Wed., Jan. 12, 2022 thru Fri., Feb. 11, 2022
Our 2nd month in Gulf Shores began with the arrival of Andy & Linda (my brother and sis-in-law) on Wed., Jan. 12th, in their 5th wheel and our dear friend Mary from NH who arrived a few minutes later in her motorhome. Woohoo!! A&L are parked next to us so we have three rigs in a row… A&L, Gary & I, and Cheryl & Joe. Mary is down the row a bit because her rig is a smaller size. (Unfortunately she’s two sites away from the dumpster which gets emptied at 4:30 in the morning on Wednesdays. Ugh! We can all hear it as we lie in bed. I usually utter “poor Mary.” These are some of the challenges of our movable homes! You never quite know where you’ll end up.) We had A&L and Mary join us for dinner their first night at Gulf Shores! Fun to catch up and look forward to a month together.
The next day were chores, followed by tours of each other’s tiny homes, and cornhole playing in the afternoon!
Friday, Jan. 14th, we did a 10-mile bike ride with C&J, Mary, Linda, and Gary & I in Gulf State Park. We rode by lakes, over boardwalks, and visited the Nature Center where we saw three beautiful raptors. Afterwards we all relaxed with an adult beverage and were treated to a beautiful sunset. After dinner we played Left/Right/Center in the clubhouse, a dice game. Gary was the big winner. He came away with $14 dollars in quarters. It’ll pay for laundry!
Brother Bob and dear Deb arrived on Monday, Jan. 17th, in their motorhome. They are now parked next to Mary. Luxury RV Resort was great about accommodating all of us and trying to park us near each other. We had A&L and B&D over for dinner. We hadn’t all been together in almost a year! The next day, Tuesday, we had a fun (very) late breakfast at Gulf Shores Diner. First we had walked up to the Sunliner Diner near the campground… only to find out that it was closed on Tuesdays. We had to regroup, pick a different spot, walk back to the campground to get the vehicles and drive to the other diner. Totally worth it! Breakfast was delicious! Afterwards we worked off breakfast by doing a 7.5+ mile bike ride around Lake Shelby in Gulf State Park. Once again a fun experience! Then, even though it was a chilly day, we sat outside in the late afternoon with adult beverages… and a propane heater… and an electric heater! That night we played “card bingo” in the clubhouse. Some of us were big $3 winners!
Wednesday, Jan. 19th, all 9 of us did a nice walk to the beach in the morning. A&L and B&D had an afternoon golf game scheduled. Cheryl, Joe, Gary & I ended up having ice cream for lunch and playing mini golf in the afternoon! Such fun! Haven’t played in years. I was the big winner. Afterwards the 4 of us linked up with Lisa & Paul, our friends from Old Stage in NH, and their sweet dog Miss Sadie at Big Beach Brewing! Wonderful to catch up with those 3 cuties from NH!
Friday, Jan. 21st, was a rainy day. We ended up playing some games at the clubhouse with our group… Mexican Train and Tic. Then played Left/Right/Center at the clubhouse at night with some of the other campers. Bob and I were competing for the big prize at the end… $50. Everyone got a kick out of the fact that we were brother & sister. Ultimately neither of us won. Kathy, the Activities Director, won and she’s such a sweetheart that we were all thrilled for her.
Saturday, Jan. 22nd, we walked up to have breakfast at the Sunliner Diner. Since we were up fairly early I got to see the pelicans frolicking at the nature park. They’ve been much more active than they were when we first arrived. They keep us entertained every morning! The remainder of the weekend consisted of two more walks to the beach with the girls and watching football playoffs!
Monday, Jan 24th, we all visited the USS Alabama outside of Mobile. Amazing! So worth a trip! It was commissioned in 1942, earned 9 Battle Stars, and her crew shot down 22 enemy airplanes during WWII. There were 127 officers and 2,200 enlisted on board. We could wander through all levels of the ship on our own self-guided tour. It was a floating city… Post Office, carpentry, metalwork, tailor, 3 dentists on board, bakery, multiple dining and kitchen facilities, surgical facilities, doctors, ice cream fountains, and on & on. Remarkable. Not to mention seeing the bridge, missiles, powder handling areas, engines, etc.
