Tag: Alabama

RV Life Daily Blog – New Year’s Eve 2023

Sunday, December 31, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

We started the day with breakfast and mimosas. Afterward, Rich helped a neighbor lady fix her television that wasn’t working, and I spent the entire morning reading and writing.

A good Mimosa is just pulp-free orange juice and good brut champagne. Half and half, or two-thirds orange juice and one-third champagne. Depends on your personal preference as to how strong you make it.

We video-called family and watched them open the Christmas presents we sent.

The toys, games, and books were a hit with the grandsons.

After the youngest grandson decided he was done and turned us off, we headed to The Wharf in Orange Beach for supper and New Year’s Eve music and fireworks. A couple we met at the campground followed us there.

We parked the car and walked toward the main street and noticed confetti on the ground everywhere we looked. Earlier in the day there was a confetti drop for the kids. How fun it would have been to be there for that.

We headed to Yo Ho Rum and Tacos for supper. We found this place a while back and loved it. The ambiance makes us feel like we are in a high-quality place while eating reasonably priced-food. Tacos are only $4 each here at regular price and are amazing.

We visited and talked and laughed while watching the sunset in the west.

After supper, we headed to the Boat Bar and sat in some of these blue chairs near the band. The four of us had a blast drinking and laughing and people-watching. I found out that the lady we were with has the same birthday as me. How often does that happen?

I was glad we showed up early, ate some food, and found perfect seats before the huge crowds showed up. It was quite chilly once the sun went down and we were cold. We all had on long pants, long sleeves, and coats and we were still cold.

Some of the people, especially young girls, walked by wearing shiny miniskirts, four-inch high heels, and skimpy tops. They looked beautiful, but I bet they were freezing in the 40-degree temperatures.

I never did find out the name of the band, but they were quite good. They played a mixture of 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. I heard a lot of Elton John songs, Fleetwood Mac, and even some country songs by Alabama.

It was a great New Year’s Eve. It ended up getting too cold for us four old people to stay clear until midnight. We left at 10:30 as it was also getting too crowded and too loud. We wimped out on the fireworks.

Crawling in bed at 11:30, we were able to hear the huge fireworks at midnight only two miles away. I have seen so many fireworks in my lifetime that I was able to close my eyes and see them as I listened to them.

It was a great way to end the year of 2023. We had a nice evening out with new friends, good food, and good music.

I hope you had a nice New Year’s Eve too.

Thanks for reading.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/30/23

Saturday, December 30, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

It’s New Years Eve Eve!

As I sit here drinking my coffee and glancing out the window, I can see that the campground is beginning to fill up with RVers from all over the country; mostly northerners coming south for the winter.

I expect that a lot of them stayed home to spend Christmas with their families before coming south to warmer weather for January, February, and March.

We have met travelers from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, just in the last few days. Last week someone from Montana pulled in.

It was such a nice day we decided to get out of the RV and go do something. The first place we went was to the Gulf State Park on Lake Shelby.

Although we have driven through the park we had not pulled in and parked or looked around much. The pier is partially closed due to damage sustained from Hurricane Sally.

There were lots of decorations and I bet it is pretty after dark. I wonder what people in Ohio would think if we had put a lighted alligator in the yard.

Or a shark. The park was booming with tourists. There seems to be more people now that Christmas is over. It is also vacation week for many and we have been seeing more college students.

From the park, we headed east from Orange Beach to Perdido Key. The condos and hotels along the shore are magnificent, and gated.

We drove past Perdido Key to Pensacola and pulled into Palafox Pier. It was packed and all parking spots were full. I didn’t want to walk two blocks so I just snapped a picture of the Plaza de Luna Memorial Monument as we drove past.

Located on South Palafox Street at the end of Palafox Pier. Visitors to Plaza de Luna are greeted by a life-size statue of Don Tristan de Luna, a splash fountain, concessions, and historic markers. It’s a great place to fish, walk, and enjoy a cool breeze. — Pensacola Parks & Recreation

This is a beautiful area, and we will come back on a nice day and much earlier so we can park closer.

We drove by an old Rolls-Royce and Rich said to get a picture of it.

Google says it is a 1960s (63 — 65) Silver Cloud.

Next, we pulled into the picnic area on the south side of the Naval Live Oaks Nature Preserve, which is north of Pensacola Beach.

The seagrass beds in the shallow waters here provide habitat, food, and protection for fish, crabs, and shrimp. A family (mom, dad, and three little children) walked past us carrying buckets and scoopers. I asked them what they were looking for and they said crabs.

Rich walked around down near the water while I stayed up on the shore.

