My Perfect Birmingham Saturday

Welcome to “My Perfect Birmingham Saturday,” a column where About Town asks Birmingham residents from different walks of life how they would spend a Saturday in the Magic City if they had it their way (and COVID notwithstanding).

This Saturday was planned by Birmingham native Tommy Mayfield, founder and CEO of Wyndy, the mobile app that makes it simple for parents to find, book, and pay vetted, background-checked college babysitters. Since 2017, the app has allowed parents in Birmingham and 21 other markets across the Southeast to find childcare easily, something you might want to employ when you plan your next perfect Birmingham Saturday.

Read on to learn how Tommy would plan his day.

For me, Saturdays are a time to spend with my wife Ginger, our two daughters Polly, 10, and Louise, 8, and our Newfiedoodle puppy Millie, who is 10 months old -- and 90 pounds! Ginger and I will wake up and have coffee while the kids sleep in or watch TV. Then we’ll all head out to breakfast at Magic Muffins or Hero Doughnuts. When you bring a huge dog with you, people tend to notice, so we’ll often end up chatting with other families while we eat and enjoy another cup of coffee.

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Then we’ll head to Vulcan Trail for a walk. It’s a beautiful trail overlooking downtown, and my kids love to look over the city and point out things they recognize -- the Harbert Building where I used to work earlier in my career; St. Vincent’s Hospital, where they were both born; Innovation Depot, where I work now; and the Barons stadium, where we've attended baseball games.

After our walk we’ll go grab lunch at Gilchrist or Mister P’s -- everyone in our family loves a good sandwich, bag of chips, and a soft drink with the “good ice.” We’ll then head home for the afternoon. Millie will nap on the cool floor of our kitchen, and the girls will go play with their friends in our neighborhood. Ginger will spend some time needlepointing or reading, and I’ll either ride our Peloton or head out for a run along Jemison Trail.

When I finish my exercise, I’ll book a Wyndy sitter for the evening. When the Wyndy arrives, Ginger and I will head out for some time alone. We’ll get a drink at the Habitat (the rooftop bar of the Grand Bohemian) or The Garage, then head to dinner at Abhi or Bettola. After dinner, we’ll visit Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream for dessert -- Ginger gets the Salted Caramel and Darkest Chocolate, and I’ll get the Gooey Butter Cake.

We’ll then head over to Highland Avenue and spend some time walking along and through the parks before heading home to relieve the Wyndy and head to bed.