Birthday Celebration Weekend in Fairhope, Alabama

All birthdays should be memorable, right? But a milestone birthday is extra special. My sweet mom turned seventy and my sister and I decided that it was the perfect occasion to plan a girl’s weekend in Fairhope.

We found a great house on VRBO right in the heart of Fairhope. I love VRBOs because the morning time is my time. I don’t want to rush to get ready for breakfast; I prefer sipping my coffee, reading a devotion in the comfort of my PJs. Lucky for me, my mom and sister feel the same way.

Our first day was filled with shopping at all of the darling boutiques along Section Street, Fairhope Avenue, Church Street and De La Mare Avenue. There are so many fun stores in downtown Fairhope that you can easily fill an entire day browsing. 

Tucked away between Section Street and De La Mare Avenue, is the French Quarter, a small retail area but more importantly, home to Panini Pete’s. For lunch, we opted to sit outside in the courtyard because the weather was picture perfect. Their paninis were delicious…go figure. We tried the Rosemary Chicken and Roasted Turkey, both were fantastic. Before you leave the French Quarter, stop into Christina Lynn’s, a women’s boutique that has a little bit of everything.

Shopping in Fairhope was surprisingly plentiful. For a small town, the number of boutiques is shocking…but in a great way. Each boutique is unique – Duke’s and The Colony Shop have fun shoes and clothing; Objects is a precious gift store with gorgeous home décor. On Church Street, Willow + Gray Home and Wildflowers are two more stores with unique home décor.

For dinner, we chose causal restaurants – Cactus Cantina Mexican Grill, a fun, lively atmosphere with traditional Mexican cuisine; and The Ravenite Pizzeria, a local’s favorite.

Another iconic landmark is the The Grand Hotel in Pointe Clear – a ten minute drive from Fairhope. This trip, we did not venture out of downtown Fairhope, but The Grand is definitely worth the drive if your itinerary permits.