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features 16

contents

72

See Gulfscapes Online at Gulfscapes.com or visit us on Facebook® and sign up for our Gulf Coast Tweets®!

Pensacola 2011 Reader’s Choice See Our Top Best Gulf Town

Photo by Michael Pisarri

Lionfish Invade

10 Best Gulf Coast Towns

What’s a lionfish and why should I care? Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

18

FA L L 2 0 1 1

see page 38

Health of the Gulf Update Whale Sharks - the biggest fish in the sea gather in huge numbers in the Gulf each year. And we hardly know them!

20

Oysters 101 A quick lesson on the shellfish from the master, Dr. Sammy Ray. Oysters Health - So how are the Gulf oysters doing these days? Depends on where you look! Page 22

WWII in the Gulf Nazi U-boats Struck Terror - Gulf Citizens Took Up Arms. Page 24 A U-boat Victim - The Alcoa Puritan. Page 26 U-166 - The only U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. Page 28

62

Build It and They Will Come!

Mexico Beach Artificial Reefs attract new sea life.

73

Oysters 101 see page 20

A New Winery on the Texas Coast Braman Winery, located in Refugio, TX, is bringing Lone Star Legends to a wine bottle near you

16

Photo courtesy of the National World War II Museum

24

Photo courtesy of www.goodgrits.com

24

Above, – The Fish House.

Photo courtesy of Shelly Yates.

Cover, Pensacola Beach.

Photo courtesy of Margaritaville Beach Hotel in Pensacola Cindy Bates brings us a new column about Parrothead events & Trop Rock updates, page 14

10 15 32 57 72 74 78

publishers’ letter... See what’s new in this issue spotlight... Savannah Jane Buffett Launches New Clothing Line fishing... Bob Shirley fly fishes the Gulf Coast road trip... MustangFest 2011 travels to Port Aransas, Texas wahoo ceviche... Recipe from Florida Executive Chef Paula DaSilva great food... Enjoy our Gulf Coast Delicious Dining guide selections great find... An unlikely gourmet dinner at an out-of-the-way BBQ joint GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 9

contents FA L L 2 0 1 1

Photo by Robin Buckley,www.robinbuckley.com

12

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Sauce Boss Combine a blues concert with a gumbo cooking demonstration and what do you get? A whole lot of togetherness!

36

Gulf Beaches Win Siesta Key wins Best Beach ranking in U.S. St. George Island Beach Close Behind!

60

UT Marine Science University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s 70th Anniversary marks progress from one room shack to modern research facility.

Photo courtesy Carleen Donovan/PRESS HERE

15

­10 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

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postcard from paradise

We’re 70 in Dog Years!

Our 10th Anniversary Happy Birthday to us! Yes, it’s been ten years since I launched Gulfscapes. And boy, what an adventurous ten years it’s been!

Of course it was tough getting the first issue finished. But little did I know that just getting the second issue delivered would involve high drama. You see, that second issue was set to be shipped from my printer on September 11, 2001. Date sound familiar? That issue sat on the shipping dock for two weeks, as all transportation and shipping was delayed by the terror attacks. But just like the country, we bounced back.

The magazine and I have weathered hurricanes, which tend to shut down an entire town’s advertisers for a year.

We’ve gotten through the Great Recession, which shut down the entire Gulf Coast’s advertisers for several months. And we’ve survived the BP oil spill, which shut down advertisers in four of our five Gulf Coast states for months. Somehow, battered and bruised, we both survived. I can’t say it’s all been fun. I can’t say it’s all been easy. But I can say I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

I’ve met so many fascinating people and seen so much extraordinary beauty along the Gulf Coast. I’ve made good friends, lost a few, and learned who I can count on when things get tough. Along the way, I adopted a cat and a new husband - the security and affection of cuddling up in bed with the love of my life has gotten me through some tough days. And my husband has been supportive, too!

Ten years and I can still laugh. And you know what Jimmy Buffett says. “If we couldn’t laugh we’d all go insane.” Here’s to ten more years of laughter!

Celebrate our birthday with vacation Give-A-Ways visit www.gulfscapes.com ­12 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 13

COASTALVIBES Bill Wharton

“The sauce boss does

his cookin’ on the stage, Stirrin’ and a singing for his nightly wage. Sweating and frettin’ from his head to his toe, Playin’ and swayin’ with the gumbo, Prayin’ and buffetin’ with the gumbo.” I Will Play For

Gumbo, Jimmy Buffett What does it take to earn a mention in a Jimmy Buffett song? The Gulf Coast Dalai Lama doesn’t include just anyone in his lyrics. If he does, you must be doing something really good, or really bad. Bill Wharton, the Sauce Boss of “I Will Play For Gumbo” fame, is definitely doing the former.

Let’s be clear about what Bill does. He plays a mean blues guitar. That’s enough for most people. But Bill also makes a great hot sauce. Multi-talented. But wait, there’s more! Bill also cooks up a spectacular bowl of gumbo. And did I mention he plays and cooks, onstage, at the same time? Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

And just to make sure he stands out from any other blues musicians who cook gumbo onstage during their set, he also serves the gumbo to his audience after the show. For free.

And he sits down and eats with them. Yep, he’s definitely set himself apart.

But wait, there’s still more! On his off days, Bill and the band head to the nearest homeless shelter and play (and cook) for free. Has this man no shame? Doesn’t he know how selfish he’s making the rest of us feel?

So what makes this guy tick? Why the cooking onstage?

And why giving away gumbo? Bill offers by way of explanation, and as a declaration of his overriding philosophy, “We’re all a gumbo. A gumbo is more than just a dish. A gumbo is a piece of culture. The French brought the roux. The Native ­14 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

Americans brought the sassafras, which we call file powder.

The Africans brought the okra. They put more than the ingredients in it. They put their lives in it.

“My message is we all look different, but deep down we’re all the same. If we can get together on a Friday or Saturday night and have a good time with each other and sit down and have dinner together and forget about our differences for a minute, and concentrate on what we have in common, then maybe we can work some of this stuff out.”

And work it out he has. By his count, he’s served 175,000 bowls of forget our differences gumbo. And he’s still going.

Born in Orlando before Disney took over, Bill is a self taught musician. He’s also a self taught cook. He watched his Mom in the kitchen, and had a job at a burger joint. But, he says, “I never had a gig actually cooking. This hot sauce just got me headlong into becoming a foodie and a chef.”

What about this hot sauce? How did it and the title “Sauce Boss” get started? Well first, “Sauce Boss” is a nickname given to him by friends after he created his own hot sauce. “ I wasn’t satisfied with the stuff that was out there.

This was before the glut of all the sauces we have on the shelves now. There was just basically Tabasco and some Louisiana sauces and some Caribbean stuff. I just needed a better hot sauce. And I was trying to combine a couple of recipes. One was a kind of Caribbean salsa and the other was a New Orleans style sauce, and I got something that’s in between.

“People would come over to my house and eat it all up. I’d make two gallons and it’d be gone in a couple of weeks. That’s a lot of hot sauce! So I decided I was going to put a label on the bottle and sell it to my friends. I started carrying it around with me to the gigs, cause that’s where I saw people, and then they started calling me the Sauce Boss.

“And then I started cooking. It was New Year’s Eve of 1989, and I decided to showcase the sauce in a pot of gumbo.

And 175,000 bowls later, here we are!”

Since that New Year’s Eve debut, Bill had refined the show. And how exactly does one cook and play blues at the same time? It starts with a rousing tune, then the band stays on the back burner while he gives a demonstration on how to cook gumbo. Then he’ll do a song for the chicken, then a song for the okra, and so on, weaving the music and the recipe together. “It becomes one thing,” Bill says. “At the end of the show, we say the blessing and eat some gumbo with everybody.”

Bill’s music is a blend all its own, just like the gumbo. It’s described as a spicy Florida slide guitar blues. “Florida’s kinda halfway between New Orleans and the Caribbean,” Bill explains, “and that’s kind of where I’m at with my hot sauce, and also with my music. It’s kind of bluesy, and has that New Orleans swagger, but it’s also got a lot of rhythm to it.

Hanging out in Miami gives you a taste of that LatinAmerican music.”

A blues guitarist has to have some special guitars. Bill’s got ‘em. The guitar he uses on stage is a 1953 Double cut away custom Telecaster, which he calls a rare bird. Then there’s the guitar he uses only in studio, a 1933 National steel guitar.

Where did he find it? “It was in my front yard one morning

when I woke up.” Kind of like manna from heaven; free food for the musical soul.

That guitar was as free as a bowl of Bill’s gumbo. “We’ve never charged a penny for our gumbo. That’s another part of my message. Sharing. And whenever we have a day off, we take the show to a homeless shelter. We’ve played all over the country. You know where the largest homeless shelter in the country is? Washington, D.C., three blocks off the mall.” Bill has a non-profit organization, the Planet Gumbo Foundation, to help gather support for his homeless shows.

PlanetGumbo.org is the website for the foundation.

Bill has a separate website, www.sauceboss.com, for his music and hot sauce. There, you can order one of his 11 albums. His latest is Hot n’ Heavy, a 2010 release full of gumbo inspired tunes and the instant classic, “Get Naked and Surf ”. The band members are from Pensacola: Johnny Paradise - guitar, Jassen Wilbur - bass, and Justin Headley drums.

You can also pick up some of his hot sauce at the website.

Has three sauces now. The original, Liquid Summer, uses the relatively rare datil pepper (he buys them from growers in St. Augustine and Tallahassee) for a unique flavor. He’s added Liquid Summer Habanero which is a little hotter due to the habaneros. And he has Hot N Heavy Peach sauce.

But you can’t buy his gumbo. It’s only available at the shows. The source of his gumbo recipe is Shirley Neal, from Baton Rouge. “I knew her son and her husband. Her son is Kenney Neal who is a blues player. His father, Raful, is big in the Louisiana swamp blues scene. Shirley’s been cooking gumbo forever. We were in the studio at the same time once

and she was in the kitchen cooking the whole time and I watched her like a hawk.”

Bill has refined his gumbo over the years, and occasionally adds different ingredients. But the core stays the same. “My hot sauce is a major part of my gumbo. The datil pepper is amazing. It’s not just hot, it has a lot of flavor in it. It bridges the taste gap between the chicken and seafood and the vegetables, making it one thing.

“That’s the thing about gumbo. It’s a lot of different things that come together to make something that’s good.

Like people. It happens every time we play music. People come from all over the place, all different backgrounds, all kinds of religions, all kinds of races, all kinds of people. And there’s not a problem. Because we give each other respect, and sit down and eat with each other and treat each other as neighbors.”

Ever run out of gumbo? “It’s really weird the way it seems to work out. When I first started out, I made it in this little tiny pot and it was amazing how far the gumbo would go. I mean, I fed a lot of people. It got to where it was kind of scary-creepy. It was like fishes and loaves. Somehow it worked out.”

And things continue to work out for the Sauce Boss, as he crosses the country promoting a confluence of music and food. “We’re just a multi-sensory, soul-shouting picnic of rock and roll brotherhood,” said Bill. So that’s all it takes to get mentioned in a Buffett tune!

The Sauce Boss - Bill Wharton. Photo by Cheryl Gorski/Facebook. www.sauceboss.com / www.PlanetGumbo.org Story by Craig Rogers

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 15

Parrothead Perusals & Trop Rock Tales Column by Cindy Bates

I told someone today that I was lucky enough to write an article about Parrotheads and Trop Rock music. She let it go the first time, but on the second pass of the word “Parrothead,” she cocked her head to one side and asked the famous question: “Just what is a Parrothead?”

And that will be the first topic of this column I’m privileged to share with you. Just what is a Parrothead and what about that Trop Rock business? As a dedicated follower of Jimmy Buffett and all things coastal, it’s a pleasure to inform you about these things, if you aren’t already aware.

First of all, I wan to reference some quotes from Doug Hall of the Central Texas Parrothead Club. He states that Parrotheads love the water, skies and palm trees, and while not many of us get to live in such an environment, it’s still a part of their souls. They are also very giving individuals, whether it is their time, money and supplies to various charities, or just to lend a helping hand to a friend in need.

I love that he also maintains that a Parrothead never really grows up. I can attest that if you ask a true Parrothead how they are, the answer will almost always be positive.

They look to the sunny side of life and tend to experience all the zest life has to offer.

Gulfscapes Magazine recently had a contest for favorite gulf coastal towns. Pensacola, Florida came in with the top number of votes and I contacted the Parrotheads of Pensacola to discover a few of their favorite things. They thrive at their monthly meetings at The Oar House. Many enjoy “phlocking” to Landshark Landing, also. Owned by Jimmy Buffett, this open air beach bar would naturally attract Parrotheads.

And what it this thing with Parrotheads creating new words with “ph” instead of good old “f ?” This is something to which I still need to get to the bottom, but my first guess would be that “PH” (ParrotHead) invites natural creativity with words. Hence, “phlock,” “phins,” “phabulous”…. You get the picture!

Another gulf coastal town voted in the top ten is Orange Beach/ Gulf Shores, Alabama. Actually, these are two separate towns, but when I visited there last summer, I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. The Lower Alabama Parrothead Club relayed to me that Lulu’s and the Flora-Bama are two favorite Parrothead haunts in the area.

But, of course! Lulu’s is owned my Jimmy Buffett’s baby sister, Lucy, and is also a wonderful Trop Rock venue. The

Flora-Bama has existed on the state line between Alabama and Florida for decades. This place is always busy, having survived hurricanes and been touted in Buffett songs.

Moving to my home state of Texas, Galveston and Port Aransas also made the top ten towns. The Galveston Bay Parrothead Club is no stranger to hurricanes, either. Their resilient area Parrotheads enjoy monthly meetings at Noah’s Ark in Bacliff and also T-Bone Tom’s in nearby Kemah.

After Hurricane Ike struck a few years ago, the “coconut telegraph” was buzzing with updates on local Parrotheads and their well-being after the storm. Again, we are a very caring group!

My second home is Port Aransas, Texas, part of the Texas Redneck Riviera. The Parrotheads of Port Aransas are an equal opportunity bunch and enjoy a variety of libation venues in the area. As a charter member of this group, one of my favorite locales is The Back Porch. Open March through October, they showcase a variety of musical acts, many with a Trop Rock feel. Built on the edge of the Port A marina, who couldn’t feel totally coastal with a salt-tinged breeze blowing, seagulls screeching nearby and a cold one in front of you?

Parrothead clubs work tirelessly for philanthropic purposes. Scott Bates likes to call it “philantropic,” and I agree.

They dedicate thousands of volunteer hours and raise megabucks for such groups as food pantries, animal shelters, wildlife rescues and sanctuaries, zoos, volunteer fire departments, highway cleanups, and battered women’s shelters.

Communities have recognized what a vast contribution their local Parrothead club can be to their charitable endeavors.

“Party With A Purpose” is the national mantra for Parrotheads!

Now that you know much more about Parrotheads, I’ll tackle Trop Rock briefly. Jimmy Buffett is the father of the trend, of course, but basically, it’s a mixture of rock-n-roll and country music, blended with an island style theme and lyrics. Thanks to DJ DK, from Island Time Radio, for that definition.

Jerry Diaz, Trop Rock musician from Beaumont, Texas, feels the lyrics are key: tropical, nautical and escapism themes. Who isn’t ready for a virtual island escape through music? Jerry is a standard performer at many Trop Rock weekends and festivals and was featured in the Winter 2010 issue of Gulfscapes.

Brent Burns hold the recent title of “Trop Rock Entertainer of the Year.” Brent, who hails from “LA,” (that’s lower Alabama!) feels that Trop Rock is original music about the beach and beach life. He was writing and performing this music genre before it was named. He states “as long as you have the beach attitude, that’s all it takes.”

So have we learned Cindy Bates, Parrothead Extraordinaire!

The coconut bra & hula skirt wearers have something, boys and spoken, and we’ve listened! Those avid supporters of Jimmy Buffett, known as girls? Time for me to Parrotheads, asked for a regular columnist smooth on a little sunto keep them up to date on Parrothead happenings on the Gulf Coast. And we’ve found screen, sip on something the perfect writer, Cindy Bates, whose Port frosty and crank up the Aransas home is a living memorial to all things Buffett, which is unquestionable tunes. Til next time, keep proof of her Parrothead credentials. If it’s it between the navigaParrothead related, Cindy will cover it. tional beacons!

Email: parrotheads@gulfscapes.com

Savannah Jane Buffett Launches New A1A Clothing Line

Photo courtesy Carleen Donovan/PRESS HERE

A1A is collection of Tshirts designed exclusively for Margaritaville by Savannah Jane Buffett.

Inspired by the early years of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, the shirts are a tribute to the days when tour buses were homes on wheels, state roads were all one lane, and the next stop was always backstage or the bar.

With the Sunshine State providing the scenic backdrop hit the road and travel from the swamps, to the beaches, and all the way down A1A right into the heart of Key West.

The styles pay homage to the classic concert posters, album art, photos, and tropical vibes that helped to inspire a bygone yet never forgotten era while celebrating the timeless landscape that is Florida. By blending the pages of the past with present Savannah Jane has created t-shirts that have a throw back vintage feel while still remaining modern, hip, and comfortable. So whether you’re a traveler, a music lover, a local, or a tourist if you enjoy a warm ocean breeze and palm trees mix up a boat drink and come take a trip on A1A.

www.portaransasparrotheads.com

Live Music Around the Gulf Coast Tropical troubadour Jerry Diaz (left) will be making several appearances at this year’s Meeting of the Minds, the annual Parrothead convention in Key West. Jerry and his band, Hannah’s Reef (left) will be at the Beach Stage at the Casa Marina Hotel at 5:30pm on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Kelly McGuire (above) will also be at the Meeting of the Minds, playing at several venues, including the Lighthouse Court Inn at 7pm on Nov. 2, and from 2-5 pm on Nov. 35, and 12 pm on Nov. 6.

Alien invAsiOn Lionfish Assault the Gulf Remember the urban myth that there were giant alligators in New York City’s sewers because parents flushed their kid’s baby alligators down the toilet? Well, down south we’ve created an even scarier story. Scarier because ours is true.

Instead of flushing our feared predator down the toilet, we merely dumped them out of our aquariums into the Atlantic.

Probably started near Miami in the late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s.

Our feared predator? A 12” fish that’s really pretty. Now what’s so scary about that, you ask? Three things. They have no known natural predators in the Gulf. They eat all other fish near them, especially young fish. And last, but certainly not least, in the Gulf and Atlantic, they breed ten times faster than roaches.

Put all three together, and you get a fish that quickly overpopulates, then eats everything else that swims. These little rascals can devastate a fish population faster than you can say invasive species.

Although the lionfish invasion started in the Atlantic and next spread to the Caribbean, it has now made it’s way into the Gulf. They are traveling west from the Keys and have made it as far as southwest Louisiana.

What exactly is a lionfish? They’re a striped fish native to the Western Pacific. Evidently they have natural predators there. They are between 3” and 16” in length. Their fins are very exaggerated and ornamental, which is where most of their beauty comes from. Because of their beauty, they’re popular aquarium fish. But don’t get too close to their fins. They contain spines that have a toxin that can make you sick or kill you. Most of the lionfish found in the Atlantic and Gulf are of a species whose venom isn’t deadly, unless you’re allergic.

