Fairhope, Alabama 2018
A long, long time ago...
This was our family vacation spot during our childhood. It's a charming small town with lots of unique shopping, restaurants and southern charm. We have done several family reunions here as well.
Things to do
In town, there is shopping, antiquing and people watching. There are several golf courses nearby. We like walking to the Fairhope pier (about 1/2 mile over the water). If you like to fish, you'll know what to do. We went crabbing, just like during our childhood. Search here: http://beautifulfairhope.com/
Update fall 2018: We had a terrific visit to Bellingrath Gardens. If you visit the area, you MUST put this on your list. It's 65 acres of various gardens,plus a 10,000 square foot house that was state-of-the-art in 1933 and is STILL magnificent. WARNING: There are two miles of trails on this estate, so you'll want to take a least 1/2 day to get it all in. See photos & videos below.
We also got to visit Tom Jones pottery, which has relocated from downtown Fairhope to somewhere about 10 miles away. Don't really know where, since we used GPS, but it was a pleasant country drive. https://www.tomjonespottery.com/
Here's a video of Tom Jones: https://youtu.be/Lg0zSaXjGho
We had a nice massage at Mountain Massage 251-928-0214 http://mountainmassagedayspa.com
Another unique spot is "Tolstoy Park" which is a stone hut that was built by hand in the 1920s by Henry Stuart, who thought he only had one year to live. He lasted 18 years! See video below. Spoiler: It's tucked away in an office park, so here is an address:
22787 US 98, Fairhope AL 36532
Eating out
Don't look for elegant dining, but there's a nice blend of Gulf Coast seafood, and some "farm to table" restaurants. We ate several meals with family members who live in the area, so didn't try too many restaurants. There are several choices in downtown Fairhope, but we had a nice dinner at the Washhouse restaurant, about 5-10 minutes south of town. www.washhouserestaurant.com
Where to stay (or not)
We have always stayed on the water, even during our childhood vacations. The downtown area is charming, but we LIKE being on the water for morning coffee, or an evening sunset. Favorite Place: Bay Breeze Inn https://www.bbonline.com/united-states/alabama/fairhope/baybreeze-rooms.html Ms. Becky and Bill are great hosts and really try to make your stay memorable. There are lots of options and plenty of spots on the water. Last visit, we did not have a good experience at the Grand Hotel.
Videos of Bay Breeze Guest house:
On our next trip to Fairhope
Summer with the kids is great and builds good memories. However, we are more interested in going when it's NOT blazing hot! Cooler weather means comfortable walking. After spending some cool November days on this trip, I can confirm that (at least for us) cooler is better. We didn't get to spend as much time exploring the downtown area, so we will prepare better next time.
2018 Videos here -photos below
Tolstoy Park - in Daphne . Built in 1920s by Henry Stuart who thought he would only live one year. He last 18 years! 22787 US 98, Fairhope AL 36532 (Note: It is in the parking lot of a small commercial area!)
Bellingrath Gardens - The Rose garden
Bellingrath Gardens - The Green house
Bellingrath Gardens - The Great Lawn
Bellingrath Gardens - The Mermaid Fountain
October 2022 Update!
New adventures from our 2022 fall trip to Fairhope
On the left: Ellen with Tom Jones. Tom Jones Pottery 1201 Clay City Rd, Fairhope AL 36532. If you can, you should get on their list for the yearly Thanksgiving pumpkin. Note: the pumpkin mouth is usually shaped like a bat!
New things to do
We had a nice afternoon sail with Captain Steve McClure, at the Fairhope Marina. 251-459-2441. (Video & photo below). We scheduled a four hour afternoon sail with Steve and his wife handling the boat. All we had to do was enjoy the experience!
We visited Blakeley State park, home of the last major Civil War battle (April 1865). It's just north of Spanish Fort and I 10 freeway 251-626-0798 www.BlakeleyPark.com (Photos below)
New places to eat
In Fairhope, we enjoyed casual fair at Dragonfly (7 South Church St. near Fairhope Ave.) 251-990-5722. This is in the walking area of downtown Fairhope. https://m.facebook.com/164521700231942/
Fine dinning (read: expensive) The Hope Farm 915 Nichols St, 36532 251-340-3276. We had our Anniversary dinner here, and it was very good. https://www.thehopefarm.com/
There are lots of choices. The locals like Jesses, but we haven't tried it yet.
251-965-3827
And, the former Jesses chef has his own place. It's "unassuming" in a strip center, but supposed to be very good. Southwood Kitchen
http://southwoodkitchen.com/
1203 US HWY 98 Suite 3D
Daphne Al 36526
251-626-6676
2022 videos
Bellingrath gardens - Koi pond on Vimeo
Egret gets its lunch on Bellingrath pond https://vimeo.com/762506729
Oak tree Berkeley State park https://vimeo.com/762505818
Sailing on the bay https://vimeo.com/762503532
On our next trip to Fairhope
1) We really enjoyed our sailing afternoon with Steve McClure, and will save our allowance for another one.
2) Will also save our allowance for a return to Hope Farms restaurant.
3) And, we will schedule time to take a long hike (2-3 miles) inside Blakeley State Park
4) Will spend more time just wandering around downtown Fairhope to see the shops & people.
Bellingrath Gardens
On the west side of Mobile Bay, but worth the drive from Fairhope
We had a terrific visit to Bellingrath Gardens. If you visit the area, you MUST put this on your list. Walter Bellingrath was a Western Union employee and saved his money. In about 1900, he got distributorship to sell a product called ...
... Coca Cola.
Of course, they were able to create a fabulous estate south of Mobile. It's 65 acres of very different gardens,plus a 10,000 square foot house that was state-of-the-art in 1933 and is STILL magnificent. Heads Up: There are two miles of trails on this estate, so you'll want to take a least 1/2 day to get it all in.
https://bellingrath.org/ 251-973-2217
12401 Bellingrath Gardens Road
Theodore, AL 36582
PS They ALWAYS have flowering plants for every season.
Bellingrath kitchen video. They had 6 staff, 2 cooks and 40 gardeners!
The dining room. Table purchased from Sir Thomas Tipton.
Upstairs video
One of the guest bedrooms
Meissen Porcelain collection. (Our docent was CLEAR to say, "This is NOT Dresden porcelain."
The morning room
Part of the Bellingrath porcelain collection. In a bldg across from the house.
