Bounty from the sea

Gulf Shores, Alabama, hosts its 32nd Annual National Shrimp Festival this month, and you're invited.

We'll spare you the Forrest Gump routine, but if the 32nd Annual National Shrimp Festival doesn't have the kind of shrimp (or other seafood) you crave, then you just don't need it. A Jumbo Celebration

No doubt the food lured you here, so you'll be happy to know that more than 30 vendors line the boardwalk at Gulf Shores Public Beach Area. Each puts its own flavorful twist on shrimp (from Greek to Chinese to Cajun) in this carnival-like atmosphere. And rest assured, all you batter-dippers, in addition to boiled and grilled shrimp, you'll see plenty of greasy paper plates-remnants of the shrimp, oysters, crab claws, catfish, calamari, and anything else fit to drop in the fryer.

While we're sure you would be perfectly content with a plateful of shrimp and a cold drink, the festival offers much more than food. Browse the International Marketplace, where you'll find mostly trinkets and souvenirs. A few vendors carry other items, however, such as jewelry, hammocks, and clothing. Painters, potters, glassblowers, and the like display their best work in the juried art show. At the arts and crafts area, you can find beach signs, wind chimes, and other fun items.

Listen closely, and you'll catch a wide variety of music that seems to float in on the Gulf breezes. It's really coming from the festival's two stages, where performers play everything from hard rock to gospel throughout the entire weekend. Check the Web site for an entertainment schedule.

Sandy Architects

It's no secret that Alabama's Gulf Coast hosts some of the prettiest beaches in the South. If you're gonna build a sandcastle, why not use some of the most sugary sand around? One of the highlights of the festival is the sandcastle competition on Saturday. Kids and adults show up in droves at 2 p.m. with the tools of the trade-buckets and shovels, of course. The four-person teams have two hours to complete their architectural masterpieces, and the sandy spoils (a trophy, ribbon, and festival T-shirt) go to the winners.

All that hard work will probably build up an appetite, so just walk back over to the boardwalk, and start deciding what you want to try next. You know, you could chow down on some more boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, shrimp kabobs...

by Latham, Tanner C