Tiggerdad heading to Gulf State Park October 2016

[dmaxphil]

Hey, here's a pic of your site but somebody is currently on it. If they pull out I'll get another picture for you.
View attachment 199877

Well, the Golden Girls have moved into the site right behind me on the waterfront sites. It only took em 15 tries and about 30 minutes to get in the site. They are obviously deaf as evidenced by all of them yelling. I heard one bellow that it was level and they should get something to eat so they loaded up and pulled out. All the stabilizers are down and utilitiesh hooked up. That thing is about 20 degrees down at the stern and 15 degrees to port.

I found myself speechless...

Gonna put on some dinner here shortly or some friends ho are coming by to visit from Orange Beach. They requested a fried turkey.

LOL.

 

[JETS70]

Thanks for the site pics tiggerdad. The DW and I are enjoying the pics of the park also. Thinking back to your last avatar..........should the campground be a little nervous or the local fire department be put on alert before you fry up a turkey?

 

[tiggerdad]

All went well, I use an electric fryer as I'm not a fan of open flame and 3 gallons of oil.


All went well and pulled off a good meal. Listening to Bama vs. Arkansas right now sitting outside.

 

[bama_ed]

Jets70,

I've stayed in that site - you'll like it. It had a bunny rabbit that came out of the grass every sunset to eat the clover. We didn't bother him and he didn't bother us.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Went biking this morning as well and they have paved a path off the main drag keeping the bikes off of the main strip.

Hers some more pics of the newer paths and brides for walking and riding.

They really have done some nice additions to the bike path.

Looks like great weather and a fun time.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Sounds like a fabulous trip so far, tiggerdad.

Bama Ed

 

[tiggerdad]

Okay, so some updated pictures from the campground. For those of us who were here in May we had talked about the turn in to the campground being too sharp and the vehicles having to get in the grass to turn in. Well, they fixed it and round edit out making it easier for us to turn in.


Also, where they had closed Camp Road 2 they had planted trees across the road but the intoxicated and terminally dumb were driving through the middle of it, so now they put up wooden and concrete posts to help them better understand.


Biking around we found a previous paved path has since had a pier built at the end overlooking the lake.




Around noon we rode to the beach and the girls had some fun with their kites.






My wife even got in on the action




Oh yeah, iImet some folks from Birmingham this morning that I helped out and they helped clue me in on some information about the recent changes around the park and why we're seeing a lot of the newer bike trails.

More on that later. I got a surprise n store for the daughters later this evening.

 

[bama_ed]

Beautiful looking empty beaches except for your family, tiggerdad. It looks very peaceful.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Wow. All I'll say is you people in AL must have a lot more money than Illinois. All the rest areas on I-55 between StL and Chicago are closed due to the state being broke. They certainly wouldn't spend money paving bike paths in a state park.

Good for you. Gulf Shoes is moving up on my list of places to consider retiring to.

j

 

[tiggerdad]

Okay, now the surprise for the girls. Everybody knows Disney princesses are top of the list for girls, but what's next?

Dolphins of course!

Took the girls on a dolphin cruise with Dolphins Down Under. These guys were great! Nearly two hours of cruising and not in the bay either we were out in the Gulf. Jeff and Robert were great. These guys even mix drinks and serve adult beverages.

Also, they let the kids drive!



Pop quiz: .Who can identify his popular place on the Gulf Coast?

 

[bama_ed]

tiggerdad, that place looks vaguely familiar.

1. It's just across the state line

2. According to my DW I've never been there

3. and they like to throw dead fish for entertainment.

So many memories, all a little hazy...

Bama Ed

PS - there's a story there about the Orange Beach PD but I might conveniently deny it...

PPS - so how many dolphin did you see?

 

[tiggerdad]

Yep Ed, you know the place. When the skipper asked the boat if anybody had been there all the ladies glared at the guys and all us guys suddenly were looking overboard.

The number of dolphins is hard to say, we had at least 5 groups of 8 or more that we followed around and they were pretty active and real close. We went out deeper so kids could drive then came back across the beach and watched dolphins again.

Captain has suggested a restaurant called The Flying Harpoon, so here we go.

 

[Teamubr]

Hey. I know right where that place is. We almost went in there, but ended up getting Italian further down in Orange Beach.

How was it?

j

 

[tiggerdad]

Jim,

They steam shrimp and other things but primarily it's Po Boy sandwiches. Man they are good.




Afterwards it was back to the beach to walk the surf.

 

[FtW Mike]

Ed I wouldn't worry too much about any prior affiliation with that property I am sure the statute of limitations has long since run it's course.
Mike great to see you devoting so much time to the family. When I go dolphin watching I call it Summer Flounder Ie Fluke fishing in Delaware Bay. Those Samachiches making me hungry and that sunset making me wish we had seen one during my days off

 

[tiggerdad]

Okay now for the story that I told you guys about earlier. For those of you familiar with GSP it'll make sense.

I'll have to go back about a year to May of 2015. During that trip Camp Road 2 was still open and I remembered seeing some paint on the road for what looked like an accident reconstruction. I didn't hear anything else about it.

Fast forward to now. This morning while my daughter and I were riding bikes on the interior of the park we came across an older couple who stopped us and asked help with directions. The lady told us they were looking for the memorial for their neighbor that was put up on Camp Road 2. Now in May of this year I didn't remember a memorial and I hadn't had a chance to ride it this year.

Come to find out they were from Birmingham and had a neighbor that they used to camp with. Apparently he was tragically killed while riding his bike on Camp Road 2 last year. He and his wife were struck by a car. This, according to these folks was the reason for the road being closed to through traffic and now only for bikes and runners.

We walked around with them and sure enough, since we were all there in May they have built two areas along the road with trees and benches.




Right in the middle is this.


Now it made sense. So sorry to hear that a tragedy happened to give us this additional piece of riding area.

They said that it was considered to just add a bike lane to the existing road but since the road was not that curvy people had a tendency to drive well over the speed limit so it was decided the safest thing was to close it all together.

Just thought some of you might like the explanation for the road closure. At least for those of us familiar with the park.

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

Thanks for sharing that with us Tiggerdad, I like it better with road 2 a bike path.

Looks like the dolphin tour was a big hit with Emily and Madison! I'm glad they enjoyed it, looks like a very famous local dive when I spent a wasted youth! I need to go visit that place again!

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

 

[tiggerdad]

Well folks, old Tiggerdads luck has run out. Once again I have been suckered, fooled, tricked, and hung out to dry...





The horror of Columbus Day sales...

Currently sharing a bench with two others guys. We're trying to support one another.

 

[JETS70]

I feel your pain tiggerdad. It seems I always get snookered when visiting the Fort. The DW says "Hey I know a good place to go eat" Just so happens it's close to the outlets. After eating........"Well......since we are here.....might as well stop in for a little shopping". I'm left wondering when will I learn.

 

[tiggerdad]

Thank goodness we survived!

Did some miniature golf at Pirate Island and stopping for our traditional last evening stop for dessert.

We pull out tomorrow and it looks like folks are getting back into the Fort so I'll wrap this up so we can get back to reading along with the Fort goers.