Area Events

Submit events to: cpappas@partnersmultimedia.com

NOVEMBER

What: September First Friday
What: Sylacauga Christmas Open House
Who: Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce and downtown merchants
When: Nov. 1, 1-5 p.m.
Where: Downtown Sylacauga, Sylacauga, AL.
Why: Start holiday shopping with merchant specials, restaurant stops and chances to win Chamber Bucks.

What: Let It Snow
Who: Imagination Place Children’s Museum
When: Nov. 2-Feb. 27; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday; closed Nov. 26-29, Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 1
Where: Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, 501 Broad St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Toddlers through fourth-graders can play in indoor snow, bounce in an ice castle and tackle winter obstacles. The exhibition continues through Feb. 27.

What: Puppy Pals
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Nov. 2, 6 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: High-energy canine performers jump, spin, fetch and deliver comic tricks for the whole family.

What: Veterans Parade
Who: City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation
When: Nov. 4, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Broad Street, downtown Gadsden, Gadsden, AL.
Why: Patriotic floats and marchers honor military service in the heart of downtown.

What: Historic Downtown Gadsden Christmas Open House
Who: Downtown Gadsden Inc. and participating merchants
When: Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Broad Street, downtown Gadsden, Gadsden, AL.
Why: Decorated shops, seasonal promotions and downtown dining launch the local holiday-shopping season.


What: Wynonna:
The Hard Truth Tour
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Nov. 6, 7 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: Wynonna Judd pairs Judds and solo favorites with stripped-down new music; Troubadour Blue opens.

What: DINOvember
Who: Anniston Museums and Gardens
When: Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: Anniston Museum of Natural History, 800 Museum Dr., Anniston, AL.
Why: Each Saturday brings hands-on dinosaur discoveries involving fossils, sounds, skeletons and prehistoric predators.

What: Nutcracker! Magical
Christmas Ballet
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: Touring dancers, lavish costumes and Tchaikovsky’s score turn the classic tale into a holiday spectacle.

What: Calhoun County
Veterans Day Parade
Who: Main Street Anniston
When: Nov. 11, 2 p.m.
Where: Noble Street, downtown Anniston, Anniston, AL.
Why: Patriotic floats and local organizations gather to celebrate Calhoun County’s military heroes.

What: War Bonds: The Songs
and Letters of World War II
Who: Historic Ritz Theatre and EbzB Productions
When: Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: Historic Ritz Theatre, 115 Court Square N., Talladega, AL.
Why: Period songs, headlines and real correspondence create a multimedia portrait of the World War II home front.


What: Downtown
Anniston Market
Who: City of Anniston
When: Nov. 12, 4-7 p.m.
Where: Anniston City Market, 126 W. 11th St., Anniston, AL.
Why: The market offers fresh food, handcrafted goods and an easy downtown evening.

What: Mistletoe Market
Who: City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation
When: Nov. 13-14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: The Venue at Coosa Landing, 201 George Wallace Dr., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Free indoor shopping brings together holiday gifts, crafts, specialty foods and local makers.

What: Christmas
in the Country
Who: Homestead Hollow
When: Nov. 13-15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Homestead Hollow, 1161 Murphrees Valley Road, Springville, AL.
Why: A country village fills with handmade goods, pioneer demonstrations, food and family holiday traditions.

What: Christmas at the Falls
Who: Noccalula Falls Park and the City of Gadsden
When: Nov. 13- Jan. 3, 4-10 p.m.; closed Dec. 24-25
Where: Noccalula Falls Park, 1500 Noccalula Road, Gadsden, AL.
Why: Millions of lights, decorated trails and an included train ride transform the park for the season.

What: Southside
Christmas Village
Who: City of Southside
When: Nov. 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Southside Community Center, 2142 Alabama 77, Southside, AL.
Why: Indoor and outdoor vendors, food trucks and holiday activities make a full day of seasonal shopping.

What: Christmas on the Coosa
Who: City of Gadsden
When: Nov. 19-Jan. 5; ice skating 7-10 p.m.
Where: Riverside Park, 344 S. First St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: The Coosa riverfront becomes a winter gathering place with real ice, lights, music and seasonal treats, plus Alabama’s tallest Christmas tree.


What: Micky Dolenz: 60
Years of the Monkees
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: The Monkees’ singer and drummer revisits six decades of pop hits and television-era memories.

What: Oxford Festival of Lights
Who: City of Oxford and First Bank of Alabama
When: Nov. 20-Dec. 31, 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday
Where: Choccolocco Park, 954 Leon Smith Parkway, Oxford, AL.
Why: A 1.5-mile drive-through display leads to Santa’s Village, skating, snow tubing, inflatables and food.

What: The Emperor’s New Clothes
Who: Historic Ritz Theatre and Missoula Children’s Theatre
When: Auditions Nov. 16, Shows Nov. 21, 10 a.m. and noon
Where: Historic Ritz Theatre, 115 Court Square N., Talladega, AL.
Why: A weeklong youth-theater residency culminates in two lively public performances of the comic fairy tale.

What: Christmas on Main
Who: Historic Main Street Oxford
When: Nov. 21, 2-6 p.m.
Where: Simmons Park, 400 Main St., Oxford, AL.
Why: Merchant promotions, live entertainment and a community tree lighting welcome the holidays downtown.

What: The Nutcracker Princess
Who: Downtown Dance Conservatory
When: Nov. 21, 6 p.m.; Nov. 22, 2 p.m.
Where: Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center, 1001 George Wallace Dr., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Original choreography, locally designed costumes and a snowfall effect give the ballet a storybook identity.

What: 19th Annual Art Extravaganza
Who: Aljerald Powers Memorial Lodge and Plank Road Station
When: Nov. 21, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: Plank Road Station, 22585 Alabama 21, Alpine, AL.
Why: Local and regional arts and crafts support restoration of the historic lodge as a community center, gallery and museum.


What: A Charlie
Brown Christmas
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Nov. 23, 6 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: The Peanuts holiday classic comes to life with Vince Guaraldi’s familiar jazz score and gentle humor.

What: Plucked Turkey 10K
Who: Anniston Runners Club and YMCA of Calhoun County
When: Nov. 26, 8-10 a.m. Race Day check-in 7 a.m.
Where: Norwood Hodges Community Center, 3125 Spring Valley Road, Anniston, AL.
Why: Runners and walkers tackle a certified Thanksgiving course through Golden Springs while supporting the YMCA.

What: Lights in the Park
Who: Pell City Parks and Recreation
When: Nov. 27-Dec. 31, nightly after sunset. Nov. 13-27: Display Setup Dates
Where: Lakeside Park, 2801 Stemley Bridge Road, Pell City, AL.
Why: A free drive through community-built light displays offers voting for creative holiday favorites.

What: Sylacauga Christmas Tree
Lighting and Tinsel Trail
Who: Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce and City of Sylacauga
When: Nov. 29; 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where: Central Park and Sylacauga City Hall, Sylacauga, AL.
Why: Community activities and the Tinsel Trail lead into the city’s official tree lighting.

DECEMBER

What: Moody Christmas
Tree Lighting
Who: City of Moody
When: Dec. 1, 7 p.m.
Where: Across from Moody Civic Center, 200 Civic Center Dr., Moody, AL.
Why: A community countdown and tree lighting open Moody’s holiday season.

What: Sylacauga Christmas Parade
Who: Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce and Coosa Pines Federal Credit Union
When: Dec. 3, 6 p.m.
Where: Downtown Sylacauga, Sylacauga, AL.
Why: Floats, marching bands, community organizations and Santa bring the city’s holiday celebration to the streets.
What: Gadsden
Christmas Parade
Who: City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation
When: Dec. 4, 5:30-8 p.m. Lineup begins at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Broad Street, from Seventh Street toward Second Street, Gadsden, AL.
Why: Lighted floats and bands travel through downtown during the First Friday celebration.

What: The 1940s Radio Hour
Who: Theatre of Gadsden
When: Dec. 4-5 and 11-12, 7 p.m.; Dec. 6 and 13, 2 p.m.
Where: Ritz Theatre, 310 Wall St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Big-band classics, jitterbugging and live sound effects recreate a chaotic wartime radio broadcast.

What: An Olde English Christmas
with Peter Noone
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: British Invasion singalongs meet seasonal favorites in a playful, family-friendly concert.

What: Downtown Anniston
Christmas Parade
Who: Main Street Anniston
When: Dec. 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Noble Street, downtown Anniston, Anniston, AL.
Why: Illuminated floats, marching units and Santa fill Noble Street with hometown holiday pageantry.

What: Annual Holiday
Tour of Homes
Who: Woman’s Club of Gadsden
When: Dec. 6, Afternoon
Where: Woman’s Club, 862 Chestnut St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Tour decorated homes and businesses while supporting scholarships and preservation of the historic clubhouse.

What: Talladega Christmas
Parade and Tree Lighting
Who: City of Talladega
When: Dec. 7, 6 p.m.
Where: Talladega Courthouse Square, 1 Court Square, Talladega, AL.
Why: A downtown parade and ceremonial lighting begin Talladega’s biggest stretch of holiday festivities.
What: Kings of Swing
Free Christmas Concert
Who: Kings of Swing Orchestra
When: Dec. 8, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, 501 Broad St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: The orchestra turns holiday favorites and standards into a free evening of big-band swing.