My right knee is quite sore, and swollen, and hurts to walk on it. Rich said he didn’t want me to go down there cause the sand looked wet and squishy.

We both wondered what these hundreds of little sand volcanoes were so I Googled it of course. It seems during extremely low tides, ghost shrimp will burrow up to four feet deep and wait for higher water.

Ghost shrimp live in the Gulf of Mexico and are more closely related to crabs, than to shrimp.

I doubt he is going to find anything. Google says that these shrimp burrow up to four feet deep. Ghost shrimp can live up to six days in burrows such as these without any air or oxygen.

We drive by Columbia Southern University every day on the Foley Express. It is a beautiful building and I decided to get a photo of it today.

We didn’t have much alcohol on hand for the new year, so we decided to stop in a liquor store and pick up a few things. We do enjoy drinking whiskey and soda (like Sprite Zero and Pepsi Zero). This package of Jim Beam and a glass was only $15.99.

We also enjoy some Vodka and Diet Cranberry Juice occasionally. This bottle of Seagram’s was only $6.99. We drink diet because of our sugar. Rich is a severe diabetic and has to watch. I am only borderline.

And of course, for breakfast, a good Mimosa cocktail hits the spot. Some people like 2 parts Champagne to 1 part juice. We usually just do about half and half.

Thanks for allowing me to share another day with you. And thanks for reading.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/24/23

Sunday, December 24, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

The phone rang at 7:00 a.m. this morning and it was the two grandsons from Connecticut wanting to wish Grandpa Rich a Happy Birthday! Yes, today is his birthday. He is 63 today.

We were on the phone with them when in ran two little granddaughters who jumped on the bed and kissed and hugged him to wish him a happy birthday too.

Before long the son in South Korea tried to call and the son in Connecticut told him to wait his turn because he was too late and they beat him to it. Ha ha.

It was a wonderful fun morning spent on the phone for an hour and a half with all three kids, one in Connecticut, one in South Korea, and the daughter from Ohio who was here in the RV with us. In instances like this, technology is such a blessing.

We currently have five grandchildren, two in Connecticut, and the three who came to see us with our daughter. She left her husband at home for three days. I guess he didn’t mind too much. We still have one son left who might give us some grandchildren, but who knows?

After a fun morning of Happy Birthday wishes, the daughter and three grandchildren had to pack up and get to the airport to fly back home to Ohio. We had a wonderful visit for three days and it came to an end too soon.

But time goes fast and before we know it, winter will be over and we will head back up north to Ohio.

Rich drove them to the Destin airport while I stayed home and began cleaning and organizing the RV back to normal. It didn’t take long. And now they are gone.

By lunchtime, rain began to fall in Foley, Alabama and I received wind warnings, rip tide warnings, and coastal flood warnings on my phone. We are the blue dot in the photo above. Rich came home, ate some lunch, and went back to bed for a nap. I think he is worn out.

I spent the quiet, rainy afternoon reading and writing while watching movies.

I watched the 1999 movie “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, then the 2001 sequel “The Mummy Returns,” then the 1996 movie “Independence Day” starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman, and finally the 2004 movie “The Day After Tomorrow” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid.

Four of my favorite movies that I have purchased on Amazon Prime and have seen a dozen times or more each, but I can always watch them and enjoy them each time. I know them all by heart so I don’t have to pay attention to know what is going on.

I have tons of movies like this that I will watch over and over and over.

My knee is sore from walking so much the past three days. Honestly, it is more than sore. I fear it is getting worse instead of better. I walked too much and it is swollen today in the knee joint and hurts to walk on it. I plan to remain in the recliner with it elevated for the rest of the day.

Happy Birthday to my other half and Merry Christmas Eve to all my readers and friends.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/22/23

December 22, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Some of our Ohio family flew down to southern Alabama last night to see us. Oh, how special it is when two little granddaughters come running into the RV and give the biggest hugs ever!

We spent last night in the RV visiting and playing games. We are the game playing grandparents.

This morning we cooked a big breakfast outside consisting of eggs, bacon, and toast. By 10 a.m. we were on our way to the beach with a picnic lunch of pb and j, chips, and apples.

The first place we showed them was the Bon Secour Nature Preserve. And then we took them to Gulf Shores Beach. It was awful windy today so we didn’t stay too long.

The sandy beach at Gulf Shores is long and wide and the view is beautiful.

The girls found a few nice shells but not many. The ocean water was warmer than the air.

The youngest granddaughter lives in the moment enjoying everything about where she is right now. No worries at all about what will happen next.

She is the one who had leukemia and is in remission. She is six years old.

