A German tourist known online as Freddy, traveling the South with two friends on a tour of college football games, was given the key to the city of Fairhope, Alabama, after the trio returned to what they call their favorite place in America.
Freddy and his friends first discovered Fairhope, a town on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay in Baldwin County, during a visit tied to the World Cup. They only had one evening there at the time. This week they came back for a longer stay, arriving Sunday after attending Saturday’s Auburn football game, where they got their first taste of the Tiger Walk, met the cheerleaders, and where Freddy took his first-ever horseback ride.
On Monday, the group toured Fairhope and took in the daily Civil War replica cannon firing at the Grand Hotel on the edge of Mobile Bay, a tradition local residents told them honors U.S. military members, veterans and the area’s history. They also stopped at Bucky’s Lounge inside the Grand Hotel, where a statue honors longtime hospitality ambassador Aura J. “Bucky” Miller.
Freddy described the town’s atmosphere as unlike anywhere else he had visited, pointing to flower-lined streets and relaxing music piped into the downtown area.
I don’t know how to describe it but something about Fairhope feels so calm and peaceful. Every street is decorated with flowers, they’re playing relaxing music over speakers in downtown. If I ever become rich, I’ll move here and retire.
During their evening out, the group met a mix of Alabama and Auburn fans who tried to talk them into making the trip to Tuscaloosa for a game, giving Freddy an unofficial crash course in one of the country’s fiercest college football rivalries.
The visit made enough of an impression that Fairhope’s mayor met with the group and presented them with the key to the city.
We’re staying another day in Fairhope because we just don’t want to leave this place. We just got to meet the mayor and were presented with the key to the city (WTF). Such an honor and it means so much considering how much we love this place.
Before leaving, the friends took a boat out with locals to watch the sunset over the bay, capping what they called a great final evening in town. Freddy also looked into local real estate, and said he was surprised that some Fairhope homes carry price tags comparable to a one-bedroom apartment back home in Germany.
Fairhope really feels like the American Dream. We looked at some real estate here and were actually surprised by the prices. The town looks pretty fancy, but some of these houses cost about the same as a one-bedroom apartment in our hometown.
The group is continuing its tour of Southern college football towns, with Freddy having already floated the idea of one day retiring in Fairhope.