What: Christmas on the Square
Who: City of Talladega and Historic Ritz Theatre
When: Dec. 11, 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 12, noon-8 p.m.
Where: Talladega Courthouse Square, 1 Court Square, Talladega, AL.
Why: Free skating, movies, train rides, Santa’s workshop, music, shopping and food fill downtown.

What: Pell City Christmas Parade
Who: Pell City Chamber of Commerce
When: Dec. 11, 7-9 p.m.
Where: Cogswell Avenue, downtown Pell City, Pell City, AL.
Why: The Christmas at the Lake theme sends decorated floats, bands and hometown groups down Cogswell Avenue.

What: Pell City Rotary Jingle Bell 5K,
10K and Fun Run
Who: Pell City Rotary Club
When: Dec. 12, 8 a.m.; one-mile fun run, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Lakeside Park, 2801 Stemley Bridge Road, Pell City, AL.
Why: Festive lakeside races support an accessible garden for veterans at the Col. Robert L. Howard home.

What: Snacks With Santa
Who: Imagination Place and Downtown Gadsden Inc.
When: Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-noon
Where: Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, 501 Broad St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Children can visit Santa, take photos and enjoy free snacks before exploring the museum.

What: Holly Jolly Market
Who: City of Moody
When: Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Moody Civic Center, 200 Civic Center Dr., Moody, AL.
Why: Handmade gifts and seasonal goods make this indoor market an easy stop before the parade.
What: Moody Christmas Parade
Who: City of Moody
When: Dec. 12, 5 p.m.
Where: Alabama 411, from ADESA Birmingham to Moody City Park, Moody, AL.
Why: Floats follow Alabama 411 to the park, with Santa closing the All American Christmas procession.

What: Christmas with The Pops
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Dec. 13, 7 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: Beloved carols and jazzy arrangements showcase a full pops orchestra in a festive family concert.

What: Clay Walker Family Christmas
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Dec. 17, 7 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: The country singer blends major hits, Christmas classics and a 90-minute family singalong.

What: Foodees Food and Culture Festival
Who: Foodees Food and Culture Festival
When: Dec. 18, 1-7 p.m.; Dec. 19-20, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Where: Gadsden Mall, 1001 Rainbow Dr., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Dozens of food trucks, craft vendors and cultural flavors gather for a free three-day festival.

What: Celtic Woman: Silver
Bells Christmas Tour
Who: Oxford Performing Arts Center
When: Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oxford Performing Arts Center, 100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, AL.
Why: Soaring voices and orchestral arrangements illuminate carols and Celtic favorites for the holidays.

What: Countdown to Noon
Who: Imagination Place Children’s Museum
When: Dec. 31, 11 a.m.-noon
Where: Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, 501 Broad St., Gadsden, AL.
Why: Noisemakers, snacks and a balloon drop let young children welcome 2027 before bedtime.

Logan Martin LakeFest

Southeast’s largest in-water boat show returns

Story by Carol Pappas
Submitted Photos

With a year off due to COVID, 2021 becomes the 10th anniversary of Logan Martin LakeFest, billed as the Southeast’s largest in-water boat show. At Pell City Lakeside Park May 21-23, LakeFest is making a triumphant return – back bigger and better than ever, organizers say.

And that’s quite a statement. Since its inception in 2010, LakeFest has been the ‘must-go-to’ event of the year. Those early years were spent on the banks of the Horizons development, and it just kept growing from there.

The idea was to create a free event that focused on the lake community, promoted the lake and its lifestyle. From its sponsorships and booth rentals, LakeFest is able to raise money for many a good cause as well as providing improvements to the park, like the Jerry Wood Memorial Pavilion named for one of the event founders, and additional docking for boats.

Bass boats showcased

Today’s LakeFest overlooks Logan Martin from its hillside perch with tent after tent of vendors with all sorts of lake life wares and services, surrounded by the latest in boats and personal watercrafts. A huge outdoor stage featuring virtually non-stop, top entertainment and a couple of comedic emcees giving away prizes and ‘shout outs’ to supporters and businesses stands above.

Handmade outdoor furniture, lake apparel and just about any lake-related product imaginable are scattered under a sea of tents. Realtors, insurance agents, Logan Martin Lake Protection Association members and a host of other services for lake dwellers and visitors alike are a part of the mix, raising awareness and offering an extensive array of giveaways themselves.  

Down by the water, brand new boats and watercrafts ready for a test drive await, luring attendees to see the latest of what’s in store for the water this season. There is even on-the-spot financing from AmFirst for your dream boat.

Woods Surfside Marina, Poor House Branch Marina, Sylacauga Marine and ATV, Trident Marine, Skier’s Marine, Speed Zone Oxford and Rodney’s Marine will have boats from the following manufacturers in the water and ready for qualified buyers to take for a test drive.

  • Avalon Pontoons
  • Boats
  • Berkshire Pontoon Boats
  • Regency Pontoons
  • South Bay Pontoons
  • Silver Wave Pontoons
  • Sun Tracker Pontoons
  • Carolina Skiff Boats
  • Mastercraft Wake Boats
  • Nitro Performance Boats
  • Tahoe Boats
  • Tracker Boats
  • Xpress Boats
  • Yamaha
  • Waverunners

When LakeFest began, it had a set of goals in mind:

  • Celebrate one of the area’s greatest natural resources, Logan Martin Lake.
  • Promote the lake and surrounding areas as a great place to live and do business.
  • Raise money for local causes.
  • Showcase local businesses.
  • Provide LakeFest partners with a captive audience and platform to showcase their products and services.

For 10 years, it has been doing all of the above. So far, its Logan Martin Charity Foundation has awarded $300,000 to local charities, and businesses have seen their sales and profiles head on an upward trajectory.

“We wanted to create an event that really promoted our lake and lake businesses and bring people together for a fun time for the whole
family,” said Eric Housh, one of the organizers. “This year’s event promises to be even bigger and better than before.”

Non-stop entertainment, giveaways – even an ATV – vendors of all descriptions, more food choices and games for the kids await.

Admission is free, and hours are from noon to 9 Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 on Sunday.

And, of course, the fireworks show honoring veterans – a LakeFest tradition and the vision of the late Jerry Wood, who was instrumental in creating LakeFest – will be Friday night after sunset.

Musical entertainment takes center stage all weekend

Recording artist Hannah McFarland

Friday,
May 21
Jeremy Owen and Dylan –
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Deputy 5 –
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday,
May 22
Matt Bennett –
Noon to 2 p.m.
Hannah McFarland –
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Outshine –
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday,
May 23
Hannah McFarland –
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

In the Kitchen with Lori Junkins

Mother, daughter cook up a family tradition

Story Scotty Vickery
Photos by Kelsey Bain

When Lori and John Junkins made the decision to renovate the kitchen of their A-frame home on Logan Martin Lake nine years ago, it was about much more than gas appliances, glistening granite countertops and creating extra storage. It was about strengthening roots, creating a comfortable space to carry on family traditions and spotlighting the beauty that’s all around them.

Marie Hines with her daughters, Gwen Windle,
Lori Junkins and Teresa McLarty

“It’s so peaceful,” Junkins said of the view from the room’s picture window overlooking the sparkling water. A sugar maple that shades the deck in the summer and creates a dazzling display a few months later provides the finishing touch. “In the fall, it’s a brilliant yellow. Looking at the lake with those yellow leaves trickling down is just amazing,” she said.

It’s almost as wonderful as the aroma coming from her oven one recent morning as a batch of yeast rolls made from her mother’s recipe turned golden brown. “The smell immediately takes me back to my mama’s kitchen,” Junkins said. “It just transports you. So many of the wonderful memories I have from my childhood center around food.”

The kitchen of the Aliceville, Ala., home she grew up in was a gathering spot for the family, and she wanted to create the same feeling in her own home after living with a cramped galley-style kitchen for 12 years. “It was a one-butt kitchen,” Junkins said with a laugh. “You couldn’t slide two people past each other.”

Today, after expanding the kitchen into the former dining room, there’s a large island featuring Bianco Antico granite, a built-in gas convection stove and oven, as well as seating for four. Lee Kerr of Oxford made the custom cabinets, which offset the white subway tile. “He had the idea to build the upper cabinets into the slope of the walls so I could have cabinets in a space where I didn’t think it was possible,” Junkins said.

Factor in the kitchen’s walnut floors, which lead into the family room with its vaulted tongue-and-groove ceiling and brick wood-burning fireplace, and the result is a calm, inviting space that Junkins loves. “My goal was for it to be something that would stand the test of time,” she said. “Lake living is a lifestyle. When people come to my home, the thing that makes me feel the best is when they say it’s so peaceful. My house is not stuffy, it’s not pretentious; it’s comfortable. It’s a little like being on vacation all the time.”

Mama’s Cooking

Junkins, who enjoys time at home with John and 17-year-old Amelia, learned everything about making a house comfortable and welcoming from her mother,

Marie Hines. “Hospitality is a gift, and my mama has it,” she said. “She was known all throughout Pickens County for her yeast rolls. I can remember her kitchen being covered in pans of rolls in various stages of the rising and baking process.”

It all comes naturally for Mrs. Hines, who has been cooking for at least 84 of her 90 years. The oldest of nine children, she began cooking meals for the whole family when she was 11, and “I baked my own birthday cake when I was 6 years old,” she said.

