It was fun! The food was good and it turns out they also offer a traditional day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast buffet. Mostly there were family groups - lots of young children all dressed up and on their best behavior. Because it's a resort, they offered a booklet of activities for all ages; from toddlers to adults (shopping trips).
Lovely fall floral display in the lobby.
Our room was on the first floor with a patio and a view onto Mobile Bay.
One of the first floor rooms, towards the center of the picture.
I thought I had more pictures of the buffet tables, but this is the only one I seem to have. Crab legs and shrimp surround this ice sculpture.
This morning, the whole hotel and grounds were transformed into Christmas.
In the upper lobby, which looks like a hunting lodge, there is a four sided fireplace and this beautiful tree.
This is the setting for the breakfast buffet. Duck Pond is in the center and all the resort buildings are rendered in gingerbread. The serving dishes are around the perimeter. You can see the light reflecting off a silver dish in the bottom left.
The front of the Grand.
The fall florals have been replaced with a Christmas display.
After breakfast we took a tour of the grounds; the path we took was supposed to be one mile.
There are many of these spectacular live-oak trees throughout the grounds.
Known as the "Queen of Southern Resorts," the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, dates back to 1847. During the Civil War, the 21st Alabama Infantry had a garrison on the grounds, and part of the hotel was converted into a Confederate hospital. A cemetery for about 300 soldiers who died at the hospital after the Battle of Vicksburg is near the 18th tee of the Azalea course.
Daily, in the Main Hotel Lobby, they honor this military past with a brief historic presentation followed by a parade around the Grand Hotel grounds. They conclude with the firing of the cannon at approximately 4:00 p.m. near the croquet lawn. This is also a salute to today's military and those who have passed through this historic resort.
The sign reads, Do Not Climb on Jetty Rocks. The parents of these two boys were standing just to the right of the sign.
The main pool and waterfalls. There were also several beach areas.
Water slide. Even though it was clear and sparkling, it was cold. The temperature was probably around 45 degrees.
Butterfly in the marigolds.
Front of the main building. Those little covered golf carts pictured below the tree take guests to and from the other buildings on the grounds.
On the way home we decided that we would stop at Fort Morgan State Historic Site, about 25 miles from the RV Park. The fort played a role in the Battle of Mobile Bay. On August 5, 1864, U.S. Admiral Farragut's fleet of 18 vessels, including 4 ironclad monitors, attempted to enter Mobile Bay, guarded by Forts Morgan, Gaines and Powell. Farragut was forced to run the narrow gauntlet in front of the heavy artillery of Fort Morgan. The Union monitor USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and quickly sank. This is the point where Farragut reportedly uttered his famous remark, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" The battered Union fleet then attacked and overpowered the tiny but gallant Confederate fleet led by the mighty ironclad CSS Tennessee. Farragut's victory enabled the army to commence siege operations against the Fort which ultimately fell on August 23, 1864.
Fort Morgan from outside the closed gates.
We were disappointed to learn that the Fort was closed today. As a special treat for state workers, the governor gave them the 4-day weekend off.
This young man, guarding the gate and not letting us enter, didn't seem too pleased about having his picture taken.
Oil platforms in Mobile Bay, opposite the Fort.
When we got back to the Airstream, we took a little hike on one of the park trails. This is one of three raccoons that we saw out and about as it was getting towards sunset. (Crossing the road near the center of the picture.)
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