http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

Exprience New Orleans Here:

http://www.experienceneworleans.com/

IS ON
for Saturday, February 13th

check it out here http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/211086/8bf6ff364d/474750/b244faf133/

The Mavericks Surf Contest 2010 is a go this weekend with the surfing contest kicking off this Saturday February 13 at 8:00am. A northwest swell is approaching meaning that big waves will be out in full force for the surfing contest this weekend.   The Mavericks Surf Contest will take place at Half Moon Bay, located in San Mateo County, California.

Mavericks have been promoting the surfing contest via their Twitter account, @Mavericks_Surf, detailing the upcoming weekend’s events including a live webcast from Half Moon Bay.   The Mavericks webcast is set to begin at 7:05am on Saturday with an encore presentation later on featuring  ”the very best of Mavericks.”

More from Professor Beach at Half Moon Bay Blog

Click for more information on Farm Neck Golf Club

Day 2 of the Obama vacation. Courtesy of http://blogaboutobama-thefamily.blogspot.com/

The President played golf again today. This time it was at Mink Meadows in Vineyard Haven. The First Golfer played 9 holes at Mink Meadows. He will be happy to know the residents who live on the course were counting his strokes.

Click for more information about Mink Meadows Golf Club

My friend, Deon Thomas is a Chef in Oak Bluffs.  Deon has cooked for the Clintons and several other politicians and celebrities on Martha’s Vineyard.  I hope he cooks a dinner for Pres Obama and his family.

I met Deon at the Ku Resort in Anguilla.    He invited me to visit him in Oaks Bluffs – visit my post from June when I spent a weekend in Martha’s Vineyard.  http://professorbeach.com/2009/06/what-a-weekend-in-marthas-vineyard/

For more information about Montauk, please visit Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns.

Click here for more Mountauk photos.

Living in the Fingerlakes Region (grape country) of New York, I’ve often wondered if there were grape vines in Martha’s Vineyard?   Martha’s Vineyard is an island off the coast of Massachusetts.  I took the one hour fast ferry from New Bedford, Massachusetts direct to Oak Bluffs in Martha’s Vineyard and walked from the ferry dock to my hotel.  I spent the weekend exploring the entire island.  I was searching for grape vines but found much more…

Because of my love for history, I had to visit the Flying Horses Carousel

Flying Horses Carousel

The Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs is the oldest operating platform carousel in America. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark.

What are people saying about Oak Bluffs on Twitter?

Oaks Bluffs Cottage Campground Historic District – Dates back to the 1800′s

Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association

The founders of the MVCMA were Methodists, and the original bylaws of the Association stipulated that all members of the Board of Directors had to be members of a Methodist church.   However, the MVCMA has always been an autonomous organization and was never formally affiliated with the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church.   Historical records document the participation of many non-Methodists at the early campmeetings, both in the congregation and in the pulpit.

The founders of the MVCMA were Methodists, and the original bylaws of the Association stipulated that all members of the Board of Directors had to be members of a Methodist church.   However, the MVCMA has always been an autonomous organization and was never formally affiliated with the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church.   Historical records document the participation of many non-Methodists at the early campmeetings, both in the congregation and in the pulpit.

Over time the MVCMA has become increasingly interdenominational, and the current members of the Board of Directors are affiliated with a wide variety of Christian groups.   The religious services and special programs of the Association all have a strong ecumenical spirit.

Today the Campground is a community of summer residents and a smaller number of year-round residents who value the intimacy created by the crowding of cottages on small tent lots.   Many of the cottages have been owned by the same families for generations.   The residents of the Campground have a keen appreciation for the special traditions of which they are a part.

I couldn’t leave without a picture of the beach.  It was a cloudy day and the beach was pretty much empty.  The temperature was only in the 60′s when I was there… typically when I visit a beachtown, the weather is gorgeous but every one in a while Mother Nature sends a cold front through.  Maybe it’s to remind us to be thankful for the nice sunny days that we have.

Oak Bluffs Public Beach

By the way, I never did see any Grapes or Vineyards – someday I’ll find out why this island was named Martha’s Vineyard.  One thing I do know, is that I had a great weekend and looking forward to my next visit!

Make sure to visit Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns Website for more information about  Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.

Each winter, during a waiting period typically set for sometime between December and March– when conditions are just right and giant swells roll in from far across the Pacific–The Mavericks Surf Contest comes to Half Moon Bay. On the call of Contest Director Jeff Clark, 24 of the worlds best big wave surfers will gather together to test themselves against the bone-chilling cold, ever-present dangers, and giant waves of Mavericks. Mother Nature’s unexpected slumber in 2007, The Mavericks Surf Contest returned at full force last winter, and lived up to expectations – sunny skies and the giant, unpredictable waves that are synonymous with Mavericks. Now, as winter again descends on the West Coast of California, we turn our attention back to the anticipation game.

Mark is an internet entrepreneur and author.  I have know Mark since 2004.

We met at an Internet seminar in Detroit and became fast friends.  We even toured Haiti with our buddy Frank McKinney back in 2007.

Mark Evans and Douglas Doebler at Marks Front Door in September 2008.

Kids and adults both will love the Alabama Coastal Zoo which features more then 250 animals, reptiles and birds.  Every year there is a Shrimp festival in October that features entertainment, fine arts, arts & crafts and of course, the main event, shrimp!  For a little bit of history visit the Bellingrath Gardens which consists of gardens and a mansion located on the Fowl River in nearby Theodore, a suburb of Mobile, Alabama.

If you are a war buff & interested in history & the Civil War or the Revolutionary War, you might want to visit Fort Morgan.   This fort is at the mouth of Mobile Bay.  Some regard it as “one of the finest examples of military architecture in the New World”  The fort was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan.  The fort is maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission.

Other fun activities include fishing, water sports, hiking, biking and bird watching.  Golf at one of the 9 local golf courses which include a 4 star rated course and a course designed by Arnold Palmer.

Check out these links for good info if you are planning a trip to Gulf Shores or Mobile Alabama.

National Shrimp Fest

Click here for more information from Professor Beach regarding Gulf Shores, Alabama

Click here for more information from Professor Beach regarding Gulf Shores, Alabama

Click here to visit The Worlds Best Beachtowns website for more information from Professor Beach regarding Gulf Shores, Alabama