Taste of Oxford

Happens tonight. We'll be there looking super-fly (as usual) and ready to mingle. Please do come say hello and shake our hands. This is what we look like:

Steve and Amber. (They probably won't be sporting these Simms jackets at the event, just in case you were looking to spot them by their awesome outerware.)

Stokes and Lauren.

Valentine's Day Gift Idea

Since every blog always offers a nice round-up of VD gifts, we thought we would do the same. Don't have anything for that special lady in your life yet? Do you dread spending $100 to send a dozen cliched red roses? Do you have standards? Do you also love giving gifts that you can enjoy as well? Do you hate kids being sick? Then you'll LOVE the following suggestion!

This year, give the gift of two tickets to the Taste of Oxford. Yes, this is officially me trying to sell you on this. Yes, that can be hugely annoying. But YES you can make a difference, be a saint, and get off relatively cheaply (considering those dang $100 roses and the accompanying $50+ meal you'll have) this Valentine's Day. Also, the best way to get some extra special Valentine's Day loving is by helping sick children. Everyone can be a winner this Valentine's Day!

If you opt not to do this (fabulously original and absolutely perfect) suggestion, we totally understand.

However . . . .

Remember that the following COULD happen to you, depending on your spouse. Just sayin' . .

Courtesy of 1-800-flowers.com "EXCLUSIVE Unleash smiles with our original and fun a-DOG-able® floral creation. Hand-designed in a handsome, reusable handled basket with carnations, assorted poms, asters and more, it's perfect for dog lovers, pet parents, or a unique gift to get you out of the doghouse."

This post is NOT sponsored by 1-800-flowers. In fact we can not endorse them in the least. But man, does this bouquet say so much. Don't let this bouquet be in your future. Please, if you have no ideas, take your Love to the Taste of Oxford. You'd be doing so much good and helping so many, including yourself. Thank you for your time.



Wednesday, February 20, 2013
7 p.m.
120 South 11th St.
The Library Bar and Grill
Oxford, MS 38655Join us on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, for the 6th annual Taste of Oxford presented by Head to Head Radio. Peter Costa will be the honorary host of this event to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Enjoy the local cuisine of different Oxford restaurants as well as music from Dr. Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster, dancing and silent and live auctions by master of ceremonies and auctioneer Richard Cross. Food will be provided by Irie on The Square, My Michelle’s, Old Venice Pizza Co., St. Jude Chef Miles McMath, Two Stick Sushi, Woodson Ridge Farms, McEwen's and more. Be part of this event and help St. Jude in its mission to find cures and save children.
Cocktail attire is recommended.

Ticket information

Individual ticket ~ $60
Purchase tickets.
The tax-deductible portion of your donation is to be determined post-event.

Sponsorship information

A 6 p.m. VIP admission will be available for sponsors.
View a list of sponsorship opportunities.
Become a sponsor online.
Sponsored by: Head to Head Radio, The Library Bar & Grill, Karen and David Blackburn, Randal Commercial Group and Magnum Entertainment

For more information, please contact: Lisa Heros
(901) 373-5051
lisa.heros@stjude.org.

February 12, 2013 Clarion-Ledger

Courtesy of Glen Davis of the the Clarion-Ledger we got some early Valentine's Day love.

Check out his blog here: http://blogs.clarionledger.com/gdavis/

Thank you so much Glen Davis for your flattering and spot-on article! We couldn't have said it better if we had written it ourselves!

