Ever seen creativity afloat? If you made it to Boo Bash on Logan Martin 2025, you couldn’t miss it.
From boats dressed as Pac Man, Creepy Castle and Ghostbusters, creative juices were flowing like Logan Martin Dam when the spillway gates are open.
After party at Tiki Hut
Not to be outdone, docks were in full Halloween regalia with the likes of Pine Harbor Urgent Care, a not-so comforting medical theme of saws, knives, blood and bones.
Little Dock of Horrors was a double deck of ghoulish goblins, ghosts, and grimacing ghouls. And Fear the Pier had boats and revelers approaching with trepidation.
Pac Man boat
And Boo Slough made sure everyone got to enjoy the day. No dock? No boat? No problem. Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and Pell City Parks and Recreation hosted fun, inflatables and giveaways at Lakeside Park, easily accessible by vehicle, boat or on foot.
Now in its fourth year, Boo Bash has grown into a full-scale movement, bringing the entire lake community together in a festive seasonal celebration. And its proceeds go to a worthy cause – LMLPA’s safety program.
Think dock-to-dock trick-or-treating is just for kids? Think again. It’s hard to tell which age group has the most fun. There’s plenty of treats for adults and pooches, too.
Capped off with an after party at presenting sponsor, The Tiki Hut, Boo Bash gets bigger and better every year thanks to the two simple words that began it all – “What if?” The brainchild of Kelli Lasseter and Sonya Hubbard and bolstered by a growing army of volunteers, Boo Bash has now become a Logan Martin tradition.
And the Logan Martin community thanks all involved on an idea well done. See you next year!
Parents, don’t panic. This is still a family-friendly magazine, safe for children. In fact, this story is about an Alabama Power initiative that makes the planet better for our kids and grandkids and brings colorful, fragrant beauty to Logan Martin and other Alabama lakes.
It takes a variety of flowers to serve the needs of pollinators
In 2018, the utility began its pollinator plot program at nine sites around Alabama. Two pollinator-friendly plots are located in Double Cove Park at Logan Martin near the dam. The program is part of The Preserves, 65 public recreational sites along the state’s shorelines.
Each half-acre plot was built in the wake of a decline in pollinator populations, notably bees. But a variety of wildlife, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, lizards and bats are pollinators that plants depend on to survive and thrive.
That spread of pollen doesn’t just help flowers to blossom, it impacts the food supply. Each plot is seeded with a custom blend of native seeds specific to each site – a recipe of annuals, biannuals and perennials. Each plot commonly includes milkweed species, black-eyed Susans and goldenrod. The seed mix is created following a soil analysis at Auburn University.
The company partnered with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service in developing the pollinator sites.
“Our goal was to establish pollinator friendly sites at each Alabama Power public recreation site capable of development,” said Garret Parker, Alabama Power team leader on Shoreline Recreation and Compliance.
Goals for the program include:
Enhancing existing recreation sites.
Protecting the scenic, recreational and environmental aspects of each site.
Encouraging stakeholders to enjoy, learn and grow a deeper appreciation of Alabama’s ecology and natural landscape.
The plots have to be redone every five years, Parker said. It generally takes about three months to re-do the plots.
“The wildflowers come back every year, but over time you get a lot of invasive weeds and grasses and sometimes even trees,” Parker said. “They slowly start to get into the plots and out-compete the native wildflowers.”
In late fall, employees plant a wildflower seed mixture that by next spring and summer will be a cornucopia of beauty, color and fragrance – bergamot, black-eyed Susans, blue false indigo, butterfly milkweed, purple cornflower and others.
Fighting off the threats
In the past quarter century, pollinator populations and their habitats have drastically declined, thanks to a number of factors, including pesticides, pollution, pests, pathogens and changes in land use, such as increasing human development, according to the Pollinator Partnership. It is an organization that collaborates with farmers, gardeners, land managers, scientists and industry to improve pollinator populations.
Double Cove Park is home to two Pollinator Plots
Climate change also plays a key role, according to the partnership. The increased temperatures have damaged habitat and the food supply for pollinators, as has extreme drought and an increase in the number of weather-related disasters.
Here are a few examples of how pollinator populations have declined:
Several species of native bumblebees, including the common bumblebee, the western bumblebee and the Rusty Patched bumblebee, have experienced a decline in population. Researchers have seen a decline in the geographic range of the species.
The number of managed beehives in the United States has declined from 5 million in the 1940s to 2.68 million in 2023, according to USDA statistics.
The monarch butterfly population loss has increased from between 35 to 49 percent to 58 percent.
Along with the pollinator plots, the utility has worked with universities like Auburn, researchers, state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to grow the pollinator population, Parker said.
“Alabama Power coordinated with the Auburn University Bee Lab and the Electric Power Research Institute to conduct a multi-year research study on ways to protect pollinator friendly plant species when conducting required vegetation management on utility rights of way,” Parker said. We also work with state and federal partners and NGOs to protect specific species such as the white fringeless orchid.”
Among the NGOs partnering with Alabama Power is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The company also supports the Alabama Wildlife Federation and Alabama Audubon Society and their efforts to establish wildlife and pollinator friendly vegetation.
An example of the partnerships is between the power company and Auburn University’s Bee Laboratory. The university uses “citizen science” by encouraging public participation in the National Colony Loss & Management Survey. It’s a “boots on the ground” effort to monitor bee population.
The utility is among a number of partners with Auburn, including the University of Maryland and the USDA.
