Click here to view the embedded video.

Anchor Bay Marina is close to my office and our family cabin, so I often find myself there.  A couple of weeks ago, (I think it was the end of September), I was there on a weekday.  We were going out on the boat to do a little filming of some neighborhoods from the water when  I started having trouble with the starter on my boat.  Yikes.

Since we had to be back to town to pick up the kids from school, I didn’t want to risk it.  Solution –> rent a boat from Anchor Bay!  They already had one gassed up and ready to go.  It cost me no down time, and was so convenient that I shot the above video out of pure gratitude.

Another thing that makes Anchor Bay unique is that  Harbor Docks Restaurant is tucked away in the back.  Drive up by car or by boat, and enjoy a casual menu (pizza, fried seafood) either outdoors or in the air conditioning.  It’s kid friendly, and they’ve been known to have live music on the outside deck.

This year’s Indian Summer afforded us several Sundays in a row after Labor Day where we went for boat rides.  We made a habit of hitting Harbor Docks for supper, on the way back home. Not having to fix food and clean up = Mommy likee.

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They opened earlier this summer, so my “new” description might not be all that accurate.  Sorry, but it has been a (blessedly) busy buyer summer and I am just now getting time to upload all of these video and photos.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nick’s menu ranges all over the BBQ spectrum.  They offer brisket, chicken, and turkey dishes, though the focus seems to be more on pork.  At least when I have been there I have had mostly the pork dishes. I have had the BBQ turkey sandwich, the BBQ pork sandwich, and, while they were good, they weren’t my favorite. My favorite thing I have eaten at Nick’s so far are the BBQ potato skins.  I don’t see them on the online menu I linked above, but trust me, they are awesome. I had the pork ones, and liberally applied their Carolina and Alabama sauces. Yum.

As of yet I haven’t tried any of their non Q items like steak or burgers or shrimp, but I have heard good reports from other folks.

Ambiance

Waterfront.  Need I say more?  No, but I will. You can dine alfresco – in riva al lago. If you don’t like that, I have concerns about your salvation. Inside is nice, too. They have plenty of room, nice tables, and a nice bar area. I would say that it’s a little more upscale feeling than nearby Oskar’s and Niffer’s.

Location

One of the many cool things about Lake Martin is the fact that we have many waterfront restaurants like Sinclair’s at Kowaliga, Chucks, and Harbor Docks Anchor Bay. Uncle Nick’s Smokehouse now joins that group.  If you’ve never tried it, you should.  There is something about arriving by boat that makes the food better, the sweet tea sweeter.  If you are going to Nick’s by boat, please note that they are located on the east side of the Blue Creek Bridge, aka the Highway 49 Bridge.

Blue Creek Bridge is kind of low, so take care to note if your boat will make it under.  At full summer pool of 490, you definitely will not make it under the bridge in boats like sport cruisers, fixed roof pontoon boats, T top fishing boats, or ski boats with fixed wakeboard towers.  If you have a smaller boat with a droppable bimini top, or if it’s less than full pool, you might be OK.  Just check it out beforehand and be careful.

If you are coming by car, no worries. It is the latest proof that the Blue Creek area of Lake Martin is becoming known for its restaurants.

Uncle Nick’s Strengths

Uncle Nick’s Smokehouse has several strengths which I think will give it staying power. Forget good food and a great waterfront location, although it has both. Other restaurants in this same location have had both, and not lasted.

I have been impressed by Nick’s management. They are professional. They are serious. They know what they are doing. Here are some examples:

Social Media – they have embraced social media marketing. For the last couple of years I have tried my best to help local businesses understand and take advantage of social media marketing. Nick’s gets it.

I see Nick’s reaching out and interacting with the Lake Martin community on Twitter and Facebook. I see they have started a blog. They are not waiting for you to walk in the door. They are reaching out to meet their potential customers on the web. I like it.

Synergy – This word is a tired MBA cliche. But Nick’s is living it by working with their sister company, Creekside Lodge and Conference Center.  They share a parking lot, and cross promote each other very well.  Indeed, I had some buyers in town from Florida last month and I recommended Creekside to them. They stayed there and ended up eating a couple of meals at Nick’s because it was such a short walk.  They enjoyed their entire Lake Martin experience and they recommend both.

