Branson by the Ocean a.k.a. Gulf Shores Alabama

So today reality sets in and its back to the daily grind.  I still haven't told you about our last day at Gulf Shores, Alabama so here goes.

We left St. George Island around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.  Next stop, Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama. We drove along the coast most of the way.  Lots of swamp logging going on in this area and somewhat unfortunate to see so many closed businesses and abandoned buildings scattered along the coast line.

 It was a different story when we got into Orange Beach/Gulf Shores.  I compare it to a place we have in the southern part of Missouri called Branson.  Lots of people, lots of cars, and a bunch of tourist type attractions.  So to me Gulf Shores was Branson by the Ocean.

 It has a higher density of people and high rise accommodations than my heart desires but we have never been here and now we know.




    
The slogan for Gulf shores is "Small Town, Big Beach"  The beach was wide and where we stopped there was probably 3-4 people deep on the beach.  It was late afternoon and I'm sure the bulk of the crowd had retreated back to their hotels.  I could only imagine what the beach would look like during peak hours.  Probably a great place to people watch.  That's not a must do for me when I'm on vacation.  I'm sure many people enjoy their vacation there every year, but its just not my kind of relaxing.

What I call Branson by the Ocean

  



Gulf Shores at the Beach














We did have a good meal while in Gulf Shores.  "Louisiana Lagniappe".  Bayou Grouper melted in my mouth.  Since we were headed home the next morning I had to get my last taste of Grouper before leaving. 
 
They served hush puppies instead of bread at the table.  Nice touch!  We could have sat there and stuffed ourselves on the hush puppies alone.
 
Do you know where the term "Hush Puppies" came from?
 
The first recorded reference to the word "hush-puppy" dates to 1899.
Hushpuppies are a food with strong ties to the Southern United States, although they are available in many areas of the United States on the menus of deep fried fish restaurants. The name "hushpuppies" is often attributed to hunters, fishermen, or other cooks who would fry some basic cornmeal mixture (possibly that they had been bread-coating or battering their own food with) and feed it to their dogs to "hush the puppies" during cook-outs or fish-fries.
Other hush puppy legends purport to date the etymology of the term "hushpuppies" to the Civil War, in which soldiers are claimed to have tossed fried cornbread to quell the barks of Confederate dogs.
 
So I'm not sure if the folks at Louisiana Lagniappe were feeding us hush puppies to keep us quite but I wasn't going to share mine with the dogs!
 
 
 
 
 

 Our view during dinner at Louisiana Lagniappe



 It was nice sitting at dinner and watching the boats come in from a day at sea.  I think to really enjoy this place you probably need to charter an excursion out on the ocean.
 
Overall we put on about 3,300 miles on the odometer this year.  It was a great time.  The ocean welcomed us.  Paradise treated me to a rare find of a Lion's paw and a chance to kick back and enjoy our time together.  I'm already missing my afternoon naps under the beach umbrella with the fresh ocean air blowing in my face.

I got my copy of the Island Sun newspaper today with my cheesy picture of my shell find.  Right next to it was another picture of a couple who found a Lightning Whelk, Fighting Conch, and a cockle!!!! I don't feel so bad now. I know how hard it is to find a Cockle on Sanibel!!!!! LOL
 
I know I'm bias towards Sanibel & Captiva once paradise gets a hold on you, You'll never let go.
 
Now for a little "Shell Porn".  It's ok its rated G. 
 
 
 



 
  
We did pick up a few gifts for those that were not fortunate to be with us this year.  We found these neat little shadow boxes at Dream catcher in Sanibel. When you shine a light in the top of the box the scene comes to life.


 
 


 

 
 
 
 
 
 
PLAY GOLF, NOT THIS YEAR
 
RENT A BIKE,  NOPE
 
FLOAT IN THE GULF,  ALMOST EVERY DAY
 
SLEEP IN & STAY UP LATE, SURE DID
 
PLAY TENNIS & SHUFFLEBOARD, ARE YOU KIDDING ME
 
EAT TOO MUCH,  SOO TRUE
 
CATCH A FISH,  DOES ONE LANDING ON MY BOOGIE BOARD COUNT?
 
OR JUST DO NOTHING!  TOPS ON MY LIST
 
 
Wow, I got so much done on my stretch of lazy this year.  hope you enjoyed the blog as much as we enjoyed our time there.

Comments

Shelllady said…
I'm with you RC, Sanibel is so nice to me because it's not a 'Branson by the Ocean' That's what makes it so nice!! I always say that the Gulf Coast is like Old Florida and the East Coast is like Branson!

Gotta love the shell porn!! You guys did really well this year! and I LOVE the light boxes!!