This past summer, the utility worked with the Pollinator Partnership to sponsor its annual Pollinator Week, a celebration of the birds and bees, butterflies and other animals that go crazy over Alabama wildflowers. Humans like the picturesque plots too.
Why is the program important? “By prioritizing environmental stewardship,” Parker said, “we’re safeguarding resources and opportunities for future generations.”
Editor’s Note:Community members can find a pollinator plot to host a counting event near them by downloading the free Shorelines mobile app or visiting apcshorelines.com.
Chapel in the Pines celebrates 60 years of worship on the banks of Logan Martin Lake
Story by Roxann Edsall Submitted Photos
The engine of the approaching personal watercraft quiets to idle speed, the unit plowing through the water headed for the pier. Arriving at the pier moments later, its driver allows it to spin and stop and begins to tie off.
Wearing T-shirts, shorts and visors, the driver and his passenger hop onto the pier, greeting passengers of another arriving boat. Walking past the parking lot, they follow the path into the woods. It’s Sunday on the lake, and they’re headed to church at Chapel in the Pines.
Pets are welcome at Chapel in the Pines
For 60 years now, residents of Logan Martin Lake, along with their guests and visitors to the area, have gathered at the river to worship at the outdoor chapel known as Chapel in the Pines. Since its inception, the plan has always been for the service to be short and informal, allowing both time to worship and time to play on Sunday mornings. Visitors are encouraged to come to the 30-minute non-denominational service in casual attire, then hit the water to continue lake-loving activities for the rest of the weekend. Services are held at 8:30 a.m. beginning the first Sunday in May and continuing through the September.
Weekly church services at Chapel in the Pines are a ministry of Pell City First United Methodist Church. “We are happy to be able to offer the community an opportunity to gather at a weekly ecumenical service,” said Pell City FUMC senior pastor Rachel Gonia. “People who are here visiting during the summer have a place to come when they’re away from their home church.”
The message is delivered by a different preacher each week, with a representation by each religious denomination in the local area. That was one of the unique things that drew Sue Pat DuBose and her late husband, John, to Chapel in the Pines in 1984, eventually serving on the chapel board for five years. “We lived across the street, and we’d hear people singing, but we couldn’t hear the speaker,” says DuBose. “So, we walked over, and we enjoyed it so much. It was exciting, because, at that time, you never knew who the preacher was going to be or who was going to do the music.”
These memories were among many shared at the end of this season of Chapel in the Pines during an anniversary celebration honoring the history of this Logan Martin tradition. Deanna Lawley, a former chapel board member, recounted events from its early years. “It was like a homecoming when the season began,” she remembers. “We’d go over there when it was still dark to sweep off and around the benches before the people arrived.”
That was when Chapel in the Pines was in its first location in Pine Harbor Marina, where University Marine at Pine Harbor Marina is now. Pine Harbor Resort developer Thomas Casaday set aside land there with an outdoor chapel in mind to encourage lakeside residents, particularly those in Pine Harbor, to make time to worship while enjoying the lake.
For 49 years, the 16-foot tall cross at the marina at Pine Harbor drew people to the outdoor worship space. When the long-team lease expired in 2014 and negotiations to renew the lease with the new owners failed, the search was on for a new home.
A cross marks the way to the outdoor chapel
Sam Huffstutler, Pell City FUMC pastor at the time, worked with the Chapel in the Pines Board and found a partnership with city leaders in Pell City. The resulting deal with Pell City gave the church authorization to build a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater at Lakeside Park. The traditional Christmas Eve service that year was the first service held at the new location.
Chapel in the Pines welcomes believers from all denominations at any stage of their faith journey. Creating a community of faith in the lake community and serving local and global partners through acts of faith and service is their mission. Any money collected above small operating costs goes back to the community through grants given out to local nonprofits, such as the St. Clair County Boys Ranch, Gateway Community Garden, The Gideons International and First Priority.
Celebrating community and common ground is an important reason that Carl Wallace, author of Lake Ramblings, attends Chapel regularly. “Love of the lake provides us a common ground for a diverse community,” says Wallace. “Chapel in the Pines is an extension of the common ground and provides a predictably safe place, a place of encouragement, a place of worship.”
When the world went sideways during the height of COVID-19 when many places of worship shut their doors for a time, Chapel in the Pines became a place of spiritual peace for many in the Logan Martin area. Organizers found a way to still gather for worship, allowing seating in every other pew and encouraging social distancing.
During that time, Wallace was still writing his Saturday morning “Lake Ramblings” on Facebook and posted about the precautions he and his wife, Mar, would make to allow them to participate in chapel.
“We’d take our lawn chairs and sit up on the hill across from the entrance to the amphitheater. We’ll be socially distanced, but we’ll be part of the service,” Wallace recalls. “We talked about that experience in ‘Lake Ramblings’ the next week and comedically called the hill ‘Scaredy Cat Hill.’ The next Sunday, we had nine more on the hill, then 12 more, then a bunch of us. Scaredy Cat Hill allowed us to gather in that common ground of Chapel in the Pines and gave us the encouragement we so desperately needed.”
Scaredy Cat Hill is no longer necessary, thankfully. Still, Chapel in the Pines continues to be the source of encouragement to many families, even as they say their final goodbyes to loved ones. DuBose chose to hold the memorial for her husband at Chapel after he passed away in April. “My husband loved Chapel so much and always told me when he passed, he wanted his service held to be held there,” said DuBose.
Suellen and Jim Dargan chose the chapel as their wedding venue and left by personal watercraft after tying the knot
Suellen and Jim Dargan rented the spot for their wedding in May of 2022. Both were serving and volunteering at Chapel in the Pines and consider it a very special place. “We both wanted something special and unique for our wedding,” said (Jim) Dargan. “And we wanted it there so we could travel on our Sea-Doo to and from the ceremony.”