But some species found in the Caribbean have a much deadlier toxin than can kill humans or leave permanent injuries.

Those spines are one of the main reasons lionfish don’t have enemies here. “They have spines on top, on bottom, and at their front and rear,” said Tom Jackson, research fisheries biologist/exotic species specialist with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Tom has long known about lionfish, having had them in his aquarium when he was growing up in Texas. Now he investigates them in an effort to find a way to control their population.

“Lionfish are still one of the top ten best selling aquarium fish. And there are no regulations on their sale! The problem with them is that once they mature, they will eat every other fish in an aquarium,” said Tom. When that happens, the owners usually decide to get rid of them. This is what scientists like Tom think led to their introduction into the Atlantic off Miami.

What can we do to stop their spread? First would be to stop selling them for aquariums so no more will be dumped ­18 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

into the Gulf. After that, there isn’t a comprehensive plan.

Scientists are trying to find a way to control the spread of lionfish, but so far haven’t found an acceptable method. An effort at local intervention is being made in the Florida Keys.

Karrie Carnes of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) says that FKNMS and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) have organized Lionfish Derbies. These derbies are fishing tournaments in which lionfish are taken by nets, spears or slurp guns by scuba divers, snorkelers or swimmers.

Divers successfully removed 531 invasive lionfish on May 14, during the Second Annual Florida Keys Lionfish Derby Series in Long Key. Ten teams of divers competed for $3,350 in cash and prizes in the categories of most, largest and smallest lionfish. Team “Strategery” of Key Largo netted $1,000 for most lionfish with their haul of 158 fish collected in the single day event. Team “Full Circle” of Islamorada, won $500 for largest lionfish with a 14-inch fish, while Team “Key Lime Good Time” of Miami took home $500 for the smallest lionfish at 2.5 inches. The Long Key derby was sponsored by the City of Layton and Divers Direct.

The remaining 2011 lionfish derbies are scheduled August 20 and Nov. 5 in Key Largo and Key West respectively. Teams of up to four divers may register at www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies.

Please report lionfish sightings to www.nas.er.usgs.gov/ SightingReport.aspx.

Does Anyone Have Paul Prudhomme’s Phone Number?

NOAA Fisheries is also trying to promote lionfish as a consumable fish. Despite their spines, their flesh is good to eat, with a buttery flavor. The only poison in them is contained in the spines, so anyone trying to filet one should clip their spines off first. Evidently, NOAA hopes they’re tasty enough to generate a large demand, which will result in overfishing. That would be the first known case of NOAA Fisheries promoting overfishing. Gulfscapes recommends that NOAA Fisheries retain Paul Prudhomme, noted New Orleans chef, to whip up a blackened lionfish dish. Paul’s blackened redfish recipe was so popular in the 1980’s that it lead to overfishing to such a degree that commercial fishing for redfish was banned by emergency federal regulations. We can only hope to be so lucky with lionfish! a

(Top) A closeup of a lionfish living in the aquarium exhibit maintained by Mote Marine Lab at the Florida Keys EcoDiscovery Center in Key West. Photo credit: Nancy Diersing, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Bottom left) The total length of each lionfish caught at the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby was measured and recorded. Photo credit: Celia Hitchins for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

(Bottom right) A Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) volunteer measures lionfish at the derby in Long Key. Photo credit: Celia Hitchins for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Story by Craig Rogers GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 19

Story by Craig Rogers

Whale Sharks One of the Gulf species scientists are monitoring after the oil spill is whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 45 feet. Unfortunately, our knowledge of them is inversely proportionate to their size - we know very little about them. And when you don’t know much about an animal, it’s hard to figure out if they’ve changed after being exposed to oil.

What we do know about them is that they are surface filter feeders. Being the largest fish, they also have the largest mouths, up to five feet wide, which they use as a big net while swimming at the surface to gather in food. Observations after the oil spill showed the sharks continuing to feed in the areas affected by the spill.

One of the few scientist who has studied whale sharks is Dr. Eric Hoffmayer, Research Fishery Biologist with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Pascagoula, MS. Dr. Hoffmayer just recently joined NOAA, having spent the previous 10 years founding and running the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory’s Whale Shark research program. In June, Dr. Hoffmayer was in the Gulf on a joint NOAA/The Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary/Gulf Coast Research Laboratory expedition to locate and tag whale sharks at the Ewing Bank.

The Ewing Bank is an area of the Gulf off Louisiana that is a natural uprising of the seafloor that is home to large vol­20 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

Bessie the Whale Shark in the northern Gulf, June 19, 2011. The satellite tag is the white bullet-shaped device seen trailing the dorsal fin. Photo by Jesse Cancelmo, author of Texas Coral Reefs, available at www.cancelmophoto.com.

umes of sea life.

According to Dr. Hoffmayer, whale sharks accumulate annually in large numbers at the Ewing Bank in June or July, seemingly to feed on the eggs of little tunny tuna. In 2009, Dr. Hoffmayer observed groups of 25-30 whale sharks in the area. In 2010, they numbered over 100. This year, he didn’t observe as many, something he attributed to just missing the timing on the tuna spawn. The tuna spawn every year at the same place, and release all their eggs at the same time. The eggs float to the surface, where whale sharks eat them in large numbers. The event is brief. Within 24 hours, the eggs have dispersed. We don’t know how the whale sharks know where to be, and when to be there, but they are there every year.

“With an event like this, they (whale sharks) almost have to know the timing perfectly to show up and take advantage of it,” said Dr. Hoffmayer. “That’s what has us baffled right now, trying to better understand how they’re finding their food resources and how they can target events like this.”

During his latest expedition in June, Dr. Hoffmayer tagged a whale shark with a satellite monitoring device. The expedition used an airplane to visually locate the sharks (you can’t see very far from the surface of the Gulf, so it’s much more efficient to use a plane for initial location.) The surface ship was then directed to the sharks by the plane. The tagged shark is named “Bessie”, after the airplane that spotted her

and led Dr. Hoffmayer’s group to her. You can see a map showing Bessie’s location by going to http://gtopp.org; give it a minute to load - it’s getting info from the satellites. In the "Tags Currently Reporting" area, click on the orange dot in the Gulf. That’s Bessie’s current location. If you click on the larger view option, you can zoom in and see the path that shows where Bessie has been since being tagged.

As for the effects the oil spill has had on whale sharks, scientists are still trying to figure that out. At the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory’s Whale Shark research program, now headed by Jennifer McKinney, there is concern because of the potential of harm from direct contact with oil, which could clog the sharks’ gills. There is also concern that the oil may have depleted their prey, or that the sharks are consuming prey contaminated by oil.

It is unknown if the sharks can detect and avoid the oil and the dispersants used on the oil. Finding this information is not easy, due in no small part to the fact that whale sharks sink when they die. If any were killed by ingesting oil, we’d never see their floating corpses.

In addition to tagging whale sharks, the Research Lab has also instituted a Whale Shark Sighting Survey (WSSS). The sighting survey uses independent reports of whale shark sightings by citizens to build up a database of knowledge.

According to Ms. McKinney, “Much of the work involved is to communicate to the public the need for them to share this information, so I am constantly sending information to marinas, dive shops, fishing forums, tournament captains’ meetings, and the offshore industry. I also send out an annual summary so that the folks who have reported know that their data is valuable and being utilized in hopes to encourage further participation.”

You, dear readers, can participate in the WSSS if you spot a whale shark. You can report online at the GCRL website (http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/whaleshark), or print out a form. Here’s the information the WSSS asks for: time and duration of encounter; location (GPS coordinates); approximate size and number of individuals; observed behavior; and associated species. If it is possible, a photograph of the spot pattern behind the left gills can be used for photo-identification and becomes part of a global database.

To get more info on the WSSS and the whale shark program at Southern Miss, visit their website. There you can see some of the progress that’s been made.

We have a lot more to learn, but thanks to the work of scientists like Dr. Hoffmayer and Ms. McKinney, we’re at least starting to unlock the secrets of the largest fish in the sea. a

Whale sharks gathered at the Ewing Bank in 2010. There are approximately 90 whale sharks in this photo. For a scale reference, the boat is 57' long. Photo credit: Jennifer McKinney/Gulf Coast Research Lab.

sAve THe

DATe

The Harte Research Institute will host a State of the Gulf Summit, December 4-8, 2011 in Houston. The goal of that summit will be to define what a healthy Gulf should be, chart a course to that end and prescribe the means to assess progress to that goal. For more info about the summit: www.stateofthegulf.org

State of the Gulf Update Oysters are fine to eat!

In researching our article on oysters, Gulfscapes spoke with Dr. Sammy Ray, Texas A&M - Galveston, a biologist known as “the” authority on Gulf Coast oysters. During our interview, Dr. Ray said it was his opinion that last summer’s BP oil spill had caused great damage to Louisiana’s oyster population. But not by depositing oil on top of oyster beds. “A lot of oysters were killed by fresh water. They weren’t killed by spilled oil,” Dr. Ray explained, “Louisiana released a lot of fresh water to keep the BP oil spill out of the estuaries.”

Dr. Thomas Soniat, biologist from the University of New Orleans, says “the State of Louisiana decided it would divert a large amount of fresh water through the various diversions of the Mississippi River into the estuaries. The hope was this fresh water would keep the oil out of the estuaries. That didn’t work, but it did bring in a lot of fresh water into the oystering areas that resulted in mortalities of oysters.”

Dr. Ray says the oysters from the Gulf are fine to eat. a GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 21

Oysters Rockefeller from Scampi’s on South Padre Island.

Oysters 101 Evidently, the only appropriate answer to the question, “Who should I speak to about Gulf Coast oysters?” is “Dr. Sammy Ray.” That’s the only answer we got each time we asked. Although Dr. Ray officially retired from Texas A&M Galveston in 1990, he is still active, even at age 92, in oyster research and university affairs. He describes himself as “an oyster doctor who makes house calls.” Dr. Ray has won a boatload of academic awards, and it seems he’s held just about every position, including interim President, at A&MGalveston. His research on oyster diseases is legendary in the scientific community.

When told that several other scientist referred to him as “the” expert on oysters, he laughs and says, “I’ve worked on oysters for over 64 years. If I didn’t learn anything over that time, maybe something just sunk in.” Speaking to the affable Dr. Ray was a delight. He gave us a crash course on Oysters

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CRaig RogERS viSitS WitH DR. Sammy Ray, oyStER ExPERt foR moRE tHan 60 yEaRS.

101, which we hope you’ll find as enlightening as we did.

That said, here we go!

The Eastern Oyster, the only commercial species in the Gulf, starts out in the nearshore waters during spawning, which occurs from late spring to early fall. Some oysters spawn all at once, others throughout the summer. They start out as embryos, then progress within a day or so to a larval stage that lasts 14-16 days. As larva, they have a weak swimming ability and start to grow a shell very quickly.

Once the larva mature, they must find something hard to stick to, a process called “setting”. If they don’t find something hard to stick to, they settle on the soft bottom and suffocate.

The freshly set oyster is called a “spat”, a term that applies to young oysters under 1” in length.

When set, an oyster becomes sexually mature in only 6-8 weeks. Seventy five to eighty percent of young oysters are

male, but as they grow older, they begin converting to female.

A female can release 50-75 million eggs per season.

Oysters are filter feeders. They suck in plankton, algae and pretty much anything else in the water, remove what they can eat, then spit out the remainder. This filtering is important in cleaning bays, since an adult oyster can filter 48 gallons of water in 24 hours. Oysters are our organic water filters.

The amount of salt in the water that the oysters filter is a key to their survival (along with water temperature). Oyster need salinity, but not the full salinity of the Gulf, which offshore averages 35 parts per thousand (ppt), or 3.5% by volume. In the bays where Gulf oysters grow, salinity is usually less than 35 ppt due to rain and river run-off. Drought conditions increase salinity, and flooding decreases it. They can survive in water from 5 ppt to 35 ppt, but the sweet spot for oysters is salinity between 15 and 20 ppt. Oysters actually thrive and taste better in higher salinity, but their enemies thrive in higher salinity even better. The two main enemies of Gulf oysters are the southern oyster drill and a parasite known as dermo. Oyster drills are snails that bore into an oyster’s shell and kill it. Dermo infects oysters and kills them. In salinity above 15 ppt, these two enemies increase dramatically and can destroy an oyster population. The higher the salinity, the worse the enemies become.

Assuming it isn’t killed by its enemies, an oyster will continue growing, and in 18 to 24 months, it reaches 3 inches in length, which is the legal minimum size for harvesting.

Remember the old adage about not eating oysters in months

without an “R”? There are reasons for that saying, but it isn’t a rule, more like a guideline. Oysters spawn in the warm summer months. When they spawn, they lose glycogen, a substance that makes them tastier. They also lose a lot of weight.

It takes twice as many pounds of summer oysters to make one pound of cooked oysters. Overall, summer oysters will be smaller and less tasty than cool weather oysters.

From a safety standpoint, there is a bacteria known as V. vulnificus that occurs naturally in warm salt water, which can be transmitted to humans by eating raw seafood, including oysters. V. vulnificus usually only affects persons with health problems, like impaired immune systems or liver disease.

People with those health problems should avoid eating raw seafood, including oysters, because the bacterial attack in such persons could be fatal. Cooking kills the bacteria, so cooked seafood and oysters are fine.

If you buy oysters to consume at home, do not store them in water in an ice chest. When they are taken out of their native salt water, oysters close their shells tightly, which preserves their inner moisture and juices. If you submerge them, they open up and start to lose their natural moisture. They will keep in a dry sack at room temperature for two to three weeks, although the fresher they are, the better they taste.

Congratulations, you’ve completed Oysters 101. Dr. Ray made our lesson fun and easy to understand. We hope you enjoyed the course. Now you can use your new knowledge to dazzle your friends and family! a An oyster reef, exposed by low tide along the Gulf Coast.

Oyster Outlook. Or Lookout Oysters!

Outlook for the 2011 Gulf Coast Oyster Season The 2011 outlook for the Gulf oyster season is a bit like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Instead of Goldilocks finding the Three Bears’ porridge too hot, too cold, and just right, oyster forecasters say that this year, Texas is too dry, Louisiana is too wet, but Florida is just right.

To explain, oysters need the waters where they live in our Gulf bays to have saline content of around 15 to 20 parts per thousand (ppt), which translates into 1.5% to 2% per volume.

They also need temperatures to be moderate. If the saline content gets too high or too low, it adversely affects the oyster population. Too little salt will kill oysters. Too much salt causes a population explosion for the oyster’s main enemies, the southern oyster drill (a snail that bores through the shell) and dermo (a parasite that infects oysters). What affects salinity? Fresh water in the form of rainfall and river runoff.

Too much fresh water, the salinity is too low. Too little fresh water and it’s too high.

The Gulf Coast is a prime oyster producing region.

Louisiana usually produces the most oysters in the U.S., and Texas usually produces the second most, so what happens in the Gulf impacts the whole country. So how is the 2011 season forecast? We’ll cover the three big oyster states, Texas, Louisiana and Florida, one at a time.

Texas

“The entire Texas coast, and all of its bays, is suffering from too little fresh water,” said Dr. Sammy Ray, noted oyster expert and marine biologist at Texas A&M - Galveston. “A drought began in Texas around January of 2011 and it’s predicted to go for 18 months. It’s predicted that the drought will be equal to or worse than what Texas had in 1950 or what Oklahoma had in the mid-1930’s. There’s not many people alive that remember what happened back in the mid-30’s, but I’m one of them,” said Dr. Ray, a spry 92.

Galveston Bay is the main oyster producing area in Texas.

According to Dr. Ray, “Lower Galveston Bay is awash in oyster drills. Young oysters are going to be at the mercy of the drills, and as they get older, they’re going to be at the mercy of the dermo parasite. I’ve been studying oysters for over 60 years, and I noticed that the dermo parasite survived the winter better than ever before and the drills became active in Galveston Bay earlier than I ever noted before.”

“If the drought continues for 18 months,” said Dr. Ray, “it will decimate the oyster population in the State of Texas and it will take a killing flood to bring it back. If we have a good flood, the population could be back in 18-24 months.”

Sounds pretty dismal. Is there anything we can do, Dr. Ray? “Do a rain dance, pray for rain, or both!”

Louisiana

No one in Southeast Louisiana will be doing a rain dance anytime soon. Not after the Mississippi River reached near record flood stage in June 2011. To keep New Orleans from flooding, the flood gates at the Bonnet Carre Spillway were

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opened, releasing a torrent of fresh water into Lake Pontchartrain, which then flowed into Lake Borgne, and subsequently down to Mississippi Sound. Both Lake Borgne and Mississippi Sound are oyster growing areas, with Mississippi Sound being especially important. The Morganza Spillway was also opened, which let fresh water into Terrebonne Bay, another major oyster producing area.

This comes on the heels of a large dumping of fresh water from the Mississippi into the estuaries in 2010, a measure undertaken by Louisiana to try to keep oil from the BP spill from entering the fragile estuaries. With the flooding this year, the oysters are getting a double whammy of fresh water.

Dr. Thomas Soniat, biologist at the University of New Orleans, says this new release of fresh water into oyster growing bays could adversely affect the oyster population. “When you reduce the salinity of the water down to around 2 ppt or lower, even on the short term, then this will cause a serious problem for oysters, serious mortalities,” he explained. “There could be some impact from the diversion into the Terrebonne area, but we don’t know yet what that impact is,” confided Dr. Soniat. As for the fresh water dumped into Lake Borgne and Mississippi Sound, “There is real cause for concern, because previous openings of the Bonnet Carre spillway have resulted in heavy mortalities of oysters in Mississippi Sound.” Making things worse is the timing. “Low salinity in the summer has an even more detrimental effect on oysters than in the winter,” Dr. Soniat explained.

Florida

And now for something completely different . . . good news. Mark Berrigan, Bureau Chief with the Bureau of Aquaculture Development in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, says, “Florida oysters are rebounding pretty well (from a drought over the last couple of years.) The crop we have now has really enjoyed a resurgence because of the amount of fresh water we had last winter and spring. Typically, our crops are dependent upon the year before being a wet season or a dry season. After a wet season, after a lag of a year or two, we can expect the crop to come back strong from a drought, and it has.” Berrigan continued, “In Apalachicola Bay, which is the main source of oysters in Florida, we can see a direct relationship between rainfall and river discharge and oyster production, with about a year to two year lag time.”

Berrigan says that Florida usually accounts for about 10% of all oyster landings in the Gulf. But this year and next, he expects that percentage to increase due to the problems in Texas and Louisiana.

And that’s the scoop on this year’s Gulf Coast oyster crop.

It’s not too pretty for oyster lovers and those that depend on the critters for a livelihood. Who would have thought that droughts and floods would have such an effect on the sleepy little oyster? a Oyster rakes are used to scrape the oysters from their attachment so they can be harvested.

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 25

Nazi U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico World War II Battles Off Our Shores World War II came to the Gulf of Mexico at 10:30 a.m. on May 4, 1942. The freighter Norlindo was torpedoed by the German submarine U-507, 140 miles west of Key West. The Norlindo sank in three minutes.