Mississippi Based Owners of Alaskan Unalakleet Lodge to give Presentation

Posted on February 12, 2013

by Glen Davis

On March 28, 6:00 PM at the Bass Pro in Pearl, the owner/operators of Unalakleet Lodge in Alaska will be on hand to provide information about their lodge and Alaskan fishing to the Magnolia Fly Fishers.  This is a special meeting of the fly fishing club and the public is invited to attend.  The presentation will be in the 2nd floor conference room behind the shoe department, there is no charge. The Unalakleet River Lodge was started in 1998 by Jeff and Sal Appel. A pilot by trade and a sportsman at heart Jeff had always wanted a fishing lodge in the remote wilderness of Alaska. His search for the perfect lodge began in 1995 traveling to dozens of lodges all over the enormous state of Alaska. From plywood shacks to broken down tent camps nothing fit the Appel’s ideals. They knew they wanted a classic log structure, they knew they wanted to be far from the congested fishing rivers found near the road system in the southern part of the state, they knew they didn’t want to be encumbered by a fly out operation limiting their guests on river fishing time, they knew what they wanted and were not going to compromise on their desires. Two years after their search began the Appels’ heard about an opportunity upriver of the Norton Sound village of Unalakleet. So, in January of 1997 Jeff packed up and headed to the tundra of Northwestern Alaska. After a snowmobile ride tracing the Iditarod trail into the interior; there it was, A spruce log lodge nestled onto a bluff overlooking the Unalakleet river and the surrounding Nulato hills. Sal says that she was taken “kicking and screaming” in the spring of that year to the remote location but upon her first glance she knew it was everything and more that they had hoped for. They started that summer with a few guests, mostly friends, and vowed to make the Unalakleet River Lodge a go-to destination for Alaskan salmon fishing. Every year since 1998 the lodge and its grounds have been improved. The Unalakleet River Lodge now boasts; 24 hour electricity supplied by two 55Kw generators, An exemplary water and waste filtration system, A fleet of aluminum G3 fishing boats powered by 40hp Yamaha Jet drives renewed yearly, 8 guest cabins with private bathrooms dressed in Ralph Lauren linens, Hill-Hiker rail tram to lift guests from riverside up to the Lodge, A complete commercial grade kitchen, Fish cleaning station with dedicated freezer, Stone fireplace bar and lounge area with plush leather sofas decorated with native artifacts and various mounts from the Unalakleet and Norton Sound, A large wooden deck and boardwalk surrounding the lodge and its grounds, A fully outfitted tackle shop with Lamiglass and Sage rods, and most importantly – An experienced staff that returns every season to share a love for the Unalakleet to their guests. In 2005 The Appels’ son Steven moved to Oxford to attend Ole Miss. Jeff and Sal visited and decided to make north Mississippi their home away from the Unalakleet River. In 2006 Steve Appel opened a fish shop in Oxford hoping to share his knowledge of quality Alaskan fish with the restaurants and people there. While running the shop Steve made friends with a local chef by the name of John Stokes. Stokes was an avid fisherman and dreamt of visiting the Unalakleet River Lodge. In the spring of 2008 Jeff, Sal, and Steve offered Stokes the position of chef at the lodge. During the last five years Steve Appel and John Stokes have created a partnership based on mutual trust and respect while working together at the Appels’ lodge. It was during this period that Jeff and Sal started thinking about passing down the Unalakleet River Lodge to their son and Stokes. The Appels’ and Stokes continue to live in Oxford in their off-season and return to northwestern Alaska every spring for Stokes and Steve to continue the family business. The Unalakleet River Lodge is a luxury fishing destination in the remote bush of northwestern Alaska on the protected Natural and Scenic Wild River by the same name. They do salmon fishing with deluxe accommodations in an untouched wilderness environment. The Appels’ and Stokes continue their 16 year history sharing the beauty and thrill of the Unalakleet River and invite you to come and experience all it has to offer.

St. Jude Taste of Oxford benefit

Dear People of the Internet,

Not to put too fine a point on it, but y'all really need come on over and check this out. For the second year in a row the Unalakleet River Lodge is donating a week for two at the lodge to benefit St. Jude's. Last year it was the headliner and raised the most money ever from a single donated item. There is lots of good stuff being offered this year, but the real winner is helping the hospital. The folks of URL are much too proud to brag on themselves at all, but as the wife of one of them, I am not too proud to brag on them a whole big bunch! The men and women of the lodge are amazing and do so much incredible fundraising and volunteering throughout the year. Not only could you be a lucky winner and spend a week at this gorgeous lodge with a close friend, loved one, or family member (perhaps the person will be all three of those in one!) but you get to do something amazing and make a difference locally. Put on some fancy clothes, get ready to have a grand old time, and please do come introduce yourselves. Even if you don't bid on a dang thing, just coming to support the Taste of Oxford is enough and you should get a big pat on the back. Thanks for helping us help others.