Traveling to church by boat or personal watercraft, whether for church or for special occasions, gives Logan Martin Lake lovers another way to make memories with family and friends. “We’ve made lifelong friends who are more like family through Chapel in the Pines,” says Chapel Board member Amy Stinson.
Chapel in the Pines will hold a Christmas Eve service again this year at 3 p.m. You’ll want to drive the car to that one and maybe bring a blanket or two.
Editor’s note: The amphitheater at Lakeside Park where Chapel in the Pines is held can be rented for weddings, birthdays, or other special events by contacting Pell City Parks and Recreation.
Six times. Six wins. Not bad. Not bad at all for Logan Martin fan favorite Salli O’Donnell as she capped another win in the Great Alabama 650’s 2025 edition with a first solo finish, first female finish and third overall.
Finishing first overall and first tandem winners, Bobby Johnson and Matt Taylor, captured the top titles in a time of 5 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes.
Overall Solo and Female Solo winner Sallie O’Donnell heads to Logan Martin portage
Chris Thomas was first male solo finish, and Trey Reaves, last year’s solo and overall top finisher, was in tandem this year with John Wellens. They finished second overall.
A 650-mile Alabama professional ultra-endurance paddle race through Alabama Scenic River Trail on Weiss Lake, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Coosa River and Alabama River to Mobile Bay and Fort Morgan, the epic event stretched from Oct. 4-14. Racers have 10 days to complete, but the winners arrived at Mobile Bay and Fort Morgan at the 5-day mark.
The Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) maintains and promotes the core National Water Trail, along with a network of over 6,500 miles of paddling trails throughout the state.
Paddler navigates the trail
The organization’s trail network spans from North Alabama mountain streams and whitewater rapids to South Alabama’s river deltas, making it one of the most varied water trail networks in the nation.
As a nonprofit, ASRT operates through collaborations with local partners, organizations, and outfitters, serving as the state’s paddling resource for all skill levels.
The Great Alabama 650, ASRT’s signature race, highlights the full scope of these waterways, promoting appreciation and recognition of the state’s exceptional water recreation opportunities.
They call it the world’s longest paddle race and at 650 miles across Alabama’s waterways, it is one of the world’s toughest endurance races, too.
Only 47 percent who start the race at Weiss Lake in Alabama’s north even make it to the finish line at Mobile Bay’s Fort Morgan, underscoring the resilience and sheer determination it takes to complete the grueling trek.
The Great Alabama 650 Race returns Oct. 4-14, embarking on yet another adventure that draws fans up and down Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes as paddlers head further south.
It takes paddleboard, canoe and kayak paddlers along the core of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, which sets a couple of records on its own as the longest river trail in a single state and the longest national water trail.
Great Alabama 650 first-place finish
Traditionally, paddlers arrive in Gadsden on Neely Henry in the nighttime hours of Day 1 and reach Logan Martin on the morning of Day 2. From whatever vantage point fans can find with a view of main channels, a growing base of fans watch each year as paddlers make their way along the lakes.
Popular spots in Gadsden are along the riverwalk at Coosa Landing. Logan Martin tends to watch from lakeside homes or near the portage at Logan Martin Dam.
Or, they keep up with each racer’s progress on a live map on the race’s website, alabamascenicreivertrail.com/great-alabama-650. You can even volunteer for an even closer view and personal experience by registering on the website.
Racers have 10 days to complete the 650-mile course, but the 2024 male solo winner, Trey Reaves, finished in 7 days, 3 hours and 20 minutes. It was back-to-back wins for Reaves, who finished the 2023 edition in 6 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes. Record time was set by West Hansen in 2021 with 5 days, 19 hours and 9 minutes.
Ryan Gillikin was the female solo winner in 2024 in 8 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes. From the race’s inception in 2019 through 2023, Salli O’Donnell won all of them, setting the record in 2021 of 4 days, 22 hours, 39 minutes. O’Donnell has become a fan favorite on Logan Martin.
There’s also a two-person tandem team category, too, with Jessica Nance and Candi Hill capturing the 2024 title in 8 days, 22 hours, 35 minutes. The record is held by Paul Cox and Joe Mann at 4 days, 17 hours, 4 minutes in 2021.
They weather rain, wind, sun and fluctuating temperatures, from rushing whitewater to river deltas – all in hopes of completing this grueling race with prize purses worth $2,000 each. They’ll quickly tell you it’s not for the money, it’s the challenge.
So, grab your binoculars or find a closeup, waterfront perch and enjoy the race. It’s not just an adventure for the paddlers, it’s a lake life event you won’t want to miss.
Signature lakewide event to be even bigger and better in 2025
Story by Paul South Submitted Photos
Boo Bash, one of the lake’s fastest growing and most popular events, is back for its fourth Halloween celebration of costumes, candy and camaraderie for trick or treaters of all ages.
Boo Bash 2025 is set for Sunday, Oct. 5, from noon to 4 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, Oct. 12 from noon to 4 will be the makeup date.
More than 1,500 people participated in last year’s festival of frightful fun, an increase of more than 50 percent over a drought-stricken 2023.
For newcomers who have never participated in the fall event, lake residents decorate their docks and welcome a trick or treat fleet of boaters and their costumed crews. And, taking a page from the 1959 movie Godzilla, Boo Bash will also make mischief on land and water. Boo Bashers can gather at Lakeside Park, where restaurants and other sponsors also get in on the fun.