We also wandered through the USS Drum, a submarine that was built in Portsmouth NH in 1941 and had 72 men on board. She earned 12 Battle Stars during WWII.
The whole experience at Battleship Memorial Park is something we’ll remember.
That same afternoon our friends Stacie & Johnny arrived from North Carolina in their 5th wheel for a two-week stay! So excited to spend time with these two again and their beloved dog Niky! They joined us for dinner Monday night.
Wed., Jan. 26th, Gary & I did a fun 4+ mile walk with Stacie, Johnny & Niky thru part of Gulf State Park and the beach! Beautiful day… if a bit on the breezy side!
Thursday, Jan. 27th, 8 of us went to a matinee showing of Menopause the Musical! So funny! Big thanks to Lisa for suggesting that we see this show! The original thought was that the girls would go, but then some of the men folk didn’t want to be left out of the fun! Enjoyable dinner afterwards at Island Wings. It was a great opportunity for Lisa & Paul to meet my family! In the evening a different 8 of us got together to play Blank Slate in Stacie & Johnny’s screenhouse with the heater going. A very fun time!
On Friday, 9 of us visited Flora-Bama. Picture a large bar/entertainment structure on the beach that straddles the Florida/Alabama line with different musicians playing all day and bras hanging from the ceiling. That will give you a sense of what this place is like. The drink of choice in this part of the country is a Bushwacker. We were given samples to try… it’s similar to a Mud Slide only more potent. For lunch, we crossed the street to Ole River Grill, a much tamer environment.
Saturday, Jan 29th, we visited OWA’s Arts & Crafts Festival in Foley, AL. A total of 13 of us headed out to do that in a few different vehicles. This large 520-acre entertainment complex is run by a local Native American tribe. There’s a convention center, theatre, shops and restaurants. OWA is pronounced “Oh-wah” and means water, which is fitting since the centerpiece is a 14-acre lake.
That night we had a final dinner in our tiny home with Andy, Linda, Bob & Deb before B&D headed back home the next day. We also toasted our Mom, since the anniversary of her death, (Feb. 2nd) was almost upon us. I know it brought a smile to Mom’s face in heaven to see us all together enjoying each other’s company having dinner and playing cards.
Monday, Jan. 31st, was a gorgeous day for another bike ride in Gulf State Park. Stacie & Johnny had friends visiting for a few days and they joined us, so 9 of us headed off together. Once again we experienced gorgeous paved trails by lakes, over boardwalks, and through some forested areas. After our lunch break we split up a bit. Some of us headed back to the campground and some of us continued on. It was a long bike ride for all, as those who headed back did a 10 mile ride and those of us who continued on did 15 miles. We made frequent stops during our additional 5 miles and came across 2 eagles nests, an armadillo, and an alligator named Lefty. The gator was missing an arm so the Park Ranger explained that they’d named her Lefty. She had babies hiding in the water near the brush line that we couldn’t see. A fun day! Afterwards we played cornhole and then bingo in the clubhouse that night.
Tuesday, Feb. 1st, Gary & I had a play date with Stacie, Johnny & Niky. We visited a couple of roadside attractions in Elberta, AL. First was Bamahenge… funded by a billionaire, it’s made of fiberglass and is a replica of Stonehenge in England. The same billionaire funded four Dinosaurs in the Woods… which, as the name implies, were replicas of large dinosaurs. These little finds were great fun to explore! Then we visited the real business of this billionaire… a huge marina and boatyard which covers 3,000 acres in Elberta. I forgot to mention another whimsical attraction… a spider… he’s made of steel and is huge!
Afterwards we visited Alabama Point to see the high surf on this windy day. It’s where the gulf meets an inlet and there are three long boardwalks to cross the dunes. Pretty spot.
