Escaping to the Alabama Gulf Coast

 With another approaching snow threat in Illinois, we headed south again, this time opting for Orange Beach and the Gulf Shores. In February, the weather was in the upper 60s and low 70s, which was perfect for outdoor activities including hiking in Gulf Shores State Park, miniature golfing, eating seafood on the beach, sightseeing, and just relaxing in the sun. 

Perfect weather for shorts!

We found reservations at Sun Outdoors RV Park , in Orange Beach for our 5-day stay and loved the park, the people, and the location. This was our first experience with an RV resort and didn't realize that they checked the age of the vehicle before approving our stay. Since our previous camper was an older 2006, this resort felt very upscale to us. We loved the lighted electrical outlets, the roomy, clean and level cement pads, and the little-used amenities. The laundry was clean and well-lit, with large windows on both sides, we were the only ones to use the hot tub or pool during our visit, and the pickleball courts were available each time we wanted to play. The park is under expansion with a new area with sites including two sewer hookups and trails that are under construction. We even met a couple at Sun Outdoors who canceled reservations at an RV park nearer to the beach in order to get away from the strong ocean breezes. They reported that the winds were so strong that they fought with their awning and the cool temperatures. Sun Outdoors provided the perfect compromise, only about 15 minutes to the beach, no daily fog, and manageable breezes to allow you to enjoy sitting outside.

Homework on the large cement site!

The hot tub at Sun Outdoors

We spent an entire day at the beach, in our sweatshirts and rolled-up jeans. The white sand was marvelous, but the ocean was still late-February cold! The upside was the solitude and short lines for eating at the Pink Pony Pub that is right on the beach. Parking was also free by the beach until March 1 and we were able to find plenty of room for our 34 ft. motorhome. 

We took advantage of the small crowds and ate on the beach at Pink Pony Pub, tried fried crab claw basket, grouper, and shrimp/crab spaghetti. The seagulls were beautiful, but Grace felt like she was part of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds!

The Birds

Fog surrounded us throughout our day at Gulf Shores State Park. We hiked to the Nature Center, saw their mini raptor exhibit, ate Snickers ice cream bars by the shore, and explored the wetlands. Unfortunately, our adventures didn't include any alligator sightings except in the Nature Center. We added a Segway tour to our bucket list and checked on bicycle rentals. Bicycles are free for the first 3 hours at the Gulf State Park, but they did not have child-size bikes for Grace. We usually travel with our own bicycles, and would highly recommend them for exploring here.

Gulf State Park

Pirate's Island was a fun, clean stop for some mini-golf, and we were glad that we opted for the easier course followed by ice cream and some fudge at Chocolate Corner. Yum!

Lambert's, "Home of the Throwed Rolls," did not disappoint! This is the perfect place to catch up with friends and Gary, Karen, Kathy, and Joe shared their snowbird adventures while we chowed. We caught our fill of the softball-sized homemade rolls, overflowed our plates with fried zucchini, and chowed down on the special smoked chicken dinner! Grace was not thrilled with her salmon patties, but everything else was spectacular. 

Lambert's is always fun!

Overall, we came up with another list of "to-dos" for our next trip. Bring more coffee, quarters for the washers/dryers, an HDMI cable, and slip on shoes so they are easy to take off when we come inside. Purchase a bike rack for the motorhome, another Roku device, an electric tabletop grill, and quick-drying towels like these from Amazon (since our terry towels didn't dry out for the entire trip). And we have several problems that we are still trying to solve: 

• What is the best way to store shoes by the entry door?
• How will we minimize the impact of potholes?
• What is the best drying solution for towels both indoors and outdoors?
• What is the best solution to adjust the dinette table that is too high for both eating and working, cut down the existing legs or replace the legs altogether? 

We really need suggestions for solving these problems and we would love your insights and comments!

Oak Mountain Campground

 All I will say is that we came in the back entrance. TWICE! Smooth, but winding. The back gate closes at 5:00 pm. The campsite is a "pull-through" site with full, 30amp hookups. After Mark hooked up in the downpour, we played Exploding Kittens and hunkered down for the night. Let's just say that it has rained for 2 days straight! 

This is a campground that we will want to revisit after the weather improves. Miles of trails, equestrian options, waterfalls, canoes, and even archery are options. The wifi was spotty on our Verizon hotspot, especially after we moved to a new camp spot that was surrounded by trees and at a lower elevation.

Most of all, we avoided the snowstorm, learned more about utilizing our camper, and made a list of items to bring with us on the next trip. On our last day, it was dry enough to do some hiking beyond the blacktop campground roads.

Boondockers Welcome (Harvest Hosts)

If our first experience with this program is any indication, spending the $99 for Harvest Hosts and another $40 for the additional Boondockers Welcome options will be worth every penny!

We requested a stay at East Estate in Cullman, Alabama for our second night on the road and we really didn't know what to expect. Well, Phyllis and Leonard met us at the road and even helped us back into the spot they have set up at the front of their property. They provided a hook-up to their water and 50amp electrical for the night. It was dusk and sprinkling so we didn't get to talk much, but the site was beautiful in the morning! They have a pond, several pet ducks, and a beagle named Biscuit. They even gave us a register to sign and took our picture for their scrapbook. We will be looking to stay with them again!

Escaping Illinois Snowmaggedon and Learning to Adapt

 The trouble with buying a motorhome in January is that you can't dewinterize to check systems. Does the water heater work? The refrigerator? The air conditioner? Water pump? We have been trying to load the drawers, line the cabinet drawers, make beds, and organize while slipping on the icy driveway and running the space heaters inside. So, when we heard the Illinois forecast for 10 days of below-freezing temperatures and 8-16 inches of snow, we decided to "get outa Dodge" and headed south. 

This is absolutely NOT motorhome driving weather!

For anyone who knows Mark, you understand that he is not at all impulsive. Leaving on a trip without a clear destination and lacking reservations is not his style. Mark is the read-the-manual, order-the-state-guidebooks, and plan-months-ahead type. I love that he is smiling through his stress and embracing this uncertainty with grace. For three days, he has been checking the weather app for updates on overnight temperatures everywhere from Dallas to Atlanta. It appears that Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama are supposed to have some of the best temperatures for the next week. So, that is where our trip will begin.

But, our first hiccup happened before we pulled out of the driveway! Our son's family has Covid, so we will be within one hour of them for a week and won't be able to hug any of them. And so we smile and adapt. Then we get out on the road only to see that the expected 1/2 inch of rain for the area has changed to 3-4 inches. Adapt again. Who needs a plan anyway? 

Then to top it all off, I made one night's reservation at Fern Lake Campground in Paducah, KY and the next night through Boondockers Welcome in Cullman, AL. No, the second night is not at a regular campground. No, there will not be full hookups. No, I have never met the people who are sharing their space with us. Adapt, adapt, adapt.

So, farewell, Illinois! Hello, warmer climates. We will be back when the snow has melted off the roads.