Gulf Shores, as one would guess, is full of seafood. On occasion, I enjoy consuming a beautiful piece of healthy wild fish, but the majority of my diet is vegetarian and heavily vegan. With the massive oil spill that occurred in the Gulf, I was not feeling excited to eat seafood every day. I knew there would be a full kitchen in our condo, so my plans were to hit up the local Publix grocery store and do the best I could.
To my surprise, on the drive from the airport to Orange Beach, we spotted the cutest roadside Farmer's Market. We had to stop and fill up!
Before arriving at the condo, we hit up that Publix to stock up on some other items for the week. I was quite pleased with all the healthy options we were able to find. Of course, every supermarket is overflowing with junk and unhealthy food choices, but with a little knowledge and a determination to find the best options, a healthy cart can be filled.
The itinerary for the week ahead only had a few family activities, so we were faced with some down time of our own. Of course, we rented bikes on one day. Luckily, there was a rental place that had decent Trek road bikes. We set out on a humid, overcast morning and completed a fun 30 miles.
We decided to keep walking and eventually found this amazing Italian village looking place which just happened to serve the local beer in their restaurant. How lucky! We asked for a table out back and if we could just have a beer and be on our way. The waiter was incredibly friendly and so happy to have us. He told us a little about Fairhope's history and even chatted with us about Brooklyn.
I wasn't entirely sure if Alabama would have anything to offer little old me with my healthy requirements, my picky ingredient lists, and my desire for fresh and local... but Fairhope - you give me hope! I would visit you again in a heartbeat. Until next time, stay awesome.