Last weekend I was in the Tulsa suburb of Sapulpa. I had never spent much time in the downtown area before and I was surprised to see many attractive older buildings that were well maintained and seemed to have many businesses in them along with apartments on the upper floors. The main street is also part of Route 66 as it winds its way through town.
Creek County Courthouse
And all under some intense deep blue skies and big fluffy white clouds.
Renovated Apartment Building
So I enjoyed my walk up and down downtown Sapulpa. I am convinced that towns, big and small, need a vital and thriving downtown for the city as a whole to be successful.
On our recent family reunion in South Dakota, a cousin arranged for us to go on a Jesse James Pontoon Boat Tour on Split Rock Creek at a park of the same name near Garretson, South Dakota. It didn’t cost very much and it didn’t take very long but it was a load of fun.
We were about twenty or so people on this “Norwegian Cruise Lines” vessel. The guide and pilot is Norwegian by ancestry and was a total hoot. He gave everybody a nickname. His regular job is teaching Native American History and Language at a local high school. He knew his stuff.
As we poked along in the boat he told us about the Lakota Native Americans and a little about their culture. He talked about the flora and fauna, he showed us flint tools and talked about what they were for. All the while asking us questions and making fun of us. He engaged the kids a lot, and didn’t make fun of them. I bet he is a great teacher.
He grew up in the area and he knew my cousin very well. He also pointed out that the land on both sides of the creek was privately owned. The fine for trespassing is $105 per person. I don’t think he was joking about that.
He showed us where Jesse James hid out for a while in a cave high up from the creek. He talked about how in years past the landowner let people go look at it. He’s been there apparently the cave is extensive and has ten foot high ceilings. No tours any more, no trespassing, stay away!!
We got to the end of the creek’s dammed up portion and he pointed out the nice cottage. That looks perfect to me.
On the way back he hailed the kayakers. Everybody was a target for this guy. Totally good natured and fun. The tour only lasts a half hour or so but he packs a lot of fun into it.
Here’s the dam across the creek. Built by the WPA way back when. It’s amazing how much the WPA and the CCC built that is still being used today. What a legacy all these years later.
We took our son to college earlier this week and on the way back we found this big huge cloud squatting over Tulsa. As big and scary as it was, there was only a little lightning and thunder and it moved on.
https://flic.kr/p/2h3jtWJ
Just a couple hours earlier, our son was beaming just before we left him. We took him to a college that has a program for young people like him on the Autism Spectrum who want to get a degree. So we moved him in and we and he got oriented on what is going on and then it came time for goodbyes and he was ready. We were to, kind of, we noticed that we didn’t pack tissues in the car for the trip back home. He has almost 50 hours of college hours with a solid B average from a community college here in Tulsa so we know he can do the academics. He just needs help navigating things socially and we think he can get where he is enrolled.
I am thankful that there are more and more programs to help youngsters with various issues get an education and learn how to live independently.
Earlier this month I drove up to southeast South Dakota for the annual family reunion on my father’s side of the family. It was fun, connecting with my cousin and his family and an aunt and uncle and met many other relatives. The day of the reunion it is tradition to attend the services at Sioux Valley Baptist Church, a small country church on a dirt road on land donated by my great great grandfather, Nels Norgaard, back in 1888.
It usually has about six or seven people attend but on Norgaard Sunday it was full. Quite a testament to the church and its people that they have kept it going for 131 years.
My uncle said that the interior is just like it was when he was a kid, the furnishings, paintings on the wall, and the decorations and he is in his 80’s now.
Photo from 2013
The high point of the service has always been the singing. There was a family member who was really talented but he passed away. It was hard to replace him on piano but hey youtube was at the ready and so we sang “It is Well with my Soul”, “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”, and everybody’s favorite “The King is Coming” a great song about redemption. It starts out slow and builds to a climax. The lyrics include:
"Happy faces line the hallways Those whose lives have been redeemed Broken homes that He has mended Those from prison He has freed Little children and the aged Hand in hand stand all aglow Who were crippled, broken, ruined Clad in garments white as snow"
Every stanza ends with, “Praise God, He is coming for me!”
I don’t care whether you are believer or not, the idea and the imagery is wonderful!!
Later on we had a picnic in Del Rapids with everybody. Here is a photo of some of us. Can you spot me? Or at least the top of my head?
Last weekend I drove up to southeast South Dakota for a family reunion. I met up with my aunt and uncle from the east coast and my cousin and his family from the west coast and joined countless others in a weekend of learning about the family, visiting, seeing the sights and other activities. One evening under a beautiful blue sky at a relative’s farm a gorgeous stagecoach powered by two beautiful horses showed up. A “Surprise” by our host.
