Sand Between Our Toes

Color-soaked sunsets at the beach . . . 

This year for spring break, we decided we wanted a low-key family vacation. Last year, Clay and I unexpectedly had the chance to take a last-minute Caribbean cruise while hubs finished an important work project. This time around, hubs cleared his calendar at work so that he, too, could be off for the week. 

We were in search of something beachy, and we stumbled upon Kiva Dunes in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We were able to book a two-bedroom house to ourselves just steps from the beach. The resort also has on-property restaurants, pools, and one of the best-rated golf courses in the state.  

Day 1

Morning walks . . . 

We had an uneventful drive down on Saturday morning, stopping at T-Bones in Hattiesburg for mellow live music, a couple of new book purchases, and a very satisfying lunch. 

As we rolled into Baldwin County, Alabama, hubs needed to take a bathroom break. Out of curiosity, we stopped at Buc-ee's. We'd never been, and people certainly talk about the place, so we figured we'd see what all the fuss was about.

Lawd! First of all, visiting the Buc-ee's in Baldwin County, Alabama, on the first Saturday of spring break feels akin to The Hunger Games. You need a head start and a crossbow, and may the odds be ever in your favor. 

Think of Buc-ee's like a big gas station (with tons of pumps) attached to a Wal-Mart (selling all kinds of merchandise and to-go snacks) with a hot food buffet inside of it (burgers, brisket sandwiches, bakery items, warm spiced nuts, fudge, etc.). The place was PACKED! we were lucky to get a parking spot and get inside without too much trouble, and the restrooms (near the back of the building, of course) were neat and clean. Tons of people were loading up on food, either to eat right then, or (presumably) to consume that night at dinner once they checked into their beach rentals. 

The image of the Buc-ee's beaver (I am so not kidding.) adorned all kinds of crazy merchandise inside the facility, and they legit had a person in a beaver mascot costume making the rounds for photos. 

Honestly? We got in and out as quickly as we could. But I suppose it did the job, and now we can say we've been.

After that, it was back on the road. We arrived at our rental at about 5 p.m., checked in, and unpacked bit. Then, we took a gorgeous walk on the beach to see the sun set. So, so lovely to feel the sand and surf tickling our toes and watch the sky light up with brilliant color. 

I do love a Benedict.

Then, we ventured out to Sassy Bass for dinner. The restaurant is a local chain, and we dined on their back patio. I had a lovely crab cake with mixed veggies and rice, Clay chose the pineapple bowl, and hubs had a burger. Food was not amazing, but it did the trick. (Close. Quick. And we were hungry.) Thus sated, it was back to the rental and to bed! 

Day 2

The next morning, we slept in, and then I went for a gorgeous morning walk on the beach. Then, I got a bit of work done. (On some of our family vacations, I mitigate my desire for a very quick pace - and Clay and hubs' desire for a very slow one - by working a bit here and there. It keeps me busy, it gives them time to lie around and do nothing, and it prevents me from getting behind at the office.)

The start of pretty Pine Beach Trail

By this time, hubs was up and hungry, but Clay was still asleep. We decided to grab breakfast at one of the on-property restaurants - Kiva Grill. It was less than 5 minutes from the rental, and pretty soon, we were enjoying eggs Benedict with a view of the resort's gorgeous golf course. A great start to the day! 

Afterwards, we drove 15 minutes to Rouse's to stock the rental for the week. We got snacks, breakfast items, a few things we could throw together for lunch, etc. This grocery store offers great basics as well as yummy takeaway food and fantastic bakery items. (One year, we bought an entire heat-and-eat Thanksgiving dinner from their store in Gulfport, Mississippi. And it was good!) Then, it was back to the rental to unload. 

We spent the rest of the day exploring the resort and walking the beach, only popping out to pick up a takeaway seafood dinner at Gulf Shores Seafood. (Whenever I'm at the beach, I like to get a steamer bucket at least one night for dinner - Royal reds, new potatoes, corn, and lots of butter. Delicious, and so beachy!) I read my novel (more on that later) and went to bed early.

