Meaher State Park April 18 - 24

We've got a (bad?) habit of planning our stops on the fly.  When we left Gunter Hill Tuesday morning we were hoping to snag a last minute cancellation at Gulf State Park near Gulf Shores, Alabama.  But since it was still the tale end of Spring Break time, of course there wasn't anything available for the days we wanted.  So we headed to Meaher State Park in Spanish Fork, Alabama.  We made a fuel stop along the way where we did our best to fit in with the big rigs! This is a photo of the rear view camera monitor.  We've been averaging a little over 8.5 miles per gallon of diesel which is probably typical of a RV the size of ours.  With a 100 gallon fuel tank, we don't need to stop too often.  

Our home for the next few days at Meaher State Park was this nice pull through site with a slight view of  Mobile Bay. The park's location is ideal for exploring the area, but there was constant background noise from I-10 just across the bay.  It wasn't too annoying but definitely a change from the last couple of campgrounds.  We also had to watch for the little harmless "sugar" ants that could invade a motorhome.  Most every rv/camper had a ring of Comet cleanser around the wheels to keep them at bay.  We were pretty successful until our last day there but a good dose of Raid resolved the situation.

There are lots of things to do in this area which is also close to the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores activities.  We've been trying to keep up with our walking as a form of exercise.  There weren't too many trails near here but we did make several laps around the campground and down the nearby nature walk.  Our first evening here we saw this little guy trying to hurry across the road.  I gave him a little nudge so he had a better chance.  I think he is a baby Red-Bellied Turtle but if anyone has better knowledge I welcome their input.

The view from one of the boardwalks back toward the campground.  As you see there are several nice water front sites.  

Dennis was thrilled to find several wild blackberry bushes nearby and usually came back to the RV with a handful of berries. 

We enjoy checking out the local eating establishments and there is no shortage of them in this area. Of course the main draw is the local seafood and we definitely weren't disappointed with the recommendation of the park gate attendant of the Original Oyster House in Spanish Forks. 

We shared one of the platters and added a couple bowls of gumbo.  Tasty.  And I don't usually like gumbo :)

A "don't miss" stop when in this area is the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial which is located just a couple miles down the road from the campground.  We really enjoyed our visit here and were blessed with a beautiful day to take the tour.  After spending a couple hours on the self guided, hands on tour, we came away with a deeper appreciation for the efforts of the Navy and Marine forces during WWII.   

We even went back on Saturday for a Living History Crew Drill complete with a Japanese Yak attack with vintage airplanes.  We stood on a nearby fishing pier as the planes flew overhead and made several passes over the ship where the crew managed to defend themselves !  

My good friend Chris and her family made a post tax season trip to relax on the beach nearby so we were lucky to meet up with them at the famous Lambert's Cafe in Foley, Alabama.  It was wonderful to see some familiar faces and catch up on the news (and mail!) from home.  Chris and I met several years ago when we moved to Indiana.  We've been walking/exercise buddies, shopping partners, book club members and BFF's ever since.  This lifestyle has made me miss our family but I miss having close friends like her nearby too! 

As I type this and try to catch up on blogging, we are back in Alabama as we wind our way back towards Indiana for a little while. I've still got posts from Mississippi, Louisiana and the Natchez Trace to tell you about.  Stay tuned !