Books, Bites, and Sights

By Any Other Name, Jodi Picoult

4/5 stars

All the books I have read of Picoult’s, I have loved, so I am unsure as to why when I started By Any Other Name I had reservations, but I did. I went to an author event in 2024 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee to listen to Jodi Picoult speak about the book and received a signed copy; however, I kept the novel in my TBR pile for nearly a year before picking it up to read. Why? I told myself, “Oh, I am not that big into theatre… I probably won’t like this book much.” Boy, I was wrong.

After the first chapter, I found myself seamlessly turning the pages and reading late into the night. Back-door romances, women’s rights, 1600’s lore, conspiracy, and more. Picoult is such a talented story teller.

Buccee’s Dark Roast Coffee in Huntsville, AL ($2)

What is a secret obsession of mine? Gas station coffee. I always say that everything that could be/is wrong with our food culture and habits are captured in a cup of gas station coffee: hot liquid in a plastic cup, an old coffee machine that hasn’t been cleaned since the day it came out of the box, low-quality, stale coffee beans, and seed-oil creamers. But that first sip of gas station coffee hits different. And what better place to hard brake for it than the infamous Buccee’s. So, fittingly, my first bite of this road trip was at the Huntsville, Alabama Buccee’s for their extensive coffee bar, their clean, private restrooms, and their unbeatably cheap gas.

Rouses Grocery Haul in Gulf Shores, AL ($100)

Like many of us, my relationship with food is complicated. I am currently on a journey to heal my gut and work through an active eating disorder. My progress is not linear, but I know that being mindful and open is the first step. Additionally I, like most, have many dietary restrictions and finding food that meets my needs when traveling can be cumbersome.

Here is where I find the silver lining: niche, hometown grocery stores. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is find the local grocery store and stroll through the aisles, stocking up on my safe foods and snagging those unique, locally made gems.

Pancake mix, eggs, oatmeal, fruits, veggies, oat milk creamer, and Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory were a few of the items I left Rouses with. More expensive than Walmart? Sure. Better customer service and higher quality products? Definitely.

Saleh Iced Coffees in Fort Morgan, AL ($17)

How do I typically like my coffee? Hot with cream. But at 3:00 in the afternoon on the beach? Um… no thanks. Solution? Iced coffees from Saleh. Saleh is in Fort Morgan, 15 minutes west of Gulf Shores, if you’re in the area and want a local place to sit and sip.

Coffee and Breakfast Platter at Buzzcatz in Orange Beach, AL ($20)

After the Annual Shrimp Festival 5K, I went to Buzzcatz in Orange Beach. The line out the door speaks for itself. They have a variety of coffees, teas, pastries, and platters. I ordered the breakfast platter which came with eggs, grits, toast, and sausage. Buzzcatz also has lovely and ample patio seating located in both the front and back of the cafe. Who doesn’t love sitting afuera and enjoying a post-run coffee?

Sunrises and Sunsets

Nothing beats the always free, always consistent, sunrises and sunsets. One aspect of vacationing I am learning to break-free of is the need for a slammed itinerary. I want to always do all the things, but honestly, I lose a lot of peace when on vacation because of FOMO and overbooking my itinerary. To actively combat this, I plan out moments of stillness.

Gulf Shores Annual Shrimp Festival

The main attraction of this vacation is the festival itself; however, you can easily traverse the entire festival in one evening which is what I have done for the last two years. Walking around the festival grounds is free and there is lots to see, taste, and hear: local artists and vendors, an abundance of yummy food trucks with all the smells, and live music from a variety of genres. Parking is complicated, but if you’re willing to pay, you can park easily and close by for $20.

Annual Shrimp Festival 5K at Orange Beach Sportsplex ($40)

One thing I like doing on vacation is staying active and exploring the town in unique ways. The average 5K is $30 to $40 to register for and typically the proceeds go to a good cause. A quick google search will pull up 5Ks in your area, and if you’ve never ran a 5K outside where you live, I highly recommend it. The energy is always up, you usually get a soft t-shirt at the end, and you get to see your vacation destination less like a tourist and more like a local. This was my second time running the Shrimp Festival 5K and was such a great kickstart to my Saturday morning.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Breakaway from the sandy, sunny beach and onto a shaded, dirt path by exploring some of the trails at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Located less than 20 minutes west of downtown Gulf Shores, the refuge has been my go to for an early morning lonesome stroll away from the family these last two years. Last year, parts of some of the trails were closed; however, this year, they had recently been reopened. Flat, well maintained, easily accessible, and not too busy, the Gator Lake Trail (1.5 miles), the Centennial Trail (4.5 miles), and the Pine Beach Trail (3.4 miles) are all worth the drive.

Dolphin Cruise with Surf’s Up in Orange Beach, AL ($20)

I know, I know. I was hesitant too. I typically do not lean into doing “tacky” tourist things, but my sister has two little girls under three, and she figured it would be a neat experience for them to go on a dolphin cruise. So, being the cool auntie that I am, I had to tag along. Let me start by saying wow. I would 100% do this “tacky” dolphin cruise again. Hands-down. Swipe my card. First off, my ticket was $20. Yes, you read that correct. $20. There is NOTHING in this economy that you can do for $20, let alone have as much fun as I did that day. Next, it was so fun and relaxing to breathe in the salty ocean air and watch the sunset from the middle of the gulf on a boat. Last, dolphins. We rode around on the boat for an hour and started heading back to the marina without seeing any dolphins, and I had come to terms that we weren’t going to see any (but was okay with it since it was such a lovely boat ride in and of itself); however, just as the sun was setting, the dolphins came out to play. And when I say play, I mean it. They were putting on a show for us. Doing tricks, riding the waves, and even squeaking little messages to one another. I had never experienced anything like it. It was truly breath-taking, and let me remind you, all for $20. The Surf’s Up Dolphin Cruise company we toured with was very personal and professional, and I couldn’t recommend them enough. If you’ve never done a dolphin cruise, I would highly suggest checking out their sunset cruise. Honestly, it was the best two hours of my trip.

Charter Fishing with Off the Hook Charters (+$775)

Novelty is my kryptonite. I love doing and seeing new things. So, when my sister’s step-daughter and her boyfriend jokingly mentioned going fishing on charter, I said my go-to catchphrase – why not? We split the total by three (with an additional 20% tip), so I personally spent $250 for the experience. Which is steep, but all in all, worth it. Hesitant to go because you don’t know squat about fishing? Don’t be because neither did I. We had a knowledgeable and charismatic captain who took care of all our fishing things for us, which, let me add, thank goodness, because my line snapped again and again. We spent 4 hours out at sea, talking, laughing, and listening to yacht rock. I had a blast and kept thinking how fun it would be to do another charter with more family and friends. I am from Nashville which is currently the bachelorette party capital, and while on this excursion, all I could think about was how fun it would be to do a bachelorette party on a charter – maybe call it a ‘catch’elorette party (lol). During our trip, we caught both red snapper and Spanish mackerel. Reeling in the fish was such a dopamine and adrenaline rush. We saw angel fish and dolphins too. But the best part was that once on shore our captain filleted and packaged all of our fish for us. We were sent home with two coolers’ worth of fish which made the expenses of the charter worth it. I am still, months later, pulling fish out of my deep freezer and making dinners with it.