Amazingly, three lifeboats full of the crew managed to escape before the Norlindo slid beneath the sea. The captain of U-507 gave the survivors food, water and cigarettes before leaving them to the fate of the ocean.

Thus began a campaign of terror so successful that the Germans referred to it as “Happy Time.”

And why wouldn’t they be happy? In their first three months in the Gulf - May, June and July of 1942 - the Uboats sank 46 ships. Seventeen different U-boats operated in the Gulf during those three chilling months. By the time the U-boats ceased operating in the Gulf, in December of 1943, they had sunk 56 ships and damaged more than a dozen others. And although most of the damage the U-boats wrought was in those first months, their presence was felt for years, and the fear they sowed grew far from the waters edge.

When the U-boats first arrived, they didn’t see any evidence of fear, either in the civilian population or in the Gulf shipping industry. Instead, they gladly observed that we were unprepared for the menace, either through ignorance or apathy. Or possibly denial that the Germans would dare enter the Gulf. After all, the U-boats had only attacked the East Coast of the U.S. during World War I. For whatever reasons, the first German captains to prowl the Gulf found that our seaside towns and merchant vessels were unprepared to defend ­26 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

themselves against submarine warfare.

The submarines’ tactics were simple. Stay submerged during the day so they couldn’t be spotted by boat or plane. Then surface and attack by night. Seeing shipping targets at night was difficult. Making things easier for the U-boats was the delay of Gulf towns in implementing blackout procedures at night. When coastal cities left their lights on after dark, the German captains could see U.S. ships silhouetted against them, making them easy targets.

Merchant vessels also were slow to adopt and sloppy in implementing their own blackout procedures. A ship at sea with no lights on is hard to see. But U-boat captains reported they were able to see some ships due to doors momentarily opening, allowing the room light to spill out into the night. Some even said they saw the glow of cigarettes from the sailors on deck on watch.

To make matters worse, at the beginning of the U-boat invasion, many merchant ships in the Gulf didn’t travel in convoys, and often didn’t have naval escorts, making them much easier and safer targets.

After implementing blackouts along the coast, and after vessels started traveling in convoys with naval escorts, the success rate of the U-boats dropped quickly. And though there were many sighting and attacks on U-boats (which eventually drove them out), only one was sunk in the Gulf, U-166.

The counterattack by the U.S. also included aircraft submarine patrols. A blimp was used off Galveston as a submarine spotter. Minefields were laid north of Key West (which sank three unsuspecting Allied ships, but no U-boats.) Patrol vessels scanned the Gulf waters looking for periscopes.

Once word got out to the public about the U-boat attacks, a wave of panic stuck many coastal cities. Civilian Defense Corps were formed. Local wardens were appointed to oversee their districts. Beach patrols roamed the Gulf shores looking for Nazi invaders. Spotters watched for enemy ships and planes. Coastal artillery batteries were installed and manned.

Spotlights were built atop towers to illuminate ships and airplanes. Anti-aircraft guns were brought in. Yes, there were fears not just of U-boat attacks, but of air bombing raids and invasion. Medical supplies, stretchers, fire trucks, and even gas masks were assembled in case of an attack.

Civilians got involved in more aggressive ways, too. Since it was short of anti-submarine and patrol vessels, the U.S. Navy grudgingly accepted the offer by private yacht owners to volunteer as submarine patrols. The private yachts were outfitted with machine guns and depth charges, and they patrolled from Brownsville, TX to the Florida Keys.

In Louisiana, the Cajun Coast Guard was formed. The Army realized that Louisiana’s swampy coast was a great place for Nazi spies to infiltrate into the U.S. Due to manpower shortages and the lack of local knowledge needed to

navigate in the estuaries, local Cajuns were enlisted to patrol their coast. Age and physical requirements were waived.

The involvement of Gulf Coast civilians may not have resulted in the sinking of any U-boats, but their actions at least gave them confidence that they were fighting back. And who knows how many submarines were spooked by the private yachts, or how many Nazi spies were scared away by the local beach patrols. We may never know those things, but we know that when the Gulf Coast was under U-boat attack, its citizens rose up courageously to defend our southern sea borders.

If you are interested in this dramatic and little known era in Gulf Coast history, there are several excellent sources available. For our research, we relied heavily on Torpedoes in the Gulf: Galveston and the U-boats, 1942 1943, written by Melanie Wiggins, and published by Texas A&M Univ.

Press, 1995. It is available at Texas A&M Press’ website, www.tamupress.com.

We also relied heavily on the final report from a group of scientists who explored the sunken wrecks and published their findings in a U.S. Dept. of the Interior report called, “Archaeological and Biological (cont. pg. 27) (Below) Local Wardens in the Citizen's Defense Corps. (Right) An ID card carried by Citizen's Defense Corps workers. Photos courtesy of the National World War II Museum, New Orleans. www.nationalww2museum.org.

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Story by Craig Rogers

The Sinking of the

Alcoa Puritan

It’s May, 1942. America has begun to change from a consumer economy to a war economy. Auto factories are converting into airplane and tank factories. Supplies are short, resulting in rationing, and the military has priority on all materials needed for the war. Airplanes, which are made from aluminum, are in dire need, so the military needs aluminum, and lots of it.

That’s where the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) comes into the picture. In the first months of the war, ALCOA increased its production of aluminum by 600% in an effort to meet the military’s needs. Aluminum is made from bauxite, a raw material abundant in South America. ALCOA floated a fleet of ships to bring bauxite from South America to ports along the Gulf Coast.

One such ship was the Alcoa Puritan, an unarmed, 6800 ton cargo ship, 400’ long and 60’ wide, captained by Yngvar Krantz. On May 6, 1942, the Alcoa Puritan was on its way to Mobile, AL with a cargo of 10,000 tons of bauxite it had loaded in Port of Spain, Trinidad. It also carried eight passengers who were survivors of the Esso tanker T.C. McCobb, which had been torpedoed and sunk off Brazil.

The Alcoa Puritan was not escorted by a Navy vessel, nor was it zig-zagging to make it a harder target for torpedoes (likely because the first sinking by a U-boat in the Gulf had only taken place two days earlier.)

At five minutes to noon, as the Alcoa Puritan was 130 miles south of Mobile, one of the passengers spotted a torpedo. As the crew raced to sound the alarm, passengers watched as the torpedo passed just off the stern of the ship, missing it by only 100 feet. The torpedo was fired from U507, the first German submarine to operate in the Gulf. U507 had already sunk three ships in the previous two days, which was the beginning of a three month reign of destruction by U-boats in the Gulf.

After its first shot missed, U-507 surfaced and sped toward the cargo ship. Captain Krantz turned his stern to the pursuing submarine and tried to run, but the submarine was faster and began to overtake him. When U-507 closed to within a mile, the German Captain, Harro Schacht, ordered his deck gun to fire a warning shot across the Alcoa’s bow. No reaction from the American ship. Another warning shot, this one closer. Still the ship didn’t stop. So Schacht began shelling the ship with both deck guns, scor­28 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

ing 50 hits. The captain and crew of the Alcoa ducked and scurried for shelter. Evasive maneuvers to try to avoid the barrage failed. After 20 minutes of constant bombardment, a shell struck the steering mechanism of the Alcoa and it began to turn in circles. At that point, Captain Krantz gave the order to abandon ship.

After waiting for the lifeboats to clear, Captain Schacht moved in for the kill. He fired one more torpedo, which

Composite image showing the low-resolution (top) and highresolution images of the Alcoa Puritan as it lays on the floor of the Gulf. Photos courtesy of C&C Technologies, Inc.

stuck the Alcoa Puritan on her port side, and sent her to a watery grave. U-507 then turned and steered toward the lifeboats. What went through the survivors minds as the U-boat approached?

Were they going to be shot? Captured as prisoners?

No. Captain Schacht yelled to them, in perfect English, “Sorry, I had to do it. Hope you make it in.”

And they did. The 46 survivors were picked up four hours later. None were killed, but two had shrapnel wounds. They were taken by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell to New Orleans, where the injured were treated at a Navy hospital. Other survivors were interviewed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Their harrowing tale was on the front page, creating a new fear for Gulf Coast residents.

A new level of fear must have been created for the eight survivors of the T.C. McCobb. Remember, they were only aboard the Alcoa Puritan because the T.C. McCobb was sunk off Brazil. They survived that ordeal, only to be sunk again, five weeks later! Did any of them ever step back aboard a boat?

Fast forward to 2001, aboard a survey ship in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Mobile. It’s just after the discovery of U166 (see related article in this issue). That discovery corrected the mistaken belief that the Alcoa Puritan’s wreck lay on the seafloor very near the hulk of the sunken passengercargo ship Robert E. Lee, itself a U-boat victim two months after the Alcoa Puritan. A deep-tow radar survey for a proposed oil pipeline has revealed a previously unknown wreck in 6400 feet of water, 20 miles southeast of the wreck of U166. The marine archaeologist on board, Laura Landry, checks the radar data, and after comparing it with historical information, identifies the new wreck. It is the Alcoa Puritan.

The freighter Alcoa Puritan. On May 6, 1942, while she was returning from Port of Spain, Trinidad, to Mobile, AL, she was sunk by U-507.

The Alcoa Puritan was carrying a cargo of bauxite, used to make aluminum, and several passengers, all of whom were on board because their prior ship had been torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Brazil. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard.

Later expeditions sent down underwater research vessels that took video of the Alcoa Puritan. It is sitting upright, facing east. Several large shell holes from the U-507’s deck guns are visible in the smoke stack and superstructure, and there are numerous smaller bullet holes located throughout. Just rearward from amidships, on the port side, there is a large, gapping hole. This is where the torpedo exploded, ending the Alcoa Puritan.

And so ends this tale of the Alcoa Puritan, which is just one of many little-known stories about the Gulf during World War II. There are few folks still alive with first-hand knowledge of that eventful time. Fortunately, we have numerous sources of historical information about the era. None is better than the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, which houses many fascinating tales about when the war came to the Gulf. Tell them Gulfscapes sent you. a

Cont. from page 25...Nazi U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico

Analysis of World War II Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico”, OCS Study MMS 2007-015, U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, April 2007, prepared by C & C Technologies, Inc., authors R. Church, D. Warren, R. Cullimore, L. Johnston, W. Schroeder, W. Patterson, T. Shirley. M. Kilgour, N. Morris, and J. Moore. For copies of the report, call the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement in New Orleans, (504) 736-2519, or go online at gomr.boemre.gov and search for MMS 2007-015. This study was done off the coast of Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf. U-boats knew this area as the primary sea lane that carried ships up the river into the busy Port of New Orleans. In essence, the submarines just waited for ships to show up on their route into or from New Orleans.

You might also want to visit the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, www.nationalww2museum.org. a GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 29

Re-Writing History

The Discovery of U-166 Of the more than 20 U-boats that prowled the Gulf Coast during WWII, only one was ever sunk in Gulf waters. The sinking of that submarine, the U-166, resulted in one of the rare instances where history was actually re-written. In a good way.

U-166 entered the Caribbean in mid-July of 1942. After sinking three vessels there, the captain, Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Gunther Kuhlmann, brought his ship off the mouth of the Mississippi to lay mines. On July 27, he radioed German command that he had completed the mine laying and was now looking for suitable prey. He found it at 4 p.m. on July 30th.

Heading to the mouth of the Mississippi for the trip up to New Orleans was the cargo-passenger ship Robert E. Lee, accompanied by U.S. Patrol Craft 566. The Robert E. Lee was coming from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and had dropped off passengers in Key West. It was the first mission for PC566 and her captain, Lt. Commander Herbert C. Claudius.

On the afternoon of July 30, PC-566 radioed New Orleans to request a pilot for the Robert E. Lee. That transmission likely was intercepted by Captain Kuhlmann, for at 4:37 p.m., U-166 fired a torpedo that struck the Robert E. Lee on its starboard side and destroyed its engines. It sank in less than 10 minutes. Six lifeboats and sixteen rafts were launched before the ship went under. Ten crewmen and fifteen passengers died.

After seeing the explosion, Lt. Commander Claudius spotted the submarine’s periscope and charged to attack. Why the sub didn’t dive immediately after firing its torpedoes will never be known. PC-566 dropped at total of 10 depth charges. A small oil slick was observed by the crew, which made them think they had sunk the sub.

Two days later, however, a Coast Guard plane spotted a Uboat on the surface off Houma, LA, just 140 miles from where the Robert E. Lee sank. The plane was able to drop a depth charge close to the rapidly diving submarine. The aircraft’s crew reported seeing a light to medium oil slick and felt they had either sunk or inflicted damage to the sub. The Navy conducted an inquiry on the incidents and concluded the airplane, and not PC-566, had sunk U-166. The plane’s crew was decorated. Lt. Commander Claudius was criticized and sent for more depth charge training.

And so the history books read for the next 59 years. Then something unusual happened.

There are few people who realize that Nazi U-boats ran rampant in the Gulf in 1942. There are also few who realize that before an offshore oil well can be built, or an offshore oil pipeline can be laid, an underwater survey must be conduct-

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Above, The skipper of U-166, Oberleutnant zur See HansGünther Kuhlmann. Opposite page, U-166 on her way to the ocean, and the war. Photos courtesy of the National World War II Museum, New Orleans. www.nationalww2museum.org.

ed. The U.S. Dept. of the Interior requires a survey from any oil company before granting final approval for a project. The purpose is to protect underwater historic and pre-historic sites from damage. These surveys have resulted in the discovery of 18 of the 56 ships sunk in the Gulf by U-boats.

Dan Warren, marine archaeologist at C&C Technologies,

Inc., was on a ship performing such a survey in 2001. Dan explained that an oil company client wanted to lay a new pipeline south of Louisiana. As the crew surveyed the area where the proposed pipeline was to pass, they realized it would run near the wreck of the Robert E. Lee, which had been identified in a prior oil survey. That prior survey also found a second wreck nearby, which was believed to be the Alcoa Puritan, also sunk in the area by a U-boat in 1942.

As they surveyed with radar-equipped underwater vehicles, Dan said they located the wreck of the Robert E. Lee. They couldn’t, however, find the Alcoa Puritan. In order to make sure the pipeline didn’t run through the wreck of the Alcoa Puritan, they ran a more sensitive radar sweep of the area and found the second wreck. But a problem arose. As Dan tells it, “With the new data, we realized it wasn’t the right size. And at that time, everyone thought the U-166 had GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 31

been sunk 140 miles to the west. So it wasn’t until we got the data back that we realized we might have found the U-boat.”

After reviewing the new data, the survey crew sent down a remote underwater vehicle equipped with cameras that visually identified the wreck as the U-166. “When we sent the (underwater vehicle) down, we were pretty excited,” said Dan. “It was an exciting time because not only had we found the U-boat, but it’s one of the few opportunities we’ll ever have to actually re-write history. This discovery changed the history books.”

And so it has. After 59 years, we finally know what really happened to U-166. It was sunk by PC-566 on that fateful day in July of 1942, within a mile of its last victim, the Robert E. Lee. Video of the wreck shows the bow of the U-boat was severed from its main body. Analysis of the damage to the bow suggests that a depth charge went off on top of the bow causing an explosion inside, tearing the bow off and sinking ­32 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

the sub immediately.

Historian are pleased to finally learn what really happened to U-166. Unfortunately, Lt. Commander Claudius will never know. He passed in 1981, 20 years before his part in history was re-written.

Visit www.pastfoundation.org/DeepWrecks for more information about scientific expeditions in the Gulf that explored the wrecks of several ships sunk by U-boats. a (Above left) U-166, being commissioned in Bremen, Germany, March, 1942. (Top right) U-166's commander, Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Kuhlmann. (Bottom right) The conning tower of U-166. (Bottom middle) U-166's commander, Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Kuhlmann, on the conning tower as the sub heads to sea. Photos courtesy of the National World War II Museum, New Orleans. www.nationalww2museum.org.

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susTAinABle BuilDinG mATeRiAls CAn BeTTeR WiTHsTAnD THe fORCes Of mOTHeR nATuRe

Above­grade­ foundations­built with­Pearson Fiberglass­Pilings are­built­to­last­ Considering the significant cost of a new waterfront home or beach house, it doesn’t make economic sense to build it on foundation pilings that begin to deteriorate the moment they are driven.

Pearson Fiberglass Pilings have a product life cycle of 100 years or more, and they are stronger than wood, steel or concrete.

Using a proprietary, three-dimensional glass fabric that has exceptional shear, stiffness and strength properties, Pearson Fiberglass Pilings will better withstand the forces of high storm surges and hurricane force winds. Because they are “friction” pilings, they provide greater resistance to the soil, whether sand or soft mud.

And thanks to a specially engineered attachment system, the chance of a catastrophic separation of the piling from the house’s structure during severe weather conditions is drastically reduced.

Best of all, because Pearson Pilings will never rot, rust or crumble like wood, steel or concrete, you won’t have to face the exorbitant expense of replacing the pilings under your home.

Pearson Pilings are not only the strongest, longest lasting pilings you can buy, they are environmentally friendly, too. They contain no harmful coatings or preservatives that can leach into the soil or water. Their attractive finish also protects them from UV radiation and abrasion.

Most important, Pearson Pilings have been time tested. In 1996 the San Diego Port Authority installed prototype designs as part of a test program. These pilings are in service today with no sign of needing replacement.

Today, more and more architects, structural engineers and quality homebuilders are discovering the benefits of building above grade foundations with Pearson Fiberglass Pilings. For more info about these sustainable building materials and improved construction techniques.

Pearson­Pilings 846­Airport­Road Fall­River,­MA­02720 508-675-0594­­ www.pearsonpilings.com

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Gun­Barrel­pilings from­Building Products­Plus provide­strong­ &­long-lasting­ building­pilings­ Beautiful and uniform in size and appearance, Gun Barrel pilings from Building Products Plus are stronger and longer-lasting than comparably-sized square pilings.

According to engineers, Gun Barrel pilings have a bending moment 60% higher than square pilings of comparable size and, with a resistance factor 20% lower than square pilings, storm surge waters flow more easily around them relieving your home's structure of thousands of pounds of devastating force.

Properly treated Gun Barrel pilings from Building Products Plus are expected to last 30 or more years in water and much longer when used on land structures.

Learn more at www.GunBarrelPiling.com (800) 460-8627

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WaterColor­Inn­&­Resort 34 Goldenrod Circle santa rosa Beach, FL 32459 850-534-5000 www.watercolorresort.com

WAterCOLOr is A resOrt MAsterPieCe WaterColor Inn & Resort is one of the most celebrated resorts on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, winning award and recommendations from a host of travel organizations and magazines.

Accommodations range from the intimate WaterColor Inn, with the cozy, relaxed feel of a beach home featuring rooms overlooking the pristine sugar white sand and emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, to the resort’s charming vacation homes. Located just a short walk from the beach and scenic Western Lake, WaterColor vacation homes are roomy enough for groups or families to vacation together.

