On our recent trip to the Gulf of Mexico we decided to branch out and check out Pirate’s Cove. A beach bar not far by miles from where we were staying, maybe five or six miles, but over 45 minutes to drive to because of the all the bays and inlets.
It’s a laid back beach bar that was packed on the day we went. They are on the bay and I’d guess most motored their boats over there. They are famous for their hamburgers and their alcohol laced bushwhackers. We had one of each when we were there.
It has a funky vibe and is supposedly the inspiration for two beach songs. I don’t know if it’s true or not but the place is good and the songs are good so I’ll match them up but I’m not going to fight anybody over it. (Us photobloggers don’t fight.)
The first song attached to this place is Jimmy Buffet’s legendary, “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” I will say that I would put Pirate Cove’s Cheeseburgers near the top of my list. They are not cheap, if you are looking for cheap go somewhere else.
The other song is Kenny Chesney’s “Bar at the End of the World.” Pirate’s Cover is definitely out in the middle of nowhere. I would recommend making sure your car’s navigation system is working. Even then, we made a wrong turn or two. We started out in Alabama, ventured into Florida, and then back to Alabama to get there.
Not AI – I used Dynamic Auto Painter to modify a photograph.
The thing about a beach vacation is the beach and the water. Here is a scene from our condo balcony on the fifth floor with the gentle morning waves of the Gulf of Mexico rolling up on the beach. So we’d watch the Gulf from our condo with our morning coffee, breakfast, and newspapers. Then later we’d go hang out on the beach and then we would do a walk on the beach. Then we would go out and about town and return to beach in the late afternoon and then when it got dark we were back out on the balcony watching the Gulf some more. It was heaven.
This past couple of weeks, I have been hanging out at the beach in Orange Beach, Alabama. We love it there. I spent a lot of time sitting there letting the sun do its best to kill me with its death rays, while wondering about all the people that are part of the beach. The Beach Warriors. It’s a whole army of people.
Early in the morning, the fishing dads come down from their condos. Other dad’s bring out coolers, chairs, and shelters, set them up and the families don’t show up for hours.
The guys and gals that set the beach service up are out early as well. Talk about a job from hell, drag all that stuff out, set it up and sell only about 30% of the setups max. You can take photos for free though.
Most people bring their own chairs and such.
And you have the energetic beach runners. I used to do that some years ago when I still ran. Beach running is hard except for young people who just seem to glide along.
And the energetic youngsters running around like kids have done for thousands of years at the beach.
And then photo’s at the beach. This was a family directed event. The professional photographers work fast. Time is money you know. I loved this family they took all the different arrangements of people you can image. Youngsters, oldsters, moms and dads. They took their time.
And the beach kayakers. Lots of fun but the amount of energy spent per unit of fun was high. This guy was actually surfing his kayak in.
Stand up paddleboarding has a chill vibe. Lots lower energy per unit of fun. You have to have good balance!! With both kayaking and paddleboards you have the problem of hauling your watercraft across the beach to the water.
There was an Amish presence on the beach this year. During the day they all sit together and talk and visit. Nobody taking instagram selfies or anything like that. This evening they all turned their chairs around and watched the men play a version of baseball. Fun for everyone!
A catamaran came by at least once daily. Part of a dolphin tour just offshore. We’ve seen lots of dolphins go from west to east about ten in the morning and back late in the late afternoon. It’s one of those things where it is a lot more fun to watch with your eyes instead of trying to photograph or video.
The Alabama Highway Patrol cruised by once or twice checking everything out.
The beach patrol came by also checking to make sure we are safe, nobody is using glass, and your shelters are behind the designated line. Also, they have a final cleanup on the beach about 10 or 11. If you leave chairs or anything behind, they confiscate and dispose of them.
This is just a sampling of the Beach Warriors you come across on a beach.
We are having our family vacation in Alabama’s Gulf Coast. We love the beach and the Gulf of Mexico. This is a shot on Wolf Bay at Orange Beach. So I am on “minimal blogging mode.” I’m taking lots of photos to generate “content” as the youngsters say. The Skywatch Friday pages are already made and will come up as normal this week and next.
We went on our family vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama early in September. It was great because the crowds were gone and the weather was pleasant, but the water was still warm. It was perfect.
I spotted a squadron of pelicans skimming the waves in the Gulf of Mexico. I presume they were looking for something to eat.
We saw this lone wolf pelican at a nearby pass begging for food from the fishermen. We see these loners and I sense that most of them are juveniles and don’t quite know how to fend for themselves.
And near the pelican were some great blue herons. (At least I think that is what they are.)
I was on the balcony of our condo when I spotted this heron. I am thinking that he was looking for lizards.
We walked on the beach a lot. We saw lots of shorebirds standing and flying around.
Had a bunch of these birds
On a bicycle ride in nearby Gulf State Park we saw this alligator. We have been here before and there is almost always an alligator or two here.
And at the swimming pool one evening we spotted this lizard. He would puff his throat up to a bright red color. He’s lucky a heron didn’t see him is what I think.
We are still at the beach on our family’s vacation. We had a couple of warm days to wear we could sit on the beach for a few hours. The water was warm enough wade in but not for me to get in. Son got in for a little bit but he is young, right? And then it got cold so we go beach walking and hiking in a nearby State Park. Hey you know, a cold day at the beach is still okay.
I hope everybody is doing well!! I’m linking withSkywatch Friday.
From our recent vacation. Shadows from a fence protecting the dunes.
And Heather and I during one of our walks. We walked on the beach barefoot twenty five miles total. I kind of miss it. I love how skinny I am in this photo, and tall!!
We are back from our vacation to the gulf coast of Alabama (aka the “Redneck Riviera”). We had a great time as a family and will have lots of memories.
Son always has a good time. He also carries a book with him wherever he goes. That’s a good habit to have.
We cooked a couple shrimp dinners while we were there using fresh caught shrimp. We dined out on our balcony.
For the first time we explored Gulf State Park on bike. It is a sprawling park with beaches, lakes ponds, miles of trails, and multiple access points from the surrounding community.
We had a lot of fun and got to do some active relaxing.