From the rocky coast of Washington to the sandy coast of Florida, there are beaches everywhere — well, everywhere there is an ocean or other body of water. There’s something so fun about getting together with a group of girlfriends and heading out for the beach.
I love Gulf Shores, Alabma — maybe I’m a little biased, but Gulf Shores has some of the most amazing white beaches in the country.
There are local restaurants serving fresh seafood, a large public beach, plenty of places to stay, and outlet shopping close by. There’s plenty to do, see, and eat.
Where to Stay: There’s a little bit of everything in Gulf Shores from hotels and motels to high rise condominiums. There are low-rise condos and brightly painted beach houses that sit right on the beach.
www.VRBO.com Vacation Rentals by Owner-hundreds of rentals in the area from simple one-bedroom homes to lavish houses that sleep twenty or more people. You deal directly with the owner and bypass the middle man.
Meyers Realty (www.Meyerre.com) 800-213-9544-
Brett Robinson (www.brett-robinson.com) 877-788-1891 Check with them for free night specials.
Best Prices: Fall (Sept - Oct) — great prices and great weather ; Winter (Nov - Feb) — about 1/2 the price of a Summer stay
Tips: if you’re looking for the best price, consider renting across the street from the beach. Make sure you have easy beach access.
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This is what I LOVE about the Smokey Mountains -
Mountain range that just seems to stretch out across the land.
Creeks that rush, tumble and roar through the woods
Wild animals oblivious to my presence
And then there are the things about the Smoky Mountains that make me cringe — the tourist-y tacky stuff. And I focus on the tacky, because Gatlinburg (my fav Smoky Mountain city) is a TOURIST town — always has been.
Equal opportunity marketing. Pictures, weddings, pony & camel rides — in no particular order.
because nothing says I love the Great Smoky Mountains like a medieval castle
or a multi-colored dragon with a freaky looking tongue
But let me leave you with one of my favorite pictures from this trip — the Smoky Mountains!
As a child of the 70s & 80s, I spent many weekends at the local skating rink. I’m not the best skater. Not now, not then. Never could do that half-spin into the backwards skate move. I spent most of my time looking at the cute boys, giggling with girlfriends in the corner, and playing my favorite skating rink game. Air Hockey. With the glowing neon lights and whirl of the motor, it was love at first site.
I rocked the Air Hockey table. I was competitive and aggressive long before it was cool. I’d sling myself across the table to block a shot while I flipped my hair like I was auditioning for a shampoo commercial. I haven’t thought about Air Hockey in years. Until we checked into our chalet in the Smokey Mountains and what to should appear - an Air Hockey table. I’m jazzed.
I remembered those nights at the skating rink – a little Muskrat Love playing and the DJ called for Couples Skate. The lights dimmed and puppy love was in full swing. The lights came up and we scattered. I usually headed to play a round or seven of Air Hockey.
Hubs and I played. He won. I’m sure he cheated. I still loved playing. I jumped, blocked, and flipped my hair like a madwoman! I forget how many muscles you work just to flip your hair. But this isn’t just any flip. It was a workout.
And now I know how to get in shape. Just head to the skating rink and play competitive Air Hockey.
Does that exist?
What game was your favorite? Did you play PacMan, Asteroids, something much more current?
I love big hair. And I do NOT love that I keep reading about the return of big hair accompanied by a picture of some skinny girl with bone straight hair with a poofy hair-bump on her crown. This is NOT big hair.
Big hair is …. well, it’s big. Bump hair is poofy, not big
Big hair is …fun. Bump hair is the vanilla of hair stylin’
Big hair …. is wild. Bump is anything BUT wild, it’s sedate. It’s the like the meemaw of hair stylin’
Big hair is NOT bump hair. I lived through the big hair era. I had big hair. I can do big hair. I understand the mindset behind big hair.
Big hair involves a much more than height at the crown . Big hair is about backcombing (aka teasing), lots of super stiff hair spray, and mousse - lots of mousse. Volume was the name of the game. The bigger and wilder the better!
Bump hair is about teasing the crown of your head and smoothing your hair straight. This is NOT big hair. This is straight hair with a bump in it. 
Big hair was almost universal. There were big hair icons. One of my favs –
Morgan Fairchild - she could wear her some big hair!
There were hair rock bands — I don’t see any bump hair rock bands. Wait…. there was the B-52s. No. That was an 80s band with 1960s hair.
The band Poison rocked some serious hair. Their makeup was a bit over the top, but that hair…. oh my — that is BIG hair~
Big hair, I miss you. I miss the wild days we shared. The dizzy days when I hung my head over to dry all that hair. The days of choking on the lacquer-like spray stuff. I sport flat, plain hair these days, but in my heart I still have unruly curls, scrunched, bunched and moussed hair that is spray into submission.
To all those magazine people who continue to tease me with the headline “Big Hair is Back” — please stop. Flat, smooth hair with a Bump-it in place is just bump hair. When the hair is big, wild, outrageous and just plain fun let me know.
While we’re talking hair stuff, whatever happened to the banana clip?
Lori Elrod is battling breast cancer. She’s fighting it with a faith that blows me away and with a humor that amazes me. “You have to laugh,” she says.
Lori is fairly new in my life. We go to the same church, but didn’t get to know each other until she (and her hubs, David) started teaching my daughter’s Sunday school class. Paige thinks they’re great. I agree.
Recently Lori asked me to help her with the title for a cookbook she’s doing to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. Immediately I’m thinking soft, sweet, and poignant. Lori tells me that the titles they’ve come up with are mostly just funny. I asked to see them because I’m all about the funny. I laughed - out loud. I asked her if I could share a few with y’all because …. well, they’re funny. And none of them made the cover of the cookbook. Don’t know why.
A Cup of This, A Cup of That…Don’t Let Your Double D’s Go Flat
Bakin’ for Boobs
Not Just Another Cookbook For Your “Rack”
and my FAVORITE Cookbook Title:
Boobs and Beer: not a Talladega Race story, we’re grillin’ for awareness
(You may need to be a southernern or a Nascar race fan to get this one).
After brainstorming through titles, Lori asked my input on name or slogan for her group that is walking in the Awareness walk. I couldn’t wait to see what she’d come up with
Here’s a sampling:
Hope 4 Hooters
Hakuna my ta’tas
Walkers 4 Knockers
Hottie Ta’tas
Healthy Hooters
Jogging for Jugs
Big or Small, Let’s save ‘em all
Hoofin it for Hooters
Flippin the bird to boobie cancer
Bustin my hump for my lady lump
And my FAVORITE name / slogan
Forget the whales, Save the boobs
I love Lori’s sense of humor. I love her faith. I love her commitment to the path that God has placed her on. She stands on her faith and looks cancer in the eye - and she laughs.
She’s an inspiration to her daughter, her friends, the girls in her Sunday school class and to me.
Please pray for my funny & beautiful friend Lori. While she stands on faith and laughs at all the stuff that goes with her cancer, I know she has tough days. Cancer is not for wimps - and Lori is a fighter.
And don’t forget to get your mammogram!