WaterColor Inn & Resort caters to guests of all ages, offering numerous amenities including a BeachClub, several swimming pools, tennis center, spa, and Kids Camp. Complimentary bicycles, kayaks and canoes make it easy for guests to ride to the neighboring town of

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Seaside, paddle through the Western Lake (a rare coastal dune lake) and hike the resort’s woodland trail system. Golfers have three courses to choose from: the Tom Fazio-designed Camp Creek Golf Club, the Greg Norman-designed Shark’s Tooth Golf Club, and the Origins course designed by Davis Love III for family and short play.

The resort’s highly acclaimed Fish Out of Water restaurant overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and features Chef de Cuisine Philip Krajeck’s specialties made from locally sourced and organic ingredients.

Throughout the year, WaterColor Inn & Resort hosts special events and retreat packages focusing on fitness, art, culinary and more. Whether you come for a special event, or just for a soothing vacation, you’ll be glad you visited Watercolor.

green waves

(Opposite,足Top足left) Fish Out of Water provides a romantic dining spot overlooking the pristine beaches and Gulf of Mexico. (Top) Watercolor inn sits amongst the sugar white sand dunes. it offers some of the best views on the Gulf to its pampered visitors. (Left) this bridge traverses the 220 acre Western Lake, a rare lake on a barrier island. (Above)足Guest rooms at Watercolor inn provide private courtyards/balconies.

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StoRy By JEnnifER KoRnEgay

Henderson­Park­Inn 2700 scenic hwy 98 Destin, FL 32541 hendersonparkinn.com 888-836-1105

henderson Park inn

new england Charm, Florida style If someone placed you in front of Henderson Park Inn and then asked you to identify your geographical location, chances are high that you’d guess wrong. This 30-room inn with its Victorian architecture flanked in well-worn cedar shingles and accented with gleaming white woodwork would leave many confidently declaring they were on the coast of Maine or some other spot in New England. But a walk around to the beach right behind the Inn might cause confusion. Maine’s shores are rocky, not flat and covered with sugar-white sand. Its coastal waters dark, not pale mint green. So where are you?

Henderson Park Inn is in Destin, Fla., and even though it sits directly on one of the Emerald Coast’s finest beaches, it seems far removed from everything else around it, both in look and feel.

Tucked away on the edge of Henderson State Park and its undeveloped beach, Henderson Park Inn offers a charm and tranquility that can be hard to find in some other nearby seaside locales. With nothing for over a mile on one side, and only small lodgings on the other (no towering condos), most often the only sounds you hear are waves breaking against the shore and the occasional seagull cry. One noise you will definitely not hear is that associated with children, as Henderson Park Inn is for adults only.

You’ll notice the next difference when you open the door to your casually elegant room. The usual suspects of beach décor are missing (framed palm-tree or seashell prints, pastel or bright-colored fabrics) and replaced with dark wood furnishings, rich gold and jewel-toned bedding and bead board wainscoting. Of course the one element (Opposite­page) the new england architecture is evident at the entrance to the henderson Park inn. (Top)­ White sand beaches, a palapa bar, and unrivaled service make the henderson Park inn one of nW Florida’s best vacation spots.

(Middle)­the balconies offer a splendid spot to beachwatch and enjoy the ocean. (Bottom) A single red rose, grapes and a bottle of wine greet you at the henderson Park inn.

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that’s almost a given at any beachfront accommodations, a balcony, is present, but it’s a little different too. The deep-set balconies of each room are private, spacious and because you can’t see your neighbors, leave you feeling as if you’re the only guest there.

Several aspects of the property combine to extend that feeling throughout your entire stay. The easy, yet luxurious, atmosphere and a high level of personal service keep Henderson Park Inn true to the “inn” part of its name.

Everyone from the concierge to the cleaning staff is welcoming and both willing and able to meet most special requests. Coffee, soft drinks and snacks are available (at no charge) throughout the day, with lemonade and freshbaked cookies added in the afternoon. A complimentary “happy hour” each evening includes wine and beer. Another special, and quite romantic, touch greets you upon arrival: a tray on your bed topped with a bottle of wine and two glasses, grapes and a single red rose. If you do choose to socialize during your getaway, the wide deck overlooking the Gulf is the perfect perch for mingling with other guests while enjoying a drink and the colorful glow of a sunset.

Another plus of this property, making it the natural choice for a relaxing retreat, is the fact that you never need to leave. An ample breakfast—so much more than a few muffins and your choice of cereal box—is included in your room rate, as is lunch. Both are served in the Inn’s lovely dining room, which transforms into the Beach Walk Café for dinner. The space is intimate, yet seems open and airy, thanks to a wall of windows with an amazing view of the water through sea oats and pristine dunes. The vista alone is almost worth the check at the end of the meal, but even it can’t outshine the food.

The menu changes with the seasons but consistently features fine dining cuisine that earns rave reviews and draws outside diners in addition to the Inn’s guests. First course selections like spicy smoked tomato and shrimp soup are followed by pepper-crusted yellow fin tuna or specialties like “Grouper Vince.” And the restaurant also operates under the Inn’s “service with a smile” philosophy. The chef accommodates special orders whenever possible.

In between eating, drinking and relaxing with a view, you should take at least a few moments to experience the beach. Chairs with umbrellas as well as a few bench swings are set up on the sand. Bikes are also available if you do decide to venture out. Whatever you do, at Henderson Park Inn, you’ll be doing it amid serenity and style.

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hook

the

By BoB SHIRlEy

Fall2011 Weather, Water, Food & Fun As the summer progresses, days lend themselves more and more to fly fishing. The flats by my home come alive with redfish and speckled trout. Other shallow water areas along the Gulf Coast hold these and other species including snook, tarpon, some bonefish, and more. In the surf you may be able to cast to jacks, reds, and trout, too. Schools of bait fish get pushed up against jetties or the shore by winds and are exploited by larger feeding fish. The juvenile shrimp are large enough now to tempt predators as are the year’s crop of young crabs and juvenile fry. These conditions all contribute to enhance the fishing during this time of year.

Fishers “in the know” flock to the estuaries, inlets, and islands of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida. More come to the Texas coast to run up the rivers that empty into the Gulf, or to fish the flats and underwater structure along the channels and cuts near there. It’s all the same – find some water surrounding some underwater structure and there are probably catchable fish there.

Use fly gear like 9 ft. rods from 7 weight to 10 or 12 weight. The bigger the fish, the bigger the number of the rod necessary to land that fish. Speckled trout up to a few pounds may be taken with even lighter rods, but you might hook a big red or a nice snook. Bring the best reel you can with the best drag system you can afford – you hardly ever know what you have hooked up with in the saltwater so that drag may become very important very quickly. Another consideration is to use equipment which will allow you to bring fish to hand without playing them to exhaustion. This will help insure their survival if you decide to release them. Be sure to hold the fish in the water until they strongly swim away under their own power.

Reds and other relatively small fish need a fly line designed for them in weights 6 up to 9. The core will be warm water friendly and the line will cast well in the wind. Did I mention there is always wind? Larger or stronger species require lines paired with rods and reels in the 8-12 weight range. Use appropriate tapered or other specialty leaders including fluorocarbon attached to flies which imitate shrimp, crabs, fry, squid, or baitfish. If it swims or crawls, they tie flies to imitate it. It’s all fun.

Earlier this year in April, I attended the Gulf Coast Council (GCC) Fly Fishing Expo in San Antonio. The GCC is a division of the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) and the Council geographically covers the Southern half of Texas, all of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. There are almost 20 FFF fly fishing clubs within that area, and, if you look at them on a map, they are located near quite a wide variety of fishing water types and situations. This wonderful diversity of habitat and locality breeds an equally diverse menu of fishing opportunity. Redfish, Dorado (Mahi-Mahi), trout (speckled sea trout and freshwater rainbows), gar, bowfin, tuna, jacks, and bass are all within the realm of possibilities available to a Gulf Coast fly fisher.

From the Rio Grande Valley to the Florida Pan Handle fly fishers are in pursuit of the region’s bountiful supply of diverse fish species. This gets me back to the Expo – all of the new equipment such as bass rods, spey rods, large capacity reels, tropical lines, and apparel were displayed and were accompanied by factory representa­44 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

tives to explain every subtle new feature of each item. All of which is hopefully intended to make your time on the water more enjoyable and successful.

There were classes galore on fly tying, fly casting, knots, boating, and much more at this year’s Expo. How to rig for bonefish, fishing small Hill Country streams, and tarpon in Texas were some of the titles which especially interested me. And, if you have a lot of tying classes, you have a lot of tiers! These men and women demonstrated their unique approaches and techniques to flies and fly tying, and doing so almost continuously for two 8 hour days in the main room of the Expo. I saw demos of shrimp patterns that glowed in the dark for fishing over the underwater lights found in many Gulf Coast communities which are designed around man-made canals.

There were flies used to attract sea trout in the surf, tarpon flies, flies for Jacks, and more. Some of the presenters specialized in brim flies, or bass poppers, or Texas rainbow trout, and showed off their favorite flies with which to catch each of these species.

Just imagine the conversations between fishermen from Louisiana talking to fly casters from around Texas, or presenters from Mississippi and Alabama talking to city kids from there in San Antonio. This is what I like about the fly fishing community, and it is what never ceases to impress and amaze me. Most fly fishers and fly fishing organizations are, in general (I know generalizations are dangerous) concerned with issues involving young people and Mahi-Mahi, one of the most colorful fish in the ocean.

women, resource conservation, education and habitat restoration.

I’ve seen it from Alaska to Florida and from California to New England. We still like to catch lots of fish, maybe keep some for eating, and we still like to compete with each other and enjoy ourselves. But introducing women to fly fishing and teaching casting, tying and technique to anyone who will listen may be more important to us. It is this commitment to community and to sharing our sport through education which is different from most other outdoor activities.

I feel that this event reminded me just how incredibly rich the Gulf Coast is in species diversity, human creativity, and unique fishing opportunities. It also reminded me how important it is for each of us to personally accept responsibility for the appearance, quality, and longevity of our beaches, rivers, estuaries, and saltwater.

Volunteer to help clean up a waterway, and, more importantly, don’t litter it up with disposable plastic, glass, or especially fishing line in the first place.

For me, living on the Gulf Coast is all about the weather, water, food and fun. What a true gift to be able to combine all four by fly fishing here. a

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WHATEVER WH HAT HA AT TEV VER YOUR V YOU YO OU UR REAL RE EAL ESTATE ESTA TAT AT TE NEEDS NEED DS … ...WE ...W WE CAN H HELP ELP Whether it’s a weekend getaway, luxury residence, family home, vintage cottage, home site, acreage, condominium,or investment property, Key Allegro Real Estate is here to assist you in realizing your dreams.

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No guarantee is made that the proposed features will be constructed, or that if constructed, will be of the number and type described. These materials shall not constitute an offer in any state where prior registration is required. Void where prohibited by law. For unimproved lots at The Boardwalk at St. Charles Bay, obtain the property report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of these properties. Warning: The California Department of Real Estate has not inspected, examined, or qualified this offering.

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(Top­left) the dining and sitting area at Lee house are formal and cozy. (Top­right) the view of Pensacola Bay from the balcony is splendid. (Middle) Breakfast at Lee house is an exquisite treat. (Bottom­right) high ceilings make the guest rooms airy, and french doors open onto the balcony if you need an even airier feel.

(Bottom­left) Luxury abounds in Lee house, including the baths with oversized tub and walk in shower.

Historic Cha After living and working in the Pensacola area for over thirty years, Patrick and Norma Murray opened Lee House Bed & Breakfast Inn in 2008. The couple’s eight room luxury villa is located on Pensacola Bay, adjacent to Seville Square, and within walking distance to several of the area’s best restaurants. It’s a great location for exploring the many offerings of Pensacola, from Pensacola Beach, to the historic downtown district, to the harbor at Palafox Pier.

The downstairs level at Lee House contains the formal sitting area, dining area, and kitchen. Local artwork adorns the walls of the sitting area, and twin leather couches offer a cozy spot in front of the fireplace.

A Steinway piano creates an old time parlour feel for relaxing guests.

The eight luxury rooms each have a distinct decor and reflect the finest designers in Pensacola. Six of the rooms open onto the spacious wrap-around porch. Each bed is adorned with luxury linens by Pandora de Balthazar. Private baths offer spa robes, premium toiletries and walkin showers. IPad players and wireless internet connections give the

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rooms modern accoutrements.

The lush Alcaniz Courtyard offers a wonderful outdoor venue, complete with fire pit. It’s a great place for cocktail parties, bar-b-ques or meet and greets.

Weddings are a specialty of Lee House. Rehearsal dinners can be catered in the dining room, and the ceremony and reception can take place in the Courtyard. Larger weddings of up to 275 can be accommodated. And of course, the romantic honeymoon suite is available for the lucky bride and groom.

Business meetings are also welcomed at Lee House. The downstairs dining room has a full feature A/V system, wireless internet and a private entrance. And the upscale elegance will impress any client or business associate.

For old fashioned Southern hospitality, you won’t find a better host than Lee House. Its elegance and sophistication are a perfect match for this historic Gulf Coast town.

Lee House Bed & Breakfast Inn 400 Bayfront Parkway Pensacola, FL 32502 850-912-8770 www.leehousepensacola.com

arm GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 49

siesta Key Beach na Dr. Beach, a/k/a Dr. Stephen Leatherman, has named Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota as the number 1 beach in the U.S. for 2011. Dr. Leatherman releases his rankings each year at the beginning of summer.

The good doctor summarized why he chose Siesta Key Beach this year: “Siesta Beach in Sarasota boasts that it has the finest and whitest sand in the world, and I cannot argue with this claim; the powdery sand is nearly pure quartz crystal. The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers. The beach is hundreds of yards wide, attracting volleyball players and beachcombers as well as those who just want to find their place in the sun. Waves at Siesta Beach are normally measured in inches and the beach gradually slopes into the Gulf waters, making it a very safe area for children.”

Dr. Beach names st. George island state Park Top 10 Beach The annual rankings of America’s Best Beaches are out and St. George Island is a top finisher. Dr. Stephen Leatherman releases his top 10 rankings of American beaches every summer, and St. George Island State Park came in at number 6.

The northwest Florida barrier island near Apalachicola is the largest of Franklin County’s barrier islands, measuring (Continued on page 56 )

amed #1 in America

Biking photo courtesty of www.Sarasotafl.org and St. george island State Park photo courtesy of Lane autrey/franklin County tDC.

And the winner is...

Pensacola 2011 Reader’s Choice Best Gulf Town

Photo courtesy of www.goodgrits.com

Photo courtesy of tim Donovan

above, margaritaville Beach Hotel. Below right, gulf islands national Seashore, near Pensacola, has a bike path through the dunes. Below left, fisherman holds a red snapper. Photos courtesy of www.visitPensacola.com

Clockwise, starting with top left, Signature Dish–grits à ya ya from the fish House in Pensacola, fL. Photo courtesy of www.goodgrits.com Chef gregg mcCarthy from the grand marlin.

Photo courtesy of EW Bullock associates. Joe Patti's Seafood Company originated in 1931 and has become a world renown seafood market. today there is a sushi bar and wine store in addition to fresh seafood. Below red snapper. Photo by Craig Rogers.

The safest, most tested seafood around.

I’m Johnathan Hillstrand, captain of the Time Bandit.

Fishing for Alaskan crab in the Bering Sea is a pretty tough job. We work hard to bring in our catch, and so do commercial fishermen in Florida.

For generations, Florida’s hard-working fishing families have taken great pride in their work. Along Florida’s coasts, they harvest over 80 types of fresh, safe and wholesome seafood.

Look for Florida seafood when shopping or dining out.

It helps local fishermen and local economies.

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margaritaville Beach Hotel in Pensacola Beach fl is one of the best reasons to visit the Gulf Coast.

Parrothead or not, all will enjoy the friendly and relaxed atmosphere and beautiful beach. (Top)­Landshark Landing is a separate building from the hotel, where guests drink at the bar, bands play & people sleep in hammocks beneath palm trees.(Middle­left)­the white sand beaches are full of shells the size of your hand. We saw dolphins swimming in front of the hotel every day of our vacation. (Middle­right) the hotel lobby is comfortable and provides ample room for playing games and socializing. (Bottom­left)­Frankie and Lola’s has indoor and outdoor seating.

(Bottom­right)­the pool has clear walls along the beach which provide protection from the wind and a great view.

1. Pensacola, FL • 30° 25' 16" N / 87° 13' 0" W The city is nicknamed "The City of Five Flags" because it has been governed by five different countries; Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. It is also known as "America's First Settlement" since Spain sent settlers here in 1559. The settlers had just established a colony when it was wiped out by a hurricane in September of 1559. It was later resettled by Spain, 135 years later.

Today, visitors can retrace the path of history at several museums and historical sites. The Historic Pensacola Village, St. Michael’s Cemetery, the African-American Heritage Trail, the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum, Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens are all wonderful gateways into Pensacola’s rich heritage.

That heritage also includes being the site of the first U.S. Naval Air Station, established in 1911 (Happy 100th Birthday!) Today, the National Naval Aviation Museum houses priceless artifacts of aviation history, and is free to the public. In keeping with its connection to aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola is located here, home of the world-famous Blue Angels flight demonstration team, which performs locally at least twice a year.

Of course, the basic attraction of Pensacola is its location on the water. Sugar white sand beaches attract visitors from

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all over the U.S. Pensacola Beach is located on Santa Rosa Island, just across Pensacola Bay, and is a haven for tourists during the summer who are looking for clear, cool water and a beach where they can frolic. Those clear waters around Pensacola are teeming with sport fish, making them a popular destination for fishermen, who come from near and far to catch redfish, spotted trout, pompano and tarpon, among others.

Also located in the clear waters is the largest artificial reef in the world, the USS Oriskany, sunk in 2006, 22 miles from Pensacola. It’s a hot spot for scuba divers from around the world. Divers can also explore other wrecks in the area, including the USS Massachusetts, a WWI era ship, just a mile off Pensacola Pass.

Adding to Pensacola’s attractiveness are its many festivals, from Mardi Gras to the Crawfish Festival, from the Seafood Festival to the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival. There’s a Jamaican Festival, an Oktoberfest, a Songwriters Festival, and more than one Wine Festival. It’s a festive town!

And a hungry one, judging from the many quality restaurants. Of course, seafood is big, as it should be when it’s this fresh. Cafes and diners are sprinkled throughout town, with many located in the historic downtown district, or overlooking the bay. And any coastal town has to have its fair share of

Key Lime pie from the fish House. www.goodgrits.com

Pensacola Beach Rental www.vrbo.com/287791

pubs and beach bars, and Pensacola is no exception. The town even has a signature drink, the Bushwacker - a coconut, Kahlua, rum and ice cream concoction.

Let’s face it. Any town that has a signature drink must be filled with fun, lighthearted people. With so many wonderful diversions and spectacular scenery, is it any wonder that Pensacola’s residents fit that bill. Congratulations for being voted 2011’s Best Gulf Coast Town. You earned it!