We had so much fun watching her jump the waves and try to build a sand snowman that didn’t look like a snowman at all.

She also had fun chasing the seagulls around.

The older two grandchildren, 16 and 9, only enjoyed the windy beach for a short time because they are more into shopping the gift shops so we took them to some of the beach and surf shops before taking them to the Wharf.

The Wharf is a fun shopping and restaurant venue located in Orange Beach not to far from our campground.

The Ferris wheel is $8 per person and the train ride is $6 per person.

There are a lot of shops and restaurants and even an arcade. At the arcade they played unlimited games for 30 minutes for like $20.

The kids did it all and by the time we walked all the shops my knee needed a break.

We ate at Yo Ho Rum and Tacos and sat at a table outside by the canal water.

They have $2.50 20 oz. Margaritas and Rum Punch everyday until 6 p.m. and classic beef or chicken tacos were only $3 each. All six of us ate and drank for only $50.

Afterward the girls got an icee for dessert. I laughed at the brain-freeze snowman in the window.

When we got back home to the RV the kids and their mother had a cartwheel and handstand contest. I sat and took pictures.

Having the RV a mess gives me the feeling of the Christmas morning unwrapping mess that I don’t get anymore. I loved seeing the mess.

It’s late, I am worn out, my right knee is swollen, and I am ready for bed. I can’t wait to see where they will drag us tomorrow.

Transplanted Alabamians

December 21, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

But always Ohio State Buckeyes

After living in Alabama since November 1, I feel tempted to call us transplanted Alabamians.

We have learned to love the beaches here in southern Alabama especially and are tempted to stay even longer.

Alabama State Flag

I learned that the Alabama state flag is a red x on a white background. It is supposed to resemble the crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white. We see a lot of these state flags flying.

Since we have already been here for nearly two months and are planning to stay another month, I thought it would be nice to learn more about the great state of Alabama.

Alabama State Bird

According to Wikipedia, the Alabama state bird is the Northern Flicker.

Photo Copyright: © ficusfoxone — http://www.redbubble.com/people/ficusfoxon

The northern flicker or common flicker is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family.

It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate.

I would love to see one of these birds while we are here and get my own photograph of one.

But — according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, the Alabama state bird is the yellowhammer. One of the nicknames of Alabama is the Yellowhammer State.

Either way, I have never seen either one of these birds in person and would love to find them.

Alabama State Flower

Photo Copyright https://camforest.com/products/c-jacks

The Alabama state flower is the camellia. It is a gorgeous flower and I have yet to see any of them.

Being here during November, December, and January is the ideal time for them to bloom, but I have yet to find any.

I guess I will need to be more observant of some of the blooms we see as we drive down the road.

Alabama State Tree

The Alabama state tree is the longleaf pine. We have seen a lot of these all the way from the northern part of the state down here to the southern tip. We even found bald eagles nesting in them.

The capital of Alabama is Montgomery and the oldest city is Mobile as it was founded in 1702. I hope to explore Mobile in the coming weeks, but we haven’t ventured that way yet.

A couple of interesting points —

Alabama has some of the strictest laws in the nation surrounding abortion. All abortions after the point of conception–the fertilization of an egg–is illegal. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Can You Still Get an Abortion in Alabama?

Marijuana is only legal for medical purposes in Alabama.

Patients eligible to buy weed in Alabama can only do so at licensed marijuana dispensaries.

As of August 2023, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission just awarded licenses to four medical marijuana dispensaries and five integrated facilities with approved dispensary locations.

This means that the legal sale of cannabis will likely begin in late 2023 or early 2024. When sales begin, consumers will not be allowed to buy smokable cannabis flower, marijuana paraphernalia, hash and concentrates.

Sales of recreational marijuana remain illegal in Alabama.

https://www.alabamacannabis.org

Thanks for coming along with us on our journeys and learning more about the states we visit.

 

 

 

 

Beach Birds of Southern Alabama

December 20, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

A photo story of many birds in one place

We were shocked to see so many different breeds of birds in one place at a remote beach just west of the main Gulf Shores Beach. From Gulf Shores, we headed west on 182 and found a public parking area with access to the beach.

We found great blue herons, brown pelicans, willets, sanderlings, and seagulls all in one place.

We have seen several great blue herons while here, and I will never tire of photographing them. They are beautiful birds.

This one was sitting not too far from where we were walking and then it took to flight. I was fortunate enough to catch a photo of him in flight that was not blurry.

He flew to the nearest building and perched on the roof.

As we neared the beach we saw several pelicans resting on the sea wall.