Day 3

After breakfast and a few hours of work the next morning, I scooted over to Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. We'd been passing a sign for the Pine Beach Trail, a pretty, 3.5-mile out-and-back stretch through pine forests that ends at a secluded beach, and I wanted to check it out. I laced up my sneaks and hit the trail.

It was a beautiful sunny day, not too hot, and perfect for walking. The trail was very well maintained and marked, and I loved the mix of sun and shade on the route. There was a pretty lookout pavilion where you could get an elevated view when the trail began to open up to the bay, and the last quarter mile or so of the trail was sand. Then, you ended on the beach! 

I took my shoes and socks off and strolled, admiring the sun on the water and all of the pelicans fishing for their lunch! After soaking it in for a bit, I headed back. 

The bay side of Pine Beach Trail

That night, hubs, Clay and I went to dinner at The Cove Bar and Grill. They had tasty, inexpensive drinks (Hubs got the Bucket, a generous pour of a fruity rum drink, that was delicious!), a seriously yum burger, and a cool local vibe. We got in and out before the live music started (and be warned - it might be loud, as this is a small place), but this is a great low-key, affordable option for dinner. We loved it. 

Then, back to the rental for more novel reading and relaxing before bed. We ventured back out to the beach for sunset that night, and it was glorious. A little cloudy on the horizon, and those clouds were touched brilliantly by the setting sun. 

Fort Morgan is definitely haunted.
Definitely.

Day 4

Tuesday dawned chilly. We made pancakes for breakfast, and I worked the better part of the morning. We stayed in until after lunch, when it warmed up just a little, then decided to throw on our jackets and take a jaunt down the road to Fort Morgan. It had been an age since we last visited - 2011!

We got there after lunch, waited in the short line of cars to get in, and parked. We started out by exploring the visitors center (where you can learn about the lighthouse that once stood here as well as the battles in which the fort played an important role), then moved on to the fort itself. The structure was completed in 1839 and is comprised of more than 46 million cubic yards of bricks in a star-shaped design. The fort was active during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World Wars I and II. 

We loved exploring the creepy abandoned rooms, admiring the tall arches (built to help keep interior rooms from collapsing if hit from above), and climbing up to the top for views. 

When we finished exploring the fort itself, we drove around the property, peeping in at the post bakery, some batteries, and the old airstrip. After we'd had our fill, we went back to the rental and made dinner before a quiet night in. 

Day 5

Wednesday was sunny, but again, too chilly for swimming at the beach. After a morning of working, I headed out for a seafood lunch at Fish River Grill. I got fried fish and fried shrimp, and I discovered that I quite like "swamp soup" - a delicious mix of beans, greens, seasonings, and broth. 

My two loves on the beach!

Nearly too full, I then headed to the Tanger Outlets, a HUGE shopping complex in Foley, Alabama, with tons of stores and variety. Pretty soon, I was snapping up all kinds of deals at Chico's, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, and more. I spent all afternoon out here, shopping to my little heart's content. 

On the way back to the rental, I stopped by Rouse's again to pick up dinner for Clay and hubs. (Frankly, I was still too full from lunch to want much to eat that night!)

Day 6

On Thursday, it rained. And rained. And rained. 

I satisfied myself with working much of the day and reading for a break now and then. (We also did a bit of laundry.)

By 4 p.m. or so, though, we were all a little stir-crazy and ready to leave the house. Though it was still a bit cloudy, it had stopped raining. So we decided to go to a cool-looking place we'd passed on our drive down - OWA Parks & Resort. After we got there, I found myself wishing we'd spent the whole day there! First of all, they have a largely INDOOR water park, which would have been perfect. (But it closed at 5 p.m., not too long after we arrived.) They also have a mini-amusement park with a roller coaster and some other fair rides. (But again - it closed at 6 p.m., so we didn't think it worth a $30pp ticket for one hour of riding.) 