Don’t panic. While the giant amphibian wanted to destroy Tokyo, Boo Bash remains committed to building a better, safer, stronger lake community. Proceeds from the event will again go toward helping the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association fund solar-powered buoys – “BOO-ees” in Bash lingo – to be placed in shallow water to protect boaters.
Last year, Boo Bash raised enough money to fund 10 of the beacons. So far in the program, LMLPA has placed 70 buoys on the lake.
The 2024 event drew a big crowd, even while going one-on- one with an Alabama football game. “It actually went really well,” said Kelli Lasseter, who along with her partner Sonya Hubbard, leads an ever-growing corps of Boo Bash merry pranksters. “We made the decision to move it back to Sunday because it did interfere with so many of the children’s fall sports. There were also some safety concerns from last year that we hope moving it back to Sunday can help resolve. Safety is priority number one.”
Tiki Hut at Rivers Edge teams up with the LMLPA to put the event together
Boo Bash is again teaming with the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, The Tiki Hut at River’s Edge and the City of Pell City. As of this writing, a sponsorship drive was underway.
For the first time in 2024, the event featured a land component and that, along with the Tiki Hut open in what’s normally the off season, last year was unique, Lasseter said. Tiki Hut, a wildly popular summertime stop, usually closes for the season on Labor Day. But in 2024, it opened for Boo Bash and will do so again in 2025.
“Having Tiki Hut open was really cool, as was the addition of the land stop,” Lasseter said. CEPA also got into the spirit on Pirate Island with a theme that would make Blackbeard raise the Jolly Roger. They will be back in 2025.
Another fun new partner will be the Logan Martin Duck Hunt, which has had folks scavenging the lakeshore for numbered rubber ducks. Lasseter hopes the quackers will attract new Bashers from the upper part of the lake and its sloughs.
The year-round scavenger hunt is another treat in the Boo Bash Halloween bag, boosting the event’s mission to build community.
“We are really excited to partner with the Logan Martin Duck Hunt. A scavenger hunt has been on the list for awhile and this was just a perfect way to make that happen for everyone.” Lasseter said.
Stacy Deegan, co-creator of the hunt, is excited to be joining the Boo Bash spook-tacular.
“Boo Bash stands alone as being a significant event for lake residents and friends of the lake,” she said. “We are honored to be asked to collaborate with the organizers.
“Incorporating the Logan Martin Duck scavenger hunt with Boo Bash just adds a little bonus activity and gives the participants more to look forward to and enjoy,” Deegan added.” You can’t have too much fun, can you?”
Neal Stephenson, president of the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, said the association’s work to place the hazard buoys began in 2019, and the partnership with Boo Bash began last year.
“I think the partnership that our organization has done with Boo Bash has given our organization more visibility on the lake,” Stephenson said. “It’s increased our ability to donate more buoys to this program because our funding is based on volunteer donations. Because of this partnership with Boo Bash, we were able to accelerate and increase the number of buoys we have to donate to the lake.”
Stephenson is excited about the possibilities for Boo Bash 2025 and the LMLPA’s drive to place 100 buoys on the lake.
“If we have another year this year like we did last year with Boo Bash – between that and our own donations – we should be getting close to our goal,” Stephenson said.
Even in the sweltering July heat, momentum for the Fall’s Boo Bash was mounting, Lasseter said. “Excitement is already building. People are reaching out to us – new people who want to host a pier and our incredible host piers that continue to come back every year,” Lasseter said.
An example of the buzz? One new lake family doesn’t have a pier yet but plans to decorate their pontoon and float it out to greet revelers with treats.
Lasseter hopes Boo Bash and its stories will have a long life – a Halloween treat for generations on Logan Martin.
“I hope that Boo will continue to grow in this community and bring people from all walks of life together long after we’ve passed the torch to someone else.”
Events like Boo Bash and the duck hunt and places like Pirate Island are needed, Lasseter said, especially in tough times like today.
“It’s so important to take a break from the heaviness of day-to-day stuff,” she said. “To have just one day not to have any worries or cares and be able to tap into imagination and fun is everything to so many. Letting go of those worries for a few hours and enjoying the moment is something I love.”
Boo Bash sends a clear message, Lasseter said.
“What an amazing community we have on Logan Martin Lake. How selfless the people are to give hundreds of dollars of their own money to make this event happen,” Lasseter said. “I hope everyone walks away with smiles and memories. Oh, and bags full of wonderful treats!”
And as far as what Lasseter hopes people will remember about Boo in the years to come? Well, she had this to say. “When they think about Boo Bash, I want them to remember the fun they had but more importantly, I want them to remember the amazing people on this lake who made it all possible. Logan Martin is a very special place and Boo Bash is just one example of our residents’ hospitality and generosity. I am not sure you find this everywhere, but you will always find it here.”
Editor’s Note: For more information about Boo Bash on Logan Martin Lake, visit its Facebook page at Boo Bash on Logan Martin or email them at boobashonloganmartin@gmail.com.
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Mackenzie Free Submitted Photos
Even as summer winds down, families are enjoying making memories on Logan Martin Lake. Boats pulling tubes of squealing children pass by, personal watercrafts bounce on the waves, finding air off the wakes of larger boats. Pontoons filled to the brim with friends and family cruise along, tunes heralding their passing.
Can it get any better? Why, yes, it can!