Junkins said she and her father, Tom Hines, and her brother and two sisters woke up every morning to a full breakfast of bacon, eggs and biscuits or toast. Each evening, they enjoyed a big supper of meat and vegetables, and holiday meals were absolute feasts.“The kitchen was full of every kind of Southern dish you could imagine,” she remembers. “All of these dishes just magically appeared.”

Mrs. Hines, who went to work part-time when Junkins was in kindergarten and then worked full-time at a bank for 20 years, always enjoyed making magic in the kitchen. Despite having to juggle work and her children’s activities, which included cheerleading, football and band, she considered it a privilege to cook for her husband and kids. “That’s how you showed your love for your family – putting a good meal on the table,” she said.

Like many Southern cooks, most of her recipes are in her head and consist of “a little of this and little of that,” Mrs. Hines said. “I’m a dump cook. I think butter is a magic ingredient, and so is a little bit of sugar.” After reading cookbooks like novels for years, she’s happy to share her secrets with anyone who asks. “If anybody wanted a recipe, I gave it to them,” she said. “I think if the Lord gives you a gift, you need to share it if you can.”

That’s good news for Junkins, who is on a mission to preserve some family memories, along with her mother’s wonderful recipes. “Another of Mama’s heirloom dishes is her cornbread dressing. She made dressing for our extended family gatherings every year until 2019, when she talked me through every step of making it,” Junkins said. “We figured after 88 years it was time to let her supervise. She had no written recipe and uses no fixed measurements, so I tried to record the directions as closely as I could.”

Most recently, Junkins mastered her mother’s yeast rolls, garlic rolls and cinnamon rolls that start with the same dough. “After years of saying I wanted to learn to make them ‘someday,’ I finally got my lesson,” she said. “The first time I made them, I ate six.”

Junkins said she’s grateful her mother lives nearby so she can spend time in the kitchen with her. After living in Aliceville for decades, her parents moved to Pell City in 2008. Her father, Tom Hines, passed away in 2015, but she still feels connected to him when she’s cooking. “Bonnie Chasteen, a dear friend of my mother’s, made all of us aprons out of Dad’s shirts,” she said.“They’re even more special now because she passed away earlier this year.”

Lake Living

Although Junkins and her husband have been thrilled with the upstairs renovations they made in 2012, just a year after they got married, they toyed with the idea of moving a few years ago. Junkins was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2014, and there were lots of unknowns.

“I didn’t know if I would even be around in five years,” she said. “We wondered for a while if we should get a one-level home, and we even looked at a few. John finally asked me, ‘If you live another 10 to 15 years, and we moved from this house, would you regret it?’ I told him, ‘Probably,’ so he said, “Let’s just re-do this one.”

That’s why, following Junkins’ craniotomy and radiation treatments, the lower level of the house got a makeover in 2016. Although Junkins is doing well and has had no recurrence of cancer, the renovated space can accommodate one-level living if they ever need it. An old galley kitchen, similar to the one that was upstairs, has been opened up and now boasts new countertops and appliances. There are also bedrooms, bathrooms and a living area on that floor.

“I don’t know that I could ever move off the lake,” Junkins said.

Marie Hines’ Icebox Yeast Rolls

Marie Hines’ recipe, as recorded by Lori Hines Junkins

Ingredients:
4 cups (1 qt) sweet milk
4 sticks of butter, divided
1 cup sugar
2 pkgs yeast
10 to 12 cups plain flour, divided
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
garlic salt

Directions:

Heat milk, 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of sugar in oversized boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat just prior to boiling. While milk mixture cools, dissolve yeast in warm water according to package directions. When milk mixture has reached lukewarm temperature, stir dissolved yeast into lukewarm milk mixture. Add 6 cups of flour and stir until flour is incorporated, forming a thin dough. Cover with a tea towel; place in a warm spot and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (this may take several hours).

After dough has doubled in size, sift together 2 cups of flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Punch down the risen dough and add the seasoned flour mixture to ensure the leavening agents are evenly distributed. Gradually add in remaining flour (2 to 4 cups, as needed to form relatively stiff dough). Grease an oversized bowl (oil or cooking spray) and place dough in greased bowl. (Note: Dough can be covered and kept refrigerated for
several days before rolling it out if necessary. Dough will likely rise in refrigerator and could “pop the top” – keep an eye on it and keep it covered so it does not dry out. When ready to roll it out, remove from refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for an hour or so before dividing/kneading/rolling as outlined below.)

Prepare baking pans with non-stick spray. Divide into fourths for ease of rolling out. Knead dough gently on floured board. Roll out with rolling pin in a large rectangle to about 3/8” thickness. Melt butter (half a stick at a time, for each section of dough); brush dough with melted butter.

FOR CRESCENT ROLLS
Very lightly sprinkle a bit of sugar across buttered dough. Slice dough into 6-inch widths, then cut into triangles; roll from widest end to point, creating crescent shape. Place rolls in greased pan and brush with melted butter.
Allow to rise for 2+ hours before baking.

FOR CINNAMON ROLLS
Rectangle should be about twice as long as it is wide. Generously sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over buttered dough. Roll jelly- roll style (rolling from widest length); slice into 1-inch slices. Place rolls in greased pan with sides touching, brush with melted butter.
Allow to rise for 3+ hours before baking.
(Cinnamon rolls typically take longer to rise because of the added weight of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.)

FOR POCKETBOOK GARLIC ROLLS
Sprinkle buttered dough generously with garlic salt. Cut with round cookie cutter or biscuit
cutter. Dip (or brush) each round in melted butter and fold over, pressing center edge together lightly to form “pocketbook.”
Allow to rise for 2+ hours before baking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pan of risen rolls on center rack; bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

For cinnamon rolls: While rolls are baking, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and water to form light icing. After removing cinnamon rolls from oven, drizzle icing over warm rolls. (Lori’s suggested variation: incorporate whipped cream cheese to icing before drizzling/spreading over cinnamon rolls.)

* (Note: Dough can be kept refrigerated for several days after it is rolled, shaped and placed in pans. If you plan to refrigerate, cover and place in refrigerator). Before baking, place in a warm spot and allow dough to rise for several hours before baking.)

Mama’s Cornbread Dressing

Marie Hines’ recipe, as recorded by Lori Hines Junkins

Ingredients:
1 large pan of cornbread
4-6 pieces of white bread (stale bread is fine)
Chicken Stock (homemade or use 1-2 cartons)
2-3 onions
5-6 stalks of celery
1-2 stick of butter
6 eggs
Sage or poultry seasoning
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Cranberry Jelly (1-2 cans)

Directions:

1.   Bake one large pan of cornbread.  

2.   Cut up and boil a chicken*. Remove chicken and run liquid through a strainer; return stock to boiler.  (Lori’s cheat: Substitute a couple of cartons of chicken broth if you’re short on time.)

3.   Cut up 2 or 3 medium onions and chop in food processor; add diced onion to chicken stock. String and cut up 5-6 stalks of fresh celery and chop in food processor. Add to chicken stock, along with a stick (or 2) of butter. Bring chicken stock to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, allowing onion and celery to cook until translucent, giving flavors time to marry.

4.   While stock is simmering, crumble cornbread and place in oversized bowl. Roughly tear 5 or 6 pieces of white sandwich bread and place in food processor; pulse until bread is crumbly. Add bread crumbs to crumbled cornbread.

5.   Pour chicken stock over cornbread mixture and mix thoroughly. 

6.   Beat 6 eggs; pour into cornbread mixture. Dressing mixture should be very moist; add more chicken stock as needed to ensure dressing mixture is not too dry. Season with sage (or poultry seasoning), black pepper, and a bit of cayenne pepper, and mix together thoroughly. (Note: If using fresh chicken broth instead of store-bought broth, you will likely need to add salt. Store-bought dressing has a high sodium content, so additional salt may not be needed.) Adjust seasoning to taste. (Optional: add one can of cream of chicken soup.)

7.   Pour dressing into a large, greased casserole dish. If making ahead, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. (If making further ahead, dressing can be frozen, then thawed the day it is baked.)

8.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil; continue baking uncovered until dressing is golden brown on top (about 20-30 more minutes, typically).

9.   Remove cranberry jelly (remove lid, work knife around inside of can to coax jelly out onto serving dish); slice and serve as an accompaniment to dressing. 

*Note: Although we do not add chicken to our dressing for holiday meals where it is served as a side to turkey, if you cooked a chicken in step 2, you can de-bone and shred the chicken and add it to the dressing to serve as a main dish for a great weeknight main dish.

Catching the Coosa

By Zeke Gossett

On Logan Martin

The months of May and June can be some of the most fun on catching numbers of fish on Logan Martin Lake.

The fish are typically coming off bed and are starting their transition to offshore places, such as deep points, brush piles and roadbeds.

Another trophy

Fish tend to school together on these places and can get in bunches of as many as 50 or 60.

My first choice when the fish pull out to deeper water will be a deep-diving crankbait or swimbait. Around the brush piles, I tend to use some type of soft plastic bait such as a Texas rigged worm or a football jig.

Also, in early May, you can catch the tail end of the shad spawn, which is when water temperatures rise into the upper 60s to low 70s and during the full moon in April and May.

