Alabama Tourism Department News

 

November 16, 2011

--  Big Shrimpin’ premiers Thursday on The History Channel
-- “Rick and Bubba” radio show broadcasts Thursday from Decatur
-- Moundville named as setting for inaugural SELTI Writing Contest
-- Group Travel Leader features video segments on golf in Alabama
-- Burritt on the Mountain museum in Huntsville breaks ground on addition
-- Goat Hill Museum Store hosts open house and Alabama author book signing
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Big Shrimpin’ premiers Thursday on The History Channel
From articles by Rhonda A. Pickett and Casandra Andrews in the Press-Register:

Big Shrimpin’- the new reality-based series filmed in Bayou La Batre and on the Gulf of Mexico -- premieres Thursday night, Nov. 17.  The eight-episode program follows three south Mobile County boat captains and their boss as they head to the opening of shrimp season in Texas the summer after the Gulf oil spill. The first one-hour episode is set to air Thursday night at 9 p.m. on The History Channel.

The shrimp boat captains -nicknamed Bullfrog, Redbone and Roundhead - answer to Dominick Ficarino, who owns a fleet of shrimp trawlers and Dominick’s Seafood, a sprawling processing plant in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.  Ficarino said he wasn’t surprised when a production company told him they wanted to film a reality show about the plight of shrimpers. After watching “Deadliest Catch,” a series about hauling in crabs as crews battle treacherous weather, he knew that harvesting seafood from the Gulf of Mexico would also make for good TV. “I think our business is extremely interesting, and people are going to see how hard these guys really work,” Ficarino said. “It’s a long, hard grinding job, and there’s nothing easy about it.” Ficarino and his fourth generation family business is determined to rebound from the widespread devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill at a time when nearly 90 percent of shrimp in America comes from outside the U.S. “We definitely feel pressure,” he said. “We are in here believing it’s not a dying breed. We strive every day to keep it going. A lot of people don’t realize whether they are eating imports or domestic shrimp. I live in Mobile, and my own neighbors don’t know.”

Several people filmed for the series said they hope it brings more attention to the struggles of those who work in the local seafood industry. Those who tune in will meet Captain Redbone, a 35-year veteran of the business, who is known for hauling in the most shrimp. At 32, Captain Bullfrog is already known as the “shrimp whisperer” and is the youngest leader in Ficarino’s fleet. Captain Roundhead claimed he was once the best in the business, but he’s had a few hard seasons and is looking for redemption. Away from home and their families for months at a time, the boat crews battled weather, equipment failure and sometimes each other as they earned a livelihood, according to those familiar with the show. Camera crews stayed on the shrimp trawlers for an entire 47-day trip, which included the July 15 opening of the Texas shrimp season three states away. They spent a total of 16 weeks filming on the Gulf of Mexico and other spots around Bayou La Batre, including a shop where shrimp nets are still created by the nimble fingers of local craftsmen.

Clips from the show are available on al.com at  http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/big_shrimpin_scheduled_to_air.html#incart_hbx.

 

“Rick and Bubba” radio show broadcasts Thursday from Decatur
The “Rick & Bubba Show” will broadcast live from Decatur on Thursday, Nov. 17 for their annual Turkey Toss.  The event will take place from 6 to 10 a.m. at Academy Sport + Outdoors in Decatur, and along with flying turkeys, reality stars from “Rocket City Rednecks” will make a special guest appearance bringing with them their own hand-made contraption to launch a turkey into the air. “Rick & Bubba” are heard by over 3.5 million listeners every day on 60+ radio stations across the United States.

National Geographic Channel’s latest reality series “Rocket City Rednecks” features self-proclaimed rednecks from Morgan and Madison counties. Each episode shows how they combine redneck ingenuity with engineering and physics to solve real-world problems. Travis Taylor, Charles “Daddy” Taylor, Michael “The Kid” Taylor, “Pistol Pete” Erbach, and Rog “The Sidekick” Jones will be in Decatur where they will launch a frozen turkey using the trebuchet they built for the “Hillbilly Armageddon New” episode that aired on Oct. 5.  Academy Sport + Outdoors located in Decatur was chosen by the general public to host the 2011 Rick and Bubba Turkey Toss from an online voting contest on the Rick and Bubba website in early October. The annual competition serves as a fundraiser for a local charity while determining who can throw a frozen turkey the farthest where $5K in Academy Sport + Outdoors gift cards are up for grabs. The nationally syndicated radio hosts of the Rick and Bubba Show will broadcast live providing a play by play action of the competition to their listeners from 6 to 10 a.m. in the parking lot of Academy Sports + Outdoors. 

