Orange Beach, AL. February and March 2025

April, 2025

After a mixed bag of weather in January, February and March had some of the nicest weather we have had on the Gulf Coast. There were a few cold nights in February but they were followed by warm sunny days. We had one big storm threat that had many in the RV Park nervous but like most of these it went up around Mobile Bay on the west side and over the top of Mobile towards the north and east. There were tornados and severe storms up that way. We were thankful to have only had some rain and gusty winds.

But the rest of the days were generally sunny, almost always a light to moderate breeze, temps in the upper 60s and 70s. And here, the warm sun and mid-60s temperatures feels wonderful.

Maggie and Daisy got together almost every day for some playtime. They too could feel the winter sun and enjoyed the shade provided by the RV next to Sonny and Randi’s.

We met up with John and Sheryl from Minnesota who also spend a couple months in Orange Beach. I work with John on Habitat for Humanity projects with the 3M crew.

We drove to Pensacola with John, Sheryl, Randi and Sonny to Joe Patti’s Fish Market. We stopped just before we got there at the Oar House for lunch.

We had a nice lunch. The Oar House is on a chanel leading from a harbor area out into the Gulf so there are lots of boats to watch.

At Joe Patti’s we bought lots of Royal Red Shrimp, some got steamed there, some came home raw to marinate and grill for dinner. These are big, sweet Gulf shrimp, easy to cook, and easy to eat.

We also got sea scallops to have for a nice Valentines Day dinner. The scallops were pan seared and served on mashed potatoes with a roasted apple sauce with green beans. Very good.

And by mid-February, the alligators start showing up. They like the warm sun too.

This fellow was in one of the marshy canals that criss-cross the State Park.

No feeding the alligators? I suppose people will do anything. And snakes! We have never seen one. And I don’t want to.

This gator was one of my favorites. We saw him several times in the same location. He just sat there getting warm. He would raise his head up and open his jaws to show his teeth, Yikes! He looks enormous but he was about two feet long, sitting on a drain culvert. Never the less he could have done some damage if your hand looked like dinner.

And just a ways down the ditch were turtles. Some quite big. They too were just looking for a good sun bathing spot. There were usually two or three out of the water and that many in the water waiting their turn in the sun.

A new feature in the RV park this year is a dog wash station. It features water at the right temperature, shampoo, rinse, and blow dry. We had our own shampoo so we used the water and rinse features. The blow-dry function worked well but Maggie didn’t like it much.

There were three places along the bike trails to see nesting eagles. In this nest, you can see an adult and the little one on the left side of the nest. This was a popular stopping point for many riders. Sometimes a traffic jam with people just stopping in the middle of the trail when there was plenty of room along the side.

Mobile, AL boasts the origin of Mardi Gras Carnival celebrations in the US. They even have a Carnival Museum dedicated to the history of Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile.

And most cities have their own parades including Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Decorations are everywhere.

Sonny and Randi were at this one at the beach on Lake Shelby. This is also where the lake side dog park is. The dogs can run right into the lake.

The caution signs were out, I kept an eye out for them. Every dark shadow in the water looked like a 40 ft alligator to me.

I went wading, Maggie waded too and did a bit of swimming. This was the first time she had been in a lake. She seemed to like it.

Lake Shelby is a freshwater lake. At the dog park, it is maybe 200 yards from the ocean, in may places it is closer. It is said to be the closest freshwater lake to the ocean in the world.

Maggie liked the lake but she likes playing in the dirt afterwards just as much. There was another bath for Maggie that afternoon. This one in the shower in the coach. She seems to like them, we turn on the water, open the door and she walks right in.

We were approaching our last week in Alabama.

One last lunch out with friends on a sunny, warm March day.

Joe and Rhonda from Illinois were regular biking companions.

Lots of birds out at the end of the docks. Many of the places we like for lunch have docks where people tie up while going in for lunch.

And a good-looking sunset to end the day.

Our neighbors to the north, Mike and Terry from Oklahoma, have two small dogs, Rachel and Roxy. They were pretty wary of Maggie at first but they got to know each other and pretty soon were playmates.

Rachel was more outgoing. She would just come over to see if Maggie could play.

Mike and Terry have been our winter neighbors now for two winters and we are all expecting to be back next winter.

We expect to see Sonny and Randi next winter too. Joe and Rhonda as well. We have gotten to know many on our end of the park, and most will be back. Like most, we have sampled many winter possibilities and settled here.

We have packed up, said our goodbyes, and are ready to go. We are heading north to the Cincinnati area to visit friends. We are watching the weather closely for rain, snow, and storms. It looks good for now so we are going.

More Later, Much Love,

Roger, Susan, and Maggie