The shad spawn is usually best first thing in the morning around seawalls or grass. You will see the shad flicking on top and rolling on the structure they’re around.

My first two baits I will pick up are either a white buzz bait or white spinnerbait with double willow leaf blades. This bite ends very quickly once the sun comes up but can be some of the most fun if the fish are feeding at that time.

On Neely Henry

Neely Henry Lake has a lot shallower water vegetation compared to Logan Martin. In the months of May and June, I tend to fish a lot shallower on this lake. Fish will most likely be off bed by this time and looking for an easy meal.

The shad spawn has a big impact on this lake as well. The shad tend to spawn on the grass in this lake more.

The two baits I use for the shad spawn on Neely Henry will be a white swim jig or white frog. This bite happens quick but can be super productive for a good morning bite.

Once that bite has gone away, I tend to target these same areas where the shad spawn was that morning. I will slow my presentation way down and go more finesse.

If the conditions are slick calm with no wind, I will target docks near to these areas. My first bait of choice will be a wacky rigged stick bait in a green pumpkin color.

If the wind is still blowing or it is cloudy, I will stay with the white swim jig. Once we get later on into June, the better fish still tend to be shallow. I will flip grass with either a jig or a Texas rigged creature bait.

There are some places fish tend to group up offshore, but this bite has a small window. I would target brush piles in front of piers with a shaky head in order to catch the deeper fish.

Editor’s Note:

Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate champion and is now a professional angler on the B.A.S.S. tour circuit and is a fishing guide.

Learn more about Zeke at: zekegossettfishing.com.

Dining on the water

Extra benefits of life on Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Carol Pappas – Submitted photos

Whether you prefer dining inside a restaurant or carrying out your food, you have a lot of choices around Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes that are easily reached by boat. From mom-and-pop diners to national chains, more than a dozen restaurants from Talladega to Gadsden have their own docks or access to one nearby.

This means you can tie up your vessel, be it boat or personal watercraft, and leave it in its slip while you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner. In many cases, you can phone ahead and someone will deliver your meal to your boat. That’s a unique service that takes lake living — and dining — to a whole new level.

The Back Porch Grill, located at 270 Marina Dr., Talladega, in Logan Martin’s Clear Creek Harbor, already had space for 30-40 boats before adding nine new piers. Under construction as of this writing, the additions will more than triple the slip number, according to owner Kristi Fincher. Attendants are available on the dock to pump gas and dock boats.

Back Porch Grill

 “Our staples are seafood, steaks and burgers, but we have changed our menu a lot,” Fincher says. “We’ve added grilled salmon, grilled blackened grouper and a mahi-mahi taco. We also added shrimp and grits, which consists of grilled or blackened shrimp on a bed of gouda cheese grits. Our new shrimp and crab dip, served with baguettes, has become one of our biggest sellers.” Menu specials, such as snow crab legs or scallops, are available on weekends.

Known for its large porch built around a huge willow tree, the Grill recently added an even bigger porch that seats 60 people. “The new porch has a willow planted beside it,” Fincher says. “People like sitting outside, looking over the lake.”

The restaurant has been in business about 10 years, is open year-round, and features the acoustic band Kudzu playing 1980s music every Thursday night on the new porch. Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sundays 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Pier 59

Since 1993, Pier 59, 1363 Rivercrest Dr., Vincent, has been across the lake from Coosa Island (Logan Martin). With a pier on either side of the building, it can accommodate a lot of boats. “I’m serving grandkids of people I started out with,” says manager Janet Swann.

Hamburgers, steaks and a variety of seafood are on the menu. “Our crab claws, fried and grilled, are our most popular item,” Swann says. “We also feature Ziggy Salad, a tossed salad topped with steak, shrimp, chicken and French fries. It’s named after our cook.” Wings and chicken fingers are popular, too. “We’re in the process of re-doing our menu, adding alfredo chicken and alfredo shrimp,” Swann says.
A new deck offers outside covered dining.

Open year-round, winter and summer hours vary. Call 205-525-4226 for specific times and days.

Lakeside Grill at Coosa Island

Lakeside Grill, 1095 Coosa Island Rd., Cropwell is a relative newcomer on Logan Martin Lake. This nautical-and-beach-themed establishment opened in June of 2020 at the end of Coosa Island Marina. Its pier can accommodate 30 boats, but new piers will double that number before summer is over, according to manager Tanya Barnett.

While their menu includes a variety of seafood, steaks, burgers, barbecue, salads and desserts, their specialties are Cajun alfredo (chicken or shrimp), hand-cut, 12-ounce ribeyes, loaded barbecue tots (barbecue pork drizzled with barbecue sauce and Ranch dressing, then topped with jalapeño poppers), Cajun-grilled shrimp, Southwestern egg rolls, cheese curds, Cajun barbecue nachos and their signature Philly sandwiches.

“We’re looking to add some summer-friendly dishes, such as fish tacos and a tuna dip,” Barnett says. “We also have homemade peanut butter and Key lime pies for dessert.”

A deck with a bar and a seating capacity of 300, along with live bands on Fridays and Saturdays plus acoustic music on Sundays, make this a lively place to dine. “We also use Jack Rabbit for delivery,” Barnett says. Co-owner (with Nicola Wright) Keith Clements holds degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management and owns Lakeside Boathouse nearby.

Open year-round, Thursdays-Mondays, hours vary from summer to winter.

Between May 1 and Nov. 1, you can dine there Thursdays from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. and Fridays 12 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., but the restaurant stays open until 8 p.m. on Sundays. Monday hours are 4 p.m.-9 p.m. “We usually are the only restaurant open on the lake on Mondays,” Barnett says. Their winter hours will be posted on their Facebook page.

Piece of Pie

Piece of the Pie, 1080 Coosa Island Road, Cropwell (Logan Martin) is a new pizza-only joint that opened in early April. Its pier is under renovation and will accommodate about 50 boats when completed, according to co-owners Matt Kronen and Tarang Gandhakwal. “We’re next door to Coosa Marina Store, which I also own, and we have beer, ice and soft drinks there. We’re all in the same building,” says Kronen.

He assembles his pizzas on the premises, and says they feature thin crusts that are “light enough to take on the boat with you.” He uses fresh toppings, including the usual pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms, plus a barbecue pizza, and can substitute alfredo sauce for marinara sauce on any pizza upon request. “We will incorporate other weird toppings as we think of them,” he says.

Piece of the Pie serves carry-out customers only, with no seating area available. “Eventually we will offer delivery to the immediate lake area,” Kronen says. The main chef at Piece of the Pie, he’s also the owner of Snow-Biz, a shaved ice stand at Coosa Island Marina. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, initially. Any changes will be posted on their upcoming Facebook page.

Top O’ the River

Top O’ the River, 1606 Rainbow Dr., Gadsden, is a landmark – not only by land but by water as well. It is accessible by boat. Known for its catfish and seafood, the menu goes well beyond with chicken and steaks, too. Its pond raised catfish – fried or broiled, bone-in or fillet – is a crowd favorite.

Grilled shrimp and chicken kabobs are popular as is the chargrilled ribeye steak. A variety of appetizers and desserts bookend a meal that diners travel for from miles around.

Family owned and operated, the restaurant is open Monday – Friday at 5 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and on Sundays, it opens at noon. Carry out is available at 256-547-9817.

River’s Edge Burgers & Breakfast

River’s Edge Burgers & Breakfast, 79 Rabbit Branch Circle, Cropwell, is located at River’s Edge Marina in the Rabbit Branch slough on Logan Martin. Open weekends and holidays May through Labor Day, River’s Edge is a walk-up eatery with an outdoor pavilion and picnic tables for on-premises dining. Up to 10 boats can tie up at the pier, with wet-slip time limited to one hour.

The menu includes burgers and other sandwiches, chicken tenders, corn dogs and hot dogs. Specialties are the Yum Yum Burger (with Yum Yum sauce, lettuce, tomato and pickles), the Cowboy Cheeseburger (barbecue sauce, bacon and grilled onions), BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger (barbecue sauce, bacon and cheese) and Double BBQ Bacon Burger (barbecue sauce, double portion of bacon and double portion of cheese). On Saturdays they serve breakfast sandwiches on toast, biscuit or bun, plus breakfast platters of eggs, meat and a choice of bread. Desserts are milkshakes, frozen slush, root beer floats, ice cream cones and a “Bissert” — biscuits drizzled with chocolate syrup and powdered sugar.They also serve traditional breakfast drinks, such as coffee, orange juice and chocolate milk.

Hours are 8 a.m.-11 a.m. for Saturday breakfast, with lunch served 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Manager Anna Emerick suggests checking their Facebook page for holiday hours (Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day), because they vary from one holiday to the next.

Wake Zone

New to Logan Martin is Wake Zone, 6301 Stemley Bridge Road, Pell City, which should soon be able to park 30 boats at five piers. Staff will be available to assist with boat parking.

The restaurant serves steaks, seafood and wings, along with breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. They have the usual breakfast fare of eggs and French toast, and House specialty is their fried fish nuggets, called Wake Bites. Their barbecue is popular, and so are the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, hamburgers and eight flavors of wings. The restaurant uses Jack Rabbit Delivery, which will deliver within 20 miles of the building.

