Dauphin Island, Alabama

Yes, I know, we are in Mississippi, so what are we doing going back to Alabama?  Well, Dauphin Island is easier to get to from the Mississippi side than from Summerdale, AL, where we would have had to drive all around Mobile Bay.

We’ve heard a lot about this 14 mile long Dauphin Island in the four years we have been fulltiming.  We didn’t want to go to the expense of taking the ferry from Gulf Shores and when we were in the area before, we never stayed…just drove through.

So last Saturday we took a drive from Gautier down Hwy 90 and across the three mile long high rise bridge.  This may be a bustling place during the warmer months of the year, but in January it is pretty deserted. 

                                   

We checked out Fort Gaines on the East end of the island.  It was here during the Battle of Mobile Bay that Admiral David Farragut made the notable quote “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”.

 

The houses on the island are very picturesque indeed.

There were areas where the oil spill restoration were still taking place, but most of it has been done already.  The beach scenes were mighty pretty.

I tried to buy some postcards at the local souvenir store but the owner said the only postcard publisher was in Biloxi and went out of business with Katrina.  Postcards of Dauphin Island was too small an order for other companies to take on…that’s a shame…I like to send postcards to our granddaughter.

All in all it was a pleasant drive, but I don’t get what’s the big deal about this place.  Most of the beaches are private and as you can see from the sign above the public beach costs you $2 a car and $3 for each person to use their sand.  We’ve known folks who have stayed here for part of the winter and rave about the place….I just don’t see the attraction.

Remember, you are loved.

New Grill and Coconut Cream Pie

We took a drive down to Ocean Springs Friday to check out the Davis Bayou Campground (part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore).  It is very, very nice and we plan to move over there next week.  It’s first-come-first-served, so we hope to get three sites close together.  They honor Golden Age Pass so for the Mossman’s and us we will pay $8 a night. We plan on staying there for two weeks, then go to Bayou Signet in Louisiana for a few days.

When we returned home we had happy hour and Jim grilled steaks and pork for the gang on his new Coleman Road Trip LXE grill, that I bought him while in Foley, AL area. He has wanted one for three years now and every time we’re in Summerdale and he visits the Coleman outlet store, he debates whether to buy one or not.  He doesn’t and then berates himself the rest of the year for not buying it.  He did the same thing this year and again “decided” not to buy the grill.  I got fed up listening to his “reasoning”, so Linda and I just went to town and bought it for him. The steaks and pork were wonderful.

                      

Jim M. and I subscribe to the Pillsbury daily newsletter and we found this recipe for a Coconut Cream Pie.  This a favorite of all the guys, so I made it last night.  It came out really good!

                   

Remember, you are loved.