The Forgotten Coast

A relatively last minute decision after Christmas found us looking for warm weather and a change of scenery. Mike ferreted out available RV spots along Florida's "Forgotten Coast."  So with reservations at Dr. Julian G. Bruce State Park on St. George Island, off of Apalachicola, Florida; at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Destin; and at Gulf State Park in Orange Beach, Alabama, we packed up the RV, snatched up Sophie, the little white dog, and headed south toward the Gulf of Mexico.

This Great Blue Heron was waiting for us on St. George Island

St. George Island is reached by a five-mile-long causeway from East Point, Florida.  The cozy campground in an otherwise sprawling park is situated between the bay and the ocean.  Easy access to the beach and an abundance of shells on the beaches are major pluses.  The park encompasses the entire east end of the island.  The remainder of the island consists of summer homes, a few local eateries, and the light house, situated roughly in the center of the 15-mile long island, where the causeway from the mainland terminates.  Restaurants, boutiques, and local museums are located twenty minutes away in the small but welcoming seafaring town of Apalachicola.  The Dr. John Gorrie Museum, though small, is noteworthy because it features the first ice machine ever designed. Gorrie's attempts to relieve those suffering from malaria and yellow fever led him to design and build a machine that cooled patients' rooms.  As a side benefit, the machine produced ice.

The "bay side" of the island, looking toward the mainland.
This spot was just a short walk from our camp site.

The "gulf side" of St. George Island on a day in early February

After standing for 153 years, the 72-foot Cape St. George Light toppled into the
sea in October 2005.  The pieces were salvaged and the light was  rebuilt in 2008

The marshes on the bay side of St. George Island on a foggy morning

Yvonne loved walking on the beach on St. George
Island.  This was taken late in the afternoon.

Some of the hundreds of seashells that she collected

A three-quarter-sized replica of Dr. John Gorrie's ice machine

Two historical homes are open for tours.  The Orman House was built in 1838 by Thomas Orman, a cotton merchant.  The David G. Raney House (also 1838) is a beautiful antebellum house that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

David Raney's home was a composit of two styles that were
popular in the South when it was built in 1838: Federalist and
Greek Revival.  Raney made his fortune as a cotton trader.  

Members of the Raney family continued
to live in the house until 1914

Raney's son, David Raney Jr. distinguished himself in the
Civil War, commanding the Marines aboard the Confederate
ironclad C.S.S. Tennessee in the Battle of Mobile Bay

Fishing fleet tied up at the pier in the Apalachicola River

Colorful nets adorn the fishing and shrimping boats

Old, abandoned refrigerated trucks that once
belonged to Water Street Seafood, Inc.

While we were there the town hosted a lively pet parade in conjunction with Mardi Gras.  This year's parade theme was "Woofstock" and all the participants, two legged and four, decked out in bell bottoms, tie-dyed shirts and, of course, beads, seemed to enjoy the festivities.

Small-town festivals and parades give you a chance
to get the real "flavor" of an area

We had the feeling that some of the two-legged participants
were not too far removed from the original Woodstock

Mike and Sophie watch the parade on a cool Saturday morning

Hooked up and ready to leave St. George Island.  This picture was taken
from the deck of a restroom/shower house on the beach in the state park.

Moving west along the coast, our next stop was Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.  Our full-hook-up site, located on a small lake, was about a twenty-five minute walk or a six minute tram ride - tram service is provided by the park on an hourly basis - from the white sugary beaches for which Destin is known. The temperatures in the high sixties were warm enough for walking on the beach but not for sitting on the beach reading a book.  But the area offered plenty of shopping and (as always) eating destinations. Local communities such as Watercolor and Seaside offered picturesque settings and opportunities for browsing.  Excursions out of town included Eden Garden State Park which features the Wesley Homestead and the historic town of DeFuniak Springs.  DeFuniak Springs was the "winter home" of the Chautauqua educational movement, founded on Lake Chautauqua in New York state late in the 19th century. 