Open five days a week from April 1-September 1, hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays; 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturdays and 7:30-6 p.m. Sundays. During the winter, they are open
Wednesday-Friday only.

A spacious deck overlooks the main channel of the lake with outdoor dining.

The Brook

The Brook Coffeehouse and Event Center, 4204 Martin St. S, Pell City (Logan Martin) is a full-service coffee house offering espresso coffee drinks, frappés, teas, iced coffees, smoothies, ice cream, hand-spun milkshakes, muffins and limited snacks and cold drinks, according to Linda and Tim Hendrix,

owners. “We do not have a kitchen, but offer pre-packaged snacks,” says Linda Hendrix. “You are welcome to bring your lunch or breakfast and grab your favorite coffee drink from us.”

The coffeehouse is accessible by water during the spring, summer and fall months (when the water is up), as boats can park at the nearby Lakeside Motel piers and walk up. Some customers have even come up by personal watercraft to enjoy a view of the lake from the outdoor deck or in the cozy coffee shop, which includes a warming fireplace in the winter months. “Our coffee bar is like an old-fashioned ice cream bar,” Linda says.

The Event Center is available for rental, but also partners with local churches by providing spaces for Bible studies and small groups at no charge. “We are a nonprofit ministry, and all of our income outside of expenses goes toward helping with community outreach and ministry,” Linda says. “This spring semester has included Transformation Ministry School, Mat Making for the Homeless, Freedom Bible Study, Relationships Bible Study, several men’s groups, painting, book signings and local rehab facility family get-togethers. We also offer free spiritual counseling services.” Rentals have included baby and wedding showers, memorials, funerals, weddings and birthday parties. “This summer, we will offer “Pontoons and Sunset,” where families get together to watch the sun go down, listen to music and fellowship aboard their shared pontoons – launching from the Brook. It will be lots of family fun.”

Open year-round, hours are Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended summer hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Courtyard

Courtyard Oyster Bar & Grill, 4300 Martin Street South, Pell City, can accommodate several boats in a dock next door. Open year round, Wednesdays through Sundays, they have a full menu that includes appetizers, burgers, raw and fried oysters, catfish, hand-breaded chicken tenders and the ever-popular shrimp étouffée and gumbo. “Everything is made fresh here,” says manager Jessalyn Cash. “We have something for everybody.”

An outside deck with a lake view is open to the air during summer, then enclosed in plastic and heated during the winter. “That’s generally where everybody wants to sit,” Cash says.

They have live entertainment every night. Wednesdays it’s karaoke from7 p.m. until closing. Other nights they have acoustic bands, and they try to feature local artists when they can get them.

Wednesdays and Thursdays, they open at 2 pm. and close around midnight. They open for lunch at 11 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, then close at 2 a.m. On Sundays, hours are 11 a.m. until midnight.

“We’re family-friendly until 8 p.m., but after that, no one under the age of 21 is permitted here,” Jessalyn says. “Our staff strives to be open and friendly and to make everyone’s experience good.”

The Ark

Logan Martin’s iconic restaurant, The Ark, is located at 13030 U.S. 78, Riverside. Featuring catfish, hushpuppies, shrimp and oysters fried and grilled, The Ark has been the subject of stories nationwide for its fare.

In addition to seafood, the Ark offers steaks, hamburgers and Cajun specialties like their famous seafood gumbo. Homemade desserts, such as blueberry cobbler, round out an extensive menu that attracts diners from all around.

Its proximity to Talladega Superspeedway makes it a prime ‘fan’ choice, and lake dwellers and visitors alike to flock to The Ark as well. It is accessible by boat. A dock on the main channel below the businesses next door services The Ark’s customers arriving by boat.

Hours are Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 pm. and Sunday, 11 am. – 7:30 p.m.

Caribe

Caribe Club and Marina, 84 Blue Eye Rd., Lincoln (Logan Martin), has 22 boat slips at its pier. Open weekends only (Thursdays-Sundays) for both dine-in and take-out, Caribe also delivers to boats or cars. “Last summer we had quite a bit of boats come up,” says Diane Smith, co-owner with her husband, Bobby.

“We serve steaks, burgers, fish and pizza.” Their specialties are grouper fingers, crab cakes, mango salsa, wings and thin-crust pizza.

“We have a couple of unique things for people who are 21 and older, such as a four-foot-deep swimming pool,” Smith says. “We have a few tables by the dock where the younger ones can dine with their parents, but you must be 21 or older to swim or hang out by the pool because we want a relaxing, adult environment.” Specialty drinks are the Caribbean Sunset and the Bushwacker, and you can take them to the pool area.

They have acoustic music almost every Sunday in the summer, and sometimes have other types of live music on Friday and Saturday. They can seat about 100 people inside.

“We are a private club, and you have to be a member to eat here and to enjoy the pool, the lake views and great atmosphere,” Smith says. “You can pay by the month ($25), by the year ($240) or per visit. It’s $1 per visit if you’re eating, $10 if you’re just drinking and lounging poolside. There’s a $5 cover charge when we have entertainment.”

Spring Fling, a free event with music, kicks off the summer season on May 1, and another party, the Coosa Palooza, takes place the last weekend of August.

Open all year round, their summer hours (May 1- October 1) are 5 p.m. until “whenever” on Thursdays and Fridays, noon until “who-knows?” on Saturdays and Sundays. Smith says to check their Facebook page for winter hours.

Jack’s

Jack’s Family Restaurants are well known throughout Alabama and a few other Southern states, but the one at 1414 Rainbow Drive in Gadsden is unique. “We’re the only Jack’s in the company that has a boat dock,” says manager Toni Hubbard. “We even have a place at the dock where you can phone in your order, like at our drive-through, but it has a special ring so we know it’s from the pier.”

The menu has plenty of burgers, fries and specialty sandwiches, the latter changing from time to time, along with soft drinks, ice cream, milkshakes and fried pies. It also has chicken, both fried and grilled, and an extensive breakfast menu that includes the usual sausage, chicken, bacon or egg biscuits, along with a twist on the traditional gravy biscuits so beloved in the South: biscuits with chocolate gravy. “I used to eat that as a kid, but lots of people around here have never heard of it,” Hubbard says.

The boat dock, which is behind the restaurant, fits six to eight boats, and business booms from there during the summer. Jack’s also has a patio out back where lake people often come to dine. “When 4th of July is on a weekend, the boat dock is in constant use due to the fireworks on the lake,” Hubbard says. “The dock is really busy during fishing tournaments, too.”

Jack’s is open seven days a week all year. Their hours are 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays and weekdays, and 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Whether boaters call in their orders ahead of time or after they dock, a server will deliver their food to the pier.

Chili’s

Chili’s Grill & Bar, 340 Albert Rains Blvd. Gadsden (Neely Henry) has a boardwalk area at the dock, which is about 20 yards behind the restaurant. The dock will accommodate four boats.

“Behind the restaurant is a koi pond, and closer to the river and docking area are a splash pad and pavilion,” says manager Eli Trembler. “During summer when the weather is nice, people often pull up and place a to-go order, while others come inside and eat.”

A national chain, Chili’s specializes in ribs, fajitas and burgers. “All of our ribs are smoked in-house, and our fresh meat comes in twice a week, so our burgers are never frozen,” Trimble says. “One of our most popular is the Boss Burger, which consists of a half-pound beef patty with pork brisket, jalapeño sausage and bacon, all topped with barbecue sauce. We have a three-for-$10 special that offers a drink, appetizer and entrée from a select menu all day, every day.”

Open seven days per week, their hours are 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings, 91 East Chestnut St., Gadsden (Neely Henry), has a pier about 100 feet from the back of the restaurant that will accommodate four boats, according to manager Jose River. “We actually have a decent amount of people using it,” Rivera says. “We do take-out orders by boat, too. You can call it in to us, and we can take it to you at the pier.”

An Alabama-based chain, Buffalo Wild Wings serves mainly what its name implies: wings. In the Gadsden area, however, it’s all about the burgers, says Rivera. “Some of the best we’ve ever created are right here, and they’re top-notch,” he says. “For example, we have the All-American that is a full hamburger with condiments, American cheese, two hamburger patties and bacon. Our Bacon Hatch Smash Chili Burger has Hatch green chilis, Fresno peppers, and we smash bacon bits into the meat before we cook it.”

 Open seven days a week, on Tuesdays, the restaurant offers a BOGO for traditional wings, and on Thursdays a BOGO for boneless wings. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. “When the COVID pandemic is over, we might have some live entertainment,” Rivera says. The restaurant serves alcohol.

Wellington Bleus

Wellington Bleu’s, 1504 Rainbow Drive, Gadsden, currently uses a neighbor’s dock that’s behind the restaurant. But the new steakhouse may be building its own pier soon. “We’re working on a way to call from your boat,” says owner Scott Barkley. “Then we’ll deliver there.”

A classic steakhouse, Wellington cooks up gourmet dishes with a flair and serves them in a casual but elegant atmosphere, according to Barkley. Beef Wellington is their signature dish, but they also do prime beef steaks and a variety of fresh seafood, from mahi-mahi to scallops and shrimp.

“We do catering and business lunches, and we have a huge meeting room for families or businesses to entertain,” Barkley says. “Our outdoor patio can be used for everyday dining or meetings, too.”