The pelicans were not too bothered by us and were fun to watch. These are brown pelicans. The brown pelican and the American white pelican are the only two species seen on the southern Alabama coast.

The juveniles are brown all over and the adults have a white head and neck.

The willet is common in all areas of the Gulf Coast of Alabama. They are basically an extra-large sandpiper. We are seeing them everywhere we go.

I must declare myself a bird watcher. I am a person who enjoys watching and observing birds in their natural habitat.

Seagulls are common near any type of water. I was surprised to find out there are several types of gulls found on the Alabama coast. Google says the photo above is a white gull and the photo below is a laughing gull.

The sanderlings are also plentiful here on the southern coast of Alabama.

They are small wading birds and are fun to watch as they scurry along the beach sticking their long beak into the sand to find food. They are also part of the sandpiper family.

Before we left, the great blue heron came back and landed nearby as if to say so long. He stayed put while we walked by and allowed me to take several more photos of him. Who knows if this was the same bird or not, but I can pretend it was him.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the many birds of the southern Alabama coast as much as we did. Thanks for stopping by.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/15/2023

December 16, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The first thing I did this morning was open the window blinds to let the pretty sunshine in.

The second thing I did was spend a couple of hours on Medium reading and writing.

Then I decided I better get some Christmas cards written and mailed. It is the 15th of the month already. Who knows how slow the snail mail delivery will be? If I get the cards in the mail today, the USPS has 10 days to get them to my family.

I was a little sticker-shocked when I asked for four postage stamps and she said $2.66! Excuse me?! I had a half a roll of forever stamps when we moved into the RV and it has taken me two years to use them all. I didn’t realize how expensive they were now.

After the post office, we put gas in the car at $2.49. I remember paying over $6 a gallon when we were in the state of Washington in May of 2022.

With a full tank of gas, we headed south toward Gulf Shores and turned west on Fort Morgan Road.

We stopped at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and walked out on the beach. As the surrounding area becomes increasingly developed, Bon Secour is a natural oasis of wildlands, where wildlife can exist without harm.

The dune areas are off-limits and protected. This is the place to come early in the morning for large seashells. We found some pretty good-sized broken ones.

I also found some large mushrooms along the path and of course, had to take pictures of them.

And then I saw another amazing large oak tree that I just had to get a photo of.

We drove on down to the end of the road at Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is a State Historical Site so our National Park Pass didn’t work for entrance.

The entrance fee is $8 per adult. We opted out for now and just took photos of what we could see from the road.

This is also the location of the Dauphin Island Ferry that goes back and forth from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island.

We didn’t take the ferry today. Hopefully another day but it’s a little pricey.

We parked and walked out on the fishing pier. There was a man out there fishing who said he was from Scotland.

Another interesting site that I had to get a picture of was the oil rig just off the coast. I’m not sure if these are oil rigs or natural gas but there were several of them.

The only battery we could see without entering the fort was the Battery Dearborn on the road as we drove past. It was built in 1900 and completed in 1901. It was named after Henry Dearborn who was a distinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War.

We came home, had homemade chili soup for supper, and cleaned our seashell haul of the day.

Then we spent the evening watching Christmas movies on television.

It was another great day living in an RV that is currently parked in Foley, Alabama. Thanks for following along on our journeys.

 

 

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/14/23

December 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

We spent the morning deep-cleaning the RV. We swept and dusted everything well, used Pledge and Windex, opened windows, and cleaned the screens. It was a warm sunny day. It was so refreshing to open the windows and get fresh air flowing in and out of the windows.

I have a shark vacuum but I would rather use the shop vac for the edges and furniture.

After lunch, we went for a drive over to Mobile Bay and explored a little bit along the bay coast.

The first place we stopped at was Mary Ann Nelson Park. There were several pelicans on the piers in the photos below.

This is a wonderful small park with a picnic table and a tiny public beach area.

Located clear down on the eastern point of Mobile Bay and Bon Secaur Bay, this is a nice place not to be missed.

From here we headed up Highway 1 north to Mullet Point Park closer to Fairhope, Alabama.

There isn’t much here except a boat ramp and dock. The views of the bay today were gorgeous.

Highway 1 turns into Scenic Highway 98 and continues up the bay to Point Clear and Battles Wharf. There are a couple of spots where you can stop and see the bay, but mostly this drive is filled with private residences.

From here, I took Rich on a side trip to the Point Clear Confederate Rest Cemetery.

The sign says that the Grand Hotel and the Gunnison House served as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers from the Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War.

More than 300 Confederate soldiers who died in the hospital are buried here.

