This week, Eye on Travel  broadcasts from the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama. In our continuing series of conversations with travel industry CEOs, we’ll be joined by David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue and Co-owner of TAP Portugal, on the current state of the industry, and how the JetBlue philosophy broke the mold in terms of how you envision and then build an airline. Legendary Forrest Gump Author Winston Groom drops by the resort to elaborate on his love of the South and the real story of how Forrest came to be. And Tracey Minkin, Travel Editor for Coastal Living, with her report on the Grand Hotel and what makes it one of the most special properties in the South. There’s all of this and more when Eye on Travel  broadcasts from the historic Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama. 

Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa

David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue and Co-owner of TAP Portugal, details the growth of JetBlue and how flying a different model of plane has set it apart. Unlike other low-cost carriers, it went with the A320s instead of the traditional 737s. Once it entered into this market with the larger plane, it set a new standard for low-cost carriers. Then, he talks about starting Azul. Like with JetBlue, he saw a need and opportunity for a low-cost carrier to markets that didn’t have one.

Tracey Minkin, Travel Editor for Coastal Living, talks about Southern cuisine and the food renaissance of the South. She also explains why she thinks the Grand Hotel is under the radar. For her, the best part of the property is being among the live oaks. The trees are 100-200 years old and survive a lot. There is a legacy in the Gulf that encompasses a wide array of heritages including that of the French and Spanish. In the South, and especially near Mobile, Alabama, there is a sense of community. People love to tell their stories and then tease your story out of you as a way of connecting.

Susan Stein, Grand Hotel Historian, explores the history of the area and the hotel. Mobile Bay goes back to the 1500s when it was first explored by the Spanish. She also shares the history of the hotel. Did you know that the hotel was turned into a hospital during the Civil War? She’ll further discuss how the Confederacy lost the Battle of Mobile Bay and the South lost its last port. Plus, you’ll learn how Operation Ivory Soap got its name.

Steve Joynt, Editor of Mobile Mask magazine, speaks about how there’s an appetite for Mardi Gras all year round in the area. Carnival season starts on the twelfth night of January and then goes to Fat Tuesday. Parading starts about a month before Fat Tuesday. New Orleans might be about beads, but Mobile is about moon pie. A moon pie is two soft cookies with marshmallow in between, covered in chocolate. People on the parade route expect people to “throw” moon pies into the crowd. And yet, there’s no limit to the items that are thrown every year. Items like ramen noodles and Conecuh sausage now make their way into the throwing festivities.

Niall Fraser, Director of Golf at the Lakewood Club, describes how back in 1990, the club had a vision of how to stop people from driving through Alabama to golf in Florida. Creating the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, of which the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa is a member, has helped Alabama promote tourism and real estate. The resort boasts two 18-hole golf courses, which have received many noteworthy national competitions. The United States Golf Association only hosts 14 events a year. This year, it was on its roster. He then dives into the fastest growing segment in the sport, women’s golf. Unfortunately, it’s the 25-45 age range that has trouble drawing into the game. Part of the problem is how long golf takes.

Michelle Matthews, Lifestyle Writer for al.com/ , shares the changes she’s seen in the Mobile area in the past 25 years. One big change and challenge has been an increase in traffic. She details trying to get to the Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach from Mobile during rush hour and it taking close to twice as long as what it used to. She talks about the locals’ feelings towards the Grand Hotel.  There has been a hotel on the property for over 170 years, making it an institution in the area. The Grand Hotel has always been known in the area, but locals have not always felt that they could have access to it. A lot of people were intimidated by the gate. The hotel has worked with the community to break this perception. She then speaks about the Grand Hotel aspects that she appreciates the most. It has renovated the rooms building by building. The inside is the best of both worlds — everything is brand new but also old and welcoming. Every time she comes to the property for work, she says that it feels like a mini-vacation.

Winston Groom, Author of Forrest Gump, assures us that Forrest Gump was not a real person. His father was born in 1906 and would tell stories about growing up. There was one kid that was similar to Forrest who lived on their block. He also saw a special about Savant Syndrome, the condition where someone with severe mental disabilities displays more than average abilities in an area. Forrest was born partially from both of these stories and many more people he has met in life as opposed to one specific person. It is a very character-driven book. He liked the character so much that he wanted to find out what he did next. He didn’t really plan out the book, but he would sit and write. For Groom, it has been the most gratifying to hear how many lives he has touched through his writing.

Lee Roy Jordan, Former University of Alabama Football Player and Legendary Linebacker with the Dallas Cowboys from 1963-1976, speaks about his rise to the NFL and how being an early recruit from Coach Bryant to the University of Alabama was a large part of his success. He ended up having a 14-year-run with the Dallas Cowboys, but his football career had some major hurdles. He punctured a kidney his first year, and he broke his foot in his second. He took it all in stride though! After his first two years, he didn’t have any injuries. He also talks about growing up –about 70 miles northeast of Point Clear, Alabama– on the farm. He loves Alabama and feels Point Clear is a really special place. He feels grateful to live in an area with his friends and his boat that can go out on the bay any time he wants.