And it wasn’t just for looking at, we were all offered rides and I do believe every single person there had a short ride or two.
Some even got to ride shotgun with the driver.
It was a beautiful sight.
Smiles all around inside. You can’t ride a coach and be unhappy.
My aunt and uncle from the east coast loved it.
They were there for a while making sure everybody got to ride. I loved the shadows on the stage. The workmanship and finish on the coach was exquisite.
Shotgun was a favorite of the younger set. They had the ability to climb up the wheel to get there!
It was a get together that nobody there will soon forget.
Some beach trips I get early every morning and go running or walking on the beach. This trip I mainly slept in and got up in time for the first dolphin run of the day. It was pretty amazing watching them cruising along parallel to the beach anywhere from maybe 50 yards to the show to maybe 300 yards. Just cruising along in a widely dispersed pod, some of them had a smaller dolphin with them. They come and they go on down the shore. A few hours later they come back the opposite direction and generally a lot further out. So we got to see them twice a day generally.
But being a dedicated skywatcher I got up one morning and got a good shot from the balcony. Most days were cloudless, but this one day they formed and went marching along the shore. I love the morning light on the cloud above.
https://flic.kr/p/2gNkFU3
We had a really good time. We ate well, we went kayaking and stand up paddleboarding, lots of walks on the beach, read a lot of books, played some board games and didn’t turn the television on once!! So we are back at work now and son is getting ready to go away to college and we are very excited about that.
Our family has been vacationing in the Orange Beach/ Gulf Shores, Alabama area for years now. It turns out that there are a lot of people from the Tulsa area who go there. We’ve learned a lot from them and found out a few things ourselves and I’d like to pass on a few nuggets of information that we have found helpful and I’d love it if you have been there, if you would toss in your own two cents. (Note that nobody either individual or business has comped me or my family anything, nor have I taken any money for anything related to this post.)
Condos from the water
Who should go?
Anybody who wants to go relax on the beach but be able to be more active from time to time and likes to eat well will do well at Orange Beach/Gulf Shores.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels on the beach, and close to the beach but the action for tourists in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores are the condos. The bigger the unit, and the closer it is to the beach the more costly it is. My wife does all the condo shopping and she works it hard and the parameters change constantly. Google “Orange Beach Condos” and start from there and be sure to check AirBnB and VRBO. There are thousands of condos at all sorts of price points. Most of the condo listings these days come up with photographs of the interiors, pools, beaches, and other common areas and have lots of information. Start working this early in your planning process.
Why a Condo? – Because you will be spending a week there or so and it is nice to have the space to spread out and cool off and maybe prepare your own simple breakfast. The condos should come with everything you need from washers and dryers, full furnished kitchens with plates, glasses, cooking utensils, pots, pants, etc to coffee makers.
Plus Condos generally have access to the beach especially if there are right on the beach. If they are across the street from the beach or further away, make sure that it has some sort of beach access. Beaches are of course public property but not necessarily the access to the beach. You cannot cut across private property without permission. If you don’t have access to the beach you will have to go to one of the State or Local parks. They are fine and keep the facilities up but do you really want to load up in the car and drive somewhere to get to the beach?
These lounges with umbrellas are deluxe
If you are meeting family at a condo make sure that you have enough parking. Usually they will tell you how many spaces you have and that is all you get and they are not kidding, and there is not much street parking. So that can be a major inconvenience if somebody has to park a few miles away and be shuttled to and from their car.
How to Get There
This is mainly for those who live broadly west of Orange Beach/ Gulf Shores. The whole western USA it seems has to go through I-10 tunnel underneath Mobile Bay and sometimes it really backs up. One year we waited with the car shut off for two or three hours on the interstate, two miles from the tunnel. We decided to do something different. We now drive from Tulsa down to Mobile, spend the night and then scoot through the tunnel the next morning. Works like a charm. I’ve looked at routes that bypass the tunnel and they would add about an hour and a half to the route.
So plan for the tunnel!!
What to Do?
Well first off, the beach is fantastic. White sugary sand, clean water, gentle waves. Its wonderful. Just bring your sunscreen. If you want to splurge get a lounge or chair from the beach service along with an umbrella. It’s pricey and we have done it a few times and it is great but we don’t do it any longer. Here is what we figured out, bring your own beach chairs and carry them out and place almost on top of the water. We found out that you get the cool Gulf breezes when you are on top of the water. Back where the services lounges are, it is at least ten degrees hotter, it seems anyway. Oh and if you are planning on bringing a shelter, the City of Orange Beach requires that they be away from the waters edge, a long ways. So be aware. They patrol it and they will ask you nicely, and firmly, with sympathy toward all the work you put into putting it up, to move it. Also know that you are not allowed to leave anything on the beach overnight. So shelters, chairs, and anything else you bring, needs to be removed or the city will throw it in their nightly dump truck run down the beach.
