Gulf Coast Blue Crab Claws in White Wine Butter

Coastal Blue Crab Claws in White Wine Butter

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith Folger Amon

I love simple coastal dishes that let the seafood speak. This is the sauté I order after a day on the water and the one I make at home when friends stop by. It’s fast, elegant, and perfect with warm bread for dipping.

Yield and Timing

• Serves: 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a light supper

• Time: 20 minutes, start to finish

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 small shallot, minced

• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper…

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Best Day Boats for Perdido Key, Florida (2025) | Gulf Coast

I wrote this the way I shop boats with clients: by how we actually use them here—running from Old River past the Flora-Bama, sliding into the anchorage at Fort McRee, hopping over to Pensacola Beach, or easing into a slip for dinner and a show at The Wharf in Orange Beach. On practice days, we idle just off the shoreline to watch the Blue Angels carve blue arcs across the sky. That’s the rhythm. These boats fit it.

Quick note on pricing: I’m listing 2025 MSRP or current dealer asking ranges where publicly available; exact numbers move with power, options, freight, and dealer adds.

Best Day Boats for Perdido Key (2025)

Best Value for Price — Sea Hunt Ultra 265 SE

Typical 2025 pricing: starts around $148,250 MSRP; many dealer listings run …

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Perdido Key Neighborhoods to Watch — Meredith Folger Amon

Top Neighborhoods to Watch in Perdido Key, Florida

I spend a lot of time moving between Orange Beach and Perdido Key, touring homes, walking docks, and studying how each neighborhood actually lives beyond the listing photos. When buyers ask me where to focus on the Key, I look for a balance of design, water access, and long-term livability. These are my top neighborhoods to watch right now.

Why these neighborhoods

I evaluate the Key the same way I advise buyers to do it: start with your daily rhythm, then layer in water access, design quality, and the quiet details that matter over time. Is boating part of your life, or is your perfect day a beach walk followed by an easy lunch run by boat or golf cart. Does a north-facing back porch…

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BEST DAY BOATS FOR ORANGE BEACH ADVENTURES: STYLE, POWER & COMFORT ON THE GULF

Best Day Boats for Orange Beach: Sandbars, Lunch Runs & Light Gulf Fishing | Search the Gulf

BEST DAY BOATS FOR ORANGE BEACH ADVENTURES: STYLE, POWER & COMFORT ON THE GULF

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith 

From Sandbars to Sunset Runs

There’s something about an Orange Beach Saturday that just calls you to the water. Some mornings we'll idle past the docks in Terry Cove, grab a breakfast sandwhich to go, and head straight toward Robinson Island where the sandbar fills with laughter and boats raft together in a relaxed rhythm that feels like home.

Lunch might be at Pirates Cove or Florabama, and if the water’s calm enough, I’ll push…

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Best Boats for Orange Beach Homeowners: Draft, Depth, and Design for Every Waterway

Best Boats for Orange Beach Homeowners: Draft, Depth & Design for Every Waterway | Search the Gulf

BEST BOATS FOR ORANGE BEACH HOMEOWNERS: DRAFT, DEPTH, AND DESIGN FOR EVERY WATERWAY

I measure my days in tides and light. In Orange Beach, Alabama, mornings begin with a gull’s laugh over Terry Cove and end with a golden hush sliding across Bayou St. John. Between those moments lies the joy of choice: drift toward Old River or idle through Cotton Bayou; chase a bluewater sunrise through Perdido Pass or anchor behind Robinson Island while the kids cannonball from the swim ladder. I’m a homeowner and real estate advisor here—and the question I’m asked most is simple: “What’s the perfect boat for my dock?”

The right answer lives…

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Designing the Modern Southern Coastal Home: Where Tradition Meets Innovation on the Gulf Coast

Designing the Modern Southern Coastal Home: Where Tradition Meets Innovation on the Gulf Coast

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith Folger Amon

When I walk through a newly built home on Ono Island or along the bays of Orange Beach, I can always tell when a builder has truly understood what it means to live on the Gulf Coast. It’s more than architecture — it’s the art of blending Southern heritage with modern craftsmanship. Our homes must be both beautiful and brave, built to welcome a salty breeze and withstand the strongest storm. That’s the balance of coastal living, and it’s what defines the modern Southern home today.

Preserving the…

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Best Boats for Ono Island Homeowners: Draft, Depth, and Design for Every Waterway

Best Boats for Ono Island Homeowners: Draft, Depth, and Design for Every Waterway

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith Folger Amon.

On Ono Island, boating isn’t just a pastime—it’s woven into the rhythm of daily life. Morning tides guide coffee on the dock, and evening breezes decide which way you’ll drift toward Bayou St. John or Old River. As a homeowner and real estate advisor on this private island, I’m often asked the same question: “What’s the perfect boat for my dock?” The answer depends on your water depth, your lift capacity, and your lifestyle on the Gulf Coast.

Matching Draft and Depth to Ono Island’s Waterways

Ono Island offers a…

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Boating Paradise on Ono Island: A Local’s Guide to Waterfront Living and Deep-Water Access | Meredith Folger Amon, Gulf Coast Real Estate Advisor

Boating Paradise on Ono Island: A Local’s Guide

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith Folger Amon.

Island Living with Southern Charm

Hello — I’m Meredith Folger, a proud Ono Island homeowner, boater, and Gulf Coast real estate advisor. Nestled where Alabama meets Florida, Ono Island stretches five and a half miles along the mouth of Perdido Bay, surrounded by sparkling waters that define life here. Legend has it, the island’s name came when Alabama officials once told Florida, “Oh no you don’t!” during a boundary dispute — a touch of Southern sass that still lives in our tight-knit island community today.

Gated, guarded, and gracious, Ono Island…

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Southern Roots, Gulf Coast Dreams: Living and Investing Along the Alabama and Florida Coast

Southern Roots, Gulf Coast Dreams: Living and Investing Along the Alabama and Florida Coast

By Meredith Folger Amon — Licensed in Alabama and Florida
Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience. Search the Gulf with Meredith Folger Amon.

Some places feel like they were always meant to be home. For me, the Gulf Coast is one of those places — a rare stretch of Southern shoreline where heritage still shapes the horizon. From the moss-draped oaks of Lillian to the sugar-white sands of Ono Island and the vibrant waterways around Perdido Key, this coast carries the soul of the South in every tide and breeze. It’s a region defined by family gatherings that spill onto screened porches, shrimp boils under the stars, and a hospitality so genuine it…

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Ono Island Navigation & Boating Atlas

Complete Nautical Navigation Guide for Ono Island Boaters

I’m Meredith Amon, an Ono Island homeowner and coastal navigator, and I’ve learned that exploring our Alabama–Florida Gulf Coast waters is equal parts art and science. From the calm back bays behind Ono Island to the swift currents of Perdido Pass, safe and elegant boating here means understanding the tides, the channels, and the character of each waterway. Join me on a detailed tour of local depths, routes, and tips – consider it your personal nautical guide to enjoying these beautiful waters with confidence.

Average Water Depths by Waterway (Feet & Meters)

Water depths around Ono Island can vary from deep channels to shallow coves. In Bayou St. John (the broad bay on the north side…

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