Scott Douglas & Gail Mihalik: Enjoying Lowcountry Life

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐝  |  𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

The Savannah area is known for attracting people who appreciate good times, good food and a relaxed way of life among the live oaks and Spanish moss.

Because this area is in many ways a crossroads, new people cross our path all the time and if you are fortunate some of those people are both interesting and what we used to call “good company.” Their joy in life, in finding new experiences, seeing the best in others, and in the world, make them a pleasure to be around. Sometimes you meet people who just make you feel good. Scott Douglas and Gail Mihalik are two such people.

Originally from Connecticut and Pennsylvania the couple exude a zest for life and an aptitude for adaptability.

“We left the north and came here because you don’t have to shovel sunshine!” laughs Scott.

Gail says. “We originally looked at Hilton Head but when I expanded our search we discovered Rincon. We found  a beautiful home here and love it.”

They have been here for three years and cite good neighbors and their proximity to both the rural countryside and Savannah city life as the best features of living in Rincon.

𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

Scott started out in the South—born in Biloxi, Mississippi—but eventually his family landed in Connecticut in the same town as Gail.

“We grew up together,” he says, “We had all the same classes in grade school, and ended up going to all the same schools through high school.” Gail says young Scott “was a redhead with freckles and when I first saw him I thought ‘he’s cute!’”

The couple dated in high school but when it was time for college they went their separate ways. They married other people, had families and careers.

Then seven years ago, Scott found someone he thought might be Gail on Facebook. He sent her a private message, “Are you Dutch?”—which was a private nickname known only to family and close friends. She didn’t see the message for an entire year but responded in the affirmative as soon as she did. One thing led to another and they have been together since, living in Pennsylvania, and even attending their fifty year class reunion together. But they were ready for warmer weather, so making the move to Georgia became a top priority.

𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

Once they settled into their new life in Rincon, the couple looked around for opportunities to use their respective skill sets.

Gail’s extensive background in the restaurant business helped her to create a new path as a Food Tour Guide/ Experience Coordinator with The Savannah Taste Experience, where she conducts curated food experience tours.

“This is absolutely the funnest job I could possibly have!” she says. “I am able to draw on my 50 years in the hospitality industry, which runs the gamut from dishwasher to restaurant owner, and conduct a memorable food tour experience for our guests.”

She says it was a step out of her comfort zone: “Personally I am shy, but I have met so many new people and we get to talk about food so it has been a very enjoyable experience.”

Although the tour also includes some aspects of local history, Gail says, “I am not drilling dates and generals in your head! Instead, the history part is about how it pertains to knowledge of Southern food and the items we taste, as well as the history for some of the downtown squares, the buildings around them, who created them and why.”

She adds that there are also fun twists on the folklore of Savannah and some of the ghostly antics. “It really can’t be a Savannah tour without that!” she says. “We do multiple tastings. Who wouldn’t love a day that included pork belly, sausage rolls, crab soup, empanadas and mojitos, local honey and charcuterie boards?”

She also keeps her hand in the culinary arts by offering private catering. “Cooking is an escape for me, an opportunity to be ‘in my own world,’” she says, “and it’s been very interesting for me to learn a whole new cuisine. Southern food utilizes different spices, different cooking methods, and has a different history. It is all fascinating.”

𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬

Scott had a career in radio that spanned more than four decades and continues today. He has been a professional radio personality and news announcer for well-known stations in the northeast, primarily in Chambersburg, PA. Radio can be like a friend to the listener, and it takes a very special talent to remain on the air, with a fan base that sticks with you for many years. It’s much like being part of the listener’s family. It’s a bond, and it’s a position of trust. Scott was one of those radio men who was able to create that relationship with his audience.

He comes from the era when radio professionals did it all, from hunting down the story, writing the scripting, creating their newscasts and getting it on the air­—sometimes in less time than it takes to read a news article!

As a Public Service Director, he helped local charities get the word out about their events and service projects and as a News Director he had the responsibility to keep his community informed. “Radio was a connector to the community,” he says.

In addition to hosting and producing the morning radio program on WCHA-AM, Scott also produced a weekly two-hour Contemporary Christian music program on WIKZ.

He says, “For me, Real Live Over the Air AM/FM Radio has always been about serving the community, the people who listen. Entertainment, including music, is important but keeping the listener informed is also important.”

The technology evolved dramatically over the years, but he says, “After transitioning from playing records, to digital computer automation as a DJ, to a News Announcer I was able to bring with me the ability to inform in a more entertaining and conversational way.”

Today he is still very active in radio, working remotely researching, writing and recording a morning newscast, Monday through Friday, for WRGG in Greencastle, PA.

And when he’s not creating a radio broadcast, he can be found pursuing his other avocation—flower delivery at New Life Flower and Gifts.

Scott says, “It was something I had done before and really enjoyed. I love delivering flowers.” Don’t be surprised if you see Scott on your doorstep with a beautiful bouquet!

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

In their home you will find a collection of around a dozen stringed instruments.

“The reason for the interest is not only the musical aspect but the artwork they represent,” says Scott, “the styles, colors and natural wood grain texture make them interesting in multiple ways.”

Some of the unusual stringed instruments in Scott’s collection includes a Mandolin Guitar Harp, generically called a Zither—an instrument that originated in Bavaria and Austria. There is also a Ukelin, “which is described as a Frankenstein instrument being a combination of the Hawaiian ukulele and the violin,” he says.

Another unusual one is the Autoharp, which is based on the Zither. As a collector and fan of finely made instruments Scott says it is exciting to live where the world famous Gretsch guitars and drums are made.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

In between culinary gigs and radio shows the couple enjoys discovering different musical entertainment at local venues. They also spend time exploring the area, researching and visiting various historical sites. A favorite day trip includes strolling through Forsyth Park with their dogs and enjoying live music, especially Willie Jackson & the Tybee Blues Band, on River Street, downtown Savannah.

More recently they have been having fun searching out local coffee shops where they get to taste local coffee roasts. They both agree that trading in the snow shovel for year-round sunshine has been a great success, and they look forward to many years of fresh adventures in their new home.