A month back, while visiting the Gulf Shores "Shrimp Festival", I found that the first and last walk-in store I had bought a H-L lighthouse from had gone belly up this year. Their business had dropped at 'Nita's Hallmark' when a company Hallmark store opened just up the road in a small but new mall. It has since failed.
I mourned their demise by eatting a Mexican lunch in the restaurunt that had been next door. It had expanded into Nita's Hallmark's space. I had my choice, so we sat in a booth where the H-Ls had been - seemed fitting, if not a bit macabe. I had a shrimp taco salad - the only shrimp I had, as my queries of the 'Shrimp Festival' food vendors as to whether what they had was Gulf shrimp or not received blank stares. The state rep from the Alabama Fisheries booth said he'd be shocked if as many as one in five had local shrimp.
Well, it was our first vacation in two years. My wife got a few goodies - collected some seashells in our beach walks - and had a great time. It seemed sad to me. As we headed back north, I spent my tourist/H-L stash at a local knife store in Foley. When I got home, I perused some of my H-L collection - recalled happier trips to the coast. The shelves were overflowing anyway.
Seriously, does anyone know of an H-L dealer in AL?
John
My trip had more sad news - the cast iron tower that
