As we cruise into August, I know plenty of people who are doing all they can to squeeze in a little more vacation before the routine of school starts back again. So much of what we do at LuLu’s is about giving people the joy of that vacation feeling. I caught the bug for that feeling early on in my life when I came to the realization that I love tourists, and I love a tourist town!
Every year growing up, my parents would scrimp and save for their two weeks of vacation when we would rent a house on the bay or near the beach. One year, however, we went to the Sun ‘n Sand Hotel Court in Biloxi, Mississippi. The hotel had buildings on both sides of Highway 90, so they had a pedestrian overpass that grandly arched over the road. The pool had a plexiglass wall you could look through and see your parents drinking at the bar. They even had baby alligator races, which my brother loved but which scared me to death! Every day at five o’clock a dapper crooner would come out and walk around the pool singing songs like “Volare.” It was a strange and intoxicating wonderland.
Looking around at all the smiling people splashing, talking, and drinking, I asked my brother and sister, “Who are all these people?” “Tourists!” they said. Well I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I wanted to be a tourist and be around tourists and be part of that happy, buzzing atmosphere. Getting to live in places like Key West, New Orleans, and along the sugar sand beaches of the Gulf Coast, I have been able to do just that.
Locals can sometimes get crabby during the tourist season, but I don’t mind that everything gets busy and crowded. That energy only adds to the experience. Being on vacation gives people the gift and permission to let loose and play and enjoy all the pleasures of food, music, and friends and family, and this happy and fancy-free attitude is contagious. I love tourists, and I love a tourist town!
What’s your favorite place to be a tourist?
From the very first time I visited Key West in the early 70’s, I’ve been captivated by it’s nature and unique island style. Bright yellows, pinks, and turquoise blues reflect and radiate the natural beauty of sunrise, sunset, and tropical ocean. This has been my color palette of choice from the clothes that I wear to the decor of the multitude of homes and spaces I’ve inhabited along the way. Those hues have also been the colors of all the manifestations of the LuLu’s logos and menus and restaurant interiors over the years. I’ve always loved decor and art inspired by oyster shells, starfish, seahorses, and blue crabs, I think because even when I’m on land, I need to feel connected to the ocean. Give me a “drab” space and I will “LuLu-fy” it within hours with splashes of color and ocean treasures! I’m so happy to be in my Southernmost hometown today…soaking up the salty air and relishing the beauty, light, and colors of Key West. #islandtime #gonefishing #gumbolove