We at Lake Martin Voice Realty welcome Uncle Nick’s Smokehouse to Lake Martin and look forward to many more delicious meals there!

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Large Times is located at 35 Kowaliga Road (aka Highway 63) in downtown Eclectic.  For those of you who don’t know where downtown Eclectic is, it’s about 10 miles south of the Kowaliga Bridge (which is also highway 63).

Click here to view the embedded video.

A couple of weeks ago, I filmed this video of Owner / Chef Mark Moody at his new location.  We welcome him to the Lake Martin area, and are really excited that we now have a restaurant that is specializing in creole and cajun food.

I went there with fellow Lake Martin Voice Realty agent John Christenberry, who is pretty able at the ladle himself.  We had the beans and rice, and John, has been known to stir his roux for hours, gave it a thumbs up.

Large Times is set up for lunch right now.  Mr. Moody will have a couple dishes like gumbo or shrimp etouffee made, plus red beans and rice, and you can choose which you want of the three.  It was really good and also fast since they serve you up as soon as you order.  Click here for Large Times’ menu.

Mark told us that they also do a lot of take out business for people headed to Lake Martin. They can call ahead and order whatever they want by the quart.  Large Times fixes it up, with side items like bread, and people swing by there and grab it on the way to the lake. I think it’s a great idea to serve on Friday night so you don’t have to cook right out of the gate.  Or, you can keep it over and it would make a great Saturday lunch.  Either way, you’re a winner.

We would like to welcome Large Times to the Lake Martin restaurant scene and wish them all the best. If you are visiting the lake and want to mix in some Cajun and Creole cuisine to your palette, we highly recommend them.

To contact Large Times, see:

Large Times Website

Their phone: 334-782-3512

Social Media:

Large Times on Facebook

Large Times on Twitter

Large Times on Yelp

Large Times on Urban Spoon

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That doesn’t mean the Lake Martin area isn’t hip.

If you’re into the farm-to-table movement, for example, you’re in the right place.  I’ve been doing a series on local farms and farmer’s markets: once you start looking, they’re all over the lake area.  If you’re worried about leaving behind your Whole Foods ,or Earthfare or your produce co-op to come to the lake, this is as organic as it gets.

Enter Tony Goss and his bees.  Our family got into buying local honey this spring; there are some health benefits, but mainly I just think bees are cool.  I learned about Tony on the LakeMartin.com Forum, and he agreed to meet me and show me his hives.  He sells his honey, but that’s not really his main goal.  He does it because he enjoys it and likes to educate other lake folk about benefits of bees.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more sources of local honey, check out Oakview Farms in Wetumpka, MainStreet Farmer’s Market or Longleaf Antique Mall in Alexander City, or call Tony at 256 749 3355.  I use Yelp to geolocate and review these spots, and you can use it to enter ones you’ve found, too!

If you don’t know, it’s my job to let you know how cool Lake Martin is.  If you do know, chime in and share fun places you’ve discovered!

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This event is always a good time and one of the Lake Martin area’s biggest parties. In fact, it is one of the few remaining music festivals of its size in the southeast that is still FREE.

It’s also family friendly, and both locations will have food vendors and t-shirt sales.  Bring your coolers, drinks, blankets and folding chairs, and settle in for 2 nights of great music.

Here’s the lineup for both nights:

Friday, June 10: Strand Park, Downtown Alex City

6:00 pm              Davin McCoy and the Coming Attractions

7:30 pm              Deep Fried Five

9:00 pm              Wet Willie

Saturday, June 11: Lake Martin Amphitheater

6:30 pm              Yonrico Scott Band

8:00 pm             Randall Bramblett with Geof Achison

9:45  pm              JJ Grey and MOFRO

For more information, click on the following links:  Alex City Jazz Fest 2011,   Lake Martin Amphitheater

Here’s a video of the Lake Martin Amphitheater if you are unfamiliar with it.  I shot it last summer, but the tips and directions I give still apply today:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Parker Creek Marina is located on the far north west side of Lake Martin, and is operated by Singleton Marine Group.  The owners of Parker Creek Marina also own Blue Creek Marina on the Dadeville (east) side of the lake.