Love,

The Folks of the Unalakleet River Lodge

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
7 p.m.
120 South 11th St.
The Library Bar and Grill
Oxford, MS 38655
Join us on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, for the 6th annual Taste of Oxford presented by Head to Head Radio. Peter Costa will be the honorary host of this event to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Enjoy the local cuisine of different Oxford restaurants as well as music from Dr. Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster, dancing and silent and live auctions by master of ceremonies and auctioneer Richard Cross. Food will be provided by Irie on The Square, My Michelle’s, Old Venice Pizza Co., St. Jude Chef Miles McMath, Two Stick Sushi, Woodson Ridge Farms, McEwen's and more. Be part of this event and help St. Jude in its mission to find cures and save children.
Cocktail attire is recommended.

Ticket information

Individual ticket ~ $60
Purchase tickets.
The tax-deductible portion of your donation is to be determined post-event.

Sponsorship information

A 6 p.m. VIP admission will be available for sponsors.
View a list of sponsorship opportunities.
Become a sponsor online.
Sponsored by: Head to Head Radio, The Library Bar & Grill, Karen and David Blackburn, Randal Commercial Group and Magnum Entertainment

For more information, please contact: Lisa Heros
(901) 373-5051
lisa.heros@stjude.org.

Tundra

When I said I wanted to go for a walk on the tundra all of the fishing guides laughed. They described it as "walking on a wet mattress covered with soaking-wet pillows." I'll be damned if they weren't right. It was exhausting, but so beautiful. I've heard that the tundra has more species and varieties of flora and fauna in one square meter than anywhere else on earth and I would believe it. I have no resources to back this up, but it seems correct. Additionally, the heat coming up from the earth was incredible. Tundra, man, you are magical.

The best and trippiest part was that there were no wires anywhere. No telephone poles, no roads, no cellular towers, nothing. It was so vast and so open and wild that it took my breath away.

I really love feeling tiny and insignificant when enjoying nature, and Alaska brought that point home so beautifully.

Some varieties of the plants taken really crappily by myself. Also still can't figure out that date setting on the camera. Sorry.

Me in the vast wilderness.

January 3, 2013

I am Lauren Stokes. My husband is John Martin Stokes. He is a fly-fisherman, chef, gentleman of the South, and lover of all things bucolic. With his business partner, best friend, and brother-from-another-mother, Steve Appel, he co-owns the Unalakleet River Lodge in Unalakleet Alaska.

According to the (soon to be re-vamped) website "the Unalakleet River Lodge combines the warmth and charm of a true Alaskan lodge.  This exclusive lodge is the perfect setting to appreciate all the majesty and natural beauty of Alaska. The main lodge was built on a hill overlooking the Unalakleet River.  It’s nearly 100 feet long and built from hand-hewn log."

Allow me to put it in simpler terms, it is the actual perfect replica of the wild Alaskan lodge of your dreams. I tend to build things up a bit too much in my mind out of excitement. This often bites me in the ass. Finding little passion for your day job and great comfort in the delights of the world will do that to a person. I can tell you without a doubt that both Alaska, and the lodge, are even better than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. Talk to anyone who has been to either place and you'll find that this is a common theme.

Right, ok, so, I'm terrible with cameras (and directions, and knives) and couldn't figure out how to remove the date or set the date correctly. This is a picture taken from a walk on the tundra.

John Martin Stokes and myself, reunited after six weeks with no phone or internet. We roll snail mail style, ya heard?