Orange Beach up close
There are lots of Parasailing outfits. Google them before you go and check out the reviews. My wife and son love parasailing, and I go do something else. (Be aware that no spectators on the boat so if you want a photographic record of the activity you have to shell out $35 bucks or so for the crew to do it on their camera and they give you the memory card. So the wife only paid one or two years. It’s kind of repetitive)
https://flic.kr/p/V784QH
Wife and son getting dipped after parasailing.
Same for Dolphin Cruises. There are lots of options. Boats go out in the Gulf and others stay in the Bay. We have done the bay cruises a couple of times and it might take the crew a little bit to find the dolphins but it is thrilling when they do and they get the dolphins to come along and play in the bow waves.
Be sure and take your camera!!
Kayaking! We have used two different outfits. Paddled by You is a family owned outfit, in Orange Beach located right on Cotton Bayou and has both Kayaks and Paddleboards for rent and you can launch right there on their property into the Bayou. So the experience is nice, but you are right in the middle of an active waterway. Very fun though. We have used them three times and are very satisfied with them. Beach n River Kayaks is further away, near the town of Foley. They have kayaks and again with them you launch right from their property into the Bon Secour River. An historic river feeding into Mobile Bay. This is a beautiful peaceful experience. I wrote a post about it if you want to learn more. The owners are a Mom and Pop couple and they will make sure that you have a great experience. Also, they have lived in the area a long time and know all the out of the way local type restaurants to go to. We didn’t make it see them this last trip but next time! Besides these two outfits there are others, use my good friend Mr. Google to find them and be sure to read the reviews.
https://flic.kr/p/JoBRft
Family Photo with BeachnRiver
“Toe-Cam” of exploring the Bon Secour River
Bicycling – There are several bicycle rental places who rent very reasonably. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores both have extensive bike trails and the huge Gulf State Park is right in the middle of both towns and has miles and miles of trails and boardwalks connected to the city bike trails. We used Beach Bike Rentals and they did a great job making sure that we had a good time and you can go directly from their shop to the Gulf State Park trails.
https://flic.kr/p/28eLwD1
Speaking of Gulf State Park, we always just kind of ignored it until the last few trips and was that a mistake. It is huge and has everything. You can go camping there, park a trailer, take a Segway Tour, go fishing in the Gulf off their incredible pier, rent a cabin, go hiking, bicycling, rent kayaks, and on and on. I am a geocacher and they have lots and lots of geocaches just waiting for you to find them. I feel bad that we ignored it for so long. The towns are lucky to have this treasure
And you know, sometimes you need a place to hang out on vacation. Our favorite place is Florabama at the far east end of Orange Beach, right on the Alabama/Florida state line. It is a giant, family friendly, beach bar. During the week they have free bingo games in the afternoon. They have a pretty darn good little food service with the best hamburgers in the area in my opinion. For the grownups they have live music in the afternoon at a small bar upstairs and for later in the evening they have a bigger bar and stage. Be aware that it is a bar so come about five or six pm, if you have minor children with you, you will have to leave. In the meantime, try their signature drink, the Bushwhacker which is ice cream with a bunch of rum. We always get a condo within walking distance of Florabama.
https://flic.kr/p/Jji7zP
Gulf Shores has The Hangout which is family friendly all the time and features a giant sand pile for the kids to play in, a restaurant, live music and all sorts of fun.
Gulf Shores also has Lulu’s which besides being a great restaurant has lots of activities, and music to keep everybody occupied and is another great place to hang out. The owner is Jimmy Buffet’s sister, Lucy.
https://flic.kr/p/nRSEPa
And you know there are other things to do as well. Fishing, putt putt golf, arcades, Just google or use trip advisor to find them and I like I keep on saying, read the reviews!!
Where to Eat
Some of the places we have tried and really liked (and almost all are seafood oriented) are Lunas Eat and Drink, Big Fish Restaurant and Bar, Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar, Cobalt, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina, Lulu’s. Everytime we go, we find out about new places so let Trip Advisor be your friend. Let me know in the comments if you know about other places.
Dining outside at Cobalt
Do you want to have cold boiled shrimp in your condo? Buy them at Blalock’s and pick up some shrimp boil, red sauce and new potatoes. Ask them what to do if you are unsure, they will fill you in!!
https://flic.kr/p/25GcBRS
Cold Boiled Shrimp and the fixings on our balcony
But Hey!! Don’t get carried away the home cooking, that makes it kind of unfair on whoever does the cooking. Take them out for some nice dinners!! And for goodness sake share the cleanup chores!!