 The restaurant first opened for a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, then full blast after New Year’s Day. It’s closed Sundays and Mondays, but that is subject to change. “We may be open for Sunday lunch by the time readers see this,” he says. As of this writing, hours are 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays and 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturdays, year-round. Barkley advises people to check the restaurant’s Facebook page to keep up with new days, hours and menu selections.

Editor’s Note:Little Bridge Marina at 70 Wharton Bend Rd., in Rainbow City, expanded and reopened April 10 after a fire. It does feature outdoor dining accessible by boat.

A full story about its return is planned in the next issue of LakeLife 24/7.

Greensport still a destination point for memories – old and new

Story by Leigh Pritchett

Photos By David Smith
Submitted photos from Margaret Green,
Beth Evans-Smith, Tammy Lowery
and Stephanie Evans.

Along the shores of Neely Henry Lake is an expanse that has been in one family eight generations.

Its history holds stories of ferry rides, steamboat races, a comic strip character and a message in a bottle.

It is also a story of drawing the past into the present

to preserve for the future. Six-year-old David Evans IV and five-year-old brother, Josiah, are that future and the eighth generation to live on land called “Greensport.”

The boys’ parents, David Evans III and wife, Stephanie, have mixed amenities with pieces of history and cradled them in family and tradition.

The couple assumed operations of the marina, park and campground in February 2020 and are undertaking many projects to make it a premier destination with a secure, family atmosphere.

With the assistance of developer Dale Owens, 90 to 100 RV spaces, with full hook-up and high-speed wireless internet, already have been created. In addition, the expanse features a beach, in-ground pool, vintage store, bath house, laundry facilities, playground and jumping pillow, volleyball court, cornhole, fire pits, golf-cart-friendly biking and walking trails, dog park, boat storage and fueling areas.

A large pavilion at the tip of a peninsula called “The Island” has become a popular setting for gatherings and weddings.

“There’s not a weekend we don’t have it rented out,” said Stephanie, a marketing specialist.

Day-use picnic pavilions line the shore where, in yesteryear, a ferry docked. Already, the pavilions are booked into summer 2021.

“We stay at 95 percent capacity during the week and that goes up to 100 percent on the weekend,” Stephanie said of the pavilions.

Campers from nearly all 50 states, British Columbia and the United Kingdom have stayed at the RV park, she said.

The couple have further plans for a restaurant right at the lake’s edge, an on-site food vendor, another pool, a 120-foot pier and additional RV spaces so that the park can accommodate up to 150 rigs. An original lake house is to be relocated and repurposed for a game room and laundry.

At the same time, the land retains its centuries-old agricultural legacy and has been named an Alabama Bicentennial Farm. “We raise our own line of cattle … (and) market our USDA-inspected beef in the (park) store,” said David III.

‘Steeped in history’

Those conversant with the history of the surrounding area say its name could have been “Green’s Port” at one time, eventually becoming “Greensport.” Or perhaps, it was always “Greensport.”

Regardless, there was a port and “Green’s Ferry was chartered by an act of the legislature with Jacob Green as the bonded ferryman,” notes the book, History of St. Clair County (Alabama), by Mattie Lou Teague Crow. “… The place became Greensport.”

The generations — Dave Evans III, standing; Dave Evans Jr. seated with Dave Evans IV, AKA Quade, and Josiah Evans

Jacob Green was the first of the eight generations to be on the land.

Beth Evans-Smith, the sister of David III, said Jacob settled in the area sometime around 1818.

Jacob had fought in the Revolutionary War as a teenager and in the War of 1812, Beth and David III said. Beth said it is possible Jacob received the acres of “Beaver Valley” farmland as compensation for his military service.

A narrow Coosa River meandered through the farmland, Beth continued.

Greensport is “really steeped in a lot of history,” said Beth, who still lives on the family land. Soldiers during the War of 1812 and the Civil War crossed the Coosa River at Greensport. Native-American artifacts reveal that it held significance for them, too.

Margaret Green of Ashville, a distant cousin of Beth and David III, said Native-American fish weirs have been seen when the water was low. Beth added that David III has a corn-grinding stone one of their ancestors was given by a Native American who befriended them.

Farmers brought their cotton and other crops to the port to be transported to market upriver. Shoals made the river going southward unnavigable, Beth said.

Between 1879 and 1890, three locks were built in an attempt to open navigation south of Greensport. The locks were about .68 miles, 3.86 miles and 5.24 miles below Greensport, according to History of St. Clair County. “The dam for the fourth lock was completed by 1892, … 26 miles below Greensport. The locks for this dam were never (built).” Thus, the river was unnavigable beyond that. “… When the railroads gained a monopoly on freight, and Congress failed to appropriate sufficient funds to cover operational costs, the locks were no longer used.”

The first steamboat to travel the Coosa River sailed from Greensport in 1845. It was the U.S.M. Coosa and transported mail to Rome, Ga., notes History of St. Clair County.

“Throughout the 19th century, Greensport was an important port in the trade routes of the state,” the book continues. “… There were steamboats coming to Greensport every day.”

Periodic steamboat races drew excited crowds along the route, Crow writes.Margaret, who taught in Pell City schools, has three binders of photos and information on the area and probably “a picture of every steamboat that went through Greensport.”

As a port town, Greensport bustled with activity. “It was a big to-do,” Margaret said. “It wasn’t just a little, tiny nothing. It was a thriving community.”

The onboard happenings of one steamboat, the Leota, provided ideas for the character “Popeye.”

“Tom Sims, a cartoonist who wrote ‘Popeye the Sailor Man,’ drew inspiration from his own experiences on working on a

steamboat,” Justinn Overton, executive director of Coosa Riverkeeper, states on the website, coosariver.org. “… Tom lived in Ohatchee, Ala.,, and used the sites, the people, and his father’s steamboat, the Leota, as inspiration for the comic strip.”

The Greensport ferry garnered interest of its own.

An article from the Sept. 19, 1928, edition of The Anniston  Star notes that using the ferry would cut 30 miles off a trip from Birmingham to Atlanta.The newspaper’s June 20, 1954, issue states the ferry was quite busy some football Saturdays. “They say that when Alabama used to play Georgia Tech, the cars would stack up for a mile waiting to get across the river,” David Evans Sr., the grandfather of Beth and David III, is quoted as saying. The ferry was also a Sunday destination, as people came just to ride it across and back.

David Sr. and son David Evans Jr. were the last two operators of the ferry, David III said.

The ferry was still in operation in 1957. Beth’s father, David Jr., piloted the ferry until he took a steel plant job. She said a man often brought his special needs child to ride the ferry, and her dad always helped the child embark and disembark. One time, her dad mentioned needing another job, and the child’s father suggested applying at Republic Steel in Gadsden. When her dad did apply, that man happened to be the interviewer, and David Jr. started work immediately.

David Sr. served as St. Clair County’s sheriff for a time, Beth and David III said.

Of the land that stretches in every direction from the store, David III said, “It’s been part of my life since the beginning.”

As young children, he and Beth lived in the home their grandfather had built. David III pointed to a place in the lake to show where the home sat.

In their youth, he and Beth raised heifers and horses. They learned to work, be responsible and deal with the public, Beth said. “We learned a lot.”

On weekends, people who knew their grandfather when he was in the coal mining business in Bibb County often camped on the property. Those, Beth said, were always fun times. “We had a great childhood.”

“Pop” Hoffman, a man known for killing and stuffing rattlesnakes, lived on the premises as well. “He took care of us during the day,” Beth said, referring to her and David III. “(Pop) was our babysitter. … Pop was a grand person. I didn’t know he wasn’t related to me when I was young.”

Dave Evans Sr. at the store

A prominent memory for her cousin, Margaret, is of her and Beth playing on the newly built piers before the lake appeared.

“We’d just run and jump (off the piers) like we were Superman,” Margaret said.

The marina and park hold a lot of memories as well for Allen Beavers of Attalla.

The 51-year-old said he has been going there since age 5.

As a teen, “(every) Saturday and Sunday during the summer, we were there,” Allen said.

He and wife Tina now vacation there three to four weeks a year, with future plans to stay for months at a time.

Following a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis seven years ago, Allen vowed to go every weekend, rain or shine. The couple reserve a day-use picnic pavilion, enjoy the scenery and talk with other picnickers in a setting that Allen describes as “family.”

“I love the place so much,” he said. “… Even if I’m in a wheelchair, I want to be down there.”

Tammy Lowery can understand. She has fond, childhood memories of summer fun and family time on the land. “We would go there and swim for the day and barbecue with the family.”

After vacationing there in 2020, Tammy and husband Dale decided to sell their home in Attalla, buy a fifth-wheel rig, and become permanent residents of the RV park. Son Mason is at college, but son Brayden has an RV in the park as well.

Tammy and Dale now serve as camp hosts, assisting campers after hours.

“We just loved it so much, we never went back home,” Tammy said.

Finding a treasure

A bottle that was floating on the lake at Greensport RV Park was as ordinary as any other bottle floating on a lake.

Day use pavilions perfect for outdoor enjoyment

But its contents and 34-year journey were not ordinary at all.

The bottle and the lives touched by it are highlighted by Fred Hunter of Birmingham’s WBRC-6 in an Aug. 24, 2020, post on wbrc.com.