One by one, contestants line up to see who can throw the frozen turkey the greatest distance. While the wildly popular contest determines who can throw the farthest, it also raises money and food for a local charity. Those interested in participating must donate a non-perishable food item or cash. Neighborhood Christian Center of Alabama will be on hand to accept donations.  The 2010 event took place in Montgomery where the winner in the male division threw a distance of 121 feet with the female winner taking honors at 76 feet. Divisions include men’s, women’s, military, kids (12 and under), and high heels (women only). Prizes, totaling $5K in Academy Sport + Outdoors gift cards, will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each division.

For more information please see www.RickandBubba.com.

Moundville named as setting for inaugural SELTI Writing Contest
Moundville, Ala. has been named the target promotional site for the Inaugural SELTI Writing Contest. The contest is co-sponsored by the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative (SELTI) and the University of Alabama Museums. The SELTI project was first introduced to the University of Alabama Museums through a statewide e-newsletter from the Alabama Tourism Department. The newsletter detailed a USA TODAY feature story on Miller’s work with interactive tourism novels.

The Inaugural SELTI Writing Contest is meant to showcase how public institutions can partner with private writers and publishers for mutual benefit, Miller said. Contestants will compete to write the short story that best promotes tourism to the historic Native American archaeological site. Moundville includes impressive mounds that served as the center of one of the largest Native American cities in North America 800 years ago. The site is also now home to a museum and park that recently completed a $5 million renovation, including an expansion of the indoor museum.  Interested contestants can view the official rules of the contest online at the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative at http://southeasternliterarytourisminitiative.blogspot.com/. Contestants can also start researching for a visit to Moundville at http://moundville.ua.edu/.

“I look forward to the increased exposure that the tourism fiction contest will bring to the Moundville site,” said Bill Bomar, Director of Moundville Archaeological Park. “Moundville is one of the nation’s premier archaeological sites, yet many outside of Alabama have never heard of it. This is such a creative way to make people aware of such an important part of our heritage.” The winning short story will be published online at the Southeastern Literary Tourism Initiative and will include photos of Moundville and a link to the museum’s website. The winner will likely get national publicity since this will be the first tourism fiction contest ever conducted. The global economic downturn has put increasing pressure on tourism attractions and cultural parks everywhere, many of which rely on shrinking government funding and private donations to stay afloat. Although Moundville has done well over the past few years, the tourism fiction contest could be a model for how many other cultural parks could gain exposure and extra funding.

“Tourism fiction is an innovative tool that can be used by any city or attraction in the world to engage potential tourists in an entirely new way,” said SELTI founder Patrick Miller, who also published the first interactive tourism novel on Kindle, “Blind Fate.” Miller’s novel was set in real tourism attractions of Montgomery, Alabama, such as the Rosa Parks Museum. The groundbreaking novel includes a tourism guide at the end where readers can click on links from inside the book and instantly browse the many related tourism websites. By downloading a Kindle app, readers can also purchase Kindle novels on a variety of other e-reading devices such as iPads, smart phones, tablet computers, and regular desktop and laptop computers. The new Kindle Fire will also allow readers to browse the tourism websites from the novel with touchscreen color.

The Group Travel Leader features video segments on golf in Alabama
Travel writer Mac Lacy was hosted by the Alabama Tourism Department in October on a golf press trip that took him across the state.  Video segments from Lacy’s trip are featured on The Group Travel Leader website at http://mediasuite.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=varzs66h&catid=31883. The video segments feature the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the Highland Park Course in Birmingham, and the FarmLinks Course in Sylacauga.

