Hey Frens and Fam!
Just a quick blog to share a few pics and fond memories about our stay at Gulf State Park. If you venture down to the gulf coast of Alabama and Florida, consider a stay at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This state park has so much to offer. There are over 300+ RV sites with full hookups. The sites are spacious and several sites back to the lake. In the park, there are miles of trails for walking, running, and biking. You can fish and kayak or go bird watching. You can soak in the warm sun rays and swim at the Gulf Park beach. So much to do, so be sure to stay some extra days so you can fit all of that fun in!
The bike trails here are impressive. There are so many trails, and you can ride for hours and never be on the same path. During one of our longer rides we were fortunate to see a mama alligator with her babies. She let us get close enough to snap a pic but the babies were shy. The park staff named her “Lefty” because she is missing her left foot. She has been a park resident for quite a while. Alligators as with all of the wildlife in Gulf State Park are protected and the park does a fantastic job of making sure they stay that way!
There are several lakes in the park, but my favorite is Lake Shelby. It is a freshwater lake but can sometimes take in saltwater too. This lake is filled with fish and even crabs. We saw many beautiful birds on our walk by the lake and we also saw another smaller alligator lounging in the sun.
At first, we thought he had a piece of trash in his mouth, but the park staff told us it was part of a pelican it had caught the day before. I guess he was taking his sweet time and savoring every bite!
We spent a couple of afternoons lounging at the Gulf State Park beach. Although it was not quite warm enough to swim, the temperatures were in the high 60s and pleasant and we enjoyed the views. If you are a shell collector, this is the place. So many beautiful shells on the beach. It was fun to walk along the waters edge and look for unique shells.
Here are some beach pics. This first pic shows our Cool Cabana which we absolutely LOVE!
Farther up the coast, is the community of “Orange Beach.” Not sure the origin of its name but I think it is from the beautiful orange sunsets that we were lucky enough to witness each evening. Both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer a multitude of wonderful places to eat. One of our favorites is the Original Oyster House in Orange Beach. Here you can get fresh seafood, great cocktails and the staff is so nice. We also liked The Pink Pony Pub. This fun place is on the beach so if you get the munchies on your beach day, you can run in here for great sandwiches, burgers, salads and more. Be sure to try on of their cocktails…. the pina colada was super delicious!
Sunset on the beach
Left is a pic of a sunset in the park. Below is a pic of me and my new friend at the Original Oyster House.
After Gulf Shores we headed over to see family in Eunice, LA. Ned and I will both miss the gulf, the beach, and Gulf State Park but we know we will be back again soon!
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