Enjoying ice cream from the bow of a pontoon boat on a hot summer day
The children are usually the first to see it. Even those too young to read can recognize the signature lime green pontoon boat with a flag that reads two happy words – Ice Cream. Hopping up and down, they frantically wave their arms to let him know they’re screaming for ice cream. The Ice Cream Man on the Lake pilots his sweet ride to within arm’s reach of the crowd, and the ordering begins.
Somehow, ice cream seems to be a leveling agent. No matter what age or maturity level, people just seem happier, and certainly cooler, with an ice cream in hand, especially if they’re also in or around the lake. It’s a treat that would be hard to transport on the water, which makes the delivery to one’s boat even more of a memory-making event.
Pelham and Angie Smith have made many happy memories with their children that include the Ice Cream Man on the Lake. “We get it pretty often,” says Pelham. “This is the first time in the last couple of years, though.” Their 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old children aboard give the experience an enthusiastic thumbs up.
This is the fifth summer that Keith O’Neal, along with his wife, Elaine, have operated the ice cream boat on Logan Martin Lake. When they bought the boat from a friend, they did it with the idea of having some kind of food service boat on the lake. Their first idea of a hotdog and hamburger boat was rejected after assessing the challenges associated with cooking food on a boat. Then they heard from a friend about an ice cream boat operated on Harris Lake in Wedowee and decided to bring the idea to life on Logan Martin Lake.
O’Neal, who owns and operates six other businesses, says they don’t do this for money. “We do it for the fun,” says O’Neal. “It’s seeing children happy. We make sure everyone who wants to buy one gets one. And if a child doesn’t have the money, we’re not going to leave them out.
“We take care of people,” O’Neal goes on. “If they don’t have the money with them, we’ll give them the ice cream, and we’ve had them track us down months later to bring the money.” They offer 24 items and, to keep everything simple, all items are $4 each. They take cash, Cash App and Venmo, but no debit or credit cards.
Greg and Amy Stinson had cash in hand when they cruised up to the boat for an ice cream sandwich and a Snicker’s ice cream bar.
“We pulled up to the boat on our jet ski and they used a pole to pull us in position to order,” said Amy. “They were both very friendly, and the ice cream bars were a refreshing treat on a hot day.”
Refreshing and wonderful is just how Audrey and her three kids described their experience with the Ice Cream Man on the Lake. They’re gathered with friends and fellow boaters at Fireball Flatts. Half the crowd are in the water trying to cool off on this scorching summer afternoon. The other half are in the boats in the shade of their Biminis. The sight of the ice cream boat had the children going crazy to flag him down.
The purchase of a Batman cherry-flavored ice cream and a Ninja Turtle ice cream on a stick brought smiles to the faces of the younger children. An original Bomb Pop was the choice for some of the older kids, while a more mature Snicker’s ice cream bar was chosen by an adult in the group.
While O’Neal says they do this for the fun of it, the venture represents a considerable amount of work. “We spend thousands of dollars on product from the distributor and load the freezers and generator on the truck, which, thankfully, we have a crane to do,” says O’Neal. “This is all before we bring the boat to the water to launch. And most of the time, we have people who want ice cream before we can even get on the water.”
It also takes a lot of work to keep both the ice cream boat and the customers’ boats from bouncing off each other with the waves.
That’s the job of one of at least two people aboard. Depending on the weekend, they have as many as six people working on the boat. “We have four bumpers on the sides of our boat all the time,” explains O’Neal. “But the boats still hit.”
O’Neal says they want to deliver the ice cream safely, so they watch the weather closely. “If the weather forecast calls for 50% chance of rain or higher, we don’t go out,” O’Neal says. “The freezers and generator don’t need to be in the bad weather and neither do the people.”
Peanuts! Get your peanuts!
The ice cream boat is not the only snack boat on the lake. Two summers ago, they were joined by a second snack boat afloat, the peanut boat by Lakeside Peanut and Concessions. Scott and Shandi Martin own and run the company and are on the water nearly every weekend of the summer selling three flavors of boiled peanuts.
Selling peanuts to a passing boat
Scott prepares the peanuts at home, a process that takes two days. He then loads them on the boat in the morning before heading out. They typically sell three flavors – original, Kickin’ Cajun and Dill Pickle, occasionally adding specialty flavors like The Logan (steakhouse flavor) and Garlic Lemon Pepper. They’re even considering a Ghost Pepper flavor for Boo Bash on Logan Martin.
They also offer Shandi’s specialty flavored lemonades and fresh fried pork skins. Lemonade is $5 for a 16-ounce cup. Peanuts are eight dollars for a 32-ounce cup and pork skins are $10 for a gallon bag.
Martin refers to his wife as “the brains of the operation.” Shandi, he says, does everything but the cooking. She does the labeling, ordering and the “going and getting.” His days are already busy with his full-time truck driving job. The couple also plans to reopen their Lakeside Peanuts and Concessions land-based food truck in October.
Carrying peanuts
back to waiting crowd
Meanwhile, Martin says they sell out almost every time they go out on the water. They cater more to the adults, who, he says, like to have peanuts with their “cold beverages.” “We even get messages from people when we’re not able to get out asking where we are,” he says. “Some of the same people come week after week.”
Wendy Farmer is a huge fan of the peanut boat. She and her husband, Jeff, recently found the boat north of the I-20 bridge. They had some friends onboard their boat who had never tried boiled peanuts, so Wendy insisted they get some. “When the owners heard that our friends had never even heard of boiled peanuts, they gave us a cup of Cajun flavored ones for free,” Wendy recounts.
“Our daughter, Atley, ate the regular ones and loved them,” added Wendy, “and she’s a picky eater. And Jack, our son, literally ate them for breakfast the next two days.” The family also considers it a lucky day to find the ice cream boat afloat.