Tips on Condo Life
If you are driving, bring enough groceries to get you through breakfasts the day after you arrive. Otherwise you will have to join the crowds and long lines at the local grocery stores. You don’t want to spend your first day doing that. You want to go out on the beach!!
Also, the condo people are not going to give you enough paper towels, bath tissue, garbage bags, dish and laundry soap to last a week so just throw them in your stuff before you leave home. Bring what you normally use so you can just take what you don’t use back with you.
Speaking of Grocery Stores, Publix and Walmart, although great establishments, get crowded and noisy. Check out Rouses nearby for just as big a selection but a lot less people. Publix is the place to go for people watching: husband – wife spats, kid’s trantrums, housewives with thong bikinis, middle aged guys hitting up on teenagers (while the wife is in the next aisle.) You have to go Saturday nights to see and hear the good stuff. The rest of the time its just a nice grocery store. And Walmart, well its Walmart.
Also, don’t pack so much. You are going to have a washer and dryer so take advantage of it. One thing I do is wash all my clothes before I come home, kind of nice to come home from vacation with clean clothes. Before you start hammering me about spending all the time washing clothes, I don’t spend a lot of time. Throw a load in the washer, have a beer or two, go out to the beach, come up, put it in the drier, go out to the beach some more, take it out of the drier. Dirty little secret is that I never sort clothes, never have. If you have the sort of clothes that need sorting, then for goodness sake don’t take them to the beach!!
Leave your grill at home, you won’t be able to use it at the condo. Most of them have condos available for residents. It’s a good way to get to know the fellow vacationers and get some more tips on what to do and not do. And guys, brush up on your college football game. They take college football seriously in the south and even if you are from freaking New Hampshire make sure you know who the coach is and the quarterback as a minimum or you will lose major Bro Cred. I overheard a conversation on the beach years ago about this subject and wrote a post about it . (And yes, I eavesdrop on conversations, it’s a hobby of mine.)
Well that’s all I know for now. I intend for this to be a living post in that as I find out more information and get feedback I will change and modify it as time goes by.
Have a good time!!
And just a reminder, I received no renumeration of money, services, drinks, food, or anything else written about here.
Other
Working Out – Maybe you don’t feel like walking or running on the beach and want to get a Zumba class in or something. Check out the Orange Beach Community Center or the Bodenhamer Community Center in Gulf Shores. Both have exercise classes and aquatic facilities. My wife has used both facilities in recent years.
Craft Beer – Check out the Big Beach Brewing Company in Gulf Shores. Their beer is pretty good and they have a brewery cat as a bonus. Also check out Maggies Bottle and ‘Tail in Orange Beach. They have wide selection of Craft Beer in bottles, cans, and on tap and various wines. They can fill your growler or get you a crowler. Plus they have a parlor where you can sip your brew and listen to some of their vinyl. And they have canned wines. Remember, no glass on the beach!!
Supplementary Material Suggested by Readers of this Post
The fine folks over at BeachnRiver Kayaks, mentioned above provided a link to several suggestions. Visiting Fort Morgan that at one time guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay, The gorgeous Bellingrath Gardens south of Mobile, the battleship USS Alabama moored just east of Mobile, and other attractions. Our family have visited several of these and can second their nominations. Here are posts I have made of our visit to Bellingrath Gardens, the USS Alabama, and Fort Morgan.
They also provided a link to the the Bon Secour Pine Beach Trail if you are interested in a little hiking and birding in the area.
We are on vacation this week down on the Alabama Gulf Coast. We decided to stop on the way and check out the USS Alabama. A World War II era battleship now permanently docked at Mobile Bay as part of Museum honoring the ship, its crew and other ships and aircraft.
My brother served on the a sister to the Alabama, the USS Missouri which was brought back to life and refitted during the Reagan years. The Missouri is now part of a museum and is anchored right next to the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. I got on the deck of the Missouri during its christening ceremony in San Francisco but of course they were not letting civilians below decks. So I was interested in what the ship was like. Brother Bob said that space was extremely tight.
And he wasn’t kidding. The passageways are narrow, and the steps are steep. It was hot and muggy and although the ship is well ventilated and has some air conditioned places, most are not and so we cut the tour a little short. I would love to go back when the weather is milder and explore more.
They have an Air museum in the same complex that was interesting. All sorts of displays of old airplanes. They also had a display on the lives of the Vietnam POWs. Those men are true heroes.
They had some outside displays as well, an SR 71 Blackbird spy plane, a Boeing B52D Stratofortress Bomber along with tanks, and personnel carriers. And if you are into geocaching, there is a virtual geocache on site.
The museum is right off Interstate 10 just east of downtown Mobile, on the other side of the tunnel under the bay.