The closest major airport is Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport (PNS / KPNS). This airport has domestic flights and is about 4 miles from the center of Pensacola, FL. Another major airport is Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS / KVPS), which has domestic flights from Valparaiso, Florida and is 41 miles from Pensacola, FL. a

You’re invited to come enjoy this gorgeous panoramic gulf view at Pensacola Beach’s Best in our White Sands Beach House. Newly Constructed 4BR/3BA Luxury Townhouse with private elevator. Sleeps 12

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B&B

CHEFS

Lee House Bed & Breakfast- eight luxurious rooms across the street from the Bay. Pensacola Victorian-elegantly restored turn of the century Queen Anne Victorian.

Noble Manor Bed & Breakfast-100 year old Tudor Revival in North Hill Historic District.

Jim Shirley-The Fish House Irv Miller-Jackson's Steakhouse

HOTELS Hilton Pensacola Beach-indoor and outdoor swimming pools, on beach.

Margaritaville Hotel-Jimmy Buffett fans will love the atmosphere. Landshark Landing is great Pensacola Beach bar.

Holiday Inn Resort-11 colorful stories tall, indoor/outdoor pools, on Pensacola Beach.

The Grande-Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Pensacola, on the site of the restored historic L & N railroad passenger depot.

CAMPGROUND/RV SITES Fort Pickens National Park (Gulf Islands National Seashore) Civil War era fort.

Big Lagoon State Park-three story observation tower overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway Perdido Cove RV Resort & Marina-Intracoastal Waterway access with slips

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RESTAURANT The Fish House-Grits a Ya Ya, blackened mahi, wasabi crusted tuna, Key Lime pie Atlas Oyster House-grilled oysters, Volcano Chicken sandwich and Key Lime pie Flounder's Chowder House-Eggs Pensacola and beignets with bottomless champagne for Sunday brunch, flounder, shrimp & spinach dip, three-layer Key Lime pie Angus Restaurant-Capri filet, house filet with stilton blue cheese sauce The Grand Marlin-horseradish crusted grouper, crab cakes, filet mignon with lobster tails, praline basket Peg Leg Petes-fried shrimp basket, steamed crab legs, fried grouper, crab claws The Oar House-grilled grouper, Black n Blue cheese burger Global Grill-tapas, lambchop lollipops Jackson's Steakhouse-stellar wine list, veal chops Dharma Blue-stellar wine list, Dharma salad, sushi New Yorker Deli-Rueben, salad Jerry's Cajun Cafe-shrimp po-boy, crawfish etoufee Billy Bob's Beach Barbecue-BBQ chicken and ribs Tre Fratelli-ravioli, pasta with grouper, eggplant parmigiana Joe Patti's Seafood & Amangiati Gourmet Wine Shop-sushi, fried catfish

September

October

3rd Annual Perdido Key Open. Sept. 16-18. Play beach volleyball right on the Gulf of Mexico. (850) 492-4660, www.perdidokeyopen.com

Oktoberfest. Oct. The Villagio hosts this German-inspired festival with lots of fun, music, food and beer. (850) 4924660, www.visitperdido.com

Jamaican Fest. Sept. 2-4. Featuring live music, The Kids Zone, sidewalk sale and the “Anything that Floats” race and bathtub races in Santa Rosa Sound. (850) 932-1500, www.pensacolabeachchamber.com

Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival. Sept. 26-Oct. 2.

Original music comes to the island. (850) 341-0889, www.pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com

Gallery Night. Sept. 16. Enjoy an evening of arts and culture by touring downtown art galleries open 5-9 p.m. www.downtownpensacola.com

4th Annual Art and Wine Weekend. Oct. TBA Enjoy wine tastings and local art as you’re transported by trolley across the island. (850) 932-1500, www.pensacolabeachchamber.com

4th Annual Taste of the Beach. Sept. 17-18. Get a sampling of island flavors from the area’s best chefs. (850) 9321500, www.pensacolabeachchamber.com

Greek Festival. Oct/Nov. Traditional Greek dances, gifts, entertainment and dishes such as baklava, gyros and spanakopeta. (850) 433-2662, www.annunciationgoc.org

34th Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival. Sept. 23-25.

Sample a variety of mouth-watering seafood dishes, enjoy continuous live entertainment, shop at the many arts and crafts vendors and participate in a 5K. (850) 433-6512, www.fiestaoffiveflags.org

77th Annual Pensacola Interstate Fair. Oct. 20-30. Enjoy big-name entertainment, games, rides and exhibits. (850) 944-4500, www.pensacolafair.com

Pensacola Seafood Festival 5K Walk/Run. Sept. 24. One of the most competitive 5K runs in the area! For more information and early registration www.pensacolarunners.com

Annual Historic Haunted House Walking Tours. Oct. A family favorite for Halloween, the narrated tours are led by costumed guides, visiting more than 50 different sites. (850) 595-5985, www.historicpensacola.org

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Cactus Flower Cafe-Boss Burrito, chicken burrito with black beans, chicken verde enchiladas McGuire's Irish Pub-bean soup, fish and chips, Irish Wake, house brewed raspberry wheat beer, root beer

BEST WATER VIEW The Grand Marlin-on Pensacola Beach, views of Santa Rosa Sound and sunsets over Pensacola Bay Fish House-dockside dining overlooking beautiful Pensacola Bay and Seville Harbor Crabs-on Pensacola Beach, open air Gulf side deck

PUB McGuire's Irish Pub Paradise Bar & Grill Pensacola Bay Brewery Hub Stacey's Bamboo Willie's

HAPPY HOUR The Fish House Hub Staceys Hopjacks

BEACH BAR LandShark Landing Flounders Paradise Bar and Grill Flora-Bama

BEST FISHING Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge

FAVORITE ATTRACTION National Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum Pensacola Beach The Blue Angels Fort Pickens National Park (Gulf Islands National Seashore)

FAVORITE GOLF COURSE Marcus Pointe Golf Club Lost Key Golf Club

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FAVORITE MUSIC VENUE

St. George Island Beach in Nation’s Top 10 Beaches!

Vinyl Music Hall/5 1/2 Bar Seville Quarter Saenger Theatre

FAVORITE ART GALLERY Pensacola Museum of Art Quayside Art Gallery/Pensacola Artists, Inc. Belmont Arts & Cultural Center

FAVORITE MUSEUM National Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum

FAVORITE SPA Portofino Island Resort Fusion Spa Salon Massage Envy

FAVORITE SHOPS Lee Tracy Shoes and Apparel Island Style Gibson Girl Clothing

A Florida favorite! Come visit when the air is cooler and the Island is more laid back. Visit between August 14 and Januar y 8 and when you reser ve a minimum night stay, you are eligible for an extra night free, or take 15% off the advertised rate. This special is valid for new reser vations only and it is subject to the large number of homes that par ticipate in our specials program. Time periods adver tising low Season rates and monthly stays are not eligible for this special.

855-289-0407 a www.resor tvacationproper ties.com

LOCAL SUGGESTIONS Pensacola Lighthouse monthly "Light of the Moon" ghost tour.

Only $15 to view the Blue Angels practice from the top of the Lighthouse.

Tues. and Wed. during the season, March - November.

The Saenger Theatre is home to the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, The Pensacola Opera Company, Ballet Pensacola, the Pensacola Children's Chorus and professional touring shows.

Joe Patti’s Seafood has a great selection of seafood. It’s worth a visit just to view the wide variety of fish and crustaceans.

Seville Square Historic District features museums, restored historic homes and a wonderful park that is host to several festivals.

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2. Surfside, Texas • 28° 56' 36" N / 95° 17' 52" W

Beach photo courtesy of Brazosport CvB. Redfish photo by Craig Rogers.

Continuing its popularity, Surfside was voted number two this year, after coming in first last year. The small fishing village in Texas attracts an avid following of vacationers who come for the unadulterated beach environment. This is pure beach enjoyment no amusement parks, fancy restaurants or malls. Just a beach and lots of sunshine. It’s old school vacation, where people actually interact. Sportfishing is huge here, also, with lots of boats and captains available for charter. Wildlife viewing is a big attraction also, with several state and national refuges nearby. Surfside is a great back-to-nature and back-to-basics town.

The nearest major airport to Surfside, Texas is William P. Hobby Airport (HOU / KHOU). This airport is in Houston, Texas and is about 49 miles from the center of Surfside, TX.

Eats

Kitty's Purple Cow - Try the Crab Cake Sandwich Pirate's Alley Cafe - Known for the Southwest Grilled Fish Tacos with Shrimp Paella Jetty Shack - If you are hungry, try the jumbo Angus burgers

To Do

Crabbing - Try the Surfside Fishing Jetties and across from Stahlman Park - they are usually productive.

Fishing - Surfside is only a short boat ride from some of the best fishing areas on the Gulf Coast. Many varieties of Snapper, Grouper, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Ling, Dolphin (Dorado), & Tuna can be caught. No boat, fish off the Surfside Fishing Jetties.

Swimming in the Gulf - 21 miles of freely accessible shorelines Birding - Southern Brazoria County has ranked #1 in the North American Christmas Count four times in the last 20 years. During this time over 326 species have been sighted.

An additional 50 migrant bird varieties converge during the Spring migration period from March to mid-May.

Shop

Sleep

Breaker Sports Bingo Boards Perry's Store

Corona Del Mar Surfside Motel www.beachhouses.com GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 65

3. Gulf Shores Alabama • 30° 14' 46" N / 87° 42' 3" W & Orange Beach Alabama • 30° 17' 40" N / 87° 34' 25" W 32 miles of sugary beaches and emerald blue waters attract residents and visitors alike to these small Gulf villages perched atop a barrier island.

It was on the western shores of the island, at Ft. Morgan, where the famous civil war Battle of Mobile Bay occurred, where Admiral Farragut proclaimed, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Ft. Morgan is open for tours today, and visitors can explore one of our country’s epic moments. Another epic moment occurs here every October with the National Shrimp Festival. Nationally famous bands appear at the Wharf amphitheater during the summer months for concerts while in November, lesser known musicians appear for the Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival.

The closest major airport is

Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport (PNS / KPNS). This airport has domestic flights from Pensacola, Florida and is about 26 miles from the center of Orange Beach, AL & 34 miles from the center of Gulf Shores, AL

SHOP

EAT

The Beach Club Gulf Shores Plantation

LuLu’s at Homeport Marina- try the fried crab claws, seafood gumbo.

Tacky Jacks Tavern & Grill-shrimp and grits, steamed Royal Reds Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar-banana leaf wrapped fish, Chicken Roulade

TO DO

Mardi Gras - around Feb. 21, 2012 Gulf State Park's Fishing Pier Alabama Coastal Birding Trail

SanRoc Cay Marina The Wharf Bayou Village

SLEEP BEACH BARS

Pirate's Cove Marina & Restaurant Calypso Joe’s Caribbean Grill Pink Pony Pub Tacky Jack’s

What have you been missing?

If you havenʼt been to Alabamaʼs beautiful beaches lately, youʼve been missing a lot.

The easy, breezy pace. The sumptuous seafood fare. The endless family-friendly activities.

The good news is, you donʼt have to miss another minute. The quick-drive paradise that transports you worlds away is still here. Just waiting for you.

Donʼt miss the perfect chance to plan the escape youʼve longed for.

Call toll-free 1-866-324-7765 or visit www.GulfShores.com now.

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Clockwise, from top left, gulf Shores Wedding Chapel has coastal charm and grace.

Photo by Sam Whitt of Beach Photo. Cobalt offers fine dining and great views. guy Harvey’s is a restaurant and more, as it features wonderful artwork by its namesake.

Cosmo’s Restaurant has an easy-going atmosphere with a neighborhood-pub vibe. tacky Jack’s has two location, both on the back bays of coastal alabama. orange Beach and gulf Shores have mardi gras Parades with a gulf Coast flair. Photo by Ken grimes, courtesy of gulf Shores & orange Beach tourism.

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the Bay Education Center in Rockport, tx features one of only 50 Science on a Sphere projection systems in use in the country. the Sphere can show all ocean currents around the globe, and all airplanes in the air around the world.

Photo by Sally morehead.

4. Rockport-Fulton, TX • 28° 1' 13" N / 97° 3' 15" W A sleepy little fishing village with an established art community. It’s a birdwatching and fishing heaven. Take a walk down Austin Street, home to several art galleries, including Austin Street Gallery. A nautical flea market is held at the town harbor every April.

The nearest major airport to Rockport, Texas is Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP / KCRP). This airport is in Corpus Christi, Texas and is about 32 miles from the center of Rockport, TX.

EATS

Taqueria Puerta Vallarta- Lady’s Special Mexican Plate Shempy’s- The burgers are recommended by the locals Sushi Luck-Tekka Don sushi Hu-Dat- Try com thit nuong with steamed rice Latitude 28° 02’- Don’t miss the Shrimp Gilroy

TO DO

The Bay Education Center Fulton Mansion-1877 mansion, gives a glimpse into life along the Texas coast in the late 1800’s.

Texas Maritime Museum-features exhibit from the LaBelle shipwreck (French explorer LaSalle’s flagship) ­68 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

HummerBird Festival-celebrates the spectacular fall migration of the Ruby-throated hummingbird Rockport Center for the Arts-view contemporary local artists and visit the Sculpture Garden, home to works by internationally acclaimed sculptors Seafair Festival-sea themed festival with live bands, Gumbo Cook-Off, seafood cooking classes and cardboard boat races.

SHOP

Flying Pig Emporium - Group of unique vendor booths Seaworthy Marine Supply - really great clothing selection Mermaids of Rockport - food, wine and cigars Austin Street Gallery - internationally recognized artists

SLEEP

Grace Point Bed and Breakfast - known for their breakfast The Lighthouse Inn at Aransas Bay - on the water

BEACH BARS

Moondog - bar/restaurant on the bay Grog Bar - right next to the Key Allegro Marina

Texas History, Chapter One.

Clockwise, top left, HummerBird Celebration. Key allegro marina. Rockport is known for some of the best seafood and fishing on the gulf Coast. an entry from the Shoreline 2009 national Juried Exhibition for Excellence in Coastal art at the Rockport Center for the arts. Rising above the aransas Bay, fulton mansion State Historic Site was built in 1877.

GPS ZPVS 7BDBUJPO 1MBOOFS 0-242-0071 w.rockport-fulton.org @ visitrockportfulton

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Bay Education Center - Explore an Estuary in Downtown Rockport

D iscover

Our Family of Wines

VISIT THE BRAMAN WINERY TASTING ROOM

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The Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) opened the Bay Education Center in 2010. The newly constructed Center houses the first installment of interactive exhibits that reveal the ecological and economic importance of the MissionAransas Estuary. The exhibits also highlight the role that the Mission-Aransas NERR plays in estuary research, education, management, and protection. The premier exhibit is the Science on a Sphere (SOS), which will amaze Center visitors. Created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, SOS uses computers and video projectors to display astronomical, geological, oceanic, and atmospheric information on a 68 inch diameter sphere. The Bay Education Center is one of only 51 sites worldwide to host SOS. The public can view the exhibits free of charge during the Center’s hours of operation, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information about Science on a Sphere visit: www.sos/noaa.gov For more info on Mission- Aransas NERR http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu

Rockport Center for the Arts By the mid-1960’s, a large group of artists had been attracted to the quiet fishing and birding paradise of Rockport, and the need for a strong cooperative unit became apparent. An art guild was first formed, soon to be followed in 1969 by the establishment of a non-profit corporation and the first Rockport Art Festival. The dream of the founding members of the Rockport Art Association, Inc. was to have a place to exhibit their work, to offer art education, and to expand the cultural horizons of the community. In 1983, the Association, through a generous donation, acquired the historic 1890 Bruhl/O'Connor home and moved it to the budding museum district between Rockport Harbor and Aransas Bay. The building and the mindset behind it began to operate as the Rockport Center for the Arts, fulfilling an early mission to provide a center around which many art activities revolve. ­70 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

Today, the Rockport Center for the Arts boasts two parlor galleries dedicated entirely to the works of its member artists, while the main gallery allows the Center to host local, regional, national, and internationally acclaimed artists in both solo and group exhibitions. In 2000, the Garden Gallery was added, allowing the Center for the first time to simultaneously feature three distinct exhibitions, at times displaying over 100 original works of art. The 10,000 square foot Sculpture Garden is home to works by internationally acclaimed granite sculptor and Rockport resident Jesus Moroles, as well as acclaimed sculptors Kent Ullberg, Sandy Scott, Charles Umlauf, and Leo Osborne.

Contemporary local artists like Herb Booth, Al Barnes and Kay Barnebey continue to stay active, gathering inspiration from our Coastal Bend environment.

The Center also houses two visual arts classrooms which are home to numerous workshops, classes, seminars, and open studio sessions. A well-furnished pottery studio is always active, and includes a kiln room which hosts daily firings. Visitors enjoy the Art Center gift shop where member artists display a wide range of art and craft.

The Art Center continues to host community-driven events around the arts, such as Art Educator Days, ArtLink for Kids, the Rockport Film Festival, a Music Performance Series, and the Rockport Clay Expo.

HummerBird Celebration Sept. 15-18, 2011 The HummerBird Celebration is an annual event held each September in the twin coastal towns of Rockport and Fulton. The purpose is to celebrate the spectacular fall migration of the Rubythroated hummingbird through the area, first documented by Connie Hagar in 1938, and to expand each celebrant’s knowledge of hummingbirds and other birds, and associated wildlife. The star of the show is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Other probable hummingbird sightings are Rufous, Blackchinned, Buff-bellied and Allen’s. The Celebration offers something for everyone, from backyard birders to more experienced birders and special nature

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Spectacular Gulf Views & Gentle Breezes Await You...

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activities for kids. There will be dozens of speakers giving lectures about hummingbirds, birding in general and many other topics of interest. Guided field trips are also available, including kayak trips and photo expeditions.

Oysterfest March 3-6, 2011

Gourmet Kitchens – Granite Counter Tops – Stainless Steel Appliances Full Washer/Dryer in Each Home Two Resort-Style Pools

Designer Bathrooms – Custom Tile Full Fitness Center

1, 2, or 3 Bedroom Homes

(409) 740-3111 7000 seawall boulevard galveston island, tx 77551

Each year the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department sponsors Oysterfest, a salute to the tasty bi-valve found in local waters. Oysterfest features carnival rides, games, food, an oyster eating contest, live music, unique vendor booths and most of all - fun! The 2011 festival is scheduled for Thursday, March 3rd – Sunday, March 6th, on the waterfront in Fulton, Texas. With over 36,000 visitors in 2010, it was the most successful festival in Oysterfest history.

To prepare for the event, Oysterfest officials work with seafood sources along the Texas Gulf Coast to locate the freshest oysters and other seafood for the event as well as the most popular entertainment. Each year’s celebration is a labor of love for the Fulton Volunteer Fire Dept. Over the past 31 years, they have used funds from the festival to purchase equipment. Money raised this year will be saved toward a new fire station.

Oysterfest proceeds are the major source of funding for life-saving and fire fighting equipment in the community.

www.thedawnbeachcondos.com Managed by Prestige Management Services Marketed by The House Company, Galveston Island, Texas

Continued from page 36 ...

Dr. Beach names st. George island state Park Top 10 Beach approximately 30 miles in length. The width of this narrow band of sand varies from onequarter mile to just over a mile.

