FTJ, Entry 61: Sweet Home (for now) Alabama

We are staying in a lux resort called Heritage Orange Beach in Orange Beach, Alabama, right near Gulf Shores. This is not your typical campground, folks. Situated right on Bayou St. John, it has its own marina. The streets are brick, and all the sites are concrete paved, nicely landscaped,  with a separate coach house (unfinished). The park is full of big, beautiful RVs -- many of which are top-of-the-line $$$$ Prevosts.

The resort is really top notch, as you can tell from the photos. (Sites near the water sell for about $400,000. The one we are on is listed at $240,000. FOR A DRIVEWAY with a little empty house on it? Come on!)

This place is also loaded with Yorkies! Apparently the dog breed of choice for well heeled RV-ers (we are obviously the exception).

As for what we are doing to keep busy here, we got Beau a special recumbent bike (he cannot stand riding on the regular ones -- the seats hurt him too much), and we bought an old fashioned retro "cruiser" (no gears, no hand brakes) for me.  I feel like I am 7 again when I ride it -- I think I might get streamers. Beau wants an ah-ooogha horn for his....

We make a comical trio -- Beau on his trike and me with Buddy in the bike basket. We tool around the park feeling quite foolish. Check it out.

Isn't he cute? Our site is in the background, along with the coach house that comes with it.

Note Buddy's shades.

On Saturday, the resort hosts a party for all its guests. This weekend they had a St. Patrick's Day theme, serving an Irish stew, Reuben sandwiches (not Irish, but delicious), and tea cakes, along with an open bar and snacks. They also hired entertainment. We met a lot of great people and had a really fun evening sharing stories about RV escapades and mishaps.

Oh yes -- we are also enjoying the hot tub here! Ah, life is rough. (Remember this, Bob and Barbara?)

Bayou St. John and the resort's marina are in the background.

Eat your hearts out, Brad and Angelina. Oy.
(I don't think we will be getting this shot framed!)

Over the weekend, Orange Beach had its annual Festival of the Arts show, so we spent the day there with Buddy in tow. Great art, but I don't think too much buying went on. The economy, perhaps.

Glass sculptures. These were just amazing.

Five Years Later, Katrina's Wrath Still in Evidence

Nearby Gulf Shores is a lovely beachfront community. We did see some leftover Katrina damage among the beach houses, though.

Below, a typical row of Gulf Shores beach homes.

And a group of wrecked ones:

Ending with Oddities

We'll end this blog with some roadside oddities from Alabama so far:

Oh of course, the native Alabaman bison! And the representative moose. Huh??

A shop that takes a bite out of your wallet.

Another that traps you in its tentacles.

And the famous home of "throwed rolls" -- a place featured on the Food Channel, actually!

This very classy Mississippi license plate. OMG

And then there is this very strange sight:

Oh baby! Hubba hubba.

Today we drove out to Fort Morgan, the "Guardian on the Bay" (Mobile Bay). You have heard of the saying "Damn the torpedoes..."? More on that in the next blog....

Tanks, Panky