Sweet Home Alabama

I am a pretty lucky lady. I had two weeks vacation from work and I got to spend it with three very handsome gentlemen: George, Leo, and Gabriel. I also got to make a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate my sister's birthday AND celebrate the birth of the darling Claire Sophia, daughter of my dear friends Shelly and Andrew. I don't know the best place to start, so I'm just going to take things in order.

First, our travels took us to George's hometown, Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a small town not far from Mobile, Alabama. It has a sweet and friendly downtown area.
Fairhope also has a long public waterfront area on Eastern shore of Mobile Bay.Fairhope has a slower, more contemplative pace. I always appreciate a pace that allows me to stop and consider and enjoy my surroundings. Of course, being on vacation always helps with that too.

We spent most of our time in Fairhope riding our bikes from place to place. The four of us stayed at a little cabin we rented right on the Bay. It was a nice place to rest for the night, but it was still plenty close to George's mother's and father's houses. We easily rode around town and hardly needed a car for the whole two weeks.

During our stay, we were able to soak up relaxing hours at both of his parents' houses and share laughter, meals, and good times. George shared tidbits of his childhood and youth throughout our trip. He also pointed out many beautiful homes that he helped build or remodel back in his carpentry days. We made trips to the park for whiffle ball and stops at Mr. Gene's Bean's Ice Cream Shop in downtown Fairhope. We also enjoyed many episodes of Mythbusters and Cash Cab back at the cabin. We made side trips to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and also to Gulf Shores, Alabama to enjoy the beach. We also trekked to Gulf Shores for mini-golf and go-karts. On our way to the beach, we saw this guy!:
Every day was filled with so many enjoyable experiences, its hard to mention them all. I must mention, however, that George's brother Marc took me to hear Joshua Bell with the Mobile Symphony at the historic Saenger Theater in Mobile. What musical bliss! If you've never heard him play, he's more than worth every penny of the tickets. He's not just a bunch of hype - he's the real deal.

The best part of all of my experiences, however, was the company. I am very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws and such bright and funny step-sons.

DC Weekend
In the middle of our Alabama vacation, I flew to DC for a weekend. As trips to the mainland are somewhat rare, I want to see as many folks as possible. The timing of my trip was perfect. Shelly gave birth to her adorable little girl, Claire Sophia, on March 18, just a few days before my arrival. What a little angel! (who has exhausted, but elated, new parents.)In addition to spending time with my new "niece," I celebrated my sister's birthday . . . . . . and had some time to catch up with some of my DC pals. I didn't get to see everyone, but that's the nature of a 48 hour trip. I'm already looking forward to my next East Coast trip in June for Cary and Kyle's wedding. Hooray!

You can see more pictures of our trip including our Gulf Shores side trips and our run-in with an armadillo! Sadly, I forgot my digital camera so some of my pictures didn't come. I relied on the disposable cameras to capture the trip. Still, you can get a good idea of our vacation if you click here.