The Marvelous Mariachers: Fairhope, Alabama
February 9, 2010 in North America, Travelogue, United States
ice on the trees in North Carolina
The top of Wolf Mountain was still inches deep in ice as we wrapped the children’s sandaled feet in grocery sacks and braved the snow for a pre-dawn departure from Timber Knoll. Aunt Patti and Aunt Benita bravely accompanied us down the mountain, nearly 2000 vertical feet from their cabin to the main road before giving us one last round of hugs and sending us on our way. It was four hours later, cruising through the pit of the peach tree state before the last of the ice released from the roof of the van and shattered in a spectacular shower of diamonds on the road behind us.
picnic on the beach, Fairhope, AL
Ten hours later found us on the coast of Mobile Bay in the hidden gem of Fairhope, Alabama. The weather ten degrees warmer, live oaks and palm trees replaced the frozen birches and we began to feel as though we might finally be getting far enough south.
We spent two fabulous days with the Mariacher Family; friends from Indiana who we haven’t seen in over a decade. Their four children absorbed ours like long lost cousins and a wonderful time was had by all.
Tony & Amy have known each other since high school
A more generous and hospitable family we’ve never known; they bent over backwards to treat us to the best Fairhope had to offer: a picnic on the beach, a walk on the pier, the firing of a Civil War era cannon, tea and cookies at a fancy hotel and even the very first swim of the trip… indoors, of course! They served us gumbo for dinner and beignets for breakfast, just to make sure we knew we were finally in the south. Amy and I sipped tea in her kitchen, overlooking the beautiful bay and talked as fast as we could; ten years is a long time to catch up on. Greg and Tony watched the super bowl, cheering for the Colts like the ex-hoosiers that they are. We ate and laughed and enjoyed every minute.
Mariachers & Millers
We hugged goodbye under rainy skies and took lots of pictures before counting children and loading ours into the van. Ezra and Elisha left with a handful of shiny beads in their coat pockets, “just in case” they don’t get any in New Orleans.
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How wonderful it must be to be able to learn about and experience the world in the way it was most probably intended… by getting out there and walking the walk… talking the talk. What classroom could ever hope to compare to such a vibrant and stimulating learning adventure? What textbook could stand up to such scrutiny?
Just out of curiosity, how do Ezra and Elisha think one gets beads in New Orleans? I might be keeping an extra on them if I were you. 🙂 j/k.