Parker Creek Marina has a gas dock, dry boat storage, ship’s store, and a service facility.

If you’re looking to buy a waterfront home, that means you probably want a boat.  And if you have a boat, you probably need some gas.  When showing Lake Martin homes, I often get these questions, “Where is the nearest marina?” ” How do you get there by land?” and “How do you get there by water?” If you’re looking at the Parker Creek area, then take a look at what Parker Creek Marina has to offer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video tours of other marinas on Lake Martin:

Pizza at Chuck’s Marina on Lake Martin

Real Island Marina on Lake Martin

Kowaliga Marina on Lake Martin

The Ridge Marina Boat Show

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This post started out as a documentation of Heather restoring my friend’s 1971 SeaRay 190.  But I soon came to realize she is much more than a fiberglass boat repair shop:  Heather Babecki is a Lake Martin treasure.  A walking, talking anomaly.  Not only does she repair fiberglass on boats, but she loves them back to better-than-original condition.  She polishes chrome, restores brass, custom designs and cuts a teak platform, all in the name of resurrecting a boat full of memories.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Heather is the only person I know who can explain the intricacies of gel-coat repair, its history, and chemical structure, while making references to German philosophers (Occam’s Razor), obscure Cuban chess champions, all as she keeps an eye on the mules and roosters that graze in her yard.  We procrastinators of boat repair no longer have an excuse to let the once-glorious boats of our youth disintegrate into a mushy pile of fiberglass.  Heather can build it back better than it was before (e.g. she replaces wood with fiberglass beams), and she does it with an artist’s eye.

Visitors to her shop should not expect a shiny, gleaming, corporate super-structure.  Rather, know that her country-bohemian lifestyle affords her the free, creative mind she needs to work her magic.
Far from an ethereal, superfluous approach to boat building, she is also extremely practical.  She will be the one scraping her knuckles when sanding or will have her head inches away from your boat when painting, just to make sure it’s perfect.  She has a few talented helpers, but mostly she does it all by herself.  Her prices are very reasonable – some would say dirt cheap.  This “thing of (hers)” is not just a way to get extra beer money;  she plows the proceeds she has after costs into newer and better equipment.  Show me an artist who gets excited about a new paint sprayer and I will show you someone who loves her art more than herself.

Right now I’m talking to you, reader, who has that old fiberglass ski boat from the 60’s, 70′s, or even 80’s that’s sitting on a trailer with 2 flat tires, grass growing up in the axles – and you try to forget about it.  You used to tear around in that boat in days that you would say were “The Good Old Days.” But now it has water in it, or the transom has rotted, or it has a big hole in the side of it because your brother-in-law backed it into the wall.  There’s no excuse.  For a pittance, she can make it whole again, and you will have a bit of your youth back.  Yes, you might have another boat now, but ….. there are boats, and then there are Boats.

Call Heather at Spookeay Marine on Lake Martin, and I would bet that for the price of one ticket to the Iron Bowl, you could have your running buddy back.

For more of Heather’s boat restoration videos on YouTube, click here.

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Kowaliga Marina has a huge boat showroom, boating and skiing gear,  gas docks, plus wet and dry boat storage.  Check out their facilities in the video below.  Enjoy the tour!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The website for Chuck’s Marina on Lake Martin says it best, so let me quote:

“The Marina beckons boaters like a Key West dream, with brightly colored buildings ranging from deep turquoise to lime green.  It’s a perfect place to dock and enjoy the lake view.”

(The restaurant also serves a great pizza!)

If you haven’t been to Chuck’s yet, it’s a must-do on your next Lake Martin adventure!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The funny thing is, this really isn’t Chimney Rock . . .

Daredevils of all ages are actually hurling themselves off of Acapulco Rock.  Check out the video and let me show you:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Regardless of what we call it, the Chimney Rock area is always a fun place to be!

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