The identities of these soldiers were kept in the hospital records until a fire in 1869 destroyed all the records and the names of the soldiers buried here were lost forever.

We finished our scenic drive for the day at the Fairhope Municipal Pier. This is a well-known fishing pier in the area that boasts great fishing, lots of pelicans, scenic views, and a seafood restaurant.

North Beach, which is right beside the pier, was closed and we weren’t able to drive to North Beach Park. We didn’t feel like going any further north so we headed back home from the pier.

The evening was spent watching Christmas movies on one of the free LG internet channels we get on our LG TV. We saw Scrooged, The Christmas Story, Jack Frost, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

What did you do today?

Thanks for reading and being interested in our travels.

RV Life Daily Blog 12/09/23

December 10, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise –

Today was a beautiful warm day in Foley, Alabama. The temperature was 79 and humid. We turned on the air conditioning for the first time this month.

We stayed home today for the most part and relaxed outside. We are parked at Alabama Coast Campground and as of now plan to stay put until the end of January.

We played a few games of Sequence this afternoon. It has become one of our favorite games. We have quite the competition and always play at least the best out of five games. And I painted my fingernails a pretty coral green.

The neighbors across the way put up some Christmas decorations today. It was fun watching him put the Santa up.

We left home at 4:00 pm and headed to the Portage Creek Canal and parked the car on E. Canal Drive with tons of other vehicles to watch the annual Christmas Boat Parade.

With a perfect view of the canal, we set up the lawn chairs and relaxed until dusk. The boat parade begins at Lulu’s Gulf Shores and ends at The Wharf in Orange Beach.

The neighbors sitting beside us were extremely nice and conversational. We visited with them and listened to Christmas music together. They informed us that there will be fireworks on the beach on New Year’s Eve.

The first Christmas boat parade we ever saw was last year in Florida. Having lived in Ohio our whole lives we didn’t know there was such a thing.

Fog started to roll in just around dusk as the parade started due to the warm temperature of the air and colder water temperatures.

It was a wonderful parade with a lot of fun decorated boats playing loud Christmas songs. The boats here were much larger than the ones we saw last year in Florida.

We were back home by 6:00 pm and it was already dark. We aren’t allowed to have fires here, mostly due to the statewide burn ban. It would have been a nice night to sit outside around a fire.

Thanks for traveling with us and reading about our adventures. I hope you had an enjoyable day today like we did.

The Significance of the Butterflies

December 9, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

On the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast

Exploring the Gulf Coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle is exciting. Not only have I been able to photograph the ocean and several water birds, but I have been seeing a lot of butterflies.

I’ve never seen this kind of butterfly before that I remember. The Gulf fritillary, also known as the passion butterfly, is quite common here.

I watched this pair for quite a while and took several photos.

Did you know that seeing a Gulf fritillary butterfly has spiritual significance for many cultures? It carries with it the spiritual significance of transformation and the resilience to overcome obstacles. It reminds us to have faith and focus on our dreams instead of our fears.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Spiritual Meaning: Transformation!

It is a beautiful creature with its bright orange color and black markings. I was mesmerized watching them flutter around.

The article above says that seeing this butterfly can be a sign from the universe urging us to welcome changes and evolve.

I wonder what the universe is trying to tell me.

* * * * *

We also saw several monarchs in the same area feeding on the small white daisies. I wasn’t able to get a photo with his wings fully opened.

This beautiful orange and black butterfly symbolizes hope, rebirth, and transformation.

The Monarch is in trouble. Its population has dropped significantly in the past decade. There are many concerns about its future.

“The monarch butterfly is considered to be the king of butterflies and the most beautiful of all butterflies in the world,” says Cristina Panescu, spiritual healer and psychic.

The Symbolic Meaning of Crossing Paths With a Monarch Butterfly

* * * * *

The third species of butterfly we saw today is a Common (or Gray) Buckeye.

I am not a professional so I don’t know for sure if this is a plain common buckeye or a common gray buckeye. I think there is a difference. At first, I thought this was a moth.

Two separate ones were flying around together. The second one appears to be a little darker than the first one. But it could be the lighting. Once again I watched them for a long time. Thank goodness Rich is patient.

This butterfly is also associated with transformation as well as endurance.

In various cultures and spiritual beliefs, the butterfly, including the Buckeye, is considered a powerful symbol of metamorphosis and transition.

Buckeye Butterfly Spiritual Meaning? Transformation!

I feel a change or transition is in my future. I have seen several of these three butterflies in the past week. With the new year just around the corner, I wonder what 2024 is going to bring.

What do you think?