March 1-5 Gulf Shores AL

We arrived late at our next campground, Gulf Breeze Resort in Gulf Shores.

This was due to a 90 mile detour to get the trailer tire fixed under warranty. (It was bulging outward—a manufacturer’s defect.)

On that first night in Alabama we discovered the local American Legion, a very active and friendly place. We went back there every night of our stay.

These folks are getting ready for a Euchre tournament.

For an excursion we took the Mobile Bay Ferry to Dauphin Island, visiting two forts, an Audubon Bird Sanctuary and the Estuarium in the process.

In the Fort Morgan museum

At Fort Gaines

Outside Fort Gaines. If you click on the sign you can read about this timber becoming a battering ram during Hurricane ?

This alligator was at the bird sanctuary.

A crab having lunch

That's a live shrimp to the left.

On the ferry toward Dauphin Island, we got out of the truck and read the explanation of the ExxonMobil platforms.

This is one of the platforms we passed.

The return ferry ride was much rougher. We stayed in the truck and watched waves blanket our windshield.

On our final full day we drove 6 miles to Billy’s Seafood to buy 2 lbs of fantastic gulf shrimp and view the adjacent shrimp boats.

Here Ray is reading about the area salt industry which thrived in the 1850's.

This boat was beached due to the BP oil spill.

This boat had just come in after 18 days of shrimping.