located at the western tip of Mobile Point. The Fort also offers Candlelight Tours every Tuesday evening during the months of June and July. These feature living history interpreters in Civil War period dress who tell the story of Fort Morgan’s Civil War service through historic vignettes based on actual events. Check out www http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortmorgan.html for more information.
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