Yippee! Headed to the Beach!

It was fantastic camping near Mike and Linda in Lindale, Texas and getting to see the place they have purchased and set up camp with their fifth wheel!  It left us refreshed and anxious to camp with them again. They have a beautiful family, and it was wonderful seeing their girls as successful adults and parents!  We really enjoyed getting to know Mike's brother, Dick!  He's fun to be around, and we loved the beauty of his place - horses, pasture and even wild pigs!  I'm sure we'll be stopping to camp with Mike and Linda again some time in the future.

It's been a long time since I rode a horse!

We had a good visit with my sister and brother in law in Ruston on our way to Gulf Shores.  Ruston's Lincoln Parrish Park was super!  Our site backed up to the lake which was really pretty with a walking path completely around it.  Louise and Leonard came out  to our site for dinner.  After we ate, the four of us hiked around the lake and then  talked while sitting under the stars.  Really great to see them!

Our Camp site at Lincoln Parrish Park

Our RV back window overlooked this beautiful lake

Louise, Leonard and the two of us on the pier at the lake

We are now camped at Gulf Breeze RV Resort in Gulf Shores which is 4 miles north of the beach.  The paved streets and sites are great..... so so sooooo much nicer than the KOA in Abilene and less expensive too.  We've had fun these past 3 weeks - Beach time - still warm and beautiful; 

We parked at the public beach  just 4 miles from our campground

Got in a little reading at the beach, but mostly sunning and strolling.

One of the most beautiful beaches in the world!!

Still warm and inviting!

Outlet shopping; 

Hiking in the Bon Secour Wildlife Reserve; 

Some of the trail was shady

Some through sage brush

Over sand dunes

Beside fresh water lakes

Next to marshes

And finally at the beach - a 4 mile hike

Visiting with 3 different sets of friends who have been vacationing here; 

Dinner with our long time friends, Don and Doris Yates from Searcy, AR

Baby sat with Bennett and Mattix while Brian and Ashley went out to dinner.

Ate with Jeannie, Darla, and Marcia from Springdale

Biking on local trails and in the neighborhood; 

We biked about 7 miles along this trail in Gulf Shores

Entertaining my brother and sister in law for a weekend - they stayed here in the RV with us and it worked fine; 

With Al and Marilyn at The Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL

A little beach time

We forgot our beach chairs.

Worshiping and going to Tuesday's ladies and men's bible classes at the Gulf Shores congregation; Helping the congregation with Fall Festival last night; 

Gulf Shores Church of Christ - a Wonderful congregation

Some of the young adults in the congregation at the Fall Festival

Danny and I helped serve popcorn and participated in the Trunk or Treat

Going to see Gravity at the movies; Touring the Naval Air Museum again; Taking the ferry across the Mobile Bay and then driving up to Bellingrath Gardens to tour it, the mansion and take a river cruise; 

On the Mobile Ferry headed to Dauphin Island

We saw lots of pelicans and oil derricks on the ferry trip

Here we are in front of the Bellingrath Home near Mobile, AL

Beautiful Mirror Lake on a beautiful fall day

A bridge in the Asian American Garden

Artisan springs feed many fountains and brooks in the garden

Gorgeous chrysanthemums filled Bellingrath Gardens

We so enjoyed the hour long Fowl River cruise on Southern Belle River Boat

AND eating sea food!  

WOW!  We are soooooo blessed to have this opportunity!!

We hope to tour the USS Alabama and to visit with a Mobile couple who we knew when we lived in Phenix City, Alabama when Courtney was born.  We'll see if there's enough time for that before we head to my brother's in Madison, Mississippi for Thanksgiving.

I almost forgot that we drove to Vicksburg, MS, last week for Danny's Aunt Dollie Taylor's funeral.  Here are pictures of Danny with her children and his first cousins.   

Danny and Loretta

Danny and Becky

Danny with "Bubba" Ray

We stayed overnight with this same brother before coming back to Gulf Shores the next day.  On the way back we stopped in Hattisburg and had brunch at IHOP with my college suite-mate and her husband.  I had not seen her in 43 years, and we talked a mile a minute!  Too difficult to pack in all our life happenings in an hour and a half!!  Just a great time! 

With Pat and Billie Jean Green of Columbia, MS

Just listing all these activities makes me realize that we've been extremely busy.  I thought we would get down here and be slightly bored.... haven't had time!!  

We've finally made reservations for a place in Florida between Ocala and Orlando for two months - December 20 through February 20.  It was difficult to find a place that still had an opening..... so many Snow Birds.  We wanted near the Gulf, but those places were filled up. The rates really go up once you cross the Florida state line. We're looking forward to seeing the sights in Central Florida this winter - NASA, Silver Springs, Orlando sights, the beach, and a couple of friends and a cousin who live in Florida.  I'm sure there will be lots to do in Recreation Plantation RV Resort, too.  There are over 800 sites and many resort activities already planned!!!  BUT, we'll miss being with family for Christmas this year.  I'm glad that we will have the opportunity to be with them at Thanksgiving and use that time to celebrate Christmas together, too.

I know we had talked about going to the Texas valley for the winter, but we decided that Florida would work out best for us and our over all plans.  So, we'll leave Gulf Shores on November 12 to spend Thanksgiving in Madison, Mississippi with Al and Marilyn, the extended family and our own sweet kids!  Can't wait to see them!  More to come in my next post.