Although I love South Alabama, especially the beautiful city of Mobile, in which I reside, I can think of a few places I would rather be on this very dreary day. When the sun is shining there are few places that can beat Mobile but when it rains, which it does often, I find it downright depressing. That is why I have compiled a list of places I would rather be today. And why.
1) South Walton County, FL- I love this area of Florida. The beaches of south Walton County are among the most beautiful I have seen. Anywhere. The water is caribbean clear, the sand is white as the snow and so soft and the towns that dot scenic hiway 30-A are beautiful and quite charming. I have spent many great moments along 30-A from honeymoon trips to girls weekends and just last minute getaways. My favorites are Grayton Beach, Watercolor, Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach. All of the towns and beaches are wonderful but these are where I have spent the most time. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this area I highly recommend the following as "Must Visit" places:
Bud and Alley's- Seaside- for sunset cocktails
Stinky's Fish Camp- wonderful spot for dinner!
George's at Alys Beach- I hear they have the best fish sandwich!
Amavida Coffee- Rosemary Beach- great little place for a quick pick me up right in the main village
The Red Bar- Grayton Beach- great spot for beach cocktails, brunch, and everything in between.
2) A Small Island in the Caribbean- I would take ANY of them right now. Even Costa Rica, Mexico or Bermuda- I realize two are not islands and one is in the Atlantic. If I could be on a beautiful beach, in another country with a cold drink in hand lounging with my eyes closed while listening to the waves lightly crashing in the background and a nice breeze I would give about anything. Not my first born, because, frankly he is pretty awesome, but I would give just about anything else! I'd even be happy to deal with a Delta layover in ATL due to the rain.
Places I would love to visit that fit this description- St. Barths, PSV, Palm
Island, Bimini, Mustique, Peter Island, Anguilla, Jost Van Dyke.
Places I have visited that fit this description- Mexico, Costa Rica, Bonaire, Curaçao, Bermuda, Jamaica
3) Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada- I LOVE this ski resort. Although I am quite certain it has changed dramatically since my last visit in March of 1994, I would return in a heartbeat. It is one of the few places on the easy coast where the skiing is great late in the season. The village at the base of the mountain is exactly what you would think of when picturing a typical ski resort, but better. There is great shopping and wonderful bakeries. They had one shop I particularly fell in love with, Dans au Jardin I believe was the name and it had the best bath salts and lip balm! The lodge is wonderfully rustic chic with a blazing fire. One of my favorite things each day was to ski down to a little cafe for French onion soup and a salad.
4) Highlands/ CMW, NC- I had the opportunity to spend two of my college summers in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. As a counselor at Camp Merrie Woode in Cashiers I discovered that this was in fact, a place of rarest beauty. With everything around it building up, CMW has remained true to its mission and quite simple. The girls still live in simple cabins, there is a technology policy in place to restrict use of cell phones and computers. The girls are able to enjoy the beauty of camp without new world distractions. Although I loved the trips up the mountain to highlands, one of my favorite things to do was paddle out on the lake- so very peaceful- or take a morning jog in up the mile long camp road before everyone got up while the morning fog was still rising above the lake. There are few places in this world as peaceful and serene as Camp Merrie Woode. I was able to experience what my grandmother experienced all those years ago with very little change and I hope one day to have a daughter that is able to do the same.
5) Baltimore, MD- although Baltimore is not as breathtakingly beautiful as the other 4 places listed above it, it is the city where I feel most at home. From the time I was born I spent every summer, thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break at my grandparents house in Baltimore. Then we moved there when I was in 5th grade, where I remained until I departed for college. The city is in a great central location. Very close to DC, PHL, NYC, mountains and beaches it offers the opportunity to do most anything. I love the downtown areas that surround the Inner Harbor and still take the train down to DC for day trips. In the summer it is especially nice. You can spend the day on the water, have dinner at a 5 star restaurant and then catch a baseball game without ever getting in a car. I highly recommend it as a city to visit.
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