Both the peanut boat and the ice cream boat have Facebook pages. Both Martin and O’Neal post to their pages before they head out each weekend to let fans know what section of the lake they can be found on a given day. Check them out on their pages – Lakeside Peanuts and Concessions and The Ice Cream Man on the Lake.
Scott refers to his customers as his “Awesome Peanut Fam.” “We’re all family,” he says, “straight up.” Every weekend, then, is just a family reunion. Nuts included.
From majestic American Bald Eagles to elegant Great Egrets, Canada geese and Great Blue Herons, Logan Martin Lake is a bird-lovers paradise.
But perhaps the lake’s most popular bird these days, save maybe chicken on the grill, doesn’t have a single feather. In fact, it’s best known as a toddler’s iconic bathtub buddy. Submitted for your approval – the rubber duck.
Thanks to Stacy Deegan and her late husband Brian, the shores of Logan Martin teem with the hidden non-feathered friends. It’s the hottest scavenger hunt this side of summer camp, as folks comb the area for the numbered ducks, take a selfie with their find for posting on Facebook, then hide them again for another hunter to discover.
It’s a fun twist on catch and release.
Every duck is tagged with instructions. Take a photo of the foundling, post it on the hunt’s Facebook page, then re-hide it for another hunter to find. It’s a year-round event, so it’s always rubber duck season.
Duck No. 494 found at Pirate Island
Known officially as the Logan Martin Duck Hunt, it’s a Facebook group the Deegans hatched in 2023 to track the movements of the rubber quackers. Stacy took the notion a step further with the scavenger hunt. They began with 10 numbered ducks. The first duck was hidden near Pier 59.
“We just got in the truck one day and started driving around the lake looking for public places to hide the ducks,” she said. “The first place we hid one was the Pier 59 boat ramp. We just kept driving around and hiding the ducks and created the Facebook group.”
The couple had so much fun, they started hiding more ducks. Each toy bird has a QR code that can be scanned, and the discovered duck’s image goes straight to Facebook.
Brian Deegan passed away last year, but Stacy continued the hunt, she said, “not as a tribute to him, but I did release some ducks that had tags with ‘In Memory of Brian Deegan’ and his dates. So, I had a round of memorial releases there.”
The Duck Hunt has been on for two years, and the number of toy ducks has grown to nearly 500. They come in all colors.
“It’s been so much fun,” Stacy said. “My neighbors have been helping me out with the ducks.” And this year, there’s a new wrinkle that’s – as they might say in The Hamptons – just ducky.
There are golden ducks secreted away – 14 of them – and whoever discovers one wins a prize. “I was able to get some local businesses to donate prizes,” Stacy said.
For example, Lakeside Candle Co., Pell City Coffee and Pier 59 are among the donors, as well as Porky Pirate Barbecue. One local Realtor is offering a cash prize for her firm’s gold duck, Deegan said.
In another ducky development, the Duck Hunt will be part of the fourth Boo Bash event this year. “It’s just another leg (of the hunt),” Deegan said. “It’s another way to have the ducks out for people to have fun with it.”
Five of the Boo Bash quackers will have prizes worth $100 for the finders, thanks again to donations from local businesses.
Found at Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show
Like Boo Bash, the wildly popular Halloween hullaballoo, the Duck Hunt aims to build a stronger sense of community on Logan Martin.
But it also takes a page from a social phenomenon called geocaching. According to geocaching.com, it’s “an any day, any time activity that can take you to amazing and beautiful places. Geocaches are physical containers hidden all over the world you can find from a set of coordinates.” There is a Geocaching app. For more information, visit geocaching.com.
“It’s a really cool idea,” Stacy said. “It’s getting families to get outside and get away from their phones and computers and get on the hiking trails and look for hidden treasures or hidden caches. People all over the world hide things everywhere that you don’t know about.”
She added, “Geocaching is what inspired me to hide the ducks and get people outside to look for something fun. Just something extra, especially on the lake, where there’s already plenty to do.
“But I just imagine the smile on a kid’s face when they are running out of Tiki Hut, and they find a little rubber duck.”
In an effort to be sensitive to the lake environment, Stacy intentionally conceals the ducks in areas where the rubber creatures can’t slide into the water.
“The idea is to not have them fall into the water and float away,” she said. “I made a conscious choice in the beginning not to place the ducks in the water.”
The end goal of the Duck Hunt? Good old-fashioned fun and a ton of smiles.
Found Duck 146 in Ocean Lakes Family Campground, Myrtle Beach, SC. These ducks will travel
“Just something to put a smile on somebody’s face,” Stacy said. “I usually tell people, enjoy for a minute, then re-hide it for someone else to find.”
She hopes the hunt will become a Logan Martin mainstay. Globally, the rubber ducks are enjoying a renaissance and have waddled out of the tub, so to speak. Many Jeep owners have dashboard rubber ducks. In the UK, there’s a whole store devoted to the beloved toy.
Once, Brian Deegan concealed 50 tiny ducks throughout the family’s Logan Martin house.
“I would love to do it as long as I can. The rubber ducks are not expensive at all. I just do it for fun. If it were expensive, I’d probably try to monetize it. But I don’t want to monetize it. I just want it to be fun. As long as I’m financially able to put these little ducks together and hide them for people, and they enjoy it, I’m going to do it.”
Every duck find posted on Facebook is an affirmation. “Every time someone finds a duck and posts it,” Stacy said, “that’s my reward.”
