Alabama

3 of 13 Jekyll Island Trip Series.

We were excited to be first timers at the Gulf State Park we had heard so much about. We had camped once last year along the Atlantic Coast at Jekyll Island but we had never even been to the Gulf Coast. Everything was great; the campground, campsite, friendly campers, and friendly wildlife including several smallish alligators…

Juvenile Bald Eagle. The nest was nearby. John and Pam had shown us the location of the nest the day before. The next day they let us borrow Pam’s eBike and I rode back to check the nest again when this one appeared. I didn’t carry the big camera on the bike so this is an iPhone shot.

This is the view from the overpass that crosses over the highway between the campground and the beach and pier. The eBike was awesome as it powered up the ramp going over and again coming back from the beach.

Not many photos from this part of the trip but we had a great relaxing time at Gulf State Park. We especially enjoyed visiting with John, Pam, and Tim; sitting around John’s propane campfire pit, the visit to the pier with double-red flag warnings due to high surf, and lunch at “Lambert’s” – home of the throwed rolls!

From here we headed to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park which is also along the Gulf Coast. Just a note that the sandy beach here at Gulf State Park is much ‘wider’ and open to the dunes behind the beach. At Topsail the beach is narrow and the dunes are roped off.

On our way to Topsail we found our way to the Pensacola Beach bridge and Fort Pickens, FL. We stopped at the Visitors Center and got a stamp for the Gulf Islands National Seashore which stretches across eight barrier islands along the Florida and Mississippi coast. It was starting to rain so we didn’t stay to explore the fort. We will come back sometime for that and maybe camp at the nearby Ft Pickens campground. Fort Pickens is at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island. Built by slaves using 22 million bricks and completed in 1834 it was intended to defend Pensacola Harbor. Even during the Civil War it remained a Union fort.

Heron Fort Pickens State Park_DAD5729_1 — As we hustled back to the RV amid sprinkles we spotted this beautiful Great Blue Heron hanging out in the grass.

Gulf Islands National Seashore StampIMG_3138 — Stamp in National Parks Passport book

The US Navy Blue Angels are stationed at Pensacola and practice at Fort Pickens area. We heard them a lot and saw them occasionally as we traveled from Gulf State Park to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.

2 of 13 Jekyll Island Trip Series.

Monte Sano is an interesting park, on top of a mountain, adjacent to Huntsville, Alabama. We enjoyed some relaxing time at Monte Sano even though it rained off and on nearly the entire 2 days we were there. Monte Sano in Spanish means “Mountain of Health”. It was freakishly quiet with just the dripping rain or if it wasn’t raining the drip of mist falling from tree branches. I used the time to finish a series of blog posts from our Newfoundland trip last summer and Becky did some sewing of quilt blocks with her new sewing machine-proving that it can be done in the RV on a rainy day.

Except walking around the campground we only went on one hike when there was a break in the rain. The hike was an enjoyable, magical, mystical, walk in the mountain mist to a Japanese Garden with a Tea House on the park property. The first photo is of the RV in the mist. All the rest are of the Japanese Garden/Tea House hike. All photos are iPhone.

Bamboo bordered path and Japanese Tea House

Monte Sano State Park Tea HouseIMG_3104 — Azaleas

We left Monte Sano and again headed south on 65 from Huntsville to Montgomery, Alabama. Turning off at “The Old Selma Road” we arrived at Gunter Hill Campground, a Corp of Engineers campground on the Alabama River.

DADart Photography

Duane & Becky; Retired and Wandering

Gulf State Park, AL & Fort Pickens, FL

Monte Sano State Park & Gunter Hill COE Campground, AL