 

Burritt on the Mountain museum in Huntsville breaks ground on addition
From the article “Burritt on the Mountain museum breaks ground on $2.9M meeting hall” by Steve Doyle in The Huntsville Times:

Huntsville's Burritt on the Mountain museum is pressing ahead with a major expansion. Museum officials, elected leaders and other dignitaries recently gathered to break ground on the $2.9 million Baron Bluff meeting facility overlooking downtown. The building is named for Baron Services owner Bob Baron and his wife, Phyllis, the largest private donors to the project. The former TV news meteorologist used to live nearby on Monte Sano."This is starting a new chapter of growth for the Burritt story," CEO Leslie Ecklund said. "We think it's going to be a magical addition to what we do and enhance what we are already so good at."

Designed to evoke the long-vanished Monte Sano Hotel, the 10,000-square-foot building will be dominated by a large ballroom and massive stone fireplace. With a seating capacity of 336 people, including verandahs outside, the facility will allow Burritt to host larger conferences, conventions and educational programs. It will also be available for private weddings and parties. Rental income from the Baron Bluff facility will be used to build a replica of a 19th century schoolhouse in the museum's historic section. Ecklund said the museum owes its existence to the Monte Sano Hotel because that's where Dr. William Burritt met his second wife, Josephine Drummond. When Josephine died, Burritt used the inheritance to purchase 167 acres for his mountaintop estate. He later bequeathed the property to the city, which opened it as a museum in 1955.

For the complete article please see http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/11/burritt_on_the_mountain_museum.html.

Goat Hill Museum Store hosts open house and Alabama author book signing
The tenth annual holiday open house and Alabama author book signing at Montgomery’s Goat Hill Museum Store in Alabama’s State Capitol is Friday, Nov. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Goat Hill features a large variety of gifts made in and about Alabama.  In addition to Alabama books, food, gifts, souvenirs, and artist-made items, there will be a large selection of holiday ornaments, decorations, and gifts.  Meet Alabama fiber artist Diana Hiott on Friday as she demonstrates her techniques for making ornaments and folk dolls. 
 
The book signing event with Alabama authors is Friday, Nov. 18.

.  Noelle Matteson, The Freedom Rides and Alabama (11 am-1pm)
.  Wayne Flynt, Keeping the Faith-Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives (11am-2pm)
.  David Haynes, Motorcycling Alabama (10:30am-2pm)
.  Missy Mercer, Auburn University Cookbook (11am-2pm)
.  Browne Mercer, University of Alabama Cookbook (11am-2pm)
.  Carole King and Karren Pell, Montgomery, Then and Now (2pm-4pm)

Three limited-edition Alabama ornaments will also be unveiled on Friday: felted birds by Clanton artist Diana Hiott, knitted Christmas mice by Montgomery artist Paula Weiss, and hand-turned wood finials by Bud Rogers.  Other “made in Alabama” items include hand-quilted pinecones by the West Alabama Quilters Guild, cotton boll and okra angels, glass candy canes, and angel ornaments. Additionally, the Easter Seals of Montgomery and Central Alabama will be at the Capitol selling the 2011 Christmas ornament, W. A. Gayle Planetarium, and their new cookbook honoring 50 years of serving the local community.  Perfect for the holidays are Alabama food items including candies and jellies from Fairhope’s Punta Clara Kitchen; chocolate-covered nuts from The Nut Shop in Tuscaloosa; holiday candies from Priester’s Pecans; habanera and jalapeno jelly and hot sauce from Montgomery-based Las Hermanas; mulling spice and party food mixes from Raven’s Nest Specialties; Betsy’s cheese straws; wickedly good Wickles pickles and relishes; honey from the Bee Hive in Ramer; and the largest selection of Alabama cookbooks in town. 

On Saturday, free tours of the Capitol building are offered at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.  Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and no reservations are necessary. The Goat Hill Museum Store is located inside the historic Alabama State Capitol’s Union Street entrance.  Contact the museum store at (334) 353-4969 for more information. The museum store is managed by the Alabama Historical Commission, the state historic preservation office.  Store profits go towards continued efforts to preserve Alabama’s historic places. 

For more information on the Goat Hill Museum Store please see http://www.preserveala.org/goathill/index.html.
 

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Alabama Tourism Department

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