For more information, follow the Logan Martin Duck Hunt (Rubber Ducks) Facebook Page.
When you’re an ophthalmologist in the business of helping your patients see better, it goes without saying that a clear, beautiful view is always the main focus.
Open great room and kitchen with expansive view from windows produces ‘wow factor’ the minute you walk in
It’s even more important when you’re also in the market for a house on the water. The good news is that David Lewis and his wife, Wendy, got exactly what they were looking for when they found their home near Stemley Bridge on Logan Martin Lake a year and a half ago. And these days, they enjoy captivating sights as far as the eye can see.
Whether they’re watching Fred, one of the two herons that regularly hold court on their dock, cheering for a child learning to wakeboard, or enjoying the antics of a family of geese, there’s always something that grabs their attention. If that weren’t enough, they get to enjoy both sunrises and sunsets from their vantage point.
“I can just get lost looking out the window,” Wendy said. “You never know what you’re going to see.”
They almost missed out on it all. “We passed on this house the first time we came through. It was dark, and we didn’t get to see all this,” Wendy said, gesturing to the great room’s wall of picture windows overlooking the sparkling water.
“We decided to come back one more time, and this time we came back during the day,” she said. “The second we opened the door, we were like, ‘This is it.’ It’s just so peaceful here. We have enjoyed it so much.”
The 3-bedroom, 3 ½-bath house is perfect for hosting family and friends with its open floor plan, expansive views, and outdoor living spaces that include a pergola and an atrium with a hot tub. David is an avid hunter and fisherman, so he keeps the freezer stocked with venison and fish, which makes entertaining easy.
“The Traeger is the best investment I ever made,” David said of his wood pellet grill. “You can just set the temperature, throw something on, and it does what it’s supposed to do.”
Making a house their home
The Lewises were living in Anniston when David decided in late 2023 to take a job with Alabama Vision Center in Pell City. They were excited for the career opportunity as well as for the chance to live on Logan Martin full-time.
The atrium features hot tub and breathtaking view
“We’re water people,” Wendy said, adding that they have a place in Gulf Shores as well as a cabin in the woods in Heflin that’s on a private lake with property where David hunts and fishes. “Both of our families had places around Riverside, so we had a connection to the water and this lake.”
Although the Lewises did some renovations before moving in, the house had already been added onto a few times before they bought it. The house, originally a small guest cabin for the house next door, has come a long way since its humble beginnings.
It started out as a single-story home with two bedrooms and one bath, but the next owners built a two-story addition that includes the master bedroom and bath, the great room and a larger kitchen, as well as a shop, office and bonus room downstairs. They also added a porch off the kitchen. After that couple sold the house, the new owners enclosed the porch, making it a sunroom, and converted the downstairs shop into a Man Cave.
When Wendy and David bought the home in December 2023, they focused on cosmetic changes, replacing flooring and lighting throughout the house, brightening things up with paint, and remodeling a bathroom. They raised the roof on the house’s front porch and added beams and a tongue-and-groove ceiling to make it feel more like a lake home. Landscaping by OnPoint Land Management was the perfect complement, Wendy said.
They also updated the kitchen with new granite countertops and moved the doorway that connected the kitchen to the sunroom to the other side of the island so they could add double ovens where the door once stood. Removing a wall in the great room opened up the room even more, making hosting a crowd easier.
“This house is great for entertaining, and it’s made it a whole lot easier to host a fair number of people,” David said. Their house in Annison had a smaller kitchen, and the only seating area was the dining room table. Now, they have lots more counter space, bar stools at the island, plenty of seating in the great room, as well as tables in the dining room, sunroom and outside.
What’s cooking?
Open floor plan lends itself to cooking and entertaining
Although the Lewises love creating great meals together, their cooking approaches are a little different. “My husband is the better cook,” Wendy said. “He can go look and say, ‘I’ve got this, this, and this, so I can whip this up.’ I have to plan what I’ll cook, make my grocery list and go to the store.”
David said he mastered the basics in Boy Scouts, where “I learned to put food over fire,” and he later followed his mother’s example of “adding a pinch of this and two fingers of that.” He also picked up some skills during the nine years he lived in New Orleans while completing his internship and residency and working at his first job.
“Everybody cooks down there, and I got a little better,” he said. “I’m not a gourmet chef or anything, but I can put stuff together.”
In the summer, they cook a lot of fish, and they especially like blackened red snapper. “We like to cook in an iron skillet,” Wendy said. “That really helps with the blackening of the fish. And he can just come up with a sauce right off the top of his head, so he’ll figure out the sauce, and I’ll figure out which vegetable to put with it.”
Roasted potatoes are a favorite. “They’re so easy to do,” Wendy said. “I just dice them up, drizzle them with olive oil and put Cavender’s (seasoning) on it. You’ve got to be generous with your flavors.
Wendy and Logan, the dog who adopted them
In the colder months, they do a lot of venison burgers, as well as a dish that has become a favorite. “We call it Spicy Creamy Deer Pig,” David said with a laugh. “Roll up (venison) cube steak with cream cheese and jalapenos and wrap it in bacon.”
Being able to have the whole family over for the holidays, host a gathering for David’s office, or have friends over on a football Saturday is what the Lewises have loved most about their life on the water.
They also enjoy the quieter moments. “It’s just so relaxing,” David said. “We’ll take the boat out when I get home from work, and we just enjoy watching all the birds and schools of fish.”
Wendy said she couldn’t be happier with their decision to move to the lake full-time. “There’s not just one best day here,” she said. “Every day is the best day.” Add cheese to top and return to oven until cheese is melted.
