Florida Day 16

March 14, 2012

Biked and hiked 6.5 miles

Woke to fog so took our time to leave Fort Morgan. Time to head north to Mobile.

Saw our first Piggly Wiggly (love that name) then the most amazing Health Care "mile" in Foley. From south to north, we passed a hospital and several strip malls of health practioners. THEN there was an Accountant's office. THEN a Credit Union. THEN a Church! Says something about US health care (we did meet people who are 62 and said they pay $2,000 a month for the two of them for health care. Eeks). Wondered the significance of travelling north to south?

Passed our first cotton field this trip. Then a Spear Hunting Museum (huh?). Then the Overcoming Faith Ministries (really? Overcome faith? Thought you were to FIND and STRENGTHEN your faith.).

We checked in to Meaher State Park, east of Mobile (on the causeway over Mobile Bay). We were in site 12; $53 for two nights, full service). It is an amazing site with large asphalt pad and a view of the bay and fishing pier. And Canada Geese to welcome us:

We rode to the boardwalk and met two birders who showed us a baby alligator:

They also told us about Five Rivers Delta Resource Center just across the road (we never would have known; no signs and no advertising in our info). We rode over and visited the gift shop and got info. Then on to the actual center with a "dead animal" room and a "live animal" room (with more snakes, cute flying squirrel I petted and two little owls, too wounded to be let back in to the wild). We heard about the river "safari" and made plans to go tomorrow.

The guide we spent about an hour with was a Kevin Callan clone: cute, funny, and knowledgeable, with the gift of the gab. Two favourite things I heard and read: "I thought they might break out their guns and banjoes" and "We were puzzlin' 'til our puzzlers were sore".

Back home and anticipated a beautiful sunset, then the fog came in and that was that.

It was a great day.

Here's the view from my chair: