Heritage is more than a resort, it's a family!

This place is unique not only for the white sandy beach and the gorgeous Gulf views, the breath taking sunsets and the stunning moon rises that shine over the water...but also because everyone here is part of a very special family! I feel that on a regular basis whether it be during a dinner where owners gather for fellowship while cooking and entertaining, or while up at the fire pit talking, enjoying a glass of wine and watching a beautiful sunset. This week proves to be no different as some of the ladies of Heritage and I gathered upstairs to decorate for Christmas.As we talk, giggle, chase falling decorations and get frustrated with lights that aren't working, it is clear to me that this place and the people in it are so very special! I may be 600 miles away from my family in Kentucky but I feel right at home here in this spectacular place with an amazing group of people! -Heather

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas!

In spite of the beautiful warm sunshine today at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina, we are getting into the Christmas Spirit. Heather and Donna along with Linda & Lori decorated the big tree and the mantels in the Club House yesterday morning and it looks very festive!

Then, around 2 in the afternoon a dozen of us from the Resort headed for Fort Morgan to take the ferry over to Dauphin Island. Our group of owners included folks from Texas, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Arkansas, & Michigan! It was a fun boat ride on the small ferry (It can haul 45’ Motor Coaches) with lots of dolphins along the way. From there it was an easy drive up to the Bellingrath Home & Gardens south of Mobile. These gardens are beautiful to visit year around; but they are real special when they add over 3 million Christmas Lights (no…we didn’t actually count them… but I believe them)! They used great imagination to create the feeling of being under water with a big variety of sea creatures! Add a fire-breathing 30’ dragon, fireworks in lights, giant swans, Santa and his sleigh, and much, much more! The tour of their spectacular 10,000 sq. ft. home built in the 1930’s was very interesting; but the light show made the evening unforgettable. Wandering through the gardens enjoying the amazing lights accompanied by all of our favorite Christmas music (think Elvis, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby…). If you get the chance to see it you will be enthralled! Sharing it with Donna and our friends from Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina made it even more special!

This is just one more reason to come visit our one-of-a-kind motor coach & boating paradise here in beautiful Orange Beach between now and December 30th! Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! -Jim

Counting my blessings!!

Thanksgiving week was a terrific week here at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina! Many of our owners came to celebrate together plus many new and old friends enjoyed the great weather we had all week! Folks came from as far away as Ontario, Canada, Southern California, and Baker City, Oregon to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for here in beautiful Orange Beach! Turkeys were cooked every way imaginable, folks shopped on Black Friday at the huge outlet mall close by, football was watched, and Mel Knapp entertained us on Saturday Night. Bikes were ridden on the many bike paths, miles of beaches were strolled on, boogie boards were enjoyed, sea kayaks were paddled, wave runners ran wild, fish were caught, and boat rides were enjoyed! Thanks to all of you for making this a very special place! I have the best job, best family, & best wife anyone could ever ask for!

-Jim

A Moody Place

This past weekend was an interesting example of the variety of moods here at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina. The focus, of course, was the big college football game between LSU & Alabama. Our ‘tailgate party’ featured live entertainment, an open bar, and I cooked up a bunch of sausages and dogs. This was all complemented by a great variety of tasty food brought by the many fans. The game lived up to the hype even though neither offense showed up. College Football is awesome with an emotion and passion that the NFL just can’t match! We packed the owner’s lounge with a mix of Tiger and Tide fans that were very enthusiastic; but amazingly kind to each other during the ebb and flow of this great game. Lots of ‘woofing’ going on, but no rudeness! Congratulations to all you Tiger Fans!

The contrast came as a beautifully serene Sunday Morning found folks strolling around the Resort, sitting on the marina, enjoying the hot tub, etc. A peace fell over this special place as friends spent time just enjoying each other as some prepared to reluctantly head home to other responsibilities. A perfect fall evening found friends enjoying each other’s company around the fire pit, cooking up some great steaks, or heading over to Flippers for their famous Bushwackers. Paul G. summed up one of the truly unique things about Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina. As Paul observed, he hasn’t found this many close friends that have no pretenses, make no effort to impress one another, or just simply enjoy laughing and each other’s company this much since he was in high school. It is part of the magic that happens when folks become part of the ‘Heritage Family’.

Next up is the Blue Angels big Homecoming Air Show this weekend. They have spectacular shows planned for both Friday and Saturday including a very unique and spectacular show on Friday Evening. For more info go to naspairshow.com.

I hope to see you all here real soon!

