My Thanksgiving memory: Gulf Shores, Ala.
We have been driving the highways from Knoxville to Gulf Shores, Ala., for as long as we’ve been married, which is 26 years. And the sights I see along the way — and when we get there — never cease to crack me up.
For some reason, during this holiday season, I found them even funnier than normal. Maybe it’s because we made the 500-mile trip (each way) twice in a month, for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But just look at these photos and see if you can understand what I mean!
All of my immediate family lives in the Gulf Shores area. My dad, who now lives with my brother’s family, has been ill lately, so we decided to spend both holidays down there rather than splitting the two holidays between my family and Alan’s. (Thanks, Honey.)
One of my favorite sights on the trip is this giant water tower in the town of Clanton, Ala. Isn’t it great?
A water tower to be proud of!
The day after Thanksgiving deep into the afternoon, we were all getting stir crazy, so my brother, Jimmy, and Alan and I slipped away for some appetizers at my all-time favorite watering hole — the famous Pink Pony Pub in Gulf Shores.
So classy!
We made Alan pose with the mascot.
Alan and friend at the bar
This sign on the window is a hoot. Wouldn’t it be a lot cheaper just to go in and buy a Miller Lite?
Hmmm.
Another one of my favorite eateries down there is a place called Live Bait. It has a shark coming out of its roof!
Who can resist?
Souvenir City has been in Gulf Shores since I first went there in the ’60s. People never tire of this pose.
It never gets old!
View of whole shark. I knew you wanted to see it!
Ever since the controversy over the KUB water tower in South Knoxville, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to how folks in other cities seem to feel about them. Now this is no giant peach, but I still think it shows a very positive attitude.
If ya gotta have one . . .
This isn’t funny, but sad. This headline in the Mobile paper greeted us during our Thanksgiving visit. “Royal Reds” are unique shrimp that are very popular down there. They have a sweet flavor and were banned because some were found to contain oil blobs. I know. You thought everything was cleaned up, right?
Boo.
OK. On to more pleasant things. I don’t mean to imply that my family is redneck, but here’s what greeted us when we pulled into my brother’s driveway on Christmas Day. I guess it was left there from the driveway drink-fest the night before? Surely it wasn’t from earlier in the day. (Note: we only drink Miller products at our abode here in Knoxville and we are trying to convert all our relatives to the same habit. We’ll get on that right after we convince them not to leave their beer cans on their bumpers!)
What can I say?
OK. These next scenes are from the trip back to Knoxville after Christmas.
Yard art is very big in L.A. (Lower Alabama). It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this rooster is over six feet tall!
Yard art is big on the outskirts of Foley.
And then, right outside Summerdale: the Spear Hunting Museum.
Really?
And, of course, there’s Gene Morris right on the side of the building!
Really?
Moving north, almost to Loxley, we come to this lovely hay bale. I actually noticed it at Thanksgiving when it seemed a little more appropriate. But, heck, pretty creative if you ask me.
Stop the car! (We did!)
OK. This last picture is of my all-time favorite sign. It’s been there, just north of Prattville, in one version or another for as long as I can remember. I just love it!
Yikes!
Hope your holidays were as memorable as ours!
Thanks for sharing, Cynthia! Only in the South, right?! We wear our oddities proudly .. these are great images, and we should compile all of our spectacular roadside images into a “Junk Art Journey” table top book! Happy New Year!
Love it! Glad you were willing to STOP THE CAR to grab these pixs.
Did this trip at Thanksgiving, but stayed in Knoxville for Christmas. Love the Peach Park in Clanton -awesome peach cobbler! Awe, haven’t seen the Pink Pony Pub or Souvenir City in quite awhile. My grandparents had one of the first houses at Gulf Shores, back when there were just houses –I don’t even recognize the redneck riviera anymore. My favorite thing to eat down there is fried crab claws, you don’t seem to be able to get them anywhere else.
Loved this. Have never been to Gulf Shores.
Road Trip!
Alas–the road from here to Loudon is short & boring, and the road from here to Memphis is long & boring. Bring on the purple octopus, shark, spear hunter, pink pony pub, etc.
C.M. You do know a good half full beer can will ride on a bumper for a good 10 miles or so.. I bet a 3/4 full Miller can will make it from L.A.(lower Alabama) to Knoxville. The next time you leave L.A., you better check your bumper ..
Hahaha, Jimmy! You better believe we’ll be checking our bumpers from now on! Virginia: we LOVE fried crab fingers — I actually think we had some at Pink Pony! Allyn, Gay, Dorothy: thanks for the comments — let me know when you decide to head down to L.A.!
We vacationed one summer, maybe 2005 or 2006 in Gulf Shores and loved it. I don’t remember the Pink Pony or the spear hunting museum, but we did take our pictures in the mouth of the shark like all respectful tourists!
We drove down to Fort Morgan, which is almost exactly like Fort Sumpter in it’s layout and age (minus the crowd). We enjoyed Lulu’s and their lime rum enhanced Coronas and the restaurant up the highway with the “throwed rolls”. I don’t remember the name, but it’s the one where they throw rolls at you from across the restaurant when you ask for more.
So many great stories from that trip. Makes me want to go back!
Ha, Bob! That would be Lambert’s Cafe, “home of the throwed rolls!”
Yes! that’s it! Lots of food and flying rolls. What’s not to love?
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