Blackened Red Snapper with Dave Sauce
Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms
¾ of a bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
½ to ¾ cups red wine
1 cup beef or chicken stock
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
2 tsp corn starch
Red Snapper fillets
Butter
Blackening seasoning
Directions: To make the sauce, saute onions, mushrooms and bell pepper for 7-8 minutes on medium/high heat. Add tomato, and after 3 minutes, add the wine. Let it reduce by half, then add stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. Add corn starch. Turn down to simmer while cooking the fish. Add blackening seasoning to fish and cook in a skillet with butter on higher heat for 3 minutes on each side, or until flaky. We like to serve fish with roasted Brussels sprouts and couscous.
Cajun Cream Sauce
Serve over Blackened Red Snapper atop a bed of asparagus
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, copped.
4 cloves garlic, diced
½ cup chicken stock
1/3 cup white wine
½ cup heavy cream
Cajun seasoning to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Directions: Cook tomatoes in olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and chicken stock and allow it to slightly cook down. Add white wine and allow to reduce by half. Stir in cream and let it simmer while you add your favorite Cajun seasoning to taste. Add parsley and parmesan cheese.
Rectifier Cocktail
Irish Whiskey
Baileys Irish Cream
Kahlua
Add equal parts of each to a lowball. Stir well and serve with a sprig of mint or shaved chocolate.
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
Beyond the typically Southern fare of barbecue, fried fish and chicken comes a new contender to stake a claim on a piece of the dining landscape around Logan Martin and Pell City.
In relatively short order, Kami Thai, Sushi and Asian Fusion has opened and expanded to accommodate a growing fan base.
Monalisa preparing a shrimp tempura appetizer
Located inside a storefront across from Publix, Kami – Japanese for divine being – is becoming a culinary destination point that marries flavors and traditions together in a celebration for the senses.
Much like Asian fusion cooking itself – one can only expect the unexpected. Technique, imagination, cultures and innovation combine to create this culinary adventure.
You might say the experience is a reflection of the Monalisa Gibson’s own journey from native Bali, Indonesia, all the way to a home in Alabama. She married a Clay Countian, Bobby Gibson, whom she met through friends.
She has been working in the restaurant industry for 20 years as sous chef and pastry chef, having been involved in the start-ups of other restaurants, including eight years at Shiki Thai and Sushi in Birmingham. “I supported three restaurants, and I wanted to do my own.”
She finally decided with the encouragement of friends and family that it was her turn to be the entrepreneur along with her business partner, Kadek Ani Tresna Dewi, she opened Kami. Her husband works in Pell City, and they and their family live nearby, so they decided on Pell City as the place to open this new venture.
It was the right choice, she said. “The people in Pell City have been so welcoming. It’s something new. They don’t have Thai, so I thought we would open here and give them something new.”
It’s a sharp departure from the typical Southern menu. “We use more spices” and different methods of cooking, she said. “Here, everything is fried.”
Her favorite to make is “Fusion Beef Rendang – beef stew cooked for hours with coconut milk and aromatic yellow rice.” With a nod to the South, there’s a Thai catfish on the menu – a mix of southern fried catfish with a Thai sauce.
Spicy Thai beef salad
On the menu, you’ll find “the best of Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and beyond. Indulge in fresh sushi, soul-warming ramen, bold Thai curries, rich Indonesian specialties and Asian-inspired cocktails.”
Dig a little deeper and find appetizers like Panang Curry Pot Stickers, vegetable and pork dumplings served with a panang sauce, and Crab Angels, crab and cheese-stuffed deep friend wontons with Thai sweet creamy sauce.
Try one of the coconut soups. There’s chicken, shrimp and tofu to choose from.
Noodles and rice are prepared in varying ways as are the entrees and Ramen.
A vast array of Sushi, popular Japanese dishes that feature raw fish are prepared nigiri and sashimi style. What’s the difference? Nigiri combines sushi rice with the fish, while sashimi presents thin slices of raw fish or other seafood without rice, served with wasabi and soy sauces.
Kami’s famous cinnamon bread pudding topped with ice-cream and chocolate, another local favorite
The choices for rolls are abundant. A roll is wrapped in sushi rice and with the seafood as the filling.
For the less adventurous, there are cooked rolls as well, like the popular California Roll. Some even have a familiar ring to them even if the ingredients might not – the Logan Martin Roll is cream cheese, fried shrimp tempura, topped with crab stick, eel sauce, cream spicy sauce, Smelt roe and green onion.
On the other side of that culinary coin, Gibson has her own American favorites, more specifically, Cajun: “Shrimp Po’ Boy and Gumbo,” she said without hesitation. But a Southern staple, Peach Cobbler, ranks up there as well.
The restaurant had its soft opening in March in a smaller space and was able to expand next door before having a grand opening for both in May. “I don’t want to disappoint,” Gibson said. “I want people to enjoy themselves. I don’t want them to wait a long time to sit.”
Creamy Crab Angel wontons
So, when Celeste Boutique closed next door, Kami was able to claim that space, expand the bar and offer a more spacious dining area to seat 70-80 people. “It was a good sign when the space next door opened up.” But after investing so much in the initial renovation and opening – the kitchen was built from scratch to enable preparation of the expansive menu – “it took faith to make it happen.”
But, she concluded, “Things happen for a reason.” As she gestures toward the new dining room and bar, she notes, “it was a good opportunity. It felt so good for people to be comfortable and have space to sit down and enjoy their food.”
Her desire is that “when people come here, I want them to feel at home.”