Keep posting even though you are not at Sanibel! Your blog is such fun! I love your posts!! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!! 3300 fun miles!! Glad you and your bride made it home safely!!
June 23, 2014 at 8:31 PM
Kim@Snug Harbor said…
I agree with Shelllady - you should post more often.

That sharks eye looks like a nice one. You got some good shells. We didn't get a lot of good ones this year and probably brought home the least amount of shells we ever did.

Gulf Shores looks too crowded for my liking.
June 24, 2014 at 7:19 AM
sue in mexico mo said…
Year before last I decided we should try a different beach - that we were in a rut with our beloved Sanibel. . . We went to Savannah for a few days (great) and then to Tybee Island for a few days. It reminded me of the "strip" at Lake of the Ozarks. Sure learned our lesson! I am not even going to try any other beaches again! We leave this Sat. for two weeks on Sanibel. :)

I enjoyed your trip reports and your blog posts.
June 25, 2014 at 12:53 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Beach

Image
Posting a little later today sitting out on the lania listening to the thunder roll and having a glass of Liquid Lubrication. Strawberry/Plum wine 2008.  (It was a very good year).   As you regulars on the forum know I enjoy making homemade wine.  This one was actually made by a friend of mine.  His name is Gil.  He's the one that introduced me to the art of winemaking.  Strawberry Plum 2008   Gil is best described as one of those country boys that can survive. He's does it all from making his own deer sausage to turning various fruits into liquid lubrication he makes some good stuff!  The first time I saw him making deer sausage I was a bit perplexed he was using the camper on the back of his old Ford pickup as a smoker.  I thought the darn truck was on fire when I first saw it.  Some of the best deer sausage I ever ate. Before I get to todays agenda I should back up a bit to dinner last night.  The wife and I headed out to Thistle Lodge.  It has become a regular dinn
Read more

In the Blink of an Eye

Image
It's been a rough week this week.  While I generally keep my blog on the lighter side.  My words come from my head, but my desire to write comes from my heart.  My heart this week has felt both pain and Joy some of which I'll share with you today. On Monday Nov. 20th I'm on the mends from a rough couple of days on what looks like could be a precursory strike from a future Kidney Stone.  Spent a couple of days on pain meds, telling myself I'm not going to the ER.  Carol's been battling the crud and been coughing a lot for the past week.  We get a visit from Kristine, our daughter (technically Daughter-in law) but we adopted here years ago when she moved down here from Oregon to carve out a life with our son Ryan.  In her selfless manner, she's here to deliver a spare nebulizer to her Missouri mom, who's been fighting the crud.  Why? Because that's just who she is. She didn't visit for long, and we shared a few passing comments about her not wanting to
Read more

Hey Mike,Mike,Mike Hump Days are not allowed on vacation!

Image
So I have been a little behind in posting to the blog this year.  The time is flying by way too fast.  Wednesday's plan was a day at the beach.  I started off by getting a few shots of the sunrise from the dock.  Nothing like watching the world wake up in paradise.  I was then off to Baileys for some Doughsants.  This was another first for us.  We never heard of a doughsant before but thought what the heck lets give them a try.  I kind of envisioned the light airy texture of a croissant mixed with the glazed goodness of a doughnut. The folks at Baileys are so polite.  The lady at the Bakery counter told me this batch came out smaller than normal so they gave me double the amount for the same price! The outside was like I expected but there was some sort of filling inside a little like a cream cheese but with some sort of flavoring that was not sweet.  Sorry not a big fan of the doughsant   er Doughsants from Baileys We headed to the beach after breakfast the ocean was rolling in w
Read more

Mission: Florida Georgia Line Codename: Zero Dark Thirty

Image
Waking up before alarm goes off at zero dark thirty a.k.a. 2:00 a. m.: check Hot shower and a shave:  check Cooler iced and ready for action: check Last minute items loaded in truck: check iPod loaded with tunes and podcast for the trip:  check Tall Tall cup of coffee which I will regret later:  check Carry the sleeping beach angels to the truck try not to wake them or they'll turn into devils:  check,check Say goodbye to the dogs, cats and other family members not fortunate enough to deploy on this mission: check, check, check Load the wife in the truck:  no need to check she wouldn't miss it for the world even if it meant sleeping overnight in the truck! So we deploy this mission on time  actually 1 hour earlier than we would mormally leave.  Everything  is going great until! We live in a rural area it's about a 40-50 mile drive over back roads to get to the interstate we need to get on. No problem, accept our intel for this mis
Read more

