March 9-March 14, 2019 - Meaher State Park, Spanish Fork, AL

March 9-March 14, 2019 - Meaher State Park, Spanish Fork, AL

Saturday, March 9, 2019 - A little before 11:00am, we pulled up our jacks this morning and left Buccaneer State Park, working our way further east to Meaher State Park near Spanish Fork, AL.  

Alabama here we come!

Cruise Ship

Entering the tunnel, under the water!  Eeek!

Notice how high the water is

As we drove through Mobile, AL and began to cross the bridges a short distance before we reached the park, we could see the water level here is also higher than normal.  I am praying there will not be any significant rain while we are here.


We were the last ones to pull in at 1:30pm.  We set up pretty quick.  I got busy inside while Dean finished up outside.  It wasn't long and we were visiting with our friends.  

This is a beautiful park and our site is water view.  In fact the view is so wonderful Dean has decided we should move the couch from in front of our back window, and move our chairs so we can turn to see out the windows within Bentley.  We'll see how it all works out.

One of the birds that frequented the shoreline behind us.

This little guy somehow found his way to the awning arm of Bentley.

This sign was behind our rig - and that thing that looks like a stick out in the water really is an alligator.  Below are the close-ups.

Alligator - we actually saw a number of them in our five days here but only in the water.  

A closeup I took with my camera - what a face!  Is it laughing, blowing a kiss, or ready to head in to shore to get a meal?

Everyone was checking out the alligators behind our rig - Rhonda, Mel, Keith, Dean and Cindy

What a beautiful evening here in Meaher State Park.

Sunday, March 10, 2019 - Visit to Bellingrath Gardens

Dean went with Mel to play golf this morning so I had a little time to myself.  I took advantage of it to do some straightening up and work on the blog.

Later, Linda walked over later to see if I'd like to go with her and Alvin to visit Bellingrath Gardens & Home, and of course I said yes.  Cindy is also joining us.  My goodness, this place was beautiful!  I'm not sure how many pictures I took - but now that I'm trying to figure out which ones to share with you - it was probably way too many!

Cindy & Linda

Unusual brick work.

Bellingrath Home

These young ladies were in the cafe as we were leaving and posed for me.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.  I just wanted to share the beauty.  I really enjoyed our time there.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.  If you'd like to know more about Bellingrath Gardens click here.

Afterwards we picked up Rhonda.  The five of us went to lunch at Bluegill Restaurant.  It was a very busy place and I can see why, as the meal I had was delicious.  It was a grilled chicken breast covered in cheese, bacon and jalapenos, on a bed of rice.  I ate half of it and took the other half back to Dean.

Our beautiful sunset tonight!

Monday, March 11, 2019 - Visiting the USS Alabama Battleship

Today all 9 of us loaded up in two trucks and headed back through the tunnel to the site of the USS Alabama Battleship.  It was very foggy this morning but it wasn't long until the sun burned it off.  It turned into a beautiful day.

It was pretty foggy when we first arrived.

By the time we paid for our tickets, and we got a little closer we could begin to make things out.

Once on board I saw a few areas of the ship - serving area for sailors.

Clean-up area

Sleeping quarters

Barber shop

Laundry

I started the tour of the ship but after climbing to the second floor, my back was giving me fits, and I had to leave Dean and the ship.  I walked down to the cafe, bought a cup of coffee, picked up a tourist book about Mobile, AL and found a window where I could look out at the ship while the others finished taking the tour.  Besides the battleship, there were a number of planes on display in a neighboring building, and a submarine that could also be toured.

It wasn't too long after I set down that I felt much better.  I can walk in the mornings and rarely have my back flare up, but walking slowly, stopping and starting is much different.  My poor posture most likely.  I do have a back brace that I sometimes wear and I may have to utilize it if we do another tour like this.  My back was really bothering me at the flower garden yesterday too, but I pushed through on it.  Today, it was just too painful.

Taken while I was in the cafe.

Drena, Dean and Keith joined me a little later and then the guys left to look through the building and submarine.  When everyone had finished we stopped at Felix's for dinner.  Alvin and Linda ran Mel and Rhonda back to the campground so they could go get new tires for their rig before they leave in a couple of days.  Linda and Alvin then joined us back at the restaurant.  I think everyone enjoyed their meal here.  Mine was delicious.  I had tomato basil soup and fish tacos.  Yum!  

