On Monday, November 21st, our first visitors arrived in Gulf Shores! C.J.’s parents, Amy and Chris, flew from Iowa to spend four days with us. They stayed in our guest bedroom and ventured off on their own during the days that C.J. and I had to work. But after work, the four of us had so much fun.
That Monday night, we all went out to eat at Papa Rocco’s Italian Restaurant. The food was good, but catching up with each other was great. After dinner, we had a relaxing rest of the night. On Tuesday night, the four of us went to The Wharf in Orange Beach. The Wharf is a fun area full of shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. We started the night by getting huge pizza slices for dinner at Vinny’s Pizzeria. After that, we browsed the shops. While browsing, C.J. and I got a drink at Island Time Daquiris; C.J. got a beer and I got an amazing Pina Colada. After that drink, we stopped in Kentucky Mist Distillery where C.J. got to try some whiskey.
Once C.J. finished his whiskey tasting, the four of us went to the movie theater at The Wharf and watched “She Said”. I won’t go into too much detail, but the movie “She Said” tells the true story of how two New York Time journalists expose sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Despite the heavy topic, this movie showcased the bravery and resilience of so many women. I think this movie was informative, impactful, and I strongly recommend it to everyone.
The night of November 23rd, C.J and I, along with his parents, went out to eat at LuLu’s; a vibrant and tropical restaurant. The food and drinks were amazing. Once we finished up at LuLu’s, we headed to Florabama, which is a bar that sits on the state line of Florida and Alabama. This unique bar has 5 stages for live music, graffiti on every inch of every surface, and a ceiling full of bras; what more could you ask for? It is apparently a Florabama tradition for women to remove their bras and throw them up onto the collection; they probably have thousands of dollars worth of bras up there. Our time at Florabama was mostly spent at one of the stages watching a solo guitarist/singer. The crowd was lively and the atmosphere was vibrant. We enjoyed the live music, drank some drinks, and then headed home.
Our usual Thanksgiving surrounded by family in Iowa was swapped for a small, yet fun day with just C.J. and I and his paretns. After sleeping in and relaxing, we all started preparing for our Thanksgiving feast. Instead of the typical turkey dinner, C.J.’s family usually has pasta for their meal. As someone who doesn’t eat meat, I thoroughly enjoyed partaking in their tradition. Amy and C.J. made the pasta and sauces. I was in charge of the garlic bread and the drinks. And Chris helped out with the rest. We had spaghetti, fettuccini, garlic bread, salad, fruit, and margaritas. It was incredible. After our meal, we all took a post food coma nap. Once everyone had awoken from their slumber, we played the card game Gravel Sucker, had some drinks, and simply enjoyed each other’s company.
Unfortunately, Chris and Amy had to leave Alabama early Friday morning to get back to Iowa. It was sad to have them leave, but we’ll be reunited with our families again for Christmas, which isn’t very far away. While Chris and Amy traveled back to Iowa, C.J. and I did some black Friday shopping at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Foley. We spent the whole day browsing shops and buying Christmas gifts. It was a lovely end to a lovely week.
Until next time,
Jess May