Gulf Shores, AL - January 18-20, 2025

I know.  It seems I'm always at the beach, at least lately.  There's just something about the waters of the oceans that draw me in.  But this is the last of my beach trips for some time.  I'm actually focussing some of my next travel planning on national parks although I probably should stay home for a few months first.....

I booked a resort in Gulf Shores for this weekend many months ago, before I had moved out of our marital apartment and the divorce was even filed.  At the time, I needed something to look forward to and a resort that had been on my radar for some months had rates in January that were hard to resist.  So I hit book and then I managed to promptly forgot about it until suddenly it was here.

I did something different this trip though - I mostly disconnected.  I removed the social media apps from my phone.  I didn't take my laptop or iPad.  And aside from a couple e-mails with my family, I really made no connections to the outside world.  It's funny how I wasn't ready for something like this in October but here in January it was freeing.

So on Saturday morning, I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. expecting I would likely be awake anyway.  I was on the road by 5:45 a.m.  With about a five hour drive ahead of me including stops, I had a plan to fill the hours before check-in.  My first stop was the Jeff Friend Trail in the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.  It had rained most of the drive down and was sprinkling when I arrived at this trailhead so I pulled out my rain jacket and the rain jacket for my camera.  This trail took me through forests, marsh areas, and along a saltwater lagoon.  As I started the hike, a bald eagle flew over.  I didn't get any good photos of this particular bald eagle but the eagle would become a focus this trip.

I like walking in the rain.  It's soothing.  It makes me feel more connected to Mother Nature and it usually leaves the trails empty (not many other people are as crazy as me) so that I can truly find solitude.  

This sea green moss was all over.

Me peeking into a swamp area - no birds or wildlife to see here but the textures and warmth of the colors caught my eye.

The Carolina Chickadees were present and loudly singing along this trail.  They are hard birds to capture with a camera because of how they never sit still so I'm proud of these two photos.

Back at the trailhead, I laughed a bit at this sign.  So I have to leave my clothes and not only lock my car but also take my keys with me?  Sometimes I think it would be entertaining to hear the stories behind why something needed to be put on a sign.

I had hoped to continue along the Centennial Trail which connects to the Pine Beach Trail but the boardwalk was out and so I had to move my car to the Pine Beach Trail parking lot still within the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge to continue the hike I wanted to do.  I skipped the rain jacket for myself for this trail as it got a bit hot when the rain stopped and the sun came out but I later regretted that a bit because the rain started again and I got a bit cold especially as I reached the beach where the wind was stronger.  But I survived.

On the very far left of this photo is a sliver of Little Lagoon, a body of saltwater.  The rest of this photo shows Gator Lake, a body of freshwater.  This trail would take me between these two bodies of water as I headed to the beach.

And then a bald eagle flew over and landed in this tree!

New species for me!  A Bonaparte's Gull

Another photo of the Bonaparte's Gull

And then I got a little closer to the Eagle

Until he flew off

These little Sanderlings were racing along the shore of the saltwater lagoon.

The path grew sandier as I got closer to the beach.

And then I arrived!  The waves were loud as they crashed on the beach!  

A little Sanderling running from the waves

An adult Brown Pelican leads a flock of juvenile Brown Pelicans - sometimes the waves were high enough that they would disappear from my view as they flew behind one!

The rain had started again and I was starting to get cold but this log invited me to stay a little longer and so I did.

And then I headed back along that same path between the saltwater Little Lagoon and freshwater Gator Lake.

I detoured a bit down the Gator Lake Trail and came across this Gray Catbird!

And then as I continued back between the two lakes, a Great Blue Heron flew overhead and landed on the saltwater side.

I made it back to mile zero!  These hikes of the Jeff Friend Trail, Pine Beach Trail, and a bit of the Gator Lake Trail totaled about 5.5 miles.

This tree just framed my car so beautifully that I had to take her photo!

The rain was starting to pick up even more by this point but I wasn't quite done yet with my exploring so I headed to Fort Morgan.  I paid the $8 entrance fee, parked, made use of their restrooms and then pulled out all my rain gear again.  I'm a bit disappointed in some of my photos because I just couldn't keep the rain off my lens so some that I had hoped would turn out had huge rain spots on them.  I kept trying to dry it but it was a lost cause.  Even the lens on my phone kept having to be dried and I had to give up any chance of charging my phone for several hours after because moisture had gotten into the charging port.

This fort was built in the early 1800s.  It was commissioned during the War of 1812 but not completed until the 1830s.  It played a role in the Civil War where it was under control by the Confederates until the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864 when the Union Army took control.  It later also played a role in the Spanish American War and then World War II.  

You ever have moments in your life where in the middle of something to the point where it is too late to turn back and you start to question your judgment and how you will get out of the situation?  This was one of them.  I was two-thirds the way up this ramp, focused on the amazing view I expected if only I could get to the top when I realized exactly how slick it was from the rain and how much harder it would be going back down.  Well, I survived but I wouldn't recommend it in the rain.

