Remembering When
Remembering when, moving back in time, one can recall the Alabama Gulf Coast as it was defined by only beach houses and fishing cottages. These houses and cottages were supported by wooden stilts and the wood colors were bleached and streaked by the constant sun. A few local motels shared the one main intersection. Restaurants were scarce. Bait and tackle shops dotted sandy side roads. There were two grocery stores with bare essentials. They faced each other on a road running parallel to Highway 59. A few locally owned seafood shops thrived with the catch of the day, and numerous boat work shops provided a steady living. The names of the seafood shops and the boat works businesses all bore family names and were familiar to all.
The people that vacationed in this coastal spot in lower Alabama were primarily from Alabama or Mississippi. They considered themselves locals. They seemed to be in tune with the rhythm of the coastal community. At that time, the vacationers kept quietly to themselves and entertained themselves primarily within the cozy walls of their cabins or houses.
I suppose we all thought that the coastal community would always stay the same, quiet, calming, beautiful, uncrowded, and undiscovered. Perhaps it lacked class and fashion, coastal glamour, and bright lights, but it called to many and to many it was forever sufficient. But then came Frederick.
The mighty and ferocious Hurricane deemed Frederick, the most powerful to ever hit the Alabama coast, must have set its angry eye on Gulf Shores, Alabama, for its tower of breaking waves and its winds of uncommon force blew in and over this nestled stretch of beach and completely face lifted all that existed. As this beach community cautiously awoke from this weather induced nightmare-it saw a completely different view in the mirror of landscape. A few establishments were spared. A few beach cottages bowed their stubborn heads and were spared and remained in tack. But, for the most part, all that was once a picturque, old fashion beach town and community, became only a map's memory.
With the hurricane's wide spread devastation, may coastal dwellers opted to "sell out." The personality of this undiscovered coastal area found itself soon developed into something far removed from its original self.
Over a period of time, the developer dotted their I's-crossed their T's to real estate success. They created for themselves a mega of high rise hotels and condominiums. Productively and progress and development had hit sleepy Gulf Shores and the Alabama Coast. Frederick introduced change and change it did.
Now, during that year, and especially during the summer, we dodged wave runner and para sailors. The beach chairs and beach bathers were tightly placed along the shore. The restaurants were plentiful and extremely crowded. There were grocery stores and retail shops and old souvenir city was three times its original size and had steep competition.
Yes, it's convenient not to pack up most of your grocery needs before you leave home. Yes, it is nice to have four lanes verses a windy and lonesome two lane road. Variety is nice when dining out, and if you like bungee jumping, go carts, and outlet malls, then all for the better for you.
I have not a conclusive statement that defends or denies, agrees or disagrees, I simply can "remember when."
