Traveling the Great Loop

Join us as we travel North America's rivers, waterways, and canals; visit U.S. and Canadian cities, historical landmarks, national parks and river towns. We may even take you to the Bahamas.

Orange Beach & Gulf Shores, ( “The Redneck Rivera”), Wharf Marina; Spectra Island, Santa Rosa Sound, Alabama

The Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway

Leaving Mobile Bay, the 2nd largest drainage basin in the U.S., we headed towards the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
We crossed Oyster Bay and continued east on the Intracoastal Waterway
Lulu’s Restaurant, (Jimmy Buffet’s sister), serving Gulf Coast cuisine: “Fried food & gumbo”.
Every now and again, we see the effects of a hurricane.
After passing beneath Hwy 59 bridge, the Wharf Marina is on the right.

The Wharf Marina, Nov. 28-30, 2023, (as reported in the previous post: Mobile to Wharf Marina: 100 mi)

Located at mile 158.8, half way between Mobile Bay, Alabama,  and Pensacola Bay ,Florida.
The Wharf Marina, part of a small shopping complex, has two restaurants with bars, a coffee shop, and interactive game rooms offering laser tag and bazooka ball. There is a Ferris wheel at one end and a 10,000 seat amphitheatre nearby. We saw the recently released movie Napoléon at the movie theatre. How civilized is that? A movie theatre and popcorn!
The complex even had a skating rink.

Nov. 28; Day’s run 59 miles: Spectra Island, Santa Rosa Sound, (near Fort Walton Beach), approximately 60 miles from Destin Florida.

We followed the channel markers across Pensacola Bay, a 13-mile long inlet off the Gulf of Mexico.

Low sandy islands separate the GIWW from the Gulf of Mexico. Winds had been predicted to be 15 knots but 2-foot waves tossed us about when the sandy islets ended, sending the empty coffee press and other galley essentials to the floor. Waves breaking on the beam doused the boat with water, her initiation to salt. Later, when we ran our hands along the outboard railing, palmfuls of salt would come off in our hands.

As we neared Spectra Island, higher sand dunes blocked the wind.
Turning off the GIWW,  we dropped anchor  between a low island born from the spoils of a military dredging project and a second piece of air force property Atlantic side. Planes from nearby Elgin Air Force base frequently flew overhead and one afternoon, a Marine Airforce Patrol boat coasted through the anchorage.
 
Bracing a cool wind, we lowered the dinghy and rode it to shore in hopes of walking around the island. But the beach was interrupted by marshy areas and our walk was short.
The water was crystal clear, a marked difference from the muddy, brackish waters of our earlier river travel. You could always distinguish boats that had come down the rivers by the brownish ‘mustaches’ along their waterlines.

While returning to the boat, we stopped to meet the owners of another boat in the anchorage and learned of their plan to have an evening beach fire. We took our chairs, a few simple appetizers and spent a lovely evening getting to know one another.

New Loopers from California, they choose not to have a dinghy but instead, used paddle boards to get to shore. They had paddled to the beach with their beach chairs!
Jeff paddle boarding to his boat, Sydney Rose. (Jeff was from Australia).

That night, after watching the sunset with our new friends, we returned to our boat. We were preparing dinner when we heard a knock on the hull. Jeff had paddle over with two pieces of pecan pie they had left from their Thanksgiving dinner.

The following morning, when we got up, it was 48 degrees F/8C . I seriously underestimated the number of warm clothing I would need on this trip. 

We were in no hurry to leave for out next destination that was 50 miles distant.  We spent the morning catching up on tasks. Then, just before we left, we delivered muffins I had made to Sydney Rose.

Before I Go:

As we steered further from the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and were about to say goodbye to Alabama, I wondered what foods would be prominent on Florida restaurant menus.

Eating in restaurants had been an experience in those states: Shrimp and cheese grits; potato fries covered in cheese and bacon and ranch dressing; bologna  topped with American cheese on a bun. Bologna burnt ends, deep fried pickles. Breaded pickle chips. Alligator tails. Accompanying most meals were hushpuppies – golf ball sized deep-fried dough made with a seasoned batter of cornmeal, buttermilk and sugar. Most foods were deep-fried and then doused with a generous sprinkling of salt.

Smoked pork tails
Pork stomach

Shopping in grocery stores introduced me to foods I was not familiar with. It was refreshing to see that homestyle cooking was still popular in some areas.

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117gbl

2 responses to “Orange Beach & Gulf Shores, ( “The Redneck Rivera”), Wharf Marina; Spectra Island, Santa Rosa Sound, Alabama”

  1. phlbrwn avatar
    phlbrwn

    Not. Definitely not having the pork stomach. No way.

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  2. mjbrennan1965 avatar
    mjbrennan1965

    Great pics and narrative. You forgot to mention how much you enjoyed the pork tails and stomach.

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