As I walked around part of the citadel, the grass was so saturated my feet sunk deeply!

I got my car out of there before anyone set off the canon!

By this point, I was soaked and I had gotten notification that my room was ready so I returned to my car and drove the approximately 20 miles to The Lodge at Gulf State Park.  My car had an interesting route that it suggested.  I'm not sure if it thought I was driving an amphibious vehicle or what but I did not take it up on this suggestion!  On a related note, the staff in the museum commented that the ferry had been shut down for the day because the seas were too rough which didn't surprise me with the wind and rain.

The Lodge is such a neat resort.  It is right on the beach with easy access to the sand and waves and it is in the middle of Gulf State Park so you have access to so many miles of hiking and biking trails.  They have a coffee shop on site, a casual sit-down restaurant, an upscale restaurant and it looks like a pool restaurant that is open during the warmer months.  There is also a tram that circles Gulf State Park which I believe has another sit-down restaurant.  I ate better on this trip than any other land trip I have taken and although I'm not a foodie and usually don't care about food, it was really nice.

I was upgraded from a state park view to a beach view which included bunk beds!  Knowing I didn't actually need the bunk beds, the lady at the front desk suggested they made a really nice luggage rack.

I could hear, smell, and see the gulf from my private balcony!

The clouds got in the way of much of a sunset but it was still a neat view from my balcony.

Fish and Chips (beer-battered grouper with crispy red potatoes) from Foodcraft, the more casual sit-down restaurant - I'm really starting to enjoy dining alone.  You get a chance to just sit in the quiet and people watch a bit if you want or not.

After dinner, I felt the need to check out the beach.  I don't know why.  It was dark.  It wasn't like I was going to be able to see much but that is where my feet took me.  The waves seemed so angry as they pounded on the shore.  Residual light from far away reflected off the white caps.  And so I walked and I walked.  At one point, I realized the lights of Orange Beach had gotten very close and the lights of the fishing pier behind me were barely visible.  I had gone a lot further than I had expected.  Round-trip, I walked about three miles on the beach.

the darkness closing in 

waves pound on the shore 

white caps harshly bright 

reflect faraway light 

my heart rate elevated 

my footsteps steady 

my mind matches the sea 

I disappear deeper into the obscurity

I went to bed early that night and slept more than eight hours continuously.  I can't remember the last time I slept that well.  I was awake before sunrise and saw that clouds obscured the horizon and then I fell back asleep.  When I woke again, the sun had already risen although was still very low in the sky.  I packed up my camera and notebook, bundled up as it was a bit cool and looked windy and stopped by the coffee shop for a latte and muffin.  I spent a few minutes sitting in the hotel lobby to enjoy my breakfast and work on the poem above and then I headed out for the day.  

My plan was to explore the trails of Gulf State Park.  I didn't know how far I would get or exactly where my feet would take me.  On my way to the overpass, I stopped by my car to unplug and move out of a charging spot as she had finished charging overnight.

From the overpass, here is a look at the resort.  The building on the far right is a conference center with parking below.  In the middle is the lobby building.  To the left are three buildings of hotel rooms.

I just loved the boardwalks along these trails!

Yellow-rumped Warblers were everywhere and they wouldn't sit still so I didn't even try too hard to get photos of them but I did manage to get this one.

And then I couldn't believe my luck when a young (maybe 2nd or 3rd year) Bald Eagle flew overhead and then landed on this branch!

And then he flew away - such an awe inspiring moment to watch him!

I continued around the lake and got another view of my resort.

Royal Tern

A little bit of a crazy path!

And then I left the boardwalks and paved trails and explored a pine forest for a bit.

Northern Mockingbird - they don't scare easily so I got pretty close to him!

And then I came around a bend to a tree hanging over a pond.  I could hear a father and young son on bikes coming around the corner when a small bird caught my eye.  At first, I just paused and watched him as I waited until the father and son passed by but then I was able to capture a few photos of him.  

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - See that small red patch on the top of his head?  When excited, he will flare that up into a beautiful red crown!  I've never been able to witness it flared up.

Then I came across my first Bald Eagle nest.  There was an older couple checking it out.  They said someone with a long lens had seen just the top white feathers of a head earlier.  I couldn't see anything while I was there though so it was either empty or the eagle was hiding deep in the nest.  A bit earlier, a man had shared with me that there is an active eagle's nest on the north side of the lake.  He had suggested where to park although I had no plans to go get my car and move it.  I figured I would see if I made it that far.

The morning was still young and my shadow quite long.

There were several signs making sure hikers didn't miss Guermo!

In search of the active eagle's nest, I walked past the lakeside and eagle cabins.  Here a number of Double-crested Cormorants perched at the end of the pier with a Great Blue Heron.

I think this photo and the next are of Greater Scaups and if I'm right, it is a new species for me!  

