The loud crack of an oyster
shell fills the room, just one of thousands joining the pile of emptied
shells on the line. The fresh meat, transferred within minutes,
is rinsed off and quickly
cooled. This entire process is done mostly by hand, by local hands that
have done it for years.
This may sound like a blast
from the past, but in a time where much is done by machine, the Bayou La
Batre seafood industry remains largely untouched by the mechanical
revolution.
Boats line much of this
water-filled town, many with colorful names like "Ursula" and
"Innovation". These same ships collect the oysters, shrimp, and crab
that stock seafood companies
like Dominik's and Junior
Barbour's Seafood every day. Perhaps this "kept locally" attitude is
what make many decide that this small town has the biggest and best
taste when it comes
to seafood in all of Alabama.
The Bayou is not only home
to many of Alabama's top seafood industries, the town's residents also
have a sweet tooth. Sugar Rush, a locally owned bakery, churns out some
of the best
doughnuts this
always-indulging sugar fiend has ever tasted. Maple Bacon, Glazed, and
jelly-filled doughnuts are just a small taste of what this quickly
expanding bakery has to offer.
Not to be overshadowed by
the amazing eats, the beauty of this hidden gem takes one's breath away.
Local birds fly by large, hulking steel masses. Dotting the coastline
are ships sunk
hull-deep in the brine of the
Gulf, providing an eerie look into days gone by. Warm, temperate breezes
lend the perfect atmosphere for a day on the Pontoon boat with both
family and friends.
Despite it's amazing food
and gorgeous views, however, this town is ghost like in many of the
summer months. During this season the colorful boats tug out for months
at a time,
taking with them much of the
local population. The only people left to enjoy the quiet life are often
the workers cracking oyster shells day after day, as well as the birds
themselves.
So, why not this summer make
the bayou by them the bayou by you? This mobillian thinks you'll walk
away with more than the hearty smell of fresh cooked seafood on your
clothes.
This mobillian thinks you'll walk away with more than the hearty smell of fresh cooked seafood on your clothes.
- 14 year old resident, Author