Located on the eastern tip of St. George Island, St. George Island State Park boasts nine miles of undeveloped beaches and high dunes. The park is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the south and Apalachicola Bay, one of the world’s last pristine estuarine systems, to the north. Dr. Beach noted the brilliant white sand and clear waters of the park in coming to his decision.

Visitors may learn more about St. George Island State Park by visiting the Florida State Parks website at www.floridastateparks.org, or the Franklin County Tourist Development Council at www.anaturalescape.com, (866) 914-2068. a

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from mustang, OK to mustang island, TX 3RD ANNUAL MUSTANGFEST SEPT. 30 - OCT. 2, 2011 Get ready for round-up time! This fall, Mustang owners will “Take Another Road”, as Jimmy Buffett says, and take their ponies to the shore. It’s MustangFest. Proud possessors of America’s car, the Ford Mustang, will gather in Mustang, Oklahoma and ride south to Port Aransas, Texas for a weekend of fun and muscle car fellowship.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Mustang owners will gather near Wild Horse Park in Mustang, OK to start their trail drive to Mustang Island. They’ll stop in West, Texas at the Sykora Family Ford dealership for a free lunch, then settle in for the night in San Antonio.

A visit to Cowboys Dance Hall is scheduled for Thursday night.

The next morning, Friday, Sept. 30, the herd will saddle back up and leave San Antone at noon. They’ll head south on I37, where last year, the line of 155 Mustangs stretched out for 3 1/2 miles. They will stop at the Champion Ford dealership in Corpus Christi, then pass over the JFK Bridge and take the left turn that will put them on Mustang Island, just 15 miles south of Port Aransas.

Once in Port A, Tom Hartford, producer of the weekend event, says there will be a cruise offered.

“On Friday, we'll have Island Tom's Rock n' Roll Cruise on the largest fishing boat Mustang Island has to offer (maximum 135 tickets). Dancing upstairs, party downstairs . . . with complimentary Corporate Refreshments onboard, including import beer, chablis, chardonnay and blush wines — plus fresh, delicious Mexican appetizers prepared and served by restaurant staff during the cruise.”

On Saturday, the Mustang enthusiasts will gather near Island Mooring Marina, by the Port Aransas airport. They will line up their cars along the way and make a “Mile of Mustangs.” According to Tom, the lineup will occur “just off State Highway 361, near Piper Blvd. and Island Moorings Parkway. The parkway will be closed by the City of Port Aransas. We'll line both sides of the parkway to create the

Above, The Mustangs cross the JFK bridge in Corpus Christi, TX. Photo by Eric Hallford for MustangFest. Left, Lining up the Mustangs for the Mile of Mustangs at Island Moorings Marina in Port Aransas, TX. Photo by Island Tom Vacations.

Mile Of Mustangs™.”

Music begins at the Island Mooring parking lot at 11 a.m. There will be a skydiving exhibition starting off the festivities. Vendors will be on hand, and the cars will be displayed for inspection and judging. In addition, a wild horse adoption by the U. S. Bureau of Land Management will give attendees a chance to purchase, for a mere $125, a wild, free-roaming Mustang born on public lands. At 1 p.m., a Benefit Auction will be held for Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Coastal Bend (CASA), a non-profit group which tries to break the cycle of child abuse.

The car show will be followed by a live dinner show Saturday night.

Sunday, everyone rounds up his pony and heads home.

The event is sanctioned by the Mustang Club of America (MCA). It is open to the public, but a registration fee is required by car owners to have their car participate in the events.

For more information, please contact Tom Hartford, at Producer@MustangFest.org, or visit their website, www.mustangfest.org. a GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 73

Clockwise, top left, Penne alla Bolognese at the venetian Hot Plate. if you love garlic, don’t miss the ceasar salad. texas Sandfest is spread over three days, with a solo and a duo master's contest and one day with over 200 amateur sculptors. the island moorings yacht Club and marina is a world-class marina with a state-of-the-art concrete floating dock system, ship's store, club house, yacht sales office, swimming pool, bath house and a laundromat. Photo courtesy of Port aransas Realty.

5. Port Aransas, TX • 27° 50' 2" N / 97° 3' 40" W Port A, as it is known to Texans, still retains a large portion of its sleepy fishing town atmosphere. You can drive on the beach here, parking wherever you wish (with a city parking permit!). A cheap thrill is to watch dolphins acrobat in the bow waves of huge oil tankers as they come through the narrow Aransas Pass on their way to the Port of Corpus Christ. And watch as they pass-they suck water out as they go by, with the water level receeding several feet in a matter of seconds. Of course fishing is still the main attraction here. The city marina is full of fishing boats and guides are usually available. Summer brings the free Sunset Sounds concert series, featuring local musicians playing to crowds on the grass at Robert’s Point Park, while ships pass by in the ship channel. Small town attitude, big time fun!

The nearest major airport to Port Aransas, Texas is Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP / KCRP). This airport is in Corpus Christi, TX and is about 27 miles from the center of Port Aransas, TX.

EAT

Venetian Hot Plate-Penne alla Bolognese, Gamberetti al Limone, if you like garlic try the Ceasar Salad La Playa- fish tacos, flan, and any margarita Liberty Hall -shrimp & grits, great burgers and sushi Roosevelt’s- Caribbean Char drum, jumbo lump crab cakes Shells- the grilled fish sandwich is lengendary San Juan’s-breakfast tacos, casual friendly atmosphere and very reasonably priced Jay's Seafood & Spaghetti Works Restaurant -serves lunch & diner, choices include seafood, Italian & homemade pizza

TO DO

Fish on the jetty Take a ferry boat across the channel Whooping Crane Festival Wings Over Port A Parrothead Festival Deep Sea Roundup Fishing Tournament Spring Break is crazy here!

Sandfest Sandcastle Competition Fallback Festival Third Coast Music The Art Center for the Island MustangFest

SHOP

Garnier Design - high end cooking gadgets, freshly baked gourmet items and handmade furniture Other shops include: Beach Bums Antiques & Beach Front Rentals, Cita Resort Interiors & Susan Castor Collection

SLEEP

Tarpon Inn - where FDR stayed when he came to fish Seashell Village Resort - colorful and happy

BEACH BARS

Port A Beach Lodge - Grab a burger & a beer on the beach Shorty’s - Oct. 18, the Pig Party at Shorty's celebrates Smithey's birthday, known to everyone as "Miss Rose'' GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 75

the University of texas marine Science institute, 2010. Below, the University of texas marine Science institute, 1950. all four buildings are still in use. the pier was destroyed by a runaway barge in the 1990's.

university of Texas marine science institute at Port Aransas Turns 70 In 1935, Dr. E.J. Lund, a zoologist from the University of Texas at Austin, traveled to Port Aransas to investigate a massive fish kill. He built a little shack on an old dock to house his research. During his inquiry, Lund saw a marvelous opportunity to expand coastal habitat research. He pitched his idea to the UT administrators and in 1941 got approval for a marine research station, named the Marine Science Institute. Lund was not only the MSI’s first director, he went so far as to purchase and donate 12 acres to the Institute after the war, in 1946.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of MSI’s founding. Dr. Lee Fuiman, Director of the Marine Science Institute, says the Institute is celebrating by opening its newest addition, the Estuarine Research Center.

The sustainably designed building expands the research capacity of the Marine Science Institute with three floors of state-of-the-art marine laboratories. It also is the headquarters for the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, a 185,708-acre estuarine habitat established in 2006 by NOAA and managed by the Institute.

"Estuaries are some of the most economically and ecologically important places on Earth," said Dr. Fuiman, “they are where human populations meet the sea, and they provide many services that we depend upon. Threats to our estuaries, such as last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill, hypoxia and climate change, underscore the importance of estuarine ­76 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

research. This new facility represents a significant expansion of our expertise in coastal ecology, and we are especially proud that it was designed and constructed in an environmentally responsible way."

The Marine Science Institute offers a Masters and Ph. D in marine science. Each summer, undergrads come to the Institute for research positions. Current research includes evaluating the effects of the BP oil spill, and trying to develop a technique to allow flounders to reproduce in captivity. Dr. Fuiman explains that the Institute is known for its work in developing technology that allowed for the first breeding of sport fishes in captivity. It began in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s when the redfish was greatly threatened and the Institute’s research

by Drs. Connie Arnold and Joan Holt played a big part in helping the redfish population recover. The flounder research is trying to re-create the success of that program.

Research is just part of the Institute’s mission. Another part is educating the public. To that end, the facility hosts a lecture series on the campus, and produces a radio program called “Science and the Sea”, which is carried on 182 stations and Armed Forces Radio. The Institute also has a Visitor’s center that is open weekdays, and it hosts school field trips.

Viewing the campus today, especially the new Estuarine Research Center, makes it hard to believe that Dr. Lund started the whole program in a one room shack on a pier. Happy Birthday UT MSI! a

6. Destin, Florida • 30° 23' 35" N / 86° 29' 44" W “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village”. Pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? That’s Destin’s official motto. It’s only ten miles from Destin Harbor to 100 foot deep waters, making it a quick journey to the lair of billfish.

In addition to the legendary fishing, Destin has developed into a hotspot for golf, with over a thousand holes playable. And you won’t find any whiter beaches anywhere. Several state and county parks give easy access to the waters and dunes that line this Emerald Coast shoreline.

The closest major airport is Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS / KVPS). This airport has domestic flights from Valparaiso, Florida and is about 6 miles from the center of Destin, FL. above left, Destin beach. top middle, Destin Harbor. top right, Destin is known for fishing. Photos by Dave Dexter. Directly above, the Hilton Sandestin Beach golf Resort & Spa underwent a $6.5 million renovation that included rebuilding the restaurant, seen directly below. Photos by Scott Holstein/Rowland Publishing

EAT

Poppy's Seafood Factory- Try the Shrimp St. Lucia Seagar's Restaurant- Don’t miss the Dover Sole

TO DO

Big Kahuna's Water & Adventure Park Destin History & Fishing Museum Gator Beach U.S. Air Force Armament Museum Okaloosa Pier

SHOP

Destin Commons Silver Sands Designer Outlet Mall HarborWalk

SLEEP

Henderson Park Inn Inn on Destin Harbor Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

BEACH BARS A J's Seafood & Oyster Bar The Back Porch

A tessellated blenny on the Progress Energy Reef.

Photos by Carol and Bob Cox / www.mbara.org

Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association

Reefer madness!

Who doesn’t like a good reefer?!

Or even better, a whole collection of them? There’s a good sized group of reefers in Mexico Beach, FL that everyone should know about. They’re the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA) and they’re busy building artificial reefs to beef up the fish population.

Since the organization was formed in 1997, it has deployed over 150 reefs off the coast of Mexico Beach in northwest Florida. The cost of the deployed reefs is over $1 million. Not bad for a non-profit, all volunteer group. Yes, all volunteer. Nobody gets paid. And there’s a lot more to reef building than you think.

The MBARA not only has to locate an acceptable location for each new reef and get a permit, it also has to figure out what kind of design and material will enhance the reef ’s growth. And since they obtain grant money from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the United ­78 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

States Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, they must inspect, monitor and report on the reefs after deployment.

And these aren’t your father’s artificial reefs, either.

Although they still use some traditional reef materials, like old boats, they also use cutting edge technology. According to Reef Chiefs Carol and Bob Cox (so dubbed because they are both retired chief master sergeants from the Air Force), they are using some modern artificial reefs that are built to order.

Carol says that their surveys of reefs help them create new, more effective designs. “A lot of the information we gather is used to determine new reef designs, to determine the stability and what kind of fish are attracted to the different structures. We want to find out what works. There have been failures in the past, like car tires, that we found out don’t work too good.”

One of their new reef designs is called an Ecosystem reef, which is a stack of discs that are embedded with limestone.

Native Florida limestone is added to the structure because MBARA found out that creatures that help build up a reef, like sea whips, worms and corals, attach and grow faster to it.

“Limestone is made from the sea bottom and has the same PH as the seawater so it’s better for the marine life,” explained Carol. “We just put the Ecosystems down and it was amazing how quickly they started attracting sea life. Florida Fish and Wildlife divers inspected one of the new units, and besides having a lot of juvenile snappers and groupers, it was loaded with black sea bass. They said they had never seen that many black sea bass in one place. We used to never see black sea bass around here but now we’re seeing quite a lot on the dives due to the structures we’ve put down. Fishermen are talking about it, too, saying they’re catching black sea bass like they’ve never caught before in our area. They’re a good eating fish. It makes them happy, especially when red snapper season is so short.”

Another reef design is the ARI which is a pyramid shaped structure, eight to ten feet high, embedded with Florida limestone. They are designed to sit with their base on the sea floor.

The MBARA also uses a reef design called a grouper module, which is a concrete rectangular structure that has either slits or holes in it for the fish to go in and out. This is intended to simulate natural reef ledges that grouper like to use as a habitat. (Continued on page 65)

Opposite page, clockwise from top left, A Pyramid reef being lowered. • A pyramid reef one day after deployment. • Carol Cox inspects an Ecosystem reef, just deployed. • A grouper module reef. • Atlantic spadefish on a reef ball. • Reef balls are popular and effective. • Red Grouper on a reef ball. • Florida Regal Sea Goddess on Tom Maher Reef.

Story by Craig Rogers

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 79

7. Mexico Beach, Florida • 30° 23' 35" N / 86° 29' 44" W Mexico Beach is a small town that thinks big.

Take for example the annual Celebrate Twice New Year’s Eve Celebration. You start out in Port St. Joe, just five minutes from Mexico Beach and in the Eastern time zone. After the clock strikes midnite in Port St. Joe, walk a few minutes to Mexico Beach, in the Central time zone, and you get to celebrate New Year’s again! It’s little things that make life worth living! Mexico Beach also has gorgeous sand beaches and mucho fishing. It’s a laid back community that cherishes its south of the border inspiration.

The nearest major airport to Mexico Beach, FL is Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP / KECP). This airport is in Panama City Beach, Florida and is about 35 miles from the center of Mexico Beach, FL.

EAT

Killer Seafood - don’t miss the fried grouper tacos Sharron’s Cafe - Happy Face Pancakes for kids Mango Marley’s - the Floribbean Fowl is a must ­80 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

The MBARA's Kingfish Tournament is an annual fundraiser that helps support artificial reef establishment.

The Fish House - Blue Crab claws are the best

TO DO

Beach Art & Wine Festival - Oct. 15 Music In The Park - Every Thursday in Sept.

Hunt scallops in St. Joseph Bay - June - Sept.

SHOP

The Shell Shack - great beach souvenir shop Frost Pottery Garden & Gift Shop- local artwork LadyFish - preppy woman’s boutique

SLEEP

El Governor Motel- beachfront, pool and bar Driftwood Inn - Old Victoria Home with porch swings and beautiful views of the sunset

BEACH BAR

Toucan’s - live music Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Reefer madness! continued from page 62 “We try to build what we think the fish is going to like, but it doesn’t always work out that way,” laughed Carol. “The ARI pyramid shapes are open on the bottom. In a few places, some of those were knocked over on their side when they were deployed, so the big opening is now like a cave. We found that the majority of fish gravitate to the ones that are knocked over. You go up to one and there will be ten triggerfish staring out at you. You never know what’s going to attract the most fish, so we play around and experiment with it.”

To qualify for grant money, the MBARA has to raise matching funds.

Therefore the group has fundraisers. They sell memberships, reef charts, cookbooks, GPS cards with reef info, T-shirts and naming rights. Yes, just like sports stadiums, you can name a reef. You can even purchase a Memorial Reef that contains your dearly departed’s ashes. Nice way to remember an avid fishermen or sailor, and it comes with an underwater plaque. These are popular, with 37 named Memorial Reefs already having been deployed. Corporation have also sponsored reefs and get the naming rights.

The largest fundraiser is the annual Kingfish Tournament, which will take place this year on Saturday, August 27, 2011 at Mexico Beach Marina. Preregistration is available online at their website. The tournament director is Dr. Ron Childs, who is also one of the founding directors of MBARA. The MBARA has a whirlwind of activity going on at all times. How an all volunteer group gets so much done is amazing. This is certainly a group any of us can get behind and support. You can join and donate to the MBARA online. Doing so will let you proudly proclaim that you, too, are a reefer. a

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Mexico Beach, Florida Rentals & Real Estate

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into your comfort zone. You’ve reached Mexico Beach, the secluded seaside village that’s kept generations of families coming back for our sugar-white beaches, waterfront restaurants, charming shops, spectacular fishing and affordable rentals.

Port St. Joe Cape San Blas

To plan your escape to paradise— refreshingly free of high-rise condos and crowds at every turn—call 888-723-2546. Or find things to do, lodging specials and our live beach cam at www.mexico-beach.com

Gulf of Mexico

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 81

top left, a beach all your own outside naples. Photo by Jono fisher. Shopping on 5th ave South. naples is the golf Capital.

With 10,000 islands to choose from, you never worry about crowds. Photos by naples marco island Everglades CvB.

8. Naples, Florida • 26° 8' 30" N / 81° 47' 42" W Known as the "Golf Capital of the World", Naples claims to have more holes per capita than any other city.

Naples also has some of the best shopping in the world.

Real estate in Naples is also world class, and was voted in 2009 as one of the top 10 “Pricey Cities Worth the Cost.”

The beaches are top notch also, having been voted best in America in 2005. It’s upscale lifestyle and pristine environment make it the “Crown Jewel of Southwest Florida.”

The nearest major airport to Naples, Florida is Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW / KRSW).

This airport is in Fort Myers, Florida and is about 27 miles from the center of Naples, FL.

EAT

Naples Tomato- The Bomb (black truffle ravioli in a white truffle sauce) Bleu Provence- Grilled Ahi Tuna “a la Plancha” with Spicy French Caribbean Sauce The Grill- Dry Aged New York Strip with Béarnaise

TO DO

Marco Island 2nd Annual Beach Music Festival October 29, 2011 Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort is proud to host the 2nd annual Marco Island Beach Music ­82 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

Festival. Music, food, activities, and one of the most spectacular beaches in South Florida as the setting! Artists scheduled to perform at this year's events include: The Landsharks, Casey Weston from The Voice, Frank Carroll & the J Roberts Band, Scott Kirby and Grammy nominated Lew London! Proceeds benefiting American Cancer Society, Greater Marco Island YMCA, Friends of Rookery Bay, and Marco Island Academy. www.marcoislandbeachmusicfest.com Take a Manatee Cruise - travel by boat to view the manatees and then travel further out to Ten Thousand Islands to see the largest mangrove jungle in the United States of America

SHOP

The Village on Venetian Bay - On the first Thursday of every month there is live entertainment.

Waterside Shops - An open-air mall on the Tamiami Trail Olde Naples 5th Avenue and 3rd Street South

SLEEP

Edgewater Beach Hotel - located on the beach Naples Grand - has a silent/adult pool and a kid pool

Let the party begin!

On October 29, 2011, the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort is proud to host the second annual Marco Island Beach Music Festival, a day of great fun that gives back to Paradise Charities.

Festivities begin on Saturday with: • Skim board competition • “Best Burger in Paradise” contest with the area’s top restaurants • Sand sculpting and Flying Colors with John Gowdy

• Saturday evening beach concert featuring the Scott Kirby Trio and Grammy-nominee Lew London, The Voice’s Casey Weston, and The Landsharks • Fireworks display

Music. Sun. Beach. Fun. Don’t miss it!

