Really big shrimp - as in huge shrimp. Now's the time to head to the Gulf Coast for that summer vacation. The shrimp being caught in the Gulf of Mexico today are by and large larger than normal.
And they're normally very large by shrimp standards already.
Like shrimp? I recommend Skinner's Seafood on Dauphin Island as the place to get great, and great big, shrimp at a great price. They'll even prepare it just perfectly for you. Great big, beautiful shrimp steamed and spiced perfectly and ready to eat. What could be better?
Is there such as thing as a shrimp that's too big?
Capt. Ricky Brown certainly doesn't think so. He recently got back to Bayou La Batre after 22 days zigzagging from Florida to Louisiana aboard the Beau Rivage in pursuit of shrimp. Somewhere in the shallow waters of Louisiana (and he won't say exactly where) he lucked up on some of the biggest prey in the Gulf, the elusive and much-prized U-12 count shrimp.
The shrimp count reflects the number of shrimp per pound. So U-12 means that there are 12 or fewer shrimp per pound. By comparison, 21-30 count shrimp are considered large and the popular 16-20 per pound are graded as extra large.
He had plenty of 16-20s and 31-35s, but for my money, the giant U-12s were the star attractions.
These babies are, well, huge. Monsters that defy logic and mock the term "shrimp." Read more
The first annual (is there such a thing as a "first annual?") North Alabama Birding Festival was a hit last weekend. The festival drew more people from a larger area than organizers expected. With results this positive, especially in the face of competition from about 50 other birding events this spring, festival organizers have decided to make a go of it next year.
Look for the event to take place slightly earlier next year however. This year's migration had run its course by the time the first birder arrived for the three day long weekend event. In addition the trees and foliage had fully leafed out, making the task of finding birds especially difficult for birders.
How low high can they go...
GULF SHORES, Ala. The Gulf Shores City Council has approved rezoning eight acres along Mobile Bay for a 12-story condominium and marina complex on Fort Morgan Peninsula.
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The Dauphin Island Times has a terrific series going on about whether Dauphin Island is a great place to vacation this year.
Should you vacation on Dauphin Island this year? Read the 2006 Dauphin Island vacation series to find out.
OK this makes sense. We're all getting older - hopefully. As we do we sort of naturally want to do more of the things we like to do in the settings we like to do them. For many of the boomer generation that means the mountains. Some like the awful heat of the desert. Ah, but I'll take the Gulf Shore any day.
Plenty of demand and they're not making any more Gulf Coast real estate. It all bodes well for your average gulf coast vacation real estate professional.
Realtors hope boomers will rekindle housing market
As the 2006 high season ends, local builders, investors and real estate salespeople with unsold homes, are still counting on retiring Northern baby boomers to re energize the local housing market.
Tomorrow is a very big day for the Alabama Gulf Coast. The 48th annual Dauphin Island Race takes place Saturday, April 28th on Mobile Bay. They'll race from the northern end of Mobile Bay all the way to Dauphin Island, a distance of about 18 miles. The regatta is the longest one-day point-to-point sailboat race in the US.
Regatta officials are expecting to see over 150 boats entered into this year's race, which could turn out to be one of the longest races in recent memory. Long, as measured on the clock, that is. The time the race takes depends on the weather. No wind, no race. Or in this case, too much wind from the wrong direction could make it a very long and tough race for the boats and their crews. Saturday's forecast is currently for 18 to 20 mph winds, overcast skies and scattered thunderstorms. This could make this year's regatta a good test of sailing skills, especially if the wind comes from the south.