On the beach

Yesterday when we arrived the campgrounds were mostly full, but by 11 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) today, Sunday, they are mostly empty. I expect that the older folks will begin rolling in later this afternoon and it will be back to our usual campground population of retirees.

This morning Frederick saw a sign about free internet at the Bayview Picnic Area and that is where we are, taking advantage of the internet access provided by the Friends of St. Joe State Park.

The picnic shelter at Bayview where WiFi is available. 

Sunny and in the 70s.

There are two campgrounds in the Park, Gulf Breeze where we are, #53, and Shady Pines. A trail connects them and since there is a ranger "campfire" tonight at Shady Pines, we thought we would investigate before we tried the walk in the dark. This is a bird viewing spot along the trail.

On the way back to Gulf Breeze Campground we walked along the beach. 

St. Joseph Peninsula

It was a long travel day, 180 miles, made longer by traveling the Florida Panhandle Scenic Highway, #98, which has a 45 mph speed limit almost the entire way. But, traveling at that speed allows for enjoyment of the scenery which was truly beautiful and, at times, spectacular. We went through Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, Hollywood, Laguna, Santa Rosa (are we in California?) and Mexico Beach and, finally, Port St. Joe.

We are now back in the Eastern Time Zone - just barely. If you look at a map you can see the twists and turns the time-zone-line takes on the map.

The campground is in T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park with an address of Port St. Joe. However, once you arrive in Port St. Joe there are still twenty miles to go as you turn right and travel along a very narrow spit that creates St. Joseph Bay. We arrived just about sunset, backed into our site and followed the parade of people streaming to the beach to witness the sunset.

Sunset on the beach.

Edited on Sunday, November 30:

Internet and phone access alternates between "No Service" and 1 dot at our campsite so we were just barely able to get out the blog last night. Today we found an internet service spot so we want to add some pictures.

Looking a little to the south at sunset. Beach oats that help build the dunes.

Looking to the north down the beach.

Looks like that's it for another day.

Tucked in for the next five days.

Resort life

We have returned to our cozy home on wheels after experiencing resort life for almost one full day. We spent Thanksgiving at the Grand Hotel Marriott in Point Clear, Alabama. When we knew we were going to be near Mobile, Alabama, for Thanksgiving, I googled - Thanksgiving in Mobile - and a nice review for the Grand Hotel Resort & Spa popped-up. Without looking for any alternatives, I made reservations for their traditional Thanksgiving Day Buffet. Five days before Thanksgiving I checked how far away it was and discovered that it was 40 miles from the RV Park. We decided that we would just spend the night.

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.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family and Friends, 

     We hope you are blessed with many reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

     We are grateful for your love, support and presence in our lives.

     Warmest wishes,

      Frederick & Dale

Airstream Thanksgiving decor.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Today we were able to explore Gulf State Park and the weather was perfect. I almost feel guilty saying that knowing that many of you are facing premature winter storms. It wasn't exactly shorts and t-shirt weather, like Monday. The temperature was 60 degrees and the humidity was in the mid-thirties, perfect for hiking.

Our first stop was the Nature Center where we made Tom's day. I thought I took a picture of him but when I tried to upload it, it wasn't there. Anyway, Tom asked us where we were from and when we said Rhode Island, he asked, "Are you serious? Rhode Island?" He was pleased because we were the first visitors this year from RI and now he only lacks Idaho to completely color in his map. Frederick volunteered that he was born in Idaho, but we agreed that doesn't qualify.

We got information about the park trails and viewed the exhibits before we headed out - first to the beach.

There are long boardwalks to the beach because they are working on restoring the dunes.

The beautiful Gulf of Mexico. I felt the water. It wasn't freezing cold, but it was bathtub warm, either.

Looking both ways along the beach we saw these high-rise condominium buildings. This is looking east, towards Orange Beach. Looking west, towards Gulf Shores, it is the same scene.

We were able to share the beach with other visitors.

Sea oats with their curly leaves.

We didn't spend a lot of time at the beach because we wanted to get in a good long hike. We chose to hike the Gulf Oak Ridge trail, the longest in the park, at 6 miles. The trail follows a ridge above the park and has the highest elevation, 22 feet. 