Winning at the arcade!

But what they *did* have, and what was open until 8 or 9 p.m., was a big arcade and a virtual reality experience. We started with the VR place, and it was so fun! We chose Pirate's Fate, a pirate-themed escape room, and I realized really quickly that Clay is a boss at VR escape rooms. A lot of the conventions are similar to those in video games, and if my kid knows anything, it's video games. We breezed through three levels of the escape room and finished with time on the clock to spare. 

Next up, hubs and I tried a moonshine tasting at Murder Creek Distillery. This was fun! You pay $1/shot of moonshine (Don't worry, as they are mostly 25 proof.), and they have tons of flavors you can try. Hubs and I tried five different flavors and bought a jar of our favorite - pecan praline. (This one would be divine in a bit of coffee, cocoa, or used in baking.)

Pool day.

After we were done there, we hit up the arcade. We bought one game card, loaded it with $50, and all three of us played until we couldn't play any more. They had some fun two-player shooter games (We loved The Walking Dead one.), air hockey, tons of fun racing games, ski ball, even Space Invaders! We had a blast trying them all, and we gave all of our winning game tickets to a sweet family with a lot of kids. (I don't need anymore plastic stuff from the gift shop, y'all. Just . . . no.)

On our way out, we stopped and got an ice cream to top off the night. 

Day 7

Friday was one of the prettiest days we had at the beach (and it was still a bit chilly). We slept in and made big omelets for breakfast. 

After I'd worked for a few hours (to let it keep warming up outside), we went to walk the beach and lie by the pool. It was actually good weather for beach walking, so that was pleasant. And though I didn't get in the pool (even though it was heated), it was nice to lie by it and get some sun. 

We were still there at lunch time, so we ordered lunch from the pool grill. I had a fantastic grouper sandwich with fries, Clay had chicken tenders, and hubs ordered tacos. Delish. Afterwards, it was more beach walking back to the rental. 

When we got back to the house, we spent some time cleaning up before our only reeeeally fancy dinner of the trip. I'd booked us reservations at Fisher's Upstairs. I'd first dined there a few years ago, and I knew I wanted to take hubs and Clay there.

Beach bums

We started with fried oysters and cocktails, then moved on to our main courses. I had the fish of the day, Clay tried the swordfish, and hubs got shrimp and grits. Everything was so delicious. We cleaned our plates, nibbling hot corn muffins alongside. Atmosphere here is great, food is remarkable, service is swift and knowledgable. Dessert was also fantastic. Cannot recommend this place enough. 

Day 8

Time to go home! We packed up and headed out. It was a race to beat traffic at least through the Mobile tunnel (which is a big bottleneck), so we wanted to do that before we stopped for lunch.

Once we were on the other side of the tunnel, we navigated to The Blind Mule, where I had shrimp and grits and hubs and Clay both ordered burgers. This was a delicious, quick stop with a funky vibe. We initially thought we'd pop in for the brunch menu, but apparently that's only on Sundays. Nevertheless, this place was just what we needed. 

After that, it was driving straight through until we hit Donna's #6 (where you absolutely MUST stop for produce to re-stock your home fridge, as well as sample the homemade ice cream). We picked up fresh veggies, baby potatoes, gorgeous Louisiana strawberries, and a couple of sweets to eat when we got home. 

We definitely enjoyed our week at the beach, but we would have enjoyed it more if the weather had cooperated. I dearly love sunrise walks along the water, but on most mornings, it was too cold to enjoy them. And the water was far too cold to swim in the ocean, so (even though I love it) I skipped that, too. 

What we *did* enjoy - sunsets, family time, good food, some good shopping, and a lot of relaxing. Until next time, Gulf Shores!

The ocean asked me to tell you she misses you. 
She loves you so.