Advanced Ticket Pricing $15/adult, $10/child Save up to 40% with special packages available from $139* ($249 for Non-Florida residents), including island-view guest room and two tickets.

Visit www.marcoislandbeachmusicfest.com or call 1-800-438-4373 and ask for promotional code D51.

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa Marco Island, FL

*Offer valid 10/28/11-10/29/11. Reservations arriving 10/28/11 require 2-night stay minimum. $139 rate valid for Florida residents, valid FL ID must be shown at check-in. Package rate for out-of-state residents is $249. Limited number of rooms available for this promotion. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Restrictions may apply, visit website for additional details.

9. Galveston, Texas • 29° 18' 4" N / 94° 47' 51" W Galveston’s spiritual center is its Seawall. A reminder of its past, and a protector of its future, the Seawall is 10 miles long and 17 feet high. Today, it is a place for bicyclists, joggers and tourists. The city has picked itself up after Hurricane Ike and tourism is again soaring. This was the 100th Mardi Gras for Galveston and it was celebrated appropriately in style. At one point in its history, Galveston was a port on a par with New Orleans, which is documented by the many historic houses preserved by the Galveston Historical Foundation. Life here still revolves around the beaches and waters of the Gulf, and the town stands as a glowing monument to past industry and perseverance.

The nearest major airport to Galveston, Texas is William P. Hobby Airport (HOU / KHOU). This airport is in Houston, TX and is about 38 miles from the center of Galveston, TX.

EAT

Gaido's-Snapper Michael with Lump Crab Rudy & Paco-Grilled Red Snapper with Cilantro Cream Sauce, look over the bar to see the high-water line from Ike The Steakhouse-Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce Olympia Grill- Grilled Whole Gulf Flounder with a view Saltwater Grill-Southern BBQ Texas Redfish

TO DO

Moody Gardens - offers penguin encounters Schlitterbahn - as much fun for adults as kids, visitors can

­84 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

bring their own food or purchase freshly made items onsite Postoffice Arts District - ArtWalks on Oct. 8 & Nov. 26 Lone Star Flight Museum - take a ride in a B-17 Texas Seaport Museum - The Elissa is docked here Bishop’s Palace - take the “Basement to Attic” tour

SHOP

The Strand Historic District - quaint shops, bars & dining Admiralty Marine Model Gallery - quality maritime art and a huge selection of hand-crafted wooden ship models Hendley Market - like the old five and dime general stores The Frog at Home - unique coastal home furnishings

SLEEP

The San Luis - really cool outdoor bar with a glass fire pit Tremont House - great roof-top bar Hotel Galvez - best brunch in town on Sunday Moody Gardens Hotel and Spa - has a children’s spa Avenue O Bed & Breakfast - eclectic rooms with individual themes - the South Pacific room is wonderful

BEACH BARS

Poop Deck - local dive bar on the seawall - go at least once Float - a indoor/outdoor pool bar Rooftop Bar at the Tremont - recently renovated, great view of the city and the ships traveling through the port

opposite page, the Hotel galvez celebrated its 100th Birthday this year.

Photo by terry vine. (Clockwise starting top left) the Bishop’s Palace. the tall Ship Elissa, part of the galveston Historical foundation, is docked at the texas Seaport museum. P-51 mustang at the Lone Star flight museum. this year, moody gardens created a tropical Rainforest Pyramid. it also has a wonderful aquarium Pyramid where you can participate in the Penguin Encounter. the Historic Strand located downtown.

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 85

Clockwise, from top left, Juban’s Restaurant offers upscale Creole dining. the Clock tower at Louisiana State University was erected as a memorial to Louisiana’s fallen WWi heroes. Houmas House Plantation and gardens was known as the “Sugar Palace,” and now features fine dining as well as tours. the fletcher-class destroyer USS KiDD (DD661), the "Pirate of the Pacific," is open for tours from 9-5, every day except thanksgiving & Christmas.

10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana • 30° 27' 2" N / 91° 9' 15" W As the northernmost port on the Mississippi that can handle ocean-going ships, Baton Rouge is tied to the Gulf.

Louisiana State University is here, and has support from the city that is fanatic. Trying to drive around on a Saturday when the Tigers have a home football game is, let’s say, a challenge. The college brings culture and energy not often found in a town this size. Baton Rouge is growing. Quickly.

The oil industry, medical research and film industry are leading the way. As they say in Louisiana, laissez les bon temps rouler!

The nearest major airport to Baton Rouge, LA is Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR / KBTR). This airport is about 6 miles from the center of Baton Rouge, LA.

EAT

Beausoleil- Don’t miss the Grilled Shrimp with Truffled Rissotto and Andouille Gravy Juban's Restaurant- The Adrian 29 will make you smile Galatoire's Bistro- Try the Poisson Crabmeat Yvonne

To Do

LSU Museum of Art Ghost of the Castle at the Old State Capital

Arts and Entertainment District Bayou Country Superfest Blues Festival Plantation Tour Historic Highland Road Bike along the river on the Levee Bike Path Southern University Museum of Art Sunday’s in the Park Music USS Kidd & Veterans Memorial Museum

SHOP

Perkin’s Rowe - An entertainment & living complex situated on it's own 3-city-block area - dining and shops abound Bocage Village - located in the heart of Baton Rouge at the corner of Old Hammond Hwy. and Jefferson Hwy. Mignon Faget Jewelry - unique Gulf themed jewelry The Royal Standard - great shops like Butterfly Pie which features Handmade Baby Gifts

SLEEP

Hilton Capital Center Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel Crowne Plaza and the Hotel Indigo

IGHTER

There’s a new day dawning on the banks of the Mississippi and the sun is shining on Baton Rouge. With more attractions than ever, sophisticated new shopping destinations, and the fabulous food and hospitality you know and love, one day is better than the next. Go BR! And go broader.

800 LA ROUGE

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 87

Photos courtesy michael Pisarri / Brustman Carrino Public Relations

Florida Wahoo Ceviche 1 pound florida Wahoo (fresh) 2 each Lime Juice 1 tbsp Cilantro (Chopped) Âź cup Red onions (sliced thinly) 1 each Jalapeno Pepper (seeded) 1 Stalk Celery (sliced thinly) Salt and Pepper to taste 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Executive Chef Paula DaSilva

Make sure to purchase extremely fresh fish. If wahoo is not available,

great substitutions would be: snapper, corvina, halibut or a mild white fish.

Clean the fish by removing any skin and blood lines. Cut the fish into small dice or almost minced. Put the fish into a bowl, squeeze the lime juice and add all the vegetables. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Finish by adding the olive oil and quickly mixing together.

Serve in a bowl with ice underneath.

Recipe serves 6.

Something New on the Horizon

Photo courtesy misty Doyle, Unique images Photography.

R

ising from the rich coastal plains of south Texas is a new winery. Braman Winery is housed on the grounds of the historic Braman family ranch, outside of Refugio (pronounced “re-fury-oh”), TX. The Braman family traces its Texas legacy back centuries. Joe Braman, a trained chef, is head of the new winery, which opened its doors in August of 2010.

A visit to the Braman tasting room, which is adjacent to the ranch house, allows guests to enter a ranch rich in Texas tradition, built upon the backbone of Texas industry, oil. In addition to hosting the tasting room, the ranch also offers entertainment.

“Joe has a real passion for pairing wine and food,” explained Ashly Kubicek, in charge of marketing for Braman. So much passion, in fact, that Joe and his wife, Dee, regularly host wine dinners poolside at their ranch. The dinners are open to the public, and reservations are available online.

Since it is beginning to outgrow its tasting room, Braman Winery plans to expand into nearby Refugio. “Joe has great vision,” said Ashly. “He bought a building in downtown Refugio that we are currently remodeling to put in a bistro and tasting room.” Opening is slated for Spring of 2012.

Braman Winery currently has 18 wines in its portfolio, ranging from “just for fun” blends to sophisticated offerings. The winery uses winemakers in California and Washington to create their wines, but future plans include growing and bottling their own, on site.

Its premier offering is Braman Legacy wines. These are sophisticated wines meant for the discerning palate, and range from $30 to $75 a bottle. The Legacy stable includes a cabernet sauvignon, a chardonnay, and a merlot.

The next tier of wines is the B10 line, which it markets as “unique wines for everyday life.” When Braman finds a vineyard that is producing an excellent fruit that shows well above the

price, they declare it a B10 wine. These are excellent value wines that appeal to even non-traditional wine drinkers. The B10s include chardonnay, riesling, cabernet zinfandel, meritage and zinfandel, among others. The B in the name is for Braman and the 10 is for 2010, the year it was started. Each type of wine replaces the B with the first letter of the varietal, so the chardonnay is named C10, the riesling R10, etc. Prices are $12 to $15 a bottle.

Braman also has a lineup of fun wines. The Fringe Benefits line is marketed for new wine drinkers, or for fun times around the pool or barbeque where the wine should match the atmosphere. The Fringe Benefits motto is “No Snobs Allowed”, and are priced accordingly, around $10. Offerings in the Fringe Benefit line includes chardonnay, sweet red, sweet white, white merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

Designed for celebrations both big and small are the Sparkles wines. The standard is Sparkles, a white bubbling wine, billed as a “liquid exclamation 424 FM 774 point for any occasion.” Braman Refugio, TX 78377 Mimosa combines Sparkles with fresh (361) 526-2722 squeezed orange juice. Grabbing a botwww.bramanwine.com tle of Mimosa takes the work out of preparing traditional mimosas.

Tradition is important in Texas, and to Braman Winery. In the long tradition of Texas exceptionalism, five Braman wines won medals at the 28th Annual Lone Star International Wine Competition: Fringe Benefits Cabernet Sauvignon NV, Braman Mimosa, R10 Riesling 2010, Legacy Merlot Napa Valley 2009 and M10 Meritage 2007. It’s a fitting start to a new chapter being written from such a tradition rich Texas ranch.

The Braman tasting room is open Thursday through Saturday, noon – 7 pm. a

Braman Winery

GULFsCAPes.COM 10th AnniversAry | 89

Fall2011 spotlights Above, The Tremont House has unveiled a new sophisticated, modern lounge atmosphere for The Rooftop Bar, located four stories above street level on the hotel’s roof. Located in historic downtown Galveston, The Rooftop Bar offers a charming panorama of the harbor, ship channel and the Gulf of Mexico as well as buildings that date back more than 100 years. The bar’s traditional wrought iron seating has been replaced with cozy sectional seating areas and bar high tables and chairs. In the evenings, the rooftop takes on a soft glow with illuminated pots and a eightfoot, lighted Manzanita tree. The Rooftop Bar is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m.

Along

D D the gulf

elicious

Places along the Gulf Coast that Make You Smile!

Nominate your favorite restaurants & bars ... victoria@gulfscapes.com

ining

ALABAMA Felix's Fish Camp Grill, 1530 Battleship Pkwy., Spanish Ft., AL, www.felixsfishcamp.com, (251)626.6710 - We’re addicted to the fried crab claws.

Noja, 6 North Jackson Street, Mobile, AL 36602, www.nojamobile.com, (251)433-0377 The Trellis Room, The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, 26 North Royal Street, Mobile, AL 36602, (251) 338-5493 - An elegant experience is always on the menu at Mobile’s only AAA Four Diamond rated restaurant. Indulge in sophisticated, contemporary décor amidst the historic hotel and “chef-inspired” cuisine with a Northern Italian influence. The menu changes often, but a dish like caramelized day boat scallops with wild mushroom risotto is just one example of the delicious offerings.

TRUE, 9 Du Rhu Drive, Suite 201, Mobile, AL, 36608, www.truedine.com, (251) 344-3334 Wintzell's Oyster House, 605 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 36602, www.wintzellsoysterhouse.com, (251)432.4605 - Renowned for offering oysters “fried, stewed or nude,” this Mobile hallmark started in 1938 and now has a location in Orange Beach, too. Order the Oyster Sampler and have it all—Oysters Monterey, Oysters Bienville, Oysters Rockefeller and Wintzell’s famous grilled oysters.

Sunset Cork Room, 225 E. 16th Ave., Gulf Shores, AL, 36542, www.sunsetcorkroom.com, (251) 967-4773 Gulf Shores Steamer, 124 West 1st Ave., Gulf Shores, AL, www.gulfshoressteamer.com, 251-948-6344 - If you want to eat your fill but avoid the extra calories that come with fried foods, this is the place for you, dishing up piles of steamed seafood. True foodies will appreciate the unadulterated flavors of Royal Red shrimp, crab and fish that come through thanks to the simple steaming.

King Neptune’s, 1137 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, www.KingNeptuneSeafoodRestaurant.com, 251-968-5464 - Eat like a local at King Neptune’s, one of Gulf Shores’ oldest and most popular restaurants. After just one spoonful of the creamy, flavorful corn and crab bisque, you won’t notice the lack of designer décor or the tight squeezes in the tiny space. Try favorites like bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp or the tart and tangy West Indies Salad.

Mikee’s Seafood Restaurant, 2nd Avenue, East 1st Street, Gulf Shores, AL, www.mikeesseafood.com, 251-948-6452 - Mikee’s calls itself “a place for seafood.” It may be THE place for seafood. Try the grilled triggerfish or Captain Ed’s Sautéed Scallops. Family friendly, too.

The Gumbo Shack, 212 & 1/2 Fairhope Ave., Fairhope, AL 36532, www.guysgumbo.com, (251) 928-4100

Guy Harvey's Island Grill, 4851 Wharf Pkwy Ste 116, Orange Beach, AL 36561, www.guyharveysislandgrill.com, (251)224-8180 - The perfect place to ogle, but you won’t be leering at bikini bodies.

You’ll be gawking at boats—big boats. This restaurant’s outside seating offers a straight-shot look at The Wharf’s marina. Of course, a diverse menu and the adjacent museum and retail shop showcasing the works of famed fisherman artist Guy Harvey are a big draw, too.

Pirate’s Cove, 6664 County Road 95, Elberta, AL 36530, www.piratescoveriffraff.com, 251-987-1224 - Bring a friend. We mean a four-legged one. In fact, if you arrive at Pirate’s Cove Marina without a dog in tow, you may be in the minority. Hordes of people and their pets congregate on the deck adjacent to the marina, sipping Bushwhackers (a thick, chocolaty milkshake/cocktail) while waiting for their “cheeseburger in paradise.” A tiny kitchen turns out burgers that are legendary.

Tacky Jacks Tavern & Grill, 27206 Safe Harbor Dr, Orange Beach, AL 36561, www.tackyjacks.com, (251) 981-4144 - Tacky Jacks has so much fun to pass around, they have two locations on the Alabama coast, both set on the backwater. Great spots to socialize while satiating your appetite for ample portions of yummy food. Flat-screen TVs in the bar area at the Orange Beach location make a festive hangout for watching fall football games.

MISSISSIPPI The Blow Fly Inn, 1201 Washington Ave., Gulfport, MS 39507, www.blowflyinn.com, (228) 896-9812

Cobalt The Restaurant, 28099 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL, 36561, www.cobaltrestaurant.net, (251) 923-5300 - Nibble on tasty jumbo BBQ shrimp or crab-stuffed baby portabellas and watch the boats float by. The restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows frame a picturesque vista of the bay and Perdido Pass. The water wall and touch tank full of live fish at the entrance will keep you entertained if you (somehow) become bored by the view.

Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar, 25753 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL, 36561, www.cosmosrestaurantandbar.com, (251) 948-9663 - The easy-going atmosphere has a neighborhood pub vibe that makes everyone feel welcome. A guy strumming guitar and outdoor seating on a large deck are reason enough to visit, but the spectacular sushi pushes this place to the top of the list.

Voyagers, 27200 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 35661 www.perdidobeachresort.com/dining/voyager.asp, 251-981-9811 Inside the Perdido Beach Resort, Voyagers is a classic fine dining establishment. Staying true to its philosophy of using only the freshest local ingredients, Voyagers consistently serves authentic tastes of the area’s bounty. Reservations are highly recommended.

Villaggio Grille, 4790 Wharf Parkway, Orange Beach, AL 36561, www.villaggiogrille.com, (251) 224-6510 Wolf Bay Lodge, 26619 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 36561, www.wolf-bay-lodge.com, 251-987-5129 - Wolf Bay Lodge is still serving up heaping helpings of seafood and steaks. This local treasure keeps things casual, and at lunchtime, Wolf Bay’s sensational salad bar is not to be missed. If you just got off one of the fishing charters stationed at the marina, Wolf Bay will clean and cook your catch for you.

BR Prime, 875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS, 39530, www.beaurivage.com, (228) 386-7737 Darwell's Cafe, 127 E. First St., Long Beach, MS 39560, www.darwellscafe.com, (228) 868-8946 - Known for its crawfish etouffee.

Located just a short stroll from the beach.

Lb's Steakhouse, Grand Casino Biloxi, 280 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS 39530, www.grandcasinobiloxi.com, 800-946-2946 Maisano's By The Glass Wine Bar & Bistro, 1634 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, www.maisanosfinewine.com, (228) 872-7144 Salute Italian, 1712 15th St., Gulfport, MS 39501, www.saluteitalian.com, (228) 864-2500 - go with the shrimp and grits or the amberjack supreme.

The Shed, 7501 Highway 57 , Ocean Springs, MS, 39565, www.theshedbbq.com, (228) 875-9590 - The (Original) Shed BBQ & Blues Joint is not so much a restaurant, but an experience. Regular customers called ShedHeds are invited to bring their collected junk.

It spruces up the place, which was a ramshackle shack to begin with. You can’t argue with success.

SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA Iris, 321 N Peters St., New Orleans, LA 70130, www.irisneworleans.com, (504) 299-3944 - Specialty cocktails are works of art, and Chef Ian Schnoebelen produces a dinner menu that isn’t the standard New Orleans style, combining several different influences, from Italian to Vietnamese to French. The menu is changed daily, so variety abounds. Try the Gulf Shrimp with coconut broth, baby bok choy, pickled shimeji mushrooms, basil coulis, and fried ginger.

Commander's Palace, 1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.commanderspalace.com, (504) 899-8221 - One of the

Legends. Training ground for Emeril and Paul Prudhomme. Try the pecan crusted gulf fish, tasso shrimp in pepper jelly, creme brulee, and bread pudding.

Galatoire's, 209 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, www.galatoires.com, (504) 525-2021 - Another Legend. Friday afternoons are a tradition. As is the shrimp remoulade, poisson meuniere amandine, and banana bread pudding.

Bayona, 430 Dauphine Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, www.bayona.com, (504) 525-4455 August, 301 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.restaurantaugust.com, (504) 299-9777 Acme Oyster House, 724 Iberville Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.acmeoyster.com, (504) 522-5973 - Grilled oysters rule! Just watching them on the grill is a treat.

Sazerac Restaurant & Bar, 123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, www.therooseveltneworleans.com, (504) 648-1200 Ralph’s on the Park, 900 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, www.ralphsonthepark.com, (504) 488-1000 - BBQ gulf shrimp.

Mmmmm.

