Orange Beach, Alabama

Visited Jan. 1-6, 2021

By Janell

Note: This is an “after the fact” post as we work our way backwards to catch you up on our previous destinations.

We enjoyed a few nights in the Gulf Coast area of Alabama. We stayed at Pandion Ridge RV Park in Orange Beach, Alabama, which was a pretty nice place.

This just might be the grandest RV park entrance we've seen on our trip

  

Park staff didn't need to worry about me breaking these rules!

 

Marty enjoys a beer and the Notre Dame vs Alabama game on New Year's Day in our "side yard"

We love a nice bicycling path whenever we can find one. The Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trail in Alabama's Gulf State Park was a nice, enjoyable trail. 

As we pedaled through some of the swampy areas I was keeping an eye out for alligators (we were safely up on boardwalks through those parts), but there were no alligators to be seen. Marty was lamenting that we hadn't seen any wildlife (he had read that it was a good trail to see some). I said that I'd seen a squirrel, and he told me "that doesn't count". 😂

And then, our luck changed. Along the side of the trail there was a viewing platform and signs that alerted us to a bald eagle nesting area. We stopped, along with a handful of others, and peered up at the tall trees. Finally someone spotted a bald eagle in a nest at the top of a tree; after a bit of watching the eagle moved, and we could see that there were two bald eagles in the nest! Unfortunately, they were too far away for a photo to really capture them, but we could definitely see their white heads! How exciting!

And then, back at our car, Marty was just about to load the bikes on the carrier when he saw an armadillo nosing around in the shrubbery near our car. We could only see the back half of him, as his nose was busy looking for an afternoon snack. He blended in very well with the ground covering, so again, no pictures worth sharing. Two exciting wildlife sightings in one afternoon! Lucky us!

 

Lake Shelby

 

 

 

 

 

Since Orange Beach, AL is just a 15 minute drive from Perdido Key, FL and the Johnson Beach National Seashore, we drove across the state line and explored the Florida Gulf Coast for a late afternoon jaunt. The sand was so fine and white, like sugar. There were tons of little shells all over! Like nothing we’ve seen on a California beach!

We had fun taking some artsy photos (well, you know that Marty takes them, right?); this is one of my favorites!

 

 

We ferried out to Dauphin Island with our bikes and spent the day exploring the island by bike. It was a pretty sleepy little island. There’s a dedicated bike path that runs from the ferry terminal to the tip of the island. We rode 15 miles round trip.

Trigger enjoys a little beach time

 

We were amazed to see the amount of sand that ends up on the streets and front yards after a hurricane. This sandy mess (below) is from Hurricane Sally on September 16, 2020. The workers were busy putting the sand back where it belongs: on the beach.

Like a Tonka tractor in a sandbox!

The houses in hurricane territory are built on stilts.

We noticed that the newer the house is, the taller the stilts are.

We scored a private tour (for no extra charge) of The Mobile Carnival Museum, and we learned so much! Mobile's Carnival celebration is the oldest in the USA. It was first held in 1703, when Mobile was the capital of French Louisiana! This was 15 years before New Orleans was even founded!

 

The effort and expense that goes into one of these Mardi Gras capes is astounding!

 

 

 

 

We did a self-guided tour of the USS Alabama in Mobile, AL.

At the ready!

Breakfast is ready! Come and get it!

Um ... Sarge, do these beds come in extra long?