Great Loop: Gulf Shores Layover
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 dolphin...