The post reveals that, in 1986, Argin Hulsey wrote a message, put it in a bottle and prayed over it. Then, he tossed it into Nance’s Creek near Piedmont in Calhoun County – far upstream from Greensport RV Park. Argin trusted that God would put the message in the right hands at the right time.

When the Evanses’ friend, Brandi Rhoades of Springville, found the bottle in the summer of 2020 as she was helping to clean the river banks, she knew it was something special. She called Stephanie and David III to look at the contents, where they opened the message together.

According to the post, this is Argin’s message that traveled through time to reach the Evans family:

“God intended marriage to be a reflection of the unity of The Godhead, an earthly portrait of his Divine Image. Since there are no perfect people, the achievement of that unity requires a choice, a commitment and acceptance of responsibility to the mate and to the children who will be influenced in the family setting.”

Logan Martin’s Aristotle

Carl Wallace builds lake fan base with social media posts

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Kelsey Bain

Grab a cup of coffee and Lets Chat

Carl Wallace

And so begins the weekly blog of Carl Wallace. Some may call him a critical thinker, something akin to an Aristotle, the Greek philosopher who covered such weighty subjects as logic, ethics, metaphysics, politics, natural science and physics. He simply calls what he writes – and thinks – “Lake Ramblings.”

On social media, he’s gathered quite a following, numbering in the thousands at daybreak each Saturday morning when his ‘ramblings’ appear. His photos, his thoughts on life and lake and his conversation starters up and down Logan Martin’s shoreline community have made him a local celebrity.

And his fans snap up his books – four of them to date – to preserve the special memories, snapshots and perspectives of life on the lake his writing evokes.

“This is lakelife right here,” he says with an animated sweep of his hand motioning lakeward from his usual perch deckside of his Logan Martin home. It’s his ringside seat to what he calls paradise. “We’re incredibly lucky,” he said, noting that he and wife, Marcia, known as “Mar” to regular readers of his blog (Why use two syllables when you can get by with just one?), are “blessed.”

Fishing at sunset a favorite pastime

The genesis of Ramblings was in 2014 when he occasionally posted on Facebook a series of random thoughts about life on the lake and life, in general. People connected, and the following grew. It evolved into every two weeks and then when COVID hit, one of his followers messaged, “You need to go weekly.”

The writing came naturally. An engineer by trade, he had done technical writing over the years. As a hobby, he raised beagles, and he wrote about them in magazines, too. He talks of left brain, right brain and how a chemical engineer could become a writer, and this natural born storyteller made an easy transition. “I said, I’ve done this chemical engineering thing, I want to try this other side for a while and see what else I am.”

Now his storytelling travels over a neighborhood he describes as “50 miles long,” the length of Logan Martin Lake. And this vast ‘community’ looks to their neighbor for news, weather reports, predictions about lake levels and flooding, comings and goings on the lake and even a song lyric or two. “I do a lot of research,” he notes. He tells of origins and history of the everyday occurrences he might encounter and write about. He even tests new products for his readers like the time he bought the Bug Assault, a gun that shoots insects. “Lake people like toys,” he says.

His life, he adds, resides on a laptop and 3 x 5 cards. “I’m observant, but my memory is not so good,” he adds. “I have to make a note or text Mar” to make the note for him.

The storyteller in him

It all eventually winds up in his Saturday morning dialogue with his community. He posts in social media groups, All Things

Logan Martin Lake and Love Lake Logan Martin, which he described in his first book, Lake Ramblings, Heaven Can’t Be Too Far From Here! as “a group of human beings interested in life on Logan Martin Lake, located in central Alabama.”

In the foreword, he tells readers: “I suggest you read one Ramblings per day. I also suggest that you read it aloud to

someone you love. My hope is that you smile together.”

Facebook may have what it calls a conversation starter post, but Carl is the ultimate conversation starter. “Storytelling is a dialogue in the form of stories,” he explains. “It’s the way conversation starts.”

He learned that in Yazoo, Miss., where Jerry Clower lived and worked at one time for the same company as Carl. Clower eventually became a standup comedian, and his stories about the South earned him the moniker, “Mouth of the Mississippi.”

At Carl’s company, he says he was lucky to hang around with some of the older guys who would tell stories of days gone by. They entertained and engaged their audience. That art wasn’t lost on him.

So, every Saturday morning, he engages his “fellow human beings” with random tales of the week, thought provoking questions and observations, and he ends with a few song verses for good measure.

The song lyrics, he says, were an evolution in his writings. “It’s become a huge part of it. You never know when a song verse is going to touch someone.” It’s not unusual for a song verse to bring out a chorus of ‘I remember when’ comments from his readers each week.

How does he pick them? There is a common thread. “I preach love, tolerance and fun,” he says.

Sunsets aplenty

Sunsets play a starring role in his posts and in his life on the lake. In dedicating that first book, he thanked all his friends and followers and dedicated it to all who live on Logan Martin. “I must also thank the Lord for putting the most awesome sunsets in the world on Logan Martin Lake and for putting us here to appreciate them.”

His books are filled with sunset photos he has taken, and some of his favorites have been made into enlarged photos on canvas hanging in a place of honor reserved in the great room.

But they’re not the only source of his inspiration for writing ramblings. He draws inspiration from just about anything in front of him and gives it a little twist – a double entendre, one might say. “We saw a jet ski out and about around Thanksgiving – cool – literally,” he wrote.

He committed his ‘ramblings’ to book form so his daughter may pick one up in the future and here him. His writings are countless examples of everyday occurrences that lake people can relate to. “Left? Or right? That’s the big decision you have to make to go ‘tuning!” he wrote in another post. For non-lake folks, tuning means riding on a pontoon boat. “Are we going downstream? Or upstream? Toward the dam? Or toward I-20? Tough

decisions (smiling emoji inserted). It’s a big relief once you’ve committed – whew!”

By Lake Ramblings, too, “ya gotta love the lake,” he added thousands more members to his dedication list but went a step further: “Let’s also include the millions of lake lovers everywhere – I suspect we have a lot in common.”

By his third book, Lake Ramblings Again, “still lovin’ the Lake life,” he added more fans and followers to his dedication, singling out “those special fans that understand me more than 50 percent of the time.”

The latest is Lake Ramblings IV, “welcome to paradise,” and a fifth is due out in May. He warns would-be readers in Lake Ramblings IV: “So, here’s the premise, the setting – me and you, sitting on our upper deck, daybreak, overlooking the lake, right now, drinking coffee and chatting – yes, I will hog the conversation.”

And lucky for the Logan Martin community, the conversation continues every Saturday morning about daybreak.

You’ll read about the lake wildlife he named, like Genghis, the great blue heron; Larry, the lizard; Crack, the squirrel; Fred and Maggie, the Mallard couple; Stump, the chipmunk, and a seeming menagerie of others.

You’ll hear about humans, too, like Neighbor Dalton and Long Company Hugh. They’re all part of Carl’s Saturday morning community conversations.

How did they get here from there?

When it was time to retire eight years ago, the Wallaces knew they wanted to be on the water, and Alabama was a good choice because their daughter, Shannon Atchenson, lived in Birmingham. “I’m a spoiled bass fisherman,” he says, noting that Guntersville real estate was a bit high. They couldn’t find what they wanted on Lay, and someone mentioned Logan Martin. “I had never heard of it,” he recalls, so he said, “Let’s go look.”

Carl and Marcia “Mar” on the deck

They found the perfect place with a near 360-degree view, and they more than settled in. They are regular fixtures at community events, and he often uses his Saturday morning posts to promote them. Chapel in the Pines – the come as you are church at Lakeside Park – is a regular feature. “It’s a cool thing, he says, to comment that you “get in the boat and go to chapel.”

Retirement looks good on Carl. He was in the chemical industry for 33 years, enjoying a successful career as an executive. But when it came time to retire, he said he was ready.

“When I was 27 years old, I knew I was going to be good at retirement. And I am.”

Editor’s Note: In addition to every Saturday morning on Facebook, you can read Carl’s posts on

LakeRamblings.com. His books are availble on Amazon.com

Let the season begin!

All the ways to take to the water

Story by Leigh Pritchett
Photos submitted

A global pandemic, the ensuing shutdowns and the resulting economic struggles set up 2020 to be bad from stem to stern.

And yet, it was a banner year in some respects, particularly with a reawakening to the great outdoors and all things nautical. Boating caught a big wave of popularity.

“Boat-buying is through the roof,” Katie Grell, sales manager at Buck’s Island in Southside said. Demand has been so great that it is outpacing the ability of manufacturers to keep up. “…

It has been like this for a solid year.”

The same goes for personal watercraft, and even the trailers on which to haul them, said Chris Dobbins, general sales

manager of Speed Zone Motorsports in Gadsden.

“Last year, we were sold out for the summer before

Memorial Day even hit,” Dobbins said.

Fishing fun

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), based in Chicago, Ill., notes this marked increase in boating in its January report, “U.S. Boat Sales Reached 13-year High in 2020, Recreational Boating Boom to Continue through 2021,” (posted on Business Wire, businesswire.com). The NMMA, “representing North American recreational boat, engine and accessory manufacturers, reports that retail unit sales of new powerboats in the U.S. increased last year by an estimated 12 percent over 2019. More than 310,000 new powerboats were sold in 2020, The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), based in Chicago, Ill., notes this marked increase in boating in its January report, “U.S. Boat Sales Reached 13-year High in 2020, Recreational Boating Boom to Continue through 2021,” (posted on Business Wire, businesswire.com). The NMMA, “representing North American

recreational boat, engine and accessory manufacturers, reports that retail unit sales of new powerboats in the U.S. increased last year by an estimated 12 percent over 2019. More than 310,000 new

powerboats were sold in 2020, levels the recreational boating industry has not seen since before the Great Recession in 2008.”