Jim

Dolphins, Halloween & Football!!

This past week was such a fun one for guests and owners alike here at Heritage. Nice cool evenings where all could enjoy the fire-pit and watch the gorgeous sunsets over the Gulf followed by sunny days with warm temperatures and calm waters. We've had a lot of people out kayaking and on boats and I saw about 30 sailboats out yesterday afternoon....The Webbs took other fellow owners and some of our renters to see the Blue Angels by boat last Tuesday and on their way back to the resort they came across a couple families of dolphins. I've attached some pictures and a video below. Everyone that was on the boat came back telling me stories about these dolphins and how is was the largest amount of dolphins they've seen swimming together. There were several baby dolphins in the midst of this group as well. It appeared that the adult dolphins were teaching the babies how to swim/play/jump...

We then had an AMAZING Halloween party Saturday night with music, fun food and great company and conversations!!!! Dan and I carved some pumpkins (I think I destroyed my cookie monster but Dan's spider turned out great!!). I love this picture of Pirate J and his first mate!

Here are the mummy cookies and candy corn cookies I made....They were yummy!!

It's that time of year, the big game between LSU and Alabama.....Come tailgate with us!!! We'll be having a pre-game Cajun Cook-Off this coming weekend, Saturday the 5th of November at 6pm. We'll have Artie Childs playing all of your favorite songs from 3-6 and then again at Halftime. Game begins at 7pm CST. Enter your best Cajun dish for a chance to win!!! Or simply be a judge of this fun event, either way we guarantee fun will be had by all!!! Call us at 800-730-7032 to grab one of the few sites we have left for this fun event!!! And let Heather know if you'd like to enter your best Cajun dish!!!

-Heather

I am writing this sitting on an airplane headed to the west coast to hug my grandkids for a week and watch my grandson play football. It gives me time to reflect on the past week at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina. The week began with Owner’s Weekend a week ago with most of the folks who have purchased the first 50 out of the 79 Resort Sites on hand for a festive weekend and the annual owner’s meeting. What a fun group of friends! Like a great big family reunion with lovable, crazy aunts, uncles & cousins; tons of unbelievable stories; and a lot of fun! The week found random gatherings every evening of the week, lots of great food, spontaneous block parties, and Dave & Dave from Liberty

Coach sponsoring a fantastic sit down dinner with filet mignon & shrimp skewers along with live entertainment and an open bar. Lots of folks hung around after the big weekend. They gathered in the morning to take interesting and energetic bicycle rides through the Gulf State Park, they kayaked on the calm waters of Bayou St. John, they took lazy boat rides, they fished, they golfed, they shopped at the interesting shops of Fairhope, they watched the Blue Angels fly over, they walked on the beach, they made new friends, they showed off their unique Coach Houses, they watched some spectacular moon rises and sunsets (not too many caught the gorgeous sunrises), we all ate and drank too much, and most of all they just enjoyed themselves and each other!

I hope to see you all next week when we come back ‘Home’ to Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina in beautiful Orange Beach!

-Jim

The Hidden Treasure at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina

Last Friday I celebrated one year here as Resort Director of this amazing place. When Duke, the developer, flew Donna & I down last year we were both very impressed with both his vision and the one-of-a-kind Motor Coach & Boating Paradise he had created. It has been a wonderful year here and we have truly grown to feel like this is our home. Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina has many obvious ‘treasures’ with its prime location right on the water within sight of the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway, its paver streets, giant oak trees, natural gas lamps, large private marina, roomy coach houses on every Resort Site, impressive clubhouse with second story fire pit, infinity pool, private beach, etc., etc. But, over the course of the last year I have come to realize that the real hidden treasure here at this unique Resort is the people. Last night one of the newest members of our Heritage Family (we have added 23 new Resort Site Owners this year) experienced a family tragedy losing a 27 year old nephew/father of 3 young children to a freak accident. It was as if everyone here had lost someone close to them with the genuine love and caring way everyone supported these new members of our ‘family’.

I am really looking forward to our Annual Owners’ Weekend this weekend with over 80 of our owners joining us here for a couple of great evenings of food, fun, & fellowship as well as our annual owners meeting. The weather looks awesome for this gathering of this great group of successful, interesting, active, and caring folks who I never get tired of being with. Thanks to all of them for the way that they have accepted Donna & me as part of their family!

Fall is perfect in Orange Beach…a great time to come relax and enjoy yourselves here at Heritage Motor Coach Resort & Marina!

-Jim