These signs were throughout the park guiding me.  I was over five miles into my walk by this point.  The "Lodge" is my hotel so I was past the point of no return and could only go forward finishing the loop around the lake. 

Female Red-winged Blackbird - it's perch, the colors in the background, I couldn't believe my luck catching this beautiful bird right here and having her stick around long enough to get quite a few photos of her!

And then I arrived at the active Bald Eagle's nest!  One was sitting on the nest and the other adult was on a branch to the left of the nest, a bit hidden by pine needles.

They had a viewing platform with binoculars set up.  Another couple rode by on bikes and stopped to ask if I had seen any eagles.  They were thrilled when I could point them to this platform and the binoculars and thanked me again when they passed me later in the park.

I paused from the eagles long enough to enjoy this male Downy Woodpecker in a nearby tree.

One more view of the nest before I continued on

And then this adorable female Eastern Bluebird poked her head around a tree!

After the eagle's nest, I seriously contemplated finding the Woodland restaurant tram stop and taking the tram back to my hotel as my feet were so tired.  They hadn't really recovered from the day before.  But I didn't want to miss the rest of the lake so I pushed forward.

I remembered this sign from the last time we had traveled to the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area.  I wonder if 26 mph is the magical speed to get people to pay attention.....

It's hard to tell in this photo but there were white caps on the waves on the lake as it was really windy!

Back at the hotel, I walked past the pool towards my room.  If the weather had been nicer, this would have been a beautiful pool to spend some time in but it was not meant to be this trip.

After dropping off my stuff in my room, I walked back to the Foodcraft restaurant and had this amazing avocado toast with poached eggs from their Sunday brunch menu.

Then it was time to rest my feet.  The temperature was in the 50s but my balcony was in the sun and protected from the wind so it was quite comfortable to sit out there and read.  I finished one book that I was about halfway through at the start of the trip and almost finished another!  It was so good to disconnect.

Late afternoon, I showered and dressed for dinner and then watched the sunset from my balcony.

I decided to splurge.  I never spend much for food on myself because I'm just not a foodie and I would rather spend my money elsewhere.  But I had a food credit for my stay and I just wanted to try something different so I went to Perch, the resort's upscale restaurant.  They seated me at a table by the window.  The last colors of the sunset were still present.  I ordered a glass of a really good oaked chardonnay and the Seared Gulf Grouper for my entree which was served over a roasted red pepper succotash and a smokey tomato broth.  It was really good!

I was too cold to take my jacket off though!  I wish I had brought a nice black sweater.

And then for desert, I ordered the chocolate cake and a glass of a 10 year tawny port.  

It was such a lovely dinner by myself.  The ambience was quiet with some soft music playing in the background and it was a nice slow paced meal.  

After dinner, I set up my tripod on my balcony and tried some night photography.  I played with some slower exposures to try and get some star trails but none of them turned out quite how I wanted.  I think the really amazing photos taken of star trails are exposures that are many hours long.  The longest one I tried was 50 minutes.  The one below is just a 30 second exposure to avoid too much trailing of the stars.  (I'm not sure how well it is showing on this blog platform being such a dark photo to begin with.)

The temperatures were really starting to drop by this point and so my desire to keep running back out to the balcony to quick set up another photo (and then run back into the warmth) was dwindling.  So I packed up my camera gear and went to bed.

It was 28*F when I woke up the next morning.  I watched the sunrise from the warmth of my room through the windows.  There was steam coming off the water.  I bundled up warm and grabbed my camera bag and headed to the coffee shop for a latte, a muffin, and a donut (I figured I needed a little extra fuel in the cold).  I debated how much I wanted to do this morning.  My feet and legs were quite sore from the previous days hiking and it was so cold.  And then the lady working the coffee shop started speculating when they would close the bridges and telling me that she had come to work that morning ready to spend the night if she needed to.  So I decided to stay close to the hotel and then head out fairly early.  

But first I wanted to walk over to the pier.  I had put on two pairs of leggings that morning but it wasn't enough for the short walk and then when I got there I learned the pier was closed because they had to turn the water off.  So I retraced my steps stopping for a few moments to take in the sight of the beach from the boardwalks.  I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with sand in my shoes that morning so I stayed off the beach itself.

This Wisconsin girl has fully adapted to Alabama temperatures!  28*F is way too cold for me now!

I returned to my room, packed up all my stuff, checked out, and headed north.  What I didn't realize at the time was that the next day snow would cover that beach and coat the palm trees in Gulf Shores and all along the Gulf Coast.  I understand the wind remained strong and so it created almost blizzard like conditions.

The drive home was uneventful and I was back in my apartment by early afternoon.  The resort I stayed at was quite amazing.  It was a nice change of pace to treat myself to some good food.  And disconnecting was the right choice.  It took away the outside distractions so that I could just be present in the moment and not spend any energy thinking about what I wanted to post.  Aside from a few of my bird photos which I imagine that someday I will post on Instagram, this trip may be noticeably missing from my social media which I think is okay.