John-Michael Donahue, NMMA’s vice president of North American public affairs, told LakeLife 24/7 that figures so far in 2021 indicate the trend is continuing.

“Boat sales are expected to remain at historic levels in 2021 as manufacturers continue to fill a backlog of orders from 2020,” the NMMA report states.

Mark Hildebrant, a family owner of Woods Surfside Marina in Cropwell, said,“The lakes were crowded last year. And they are going to be as crowded or more this year.”

The pandemic shutdown in March and April of 2020 sent

uncertainty through the industry, Donahue said. But people quickly recognized that boating was a safe way to escape isolation and to enjoy family time.

Grell, too, thought 2020 was certain to be a bad sales year. “Boy, did I get it wrong. … We’ve never had a year so good!”

At the three-day Alabama Boat Show and Expo at Barber Motorsports in Leeds in March 2021, Hildebrant got a glimpse of what this year holds for boat dealers: He took 13 units to the show and sold 22. “It was crazy.”

Pontoons and Tritoons

Eddie Rush of Poor House Branch Marina in Lincoln said customers are particularly interested in pontoons and tritoons. And they want lots and lots of horsepower.

According to the NMMA report, purchases of pontoons and freshwater

Manitou tritoon

fishing boats constituted about 50 percent of new powerboat sales in 2020.

The sales are estimated to have been up 12 percent in 2020. The industry’s pre-pandemic expectations were only for a 2-percent increase.

Way back when, pontoons were just for cruising. But now, Rush said, they are built to be powerful and multipurpose.

While some people may have, in the past, had a pontoon for cruising and a separate boat for skiing or tubing, pontoons and tritoons with large engines now combine the purposes, said John Coffman, manager and mechanic with

University Marine at Pine Harbor in Pell City.

Jeff Morris, operations manager of Rodney’s Marine in Cropwell, said the versatility of tritoons is driving sales. Tritoons, he explained, can now accommodate a wide range of horsepower. “They’re not your grandpa’s pontoon anymore.” They seat 10-14 people and pull

towables, wakeboards and skiers. The innovations in toon design, motor technology, electronics, navigation system and lights add to the popularity of pontoons and tritoons. Many models also have transformable seating arrangements, such as a lounging area that folds to make a table.

The vessels are available in entry-level models to high-end products with myriad features,

Morris said. “We carefully listen and evaluate the customer needs to recommend a tritoon that is right for their style of boating.”

Avalon with LED lights

Coffman said pontoons and tritoons, in general, require less maintenance and are cheaper to operate than runabouts.

They are stable and give a relaxing ride, even in a wake, Rush said. “They don’t porpoise on the waves. They don’t dead-rise at takeoff (like a ski boat). It just goes straight. When you hit waves, they don’t bounce you all over the place.”

When it comes to horsepower on a pontoon or tritoon, more is better, it seems.

Ten years ago, pontoons commonly had 150hp engines. Now, they tend to have 200hp or more, said Coffman.

“We are seeing pontoons with 425hp,”

Hildebrant said.

First-Time Buyers

Coffman and Hildebrant said another

surprising trend in 2020 was the number of individuals who became first-time boat owners and lake fans.

“The uptick in sales of first-time boat owners is a big trend,” Hildebrant said.

Coffman said he saw “more people who aren’t lake people becoming lake people.”

Ryan Tyler, vice president of Skier’s Marine in Westover estimated that the number of people new to boating who came to his business was probably the largest in 10 years.

Grell said interest rates and finance terms currently available also are attracting more young buyers.

Donahue said tips on buying and enjoying boats and being safe on the water can be found

at discoverboating.com.

Wake Boats

Wake boats are getting quite a bit of attention now.

“(Wake boats) really hit the market hard in 2013,” Tyler said.

According to the NMMA report, “Sales of wake boats – popular for wakesurfing, skiing and wakeboarding and attractive to new and active boaters – are estimated to be up 20 percent to 13,000 units in 2020.”

Bennett Rambo, general manager of Rambo Marine in Westover, described wake surfing as “a low-impact sport.” He said surfing is done at slower speeds and with less intensity than other watersports.

Because the surfer rides the wake close behind the boat, the prop must be safely positioned completely away from the surfer. Rambo also said the vessels have a combination of features – such as ballast, cruise control and surf gate – to create wake.

It is all automated, Tyler said. He added that the boats are intuitive to use and drive like a sports car. He calls them “all-around, family fun boat(s).”

To create wake, the boats “have to have a lot of power and torque,” Tyler continued. Nonetheless, the wake size can be tailored to the surfer’s weight and skill level. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all wave.”

Rambo said the wide variety of wake boats fit most any skill level.

The boats range in length from 20 to 26 feet, with engines from 373 to 522hp, Tyler said.

Personal watercraft

Personal watercraft are hot commodities right now, too.

In fact, their shortage during last summer fueled a surprise buying spree in December 2020 and January 2021 when the units were

available again, Dobbins said.

SeaDoo personal watercraft

Plus, more individuals are purchasing multiple units than in the past, Dobbins said. Recently, a customer from Florida bought four.

“They are going fast,” Dobbins said.

The NMMA’s report states that “sales of personal watercraft … are estimated to be up 8 percent to 11,000 units in 2020.”

Dobbins has seen more out-of-state buyers during this time. In one day, he assisted customers from Florida and Illinois, who came to get what they were having trouble finding in their own area.

Manufacturers, he continued, are producing personal watercraft at various prices to give financial choices. “That definitely helps.”

Lenders have also established special promotions for buyers  purchasing multiple units, he said.

Dobbins’ advice for those planning to enjoy the water this summer is to get the necessary equipment early.

Incidentally, the NMMA report states that buying personal watercraft may be the first step toward becoming a boat owner.

“Personal watercraft are often considered a gateway to boat ownership.”

Young boaters

In recent years, high schools and colleges have begun offering fishing as a sports option, said Grell.

This has gained traction of late, with many more high schools creating teams, she said.

As a result, the demand for new and used fishing boats has risen, as parents seek to purchase a vessel for their student.

Grell said one of her customers began fishing in high school two years ago and now is on Auburn University’s fishing team.

Father-and-son duos are buying boats as well, she said.

LakeLife 24/7

A lifelong state of mind

Carol Pappas, editor and publisher

I remember the first time I held a fishing pole in my hands. My daddy had loaded us up in our old 1957 Chevrolet, and we headed to nearby Lake Purdy on the outskirts of Birmingham. We all sat along the bank, Daddy baited our hooks with wiggly little worms and patiently taught us how to cast.

I remember how it felt to grip a cane pole tightly in my tiny little fingers and gently toss the line – hook, worm and bobber a few feet from my bankside perch. I must have been four or five at the time.

I remember my dad helping this squealing little girl land a bream. I, of course, thought it was a whopper. In reality it probably wasn’t much bigger than the tiny little hand that still held a vise-like grip on that cane pole, fish dangling from the end of the line.

It was on that bank – more years ago than I care to admit – that I first fell in love with lakelife. It’s a passion I thankfully never outgrew.

I suppose I came by it naturally. My father was born in a town in northern Greece with a lake as its centerpiece, its heart – Kastoria. I saw photos of it over the years, heard his stories of growing up there and dreamed of one day seeing it for myself. I did, and it was even more breathtaking in person than the well-worn photos I saw as a child.

Through high school and college, I joined friends who were lucky enough to have “weekenders” on Logan Martin Lake, and I dreamed of having a place of my own on a lake one day.

My first journalism job out of college brought me a step closer to that dream. It was in Pell City … returning me to Logan Martin Lake, where I

spent a handful of spring weekends and summer days as a teenager boating or working on a tan on someone’s pier.

A couple of jobs later and still in the same area, I moved up through the ranks at my newspaper and was finally able to afford my dream – my own full-time lakelife.

Today, marks the realization of another dream, creating a lakelife experience in the form of a magazine to be shared with others. It’s called LakeLife 24/7® for a reason. It’s really a state of mind, a lifestyle, an experience you never want to let go of – much like that white-knuckled grip on that cane pole decades ago.

My father’s view in Kastoria, Greece

Once you experience lakelife, you know what I mean. You don’t want to let go. You don’t want to leave. You ask yourself, what’s better than lakelife? And the answer comes without hesitation: LakeLife 24/7, of course!

That’s our aim with this new magazine and its multimedia components – to create a comprehensive lakelife experience you’ll want to savor and share. In the pages that follow, online at lakelife247magazine.com, in electronic newsletters, in video and on social media, we hope to create a community of Logan Martin and Neely Henry ‘lakelifers’ on this stretch of the Coosa River.

It may be two different lakes, but we are inextricably tied together by a common bond,
a shared love affair with the water.

Welcome to LakeLife 24/7®! It’s how you want to live – a day, a weekend, all the time. Jump in.
The water’s perfect!