Blogging from the beach!!!

Well, it has been a wonderful week at the Redneck Riviera! We are staying at the Fort Morgan end of the Gulf Shores peninsula and it is quiet most all day long. We have a private beach and as far as I'm considered, renting a house is the only way to go. The whole family is here and we have enjoyed the time together.

The weather has been beautiful with sunny, waves, and breezes. It is hot but not nearly as hot as at home and the steady ocean breezes make sitting on the deck, in the sand or under the screened in porch a complete delight.

I have spent my days reading, knitting, and napping. We spent two days shopping in Foley at the outlet mall and got some great deals. You know outlets are not always the best deals around but as long as you know what the things you are considering buy are selling at retail you should do okay. The shopping was a nice break and a great bit of exercise.

Of course no road trip is complete without a yarn crawl. On the way down we stopped in Fairhope, Alabama. This is the coolest Gulf Coast town I have ever been to - not touristy or junky souvenir shops but classy and elegant shops and restaurants. The reason we stopped was because I wanted to check out The Yarn Cottage. What a gem of a yarn shop! The selection was not the best I have seen, just the standard stock like Cascade, Blue Sky Alpaca, and Berroco. But the atmosphere was so warm and inviting. There was a shop cat and dog that welcomed us in to the shop and the shop owner was friendly and knowledgeable. While I was in there, she helped one customer select yarn and then loaned her the right size needles to do the project because the customer didn't know if she had that size. I picked up some more Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton (love this yarn!) to make this sweater.

Fairhope also had a fabulous toy store and my mother bought my son a really cool front loader for the beach. Then we had lunch at the R Bistro. Lunch was elegant but casual and the cinnamon rolls that we bought were great over the next few mornings at the beach. My mom and dad had a salmon burger which they are still talking about. I want to go back and stay in Fairhope. We drove through the rest of downtown as we were leaving and it is like a little French Quarter without the smell and the drunks. If you are on your way to Mobile and what a little side trip, try Fairhope, Alabama. You will not be disappointed.

I brought three knitting projects with me so I could rotate. I am working on a dress for my friend, Julienne's baby girl. I'm knitting it in size 12 months for next summer because my friend is due this month. Actually she was due a week ago. The pattern is A-Line Dress by Sandi Prosser and it is knitting up beautifully. I love the bamboo yarn. I also brought my Ballet socks from Toe-Up  2-at-a-Time Socks. I started these last year and they just didn't look right. So I frogged them and started them again last month. But this time they are looking beautiful. Finally I wanted to knit a market bag with my Brown Sheep Company Cotton Fleece. I picked the Rutabaga pattern but it just wasn't look right. So I'm working a pattern all my own. It is coming along very nicely. I might just write it up and put it on Ravelry.

Tomorrow is our last day of vacation and I'm going to miss the beach and the sound of the waves but I'm ready to get home and sleep in my own bed again. Until next year...