Felix's

Decoration at the restaurant

From our table at Felix's - can you see the USS Alabama in the background?

Very interesting delivery of food - a separate waiter came out for each person at our table - 7 of us.  They stood behind us, and as the head waiter said something, they delivered all of our dishes to the table in front of us. 

My fish tacos

We returned to the campground where we enjoyed another evening visiting with each other.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Misti Dawn Blair - my first born, my daughter's birthday today!  Morning Walk, Dean & Mel - Swamp Tour, Pot Luck at 2

After I got up this morning I sent a text message to my daughter, Misti Dawn to wish her a happy birthday.  As I've mentioned before she has gone back to school full time to become a physical therapy assistant.  It's not easy to quit a job you've had for approximately 10 years, and go to school full-time.  I'm really proud of her for taking such a big step.  Her son just joined the Navy and her daughter is a Junior in High School.  She did great her first semester and I know she'll do well in this one as well.  Happy birthday Misti.  I love you and I am so proud of you!

Dean, Mel & Rhonda are taking a swamp tour at 12.  We are having a potluck dinner at 2, so after our 2 mile walk this morning I made deviled eggs.  I finished shortly before he left, and soon afterwards I started making bread pudding.  If I make it for a group I won't eat much and hopefully they will take any leftovers too!  In between I took advantage of the time to straighten things up in Bentley, and do some laundry.  

We walked our food and dinnerware over to Alvin and Linda's, where they had set up a canopy on their site for us to sit under during our meal.  It was delicious.  Pulled pork, salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, baked beans, sausage, cheese & crackers, sliced apples.  It was all delicious.  Dessert was bread pudding and key lime pie.  I tasted both but they were small helpings.  There was a little pudding left over and I froze it.  I froze the sauce separately this time. 

Mel, Rhonda, Linda

Linda, Drena, Cindy, Keith

Alvin (cooking the sausages) and Dean

Dean decided this afternoon would be the perfect time to move the couch and the chairs around, so we asked Keith to help him move the couch.  It was too heavy for me to try and do it.  They had it moved in no time and the chairs were not a problem to move.  I like the chairs in the back of the rig so we can see the view from three different sides, that is, if the TV is down. (it recesses into the cabinet)

Keith stayed to visit and Drena came over.  It's always nice to visit with these two.  After they left, I finished moving a few other things around.  The negative is the couch is closer to the table and chairs - which means the desk we want to put there would have to be smaller.  We'll have to think that through.  It is fine for now and we'll have time to decide if this is the way we want to leave it or not.  

We are having a great time with everyone as we all travel together.  

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - Mel & Rhonda Leave Us; Gulf Shores, AL

We walked our two miles this morning.  After having breakfast, we noticed Mel and Rhonda were hitching up.  They are leaving us this morning to head back home.  We've sure enjoyed spending time with them.  After hugs and "safe travels" to them, they pulled out.  

Shortly after that we all headed to Gulf Shores, AL.  Dean and I rode with Linda and Alvin, Cindy rode with Keith and Drena.  There has been some discussion about parking here part of February and March in 2020. The ride was enjoyable as we visited all the way there.  We visited Gulf Shores State Park, and another park they had heard about - the name has now escaped me.  While the parks were nice - it was BUSY here.  After the laid back parks we have stayed in on this trip - it just seems so commercialized and very BUSY.  Dean and I are committed to staying in Mission Jan-March in 2020.  We've sure enjoyed traveling with everyone, but we do like the weather in Mission and our time was so short this year.  We sure hope we can do some other traveling with this group at other times of the year.  In fact we plan to do that through a good part of June, approximately three weeks.  We are looking forward to that.

We stopped long enough to sneak over the sand dunes from a parking lot just to peek at the gulf.  Wow, the sea was angry today and put on quite a show as the waves slammed into the beach.  I could have sit here for hours, but we needed to catch up with the others.

We ate at DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen.  It was just okay!  Dean had catfish and I had a salad with pecan crusted chicken tenders.  It seemed to be a busy place and it had good reviews, but I would only give it a 3, and it was rated as 4.3.  

We stopped at a Fruit & Vegetable Market on the way home.  Linda and I both bought a cantaloupe and a box of strawberries.  Once we returned to the park, I washed some dishes I had left, cut up the fruit and set down for the evening.  Tomorrow we will be pulling up our jacks and moving further east.  Check back to see where we go!

It's not only been a great day, it's been a GREAT week!