Time Out Tuesday

Image
S0 I have been up around 6 all week.  This morning was no different except I needed to be extra quiet because sometime during the night I got room visitors.  There were two Beach Angels sleeping on my floor!  Why they would give up their bed for the floor beats me.       Looks Comfy doesn't It So with camera in hand I headed down to the dock to capture some shots of the Sunrise.  I would normally have my photographer in tow but due to her bum ankle I'm on this mission alone.  I wanted to also head over to the Beach and walk down to Blind Pass. Another First this year capturing more Sunrises than Sunsets For some reason when it comes to the ocean I'm like that kid you tell to stay out of the water puddle.  If I'm near it I'm gonna get in in it.  What usually starts out as ankle deep ends up being knee deep in no time.  Just me and the relaxing sound of the waves to serenade me as I put on my best "Shell Whisperer" impression and begin scouring the surf
Read more

"The Sequel"-Day2

Image
The Day started out at Amy's over easy on the patio.  "The Beach Angels", "The Director" and "The executive Producer" made the curtain call.  "The Handler" and "The Roadie" slept in. This is the first time we've stayed at the house we're in this year.  It sits on an acre of ground and is very secluded.  The owner "Margarethe" seems like a very nice lady we met her yesterday.  She was stopping by to check on her cleaning crew when we showed up to unload.  The house is a two bedroom that they added a third bedroom and sitting area downstairs. Today we got to play "So You Think Your Smarter Than a Third Grader"   The Handler and the Roadie took the downstairs bedroom. They were a little freaked out when we got here yesterday because they said the bathroom downstairs didn't have a door. Today one of the Beach Angels had to show "The handler" how to use a pocket door.  So NO "The Handler
Read more

Tuesday's addition chasing the sunrise

Image
So Tuesday we spent on the beach.  The nice thing about being right on the beach is you seem to spend much more time on it.  We have logged quite a few hours on beach time this week.  Since we only see it once a year the more time soaking up the sun and the surf the better. On Tuesday morning we got out early Carol wanted to see if she could get some pictures of the sunrise.  We are not on the best part of the island for sunrise or sunset pictures we are spoiled from spending so much time on Captiva where sunset especially, is worshiped. One beach Angel (Taylor) was up for the task the other Beach Angel (Lexi) did one of her favorite things SLEEP! When we hit the beach like a kid and a mud puddle I'm drawn to the water and automatically go into treasure hunting mode.  I looked up and Carol and Taylor are gone.  They were on a mission to find that sunrise and it was some where down the beach around the bend. A quick check of my pockets,  no cell phone check, no wa
Read more

Butt Cheek Beach

Image
We are staying on Grassy Key, it's one of 13 islands that make up Marathon.  The house is right on the water on the Gulf side.   The view from our house  The water in this area is relatively shallow, and the pier on the right is part of the property.  Looking forward to some stunning sunsets.  I hope to see plenty of wildlife as the waters here are very clear, and it's easy to see the bottom.                                                                                 The house on Marathon The street we are located on is very quiet and the houses next to us are vacant. It makes it feel like our own little personal paradise. After getting things unloaded, we go out to check out the pier and about halfway down the pier, we get our first glimpse of wildlife. Lobster Anyone? Carol   has always been the chief logistics officer when it comes to taking these trips.  She's responsible for making sure everything gets packed, and over the years she's fine-tuned her list to inc
Read more

Merica Road Trippin Chapter 4 Heaven's Peak

Image
This trip only came about because of a suggestion from my co-pilot.  While Yellowstone was mentioned in our initial conversation, I didn't want to fight July crowds in Yellowstone.  We plotted out this path instead.  I'm so glad that we did, Glacier National Park is an amazing place.  This was technically just a road trip, we were basically just passing through the area while making our way back home from Oregon.  Our path exploring this area would take us along the Going-To-The-Sun Road.  It's a 52-mile route that takes you West to East through the park. I would consider going back sometime.  The raw, undeveloped beauty of this area, leaves one without words to describe the impression it has left in my memory.  Coming from a guy who has spent most of his vacations at the beach, you know I was impressed. The views are jaw dropping.   We were up early and at the West Glacier entrance before 6:00a.m.  We made a reservation and purchased a time entry pass months ahead.  If you
Read more

Superman & Tweety Bird

Image
Thursday morning it was time for more seafood omelet research.  We went to the Island Cow and I got a what?  answer: Seafood Omelet.  Just seeing if you've been paying attention.  The cow's omlete did have a pretty good amount of seafood but the crab meat was only shreds and there was more shrimp than anything.  There was also a watery consistency to the inside of the omelet that was most likely from not suffciently draining the seafood before adding it to the omlete. So ranking order so far IMO is: 1.  Hungry fisherman @  Lighthouse Cafe 2.  Crab & asparagus omelet @ Amy's Over Easy 3.  Loaded Seafood Omelet @ Island Cow On Thursday the high rollers came to Captiva.  I'm not referring to a group from vegas with money to burn, but mother nature rockin the waves in the gulf.  You know it's rough when you look down the beach as far as the eye can see and there is not more than a hand full of people in the water. We went into the water for about 2 minutes an
Read more