This overlook along the trail had notices posted about not feeding the alligators. We didn't see any.

Aside from a squirrel and a few birds, this is the extent of our wildlife viewing - a baby alligator!

The trail wasn't exactly wilderness hiking, we didn't even need our sticks. Almost everyone here has a bicycle so that' what the trails are like. Even so, there were plenty of people, like us, walking the trail.

It was quite spectacular with live oak trees and Spanish moss.

We finished the hike and now feel that we are ready for Thanksgiving.

Yeah! Publix!

As we were driving from New Orleans to Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Sunday, a message flashed on the dashboard of the car to check the air pressure on the right front tire. Then a graphic came on that showed the tire pressure of each tire by position and the front tires showed the left front had 37 psi and the right front had 33psi. On a travel day, the first item on our checklist is to check the tire pressure on both the Airstream and the car. That morning they had checked out as appropriate - 33 psi on the front and 44 psi on the rear tires.

We stopped at the next TA Stop along Interstate #10, and added air to the right front, but the warning light remained on and the graphic kept showing a discrepancy. We discussed that we would have to monitor the tire and drove on with some trepidation. Then, as Frederick was directing the backing-in of the Airstream at the RV Park and observing the angle of the tires, he discovered the problem; a screw in the tire tread.

See the Alabama white sugar sand on the tire? Oh yes, and the screw. 

You may remember that we bought new tires in Moncton, New Brunswick, back in September. We have travelled 8,000 miles since then. 

Fortunately, when we bought the car back in February, we also purchased a Wheel & Tire Protection Plan which covers road hazards. We called the nearest Mercedes Dealer, which happens to be in Pensacola, Florida, and they ordered a new tire which came in today. When we went there today, we also decided to have the 30,000 mile servicing done (the 20,000 mile service was done in Halifax, Nova Scotia) before we began our trip north for the holidays. 

Since there is a Sam's Club 5 miles from the Pensacola dealership, we dropped off the car, picked up a rental, and went shopping while the servicing and tire change happened.

There's our car, behind Chris, waiting its turn. Chris lived in North Dakota for a while and was able to pronounce Dakota properly. 

We took advantage of being in Florida and stopped at a Publix grocery store on the way back. Sure do like Publix!

It turned out to be a busy and productive day. We did the laundry in the morning, had the car serviced and a tire replaced, and did the grocery shopping. That doesn't leave much to be done tomorrow. Maybe we'll be able to walk on these beautiful beaches.

Down time

For the past four weeks we have been traveling down the Mississippi, following the Great River Road. The Great River Road is not just one route, but a series of highways, usually scenic by-ways, through the 10 states that touch the Mississippi River. We experienced a lot - geo-sites, Civil War battlefields, and the economic impact of the Mississippi  River. Before we begin our next adventure, it's time for a little "down time" to allow for some catch-up and just plain relaxation. 

One task that has been neglected for the past four weeks is washing and cleaning the car. 

Here is a clean car.

 And a clean Airstream.

How the Airstream gets clean. Notice the shorts!

Tomorrow we may even wash clothes!

Trailing the rain

A travel day, from New Orleans to Gulf Shores, Alabama. We woke up to the sound of rain but by the time we left the RV Park the rain was over. All along the trip it appeared that we were just trailing the rain - the road would be wet, but we did not have to drive in the rain.

Our route took us along the gulf, with lots of water to our right and a number of long bridges/causeways. This is leaving Louisiana. 

Back to Mississippi for a brief stretch. It reminds me of the French"seigneur" system; every state get a little piece of the Gulf of Mexico.

Good for Mississippi! I congratulate them for honoring a gifted writer.

The roadway was either water or lush greenery.

The beautiful cityscape of Mobile.

Tonight we are at the Gulf Shores State Park. We are on one of the back rows. Tomorrow we will take a walk to the beaches on the Gulf.  I think that we are closer to Pensacola than we are to Mobile.

Across the road is what we think is one of the campground wifi antenna . We can't get on the campground wifi, but our hotspot works really well.