Jamila's Mediterranean Tunisian Cuisine, 7808 Maple Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, (504) 866-4366 Cochon Butcher, 930 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.cochonbutcher.com, 504-588-PORK K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, 416 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.chefpaul.com, (504) 596-2530 - Legend. Trust me.

Blackened twin beef tenders with debris and garlic mashed potatoes, finish with the Custard Marie creme brulee. Perfect.

Brennan’s, 417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA, www.brennansneworleans.com, (504) 525-9711 - Another Legend. Always start with turtle soup, and always end with Bananas Foster. Anything in between is just a bonus.

Emeril's Delmonico, 1300 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130, www.emerils.com, 504-525-4937 Central Grocery Company, 923 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116, (504) 523-1620 - originator of the classic NOLA muffuletta sandwich.

Dooky Chase, 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 821-0600 - Yet another Legend. Gumbo z'herbes on Holy Thursday is a major tradition. So is the fried chicken and bread pudding.

Willie Mae’s Scotch House, 2401 Saint Ann Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 822-9503 - Fried chicken. That’s all you need to know.

Fried chicken.

Drago's, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.dragosrestaurant.com, (504) 584-3911 - Don’t even think about leaving here without Charbroiled Oysters.

Camellia Grill, 626 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA, www.camelliagrill.net, (504) 309-2679 - One of Jimmy Buffett’s inspirations for “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Get the burger, get the onion rings, get a milkshake, then watch them drop your piece of pecan pie in a pool of butter on the grill to warm it. Take the St. Charles Trolley to get to this classic southern diner.

Tracey's, 2604 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130, www.traceysnola.com, (504) 899-2054 Joey K's, 3001 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70115, www.joeyksrestaurant.com, (504) 891-0997 Sammy's Food Service & Deli, 3000 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70122, www.sammysfood.com, (504) 947-0675

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Louie and the Red Head Lady, 1851 Florida Street, Mandeville, LA 70448, www.louieandtheredheadlady.com, (985) 626-8101 L. A. Pines Cafe, 1061 Robert Blvd, Slidell, LA 70458, www.lapinescafe.com, (985) 641-6196 Port of Call, 838 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, www.portofcallnola.com, (504) 523-0120 - Huge burgers served with baked potatoes, not fries.

Gautreau's, 1728 Soniat St., New Orleans, LA 70115, www.gautreausrestaurant.com, (504) 899-7397 Herbsaint, 701 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130, www.herbsaint.com, (504) 524-4114 - Donald Link, cajun chef extraordinaire, continues to amaze at his flagship restaurant, with offerings like Louisiana Shrimp and Grits with tasso and okra, and Kurobuta Pork Belly with crispy eggplant and grilled date relish.

Big Al's Seafood, 1377 W Tunnel Blvd, Houma, LA 70360, www.bigalsseafood.net, 985-876-4030 Rocky & Carlo's, 613 W. St. Bernard Hwy., Chalmette, LA 70043, www.rockyandcarlos.com, 504-279-8323 Beausoleil, 7731 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, www.beausoleilrestaurantandbar.com, (225) 926-1172 - Chef Nathan Gresham, formerly of Galatoire’s Bistro, rolls out a menu heavy on local products. Give these dishes a try: Seafood salad with blue crab, Louisiana shrimp, & avocado with a white remoulade; Hand-made gnocchi with bacon, peas & a roasted garlic cream sauce; & Grilled shrimp, truffled risotto and andouille gravy.

Juban's Restaurant, 3739 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, www.jubans.com, (225) 346-8422 Galatoire's Bistro, 17451 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70810, www.galatoires.com, (225) 753-4864

Saltwater Grill, 2017 Post Office St., Galveston, TX 77550, www.saltwatergrill.net, (409)762-3474 - Sounds weird, I know, but the Southern BBQ Red Snapper rocks!

Shearn's, Seven Hope Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77554, www.moodygardenshotel.com, (409)741-8484 - Go on Thursday evening. That’s when they get in fresh tuna. Get the sesame encrusted ahi.

Bleu Provence, 1234 Eighth St. S., Naples, FL, 34102, www.bleuprovencenaples.com, (239) 261-8239 Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas St., Key West, FL, 33040, www.blueheavenkw.com, (305) 296-8666 B.O.'s Fish Wagon, 801 Caroline Street, Key West, FL, www.bosfishwagon.com, (305) 294-9272

T-Bone Tom's Steakhouse, 707 Highway 146, Kemah, TX 77565, www.tbonetoms.com, (281) 334-2133

Cafe Marquesa, 600 Fleming Street , Key West, FL 33040, www.marquesa.com, (305) 292-1919

COASTAL BEND TEXAS Yardarm Restaurant, 4310 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78411, (361) 855-8157

Camille's Restaurant, 1202 Simonton Street, Key West, FL 33040, www.camilleskeywest.com, (305) 296-4811

La Playa, 222 Beach Ave., Port Aransas, TX 78373, 361-749-0022 Casual Mexican seafood dining. Shrimp and crab enchiladas, fish tacos with purple cabbage slaw, a top shelf margarita and flan for dessert. Wonderful! But bring cash, no credit cards!

Cote d'Azur, 11224 Tamiami Trl N , Naples, FL 34110, www.cotedazurrestaurant.com, (239) 597-8867 The Dock Restaurant at Crayton Cove, 845 12th Avenue South, Naples FL 34102, www.dockcraytoncove.com, (239)263-9940

Venetian Hot Plate, 232 Beach St, Port Aransas, TX 78373, www.venetianhotplate.com, (361) 749-7617 - Linda, the owner, is from Italy and brought spectacular recipes with her, like the Penne alla Bolognese. Fettuccine ai gamberetti is a spicy shrimp dish with bacon. Fresh fish is offered daily.

El Siboney, 900 Catherine Street, Key West, FL 33040, www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com, (305) 296-4184

Roosevelt’s, 200 East Cotter Avenue, Port Aransas, TX 78373-5124, (361) 749-1540 - Can’t go wrong with pan-seared snapper with shrimp and ricotta ravioli or the Caribbean char drum.

The Grill, 280 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, FL, 34108, www.ritzcarlton.com, (239) 598-6644

Liberty Hall, 103 East Cotter Avenue, Port Aransas, TX 78373, (361) 749-1660 - the best place for burgers and sushi!

Tango Tea Room, 505 South Water St # 545, Corpus Christi, TX 78401, www.tangofandango.com, (361) 883-9123 Cheryl’s By the Bay, 112 S Fulton Beach Rd, Fulton, TX 78382, www.cherylsbythebay.com, (361) 790-9626

Grand Café Key West, 314 Duval St., Key West, FL, 33040, www.grandcafekeywest.com, (305) 292-4740

Hot Tin Roof, Zero Duval St., Key West, FL, 33040, www.oceankey.com, (305) 296-7701 Louie’s Backyard, 700 Waddell Ave., Key West, FL, www.louiesbackyard.com, (305) 294-1061 Turtle Kraals Restaurant & Bar, 231 Margaret St., Key West, FL 33040, www.turtlekraals.com, (305) 294-2640

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA Tsunami, 412 Jefferson Street, Lafayette, LA 70501, www.servingsushi.com, (337) 234-3474

Moondog Seaside Eatery, 100 Casterline Dr., Fulton TX, 78358, (361) 729-6200 - giant draft beers, right on the water.

CENTRAL FLORIDA Alpine Steakhouse, 4520 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231, www.alpinesteak.com, (941) 922-3797

Steamboat Bill's on the Lake, 1004 North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601, www.steamboatbills.com, (337) 494-1070

Hu-Dats, Broadway & S Fulton Beach Rd, Fulton, TX 78382, (361) 790-7621 - the original restaurant with the best Pho.

Beach Bistro, 6600 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach, FL, www.beachbistro.com, (941)778-6444

Renee’s Cafe and Boutique, 1 Lakeshore Dr # 555, Lake Charles, LA 70629, www.reneescafe.net, (337) 439-6916

SOUTH TEXAS Scampi’s, 206 W Aries Dr, South Padre Island, TX 78597, www.scampisspi.com, (956) 761-1755 - Oysters Rockefeller, or Scampi’s version of it, is one of the best ever. Worth the trip.

Bern's Steak House, 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL, www.bernssteakhouse.com, 813-251-2421- Bern’s is a legend. Just the half million bottles of fine wine in their cellar is enough to vault it into fame, but add on their 19 varieties of caviar, steaks that are cut to your requested thickness, a cheese cave, a separate dessert room, and ... well, you get the picture. Go for the Châteaubriand and finish with the Banana Cheese Pie.

Southern Spice, 3901 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605, www.mysouthernspice.com, (337) 474-6065 Pat's of Henderson, 1500 Siebarth Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70615, www.patsofhenderson.com, (337) 439-6618 BAY AREA TEXAS Bryan's 797, 797 N. Fifth St., Beaumont, TX, 77701, www.bryans797.net, (409) 832-3900 Luigi's, 2328 Strand Rear Street, Galveston, TX 77550, www.luigisrestaurantgalveston.com, (409) 763-6500 Gaido's, 3828 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77550, www.gaidos.com, (409) 762-9625 - Seafood heaven. Snapper Michael, Brook’s gumbo and the fried shrimp can’t be beat.

Mosquito Cafe, 628 14th Street, Galveston, TX 77550, www.mosquitocafe.com, (409) 763-1010 - Great omelets and sandwiches. Fresh seafood, too. Just opened a bakery next door called PattyCakes.

Olympia Grill, 21st & Harborside, Galveston, TX 77550, www.olympiapier21.com, (409) 765-0021 - Loved the sautéed red snapper fillet.

Rudy & Paco, 2028 Post office St, Galveston, TX 77553, (409) 7623696 - The Filete de Pargo Parrilla (grilled fresh filet of red snapper topped with cilantro cream sauce) is excellent!

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Wanna Wanna, 5100 Gulf Boulevard, South Padre Island, TX 78597, www.wannawanna.com, (956) 761-7677 - Oyster sandwich is great.

Marcello's Italian Restaurant, 110 North Tarnava Street, Port Isabel, TX 78578, www.marcellositalian.com, (956) 943-7611 Louie's Backyard, 2305 Laguna Boulevard, S Padre Island, TX 78597, www.lbyspi.com, (956) 761-6406 Palm Street Pier Bar & Grill, 204 W Palm St, South Padre Island, TX 78597, www.palmstreetpier.com, (956) 772-7256 - The Captain Morgan Shrimp has won the World Championship Shrimp Cook-off.

Sea Ranch Restaurant, 1 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island, TX 78597, www.searanchrestaurant.com, (956) 761-1314 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Arturo's, 844 Bald Eagle Dr, Marco Island, FL, 34145, www.arturosmarcoisland.com, (239) 642-0550 - Try the Penne A La Vodka.

Baleen, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, 9891 Gulf Shore Dr., Naples, FL 34108, (239) 598-5707 - Waterfront dining with choice of seating in an indoor epicurean enclave or a barefoot beach table. At night there is an intimate beach fire pit with extensive wine-by-the-glass offerings.

Bijou Café, 1287 First St., Sarasota, FL, www.bijoucafe.net, (941)366-8111 Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant, 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach, FL, 33767, www.bobheilmans.com, (727) 4424144 Cafe Ponte, 13505 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, FL, www.cafeponte.com, (727)538-5768 Columbia, 2117 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa, FL, www.columbiarestaurant.com, (813)248-4961 Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant & Tavern, 1968 Tarpon Center Dr, Venice, FL 34285, www.crowsnest-venice.com, (941) 484-9551 Da Giorgio, 5702 Marina Dr., Holmes Beach, FL, www.dagiorgio.net, (941)779-0220 Donatello, 232 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL, www.donatellotampa.com, (813) 875-6660 Euphemia Haye, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, FL, www.euphemiahaye.com, (941)383-3633

Wild Blue at 6, Wild Blue BBQ 31230 Texas 100 Los Fresnos, TX 78566 (956) 233-8185

Hidden Treasure: Wild Blue at 6, Wild Blue BBQ In January of 2009 I read a magazine article about the best BBQ joints in Texas. Not that unusual given my love of the stuff and the almost mystical adoration Texans have for BBQ. I proceeded to check out if there were any from my hometown, Corpus Christ. None from Corpus. How about the nearby Rio Grande Valley, since my favorite nephew lives down there? Bingo! One place in Harlingen was listed which my nephew and I had already sampled. Let’s see, one in Los Fresnos? Where is that? Half way between Harlingen and South Padre Island. Not far from my nephew…

Next trip to the Valley I found Los Fresnos and Wild Blue BBQ. I ordered a mix of brisket, pork ribs, and sausage with a couple of sides. I have never tasted better! The ribs were lightly glazed, tender and delicious to the point of not needing sauce. The brisket was smokey and the taste peaked out with either a small bit of wimp sauce or the spicy. Sausages were packed with flavor and tender. Even the sides were a sur­94 | 10th AnniversAry GULFsCAPes.COM

prise – French green beans which were not olive drab and limp but bright green and al dente! The corn pudding, slaw, potato salad,….all better than any other BBQ joint I had ever been in. East Tennessee, Kansas City, Memphis, Dallas, St. Louis - wherever!

Who came up with this stuff ? I had to know. One of the employees pointed out the owner/chef, so I introduced myself to Abraham Avila. This was the start of a beautiful friendship.

We talked of BBQ, Puget Sound eateries and chefs, his experience as the executive chef for a Ritz Carlton restaurant, and more executive chef positions. Why was he in Los Fresnos?

“I’m originally from Brownsville and my wife got her medical internship back here.”

Now I understood why I have never eaten better BBQ! The experience of all of those years and all those restaurants and all those other chefs’ ideas and techniques were coming out as great brisket and ribs!

Opposite page, Black cod with maple, miso, wheatberries & edamame. Top right, The chalkboard at Wild Blue BBQ. Bottom right, Chef Avila slices pork for Wild Blue's sixth anniversary dinner. Bottom left, Wild Blue BBQ celebrated its 6th Anniversary in style, with a special dinner by Chef Abraham Avila. Left, Chef Abraham Avila explains the night’s menu to his guests.

Photos by Gwen Evans Hansen & Story by Bob Shirley

Fast forward to early May, 2011. Abraham calls and asks “would you and Gwen like to come to a dinner Sunday? It will be 8 courses with wine pairing.” What do you say? You don’t ask questions, you don’t hesitate, you just say YES! The idea of thanking his most loyal and dedicated patrons with a dinner to celebrate his 6th year of operation is symptomatic of Abraham. He knows where he came from, he knows who his friends are, and he knows food. What better way to mark the event? So “Wild Blue at 6” was born. The menu was set as: Seared scallops & fregula in squid ink; Goat cheese flan, roasted beets, pistachio & upland cress; Black cod with maple, miso, wheatberries & edamame; Uni, avocado, caviar, and kimchee; Duck breast with tapioca, coconut & green curry; Foie gras with Abe’s mole & ripe plantain; Pork belly with hoisin, napa cabbage, & sesame; Lamb loin in

Keegan's Seafood Grille, 1519 Gulf Blvd, Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785, www.keegansseafood.com, (727) 596-2477 Mise en Place, 442 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606, www.miseonline.com, (813) 254-5373 Palm Court Italian Grill, TradeWinds Island Grand, 5500 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706, www.tradewindsresort.com, (727)367-6461 - don’t miss the chocolate creme brulee.

Shula’s Steak House, 4860 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33609, www.donshula.com, (813) 286-4366 - Shula’s offers a 48oz porterhouse. That’s how serious their steaks are. But try the lobster mash potatoes and the crab mac and cheese, too. And for breakfast, you gotta try the lobster sausage.

Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL 33613, www.skipperssmokehouse.com, (813) 971-0666 - Known for its fiery hot wings and grouper sandwich. And great live music.

Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, 1350 Pasadena Ave, South Pasadena, FL 33707, (727) 381-7931 - Smoked mullet and potato salad. Can’t go wrong.

Vernona, The Ritz-Carlton, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Sarasota, FL 34236, www.ritzcarlton.com (941) 309-2000

black olive oil & ratatouille; and Baked Alaska for dessert.

Wine choices to accompany the meal included three different Sauvignon Blancs, two Chardonnays, three Pinot Gris, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels and eight other varieties from around the world, all donated and brought to the event by his guests.

Also, guests spoke to the group about the wines they brought, how to sample wine, and the rarity of some of the wines presented. What fun! The meal started promptly at 4 pm and ended with coffee five hours later.

Everything was perfect, everything tasted great, and the service was exceptional. Everyone felt very special and thankful to have been invited to help celebrate six great years of unique inspiration applied to Texas BBQ by Chef Abraham Avila!

Congratulations Abe and thank you! a

NORTHWEST FLORIDA Atlas Oyster House, 600 Barracks St., Pensacola, FL, 32502, www.goodgrits.com, (850) 470-0003 - Try the grilled oysters, Volcano Chicken sandwich and key lime pie.

Bud & Alley's, 2236 E. County Hwy. 30A, Seaside, FL 32459 , www.budandalleys.com, (850) 231-5900 Café Thirty-A, 3899 E. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL, www.cafethirtya.com, (850) 231-2166 Capt. Anderson's, 5551 N. Lagoon Drive, Panama City Beach, FL, 32408, www.captanderson.com, (850) 234-2225 Firefly, 535 R. Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach, FL, 32407, www.fireflypcb.com, (850) 249-3359 The Fish House, 600 Barracks St., Pensacola, FL, 32502, www.goodgrits.com, (850) 470-0003 - Gotta have the famous Grits a Ya Ya. Also excellent are the blackened mahi, wasabi crusted tuna, and key lime pie.

Fish Out of Water, WaterColor Inn, 34 Goldenrod Cir., Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459, (850) 534-5050 - Atmosphere, they got it. Great views of the Gulf. If you can pry yourself away from the scenery, try the raw bar for good local eats, like Apalachicola Bay oysters.

Grouper cheeks are yummy, too.

The Flora-Bama, 17401 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola, FL 32507, www.florabama.com, 850-482-0611 - The Flora-Bama’s Oyster Bar & Grill is technically in Florida, but your kid could easily throw one of its delectable fried pickles over into Alabama. It is a downright dive, but that’s a huge part of its appeal. You will find delicious versions of seafood shack standards like fried shrimp, oyster po’ boys and fried crab claws. And sitting just steps from the surf, it’s the best deal you’ll find on the beach.

Island Room Restaurant at Cedar Cove, Cedar Cove Beach & Yacht Club, 10 Second St., Cedar Key, FL 32625, (352) 543-6520 Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32502 , www.goodgrits.com, (850)469-9898 - What a stellar wine list to compliment the veal chops.

The Marlin Grill, 9100 Baytowne Wharf Blvd., Sandestin, FL, 32550, www.marlingrill.com, (850)351-1990 Poppy's Seafood Factory, 138 Fisherman's Cove, Destin, FL, 32550, www.poppysseafoodfactory.com, (850) 351-1996 Seagar's Restaurant, 4000 Sandestin Blvd. S., Destin, FL, 32550, www.seagarsdestin.com, (850) 622-1500 Verandas Wine Bar&Bistro, 76 Market St., Apalachicola, FL, 32320, www.verandasbistro.com, (850) 653-3210

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