Then it was a late lunch at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club where Stacie & I enjoyed the local Bushwacker drink. Yum! A few of us wanted ice cream after dinner so there was another stop at Gelato Joe’s and finally some card playing before we called it a day. Phew. Fun day for sure!
Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, was a rainy day. Gary & I ended up exploring the charming town of Foley, AL with our friend Mary. We visited the Holmes Medical Museum. It was the county’s first hospital which closed in 1958. Everything in the old hospital was left as it was. A bit creepy but very interesting. We also visited the Foley Railroad Museum…the historic train station is from 1909. Unfortunately the model railroad portion of the exhibit was closed for the day, and it was too wet to explore outside. Lastly we explored the Foley Art Center featuring work from a dozen local artists. To add to the charm, there were lots of flowers planted all around town, and a lovely park with a clock tower that chimed. A sweet town!
Our final 10 days in Gulf Shores went by quickly. In a nutshell…
- More walks to the beach, which was particularly fun when doing it on high surf days.
- Mary & I created Mardi Gras wreaths in the clubhouse one afternoon.
- We said a tearful goodbye to Stacie and Johnny as they pulled out of the campground about a week before we did. It was particularly poignant since we’re not quite sure when we’ll see each other again. Our immediate travel plans have us going in different directions.
- More cornhole playing. Lisa & Paul joined us one afternoon!
- Mary & I did a 4-mile walk on the beach/state park one afternoon, which allowed us to not feel too guilty doing Paula Deen’s restaurant for an early dinner that same night with everyone. Paula Deen’s was an interesting experience. Dinner is family style so your group makes decisions on the main course and the side dishes, and the server brings platters and bowls to the table which they refill as often as you like. The kicker is that you can’t bring any leftovers home. They don’t provide any take-out containers. Mary had found this out ahead of time. We were prepared. We brought a few containers from home with us and ladled in the leftovers. Hysterically funny! Actually the food wasn’t all that great (but pricey) so we won’t be dining at a Paula Deen’s again. Afterwards we headed to Gelato Joe’s for not Gelato, but Bushwacker drinks for the girls, and wine and/or coffee for the boys.
- On Wed., Feb. 9th, we were supposed to be going to Dauphin Island with Linda & Andy to meet up with our cousin Mark. The ferry gods had other plans! The ferry was completely sold out for the time we wanted, plus we were unsure about availability for the return trip later in the day. So we had to scratch that plan. Instead Gary & I did a 9.5 mile bike ride in Gulf State Park on some trails we hadn’t been on before while A&L ran some errands. A very fun day despite the morning’s disappointment. During our bike ride we saw an eagle in flight, which was special. We finished off with happy hour outside of A&L’s tiny home with everyone.
- On the second to last day here in Gulf Shores it was sunny and warm. Mary, Cheryl, and I headed to the beach for several hours. In the evening all 7 of us enjoyed a fun dinner at our place with everyone contributing. We had a baked potato bar (compliments of Mary and cooked by Gary), a caprese salad thanks to Cheryl and… drum roll please… Paula Deen leftovers. After dinner, we played several spirited hands of Uno Flip.
- On our last day Lisa & Paul stopped over for a visit and we said our temporary goodbyes. We know we will see these two again on down the road. Later Linda & Andy took Gary and I out to a fabulous dinner at Villaggio Grille. Thank you guys!
After two months in Gulf Shores, it’s hard to believe we hit the road tomorrow. Gary & I have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. The beaches are absolutely beautiful with white sugary sand, and Gulf State Park is second to none… their bike trails are amazing. USS Alabama was special and a must see in this area. Bellingrath Gardens was one of the best Christmas displays we’ve seen, and we’ve been privileged to see some really terrific ones! Historic Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan were truly remarkable and so interesting. Fairhope and Foley were adorable neighboring towns with charm. And best of all we got to do all this exploring with family and friends. What could be better! There is still plenty we haven’t had a chance to do in this area so we will be back. But, for now, we move on to Biloxi, MS tomorrow.
