Tag Archives: Gulf State Park

Saturday’s Critters – At the Beach!!

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.

Pelicans on Patrol

I spotted a squadron of pelicans skimming the waves in the Gulf of Mexico. I presume they were looking for something to eat.

Brown Pelican at Perdido Pass

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.)

IMG_3174

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.

I am linking with Saturday’s Critters.

Our World – Beaching Good Times

Heather and I are on vacation this week. We are down in Orange Beach on the Alabama Gulf Coast. It’s our happy place.

Here’s my bride during our bicycling adventure at Gulf State Park. We rode 16 miles and it was great. Hardly any other people and some great trails.

It has three really nice lakes with marshes and it is incredibly gorgeous.

It’s also a great alligator habitat. We saw this momma and two babies chilling out by the trail. There are also “several” types of venomous snakes according to Park. Two years ago I went geocaching at the park while wife and son went parasailing. I had a great time but my head was on a swivel looking around.

We are right next to a beach bar. No bull, they had a rodeo last weekend. The condo was full of cowboys. They are the most polite people you will ever meet. They also like to party hard.

Saturday the beach was hopping between the cowboys with their hats on in the water and a bunch of happy, good natured people celebrating their football teams, LSU and Alabama seemed to be the most popular and playing incredibly loud tunes on their speakers that they actually rolled out across the beach on wheels. They also were celebrating their favorite presidential candidate.

Sunday, we basically had the place to ourselves. The cowboys went on to their next rodeo and the partiers went back to work and school.

I’m linking with Our World Tuesday. Join in the fun.

Skywatch Friday – Alabama Edition

20180622-194715-8

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.

20180622-191433-12

Son always has a good time. He also carries a book with him wherever he goes. That’s a good habit to have.

20180621-191601-3

We cooked a couple shrimp dinners while we were there using fresh caught shrimp. We dined out on our balcony.

gulf state park skywatch-Edit

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.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

Life’s a Beach – In the Air, on the Ground, and in the Water

IMG_7562

Heather and Logan went on their parasailing adventure the other day. I didn’t go, the pics were taken by a boat hand.

IMG_7622

Up

IMG_7726

 

And then way up there!

IMG_7762

Before coming down for a little shark dip, and then the credit card went though and they went up again.

DSCN8424

While they were up there, I went to the beautiful Gulf State Park’s Backwoods Trail.

DSCN8426

And found some geocaches. No snakes, no bug bites (thanks DEET), but a few thorn scratches.

DSCN8415

Heather and I have taken several long beach walks along the Gulf underneath everchanging skies.

DSCN8429

And I have been crushing beers in the surf. That is what us guys do, we crush our beers. We have found some decent beer here finally. Alabama is a bigger beer wasteland than Oklahoma.

DSCN8446

And I found me a friend at the fishing pier at Gulf Shores. I’m not much of birdwatcher except for the big ones like this Brown Pelican.

Today, we are going on a Segway nature tour of the Gulf State Park. I’ll give you a report later.