Great Loop: Gulf Shores Layover

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The Wharf Resort - Orange Beach

November 22-27, 2001

The white sand beaches adrift in turquois seas drove home that our adventure experience had changed dramatically.  Left behind was the anchoring in creeks and rivers, the colors of fall, and the muddy river banks.  We were now under blue skies and it was time to break out the shorts.  


The gulf coast is also a land of contrasts.  On one hand it is very much Las Vegas without the gambling.  Marlins adorned with Santa hats that belch fire after dark.  Light shows cast is an artificial fog. Tourist attractions beckoning in an effort to vacuum your last dollar from your pocket.  This is all occurring in the context of the absolutely lovely gulf coast.  Fortunately we found vast tracts that have, to date, resisted the developers bulldozer.  The parks were large and awe inspiring.  An eco-system of which we were not familiar.  From our mooring we had an unrestricted view of dolphins playing and feeding in the adjacent waterway.  This was an entirely new experience.  One of the reasons we set off on the Loop.



The very large Gulf Shores Park was an easy bike ride from the The Wharf Marina. The park contained 28 miles of bike paths and ran east - west between the gulf coast sand dunes and the developments along the Gulf Intra-Coastal Waterway.



One interesting feature of the bike paths was that they were elevated on wooden trestles over the swampy areas.  This made for a nice clickety-clack as you rode along.  We paused every now and then to see if any critters could be spotted, but the gators were shy or well camouflaged. 



As we approached the coast, the wooden trestle ramped up to cross over the coast highway and deposit you on a gulf shore beach adjacent to a nature interpretive center.


Here's a sign explaining safe pandemic distancing.  What we observed was that Covid was ignored.  Masking was none existent, bars and music venues we crowded, and life proceeded with out any pandemic precautions.


We did find a good coffee shop near our berth.  This was a good final destination for our morning walks.  Beth enjoyed their excellent avocado toast too.  



We enjoyed our 6 days in this location.  It was good to get off the boat and get some good exercise.  When in transit, the only exercise we get is with resistance bands and short walks prior to dark.  Amenities were nearby.  We refilled our propane tank, replenished groceries, ordered some boat parts for delivery in Panama City, and replenished our wine supply.  We also visited with friends from boats with which we were already connected and made new friends.  We were ready to get going though.  It was time to move on and see new sights.

Location: 1585 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, USA

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