Roof Repairs, Dodging a Storm, & Exploring Fairhope

by Alissa

We’ve been staying in Gulf Shores, Alabama since mid-November, but we had to uproot ourselves and take our fifth wheel in for roof repairs on Monday, January 2.  We had discovered a roof leak after a heavy rain storm and it required more than a quick fix. Packing up and moving our home is a hassle.  Everything must be put away and secured for the drive (basically, it must be made earthquake-proof for bouncing down the road).  The stools must be stowed, toys put into bins, countertops cleared, bikes stored, coffee mugs wrapped, slides pulled in, tire covers folded away, and so on.

Cherokee Farms RV
dropping off our RV

Only a few hours after we left town and dropped off our RV at the repair shop, a violent storm unexpectedly came through Gulf Shores.  By the time it hit, we were safe and cozy in a house we rented in the nearby town of Fairhope, completely unaware of the serious storm 30 miles away.  After seeing photos of damage in the town of Gulf Shores (in the very part of town we had been staying), I’m so glad we missed it! What seemed like a great inconvenience (packing up our RV, leaving Gulf Shores, paying to repair a leaky roof, and finding a place to stay) now seems like a blessing in disguise.  We felt grateful to have safely avoided the severe weather.

During our stay in the charming town of Fairhope, work and school went on as usual, though the kids and I had time to explore the area once their school lessons were through each day.  Work kept Dan busy during the day, otherwise he would have liked to join us.

Fairhope’s French Quarter
sipping smoothies at Soul Bowlz
I love the oak trees

Here we are visiting the Marietta Johnson Museum:

outside the museum
Maggie telling us about Marietta Johnson (photo credit goes to my 7 year old)

We were enchanted by the Mosher castle, which looks like it sprouted right out of a fairytale.

We spent time at the Fairhope Public Library and immersed ourselves in our reading, especially on one cool rainy day.  We were charmed by their miniature shop display and impressed by the kind helpful librarians.

The kids declared that this park was the best they’ve ever visited:

The Fairhope Museum of History was both educational and fun (and we had a great tour guide):

And after each fun-filled day, we settled down for family reading before bed.

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