Sunset over the little lake that was the backdrop for our
camp site at Topsail Hill State Park near Destin

In the little town of Seaside, a group of old Airstream trailers
has been re-purposed as a food court along the main street

The Seaside, Florida Post Office...a whole bunch of P.O. boxes, one
service window, and just enough room to step inside to get your mail

Dune Allen Beach, just east of Topsail Hill State Park.  The day we were
here, a group of runners had just finished a 30-mile run in the sand

The Wesley house in Eden Gardens State Park, an 1895 mansion known for
its Louis XVI furniture...but the furniture was all added in a 1963 remodel

The Wesleys were in the lumber business.  They had several sawmills built on
pilings in the back bay, so they could float logs in and ship cut lumber out

Eden Gardens State Park is noted for its extensive and beautiful camellia beds

The Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood included a 4,000 seat auditorium that
hosted seminars and classes for teachers on "vacation" in DeFuniak Springs

DeFuniak Springs is filled with great old Victorian-style homes

What a juxtaposition...a late 19th century building, and three 21st
century Tesla charging stations on a street in DuFuniak Springs

Continuing west along the coast we were fortunate to get a lakeside site at Gulf State Park, situated between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.  This park, as well as the previous two parks, offered extensive bicycle trails; next time, we will bring the bikes along.  The weather, while mostly pleasant, was temperamental. One night the emergency weather radio that we keep in the RV and Mike's phone simultaneously advised us to "take immediate shelter".   The campground is very large, with over four hundred sites, so there are a number of concrete bathhouses throughout the park.  We gathered up Sophie and headed to the nearest bathhouse to wait out the storm and possible tornados.  Eventually there were about a hundred people, twenty dogs and one intimidated cat sheltered together.  After about an hour the immediate danger was over, though the winds gusted twenty-five to forty miles per hour all night. Some thirty miles away several tornadoes did touch down, including one that struck part of Pensacola, Florida, so it is always best to take precautions.

The beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama

Our site at Gulf State Park was right on one of two lakes in the
park, one of which is in the approximately 400 space campground.

About 10 days until the "spring breakers" arrive, and stores were
stocking their shelves with everything for the new season

Probably the largest souvenir store in Gulf Shores,
dating back to 1956.  Enter through the shark!

The HANGOUT, a large restaurant/bar/entertainment complex right on the
beach in Gulf Shores, features an extensive collection of PEZ dispensers

The ocean and the pier -- the second-longest pedestrian and fishing pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico -- offer relaxation and fishing opportunities. Tourist shops, restaurants and bars were gearing up for the onslaught of spring breakers.

The original pier, at a mere 750 feet long, was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
The new pier, built several years later, at 1,540 feet, is more than twice as long.

The beach at Gulf State Park, looking east from the fishing pier.
The multi-story condos in the distance are in Orange Beach, AL.

"Mother, Mother Ocean, I have heard your call..."  ~ Jimmy Buffett

A Great Blue Heron pays scant attention to the
tourists snapping his picture on the pier

One day we took the ferry over to Dauphin Island, one of the barrier islands located at the mouth of Mobile Bay.  Fort Morgan on the peninsula and Fort Gaines on Dauphine Island, with six miles of water between them, were constructed to guard the mouth of the bay  It was here, while running the blockade during the battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, that Admiral Farragut issued his famous statement "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."  In addition to Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island is also home to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium, Alabama's primary marine education and research center, offering insights into the bay, river delta, Gulf of Mexico, and island habitats and ecosystems that make up the area.

The ferry passes a natural gas drilling rig in Mobile Bay.  In areas not
dredged for shipping channels, the bay averages only 10 to 15 feet deep

Fort Gaines on the west side of the mouth of the bay, sits right
at the water's edge.  Six miles across the bay is Fort Morgan

Another excursion took us to Foley, Alabama where we enjoyed visiting the Holmes Medical Museum, housed in Baldwin County's first hospital (c. 1936) and the Baldwin County Heritage Museum.  At the Heritage Museum, we were fortunate enough to hear a speaker whose specialty was the history and social significance of flour/feed sacks.

Operating room and operating table at the Medical Museum
in Baldwin County's first hospital in Foley, AL

Baldwin County Historical Museum's display of quilts
and clothing made from original feed and flour sacks

A 30-mile jaunt back into Florida one day took us to Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS) for an enjoyable and very informative tour of the National Aviation Museum. Well to be honest, Mike soaked up all the information he could from a retired Marine aviator while I wandered around the museum taking pictures. We joined up later for lunch at the Cubi Bar Cafe.   U.S. Naval Air Station Cubi Point was a Navy aviation facility located at the edge of Naval Base Subic Bay.  After the U.S. base was closed in the Philippines, the Officers' Club and all the memorabilia was relocated intact to the National Aviation Museum. Visiting the Cubi Point "O" Club is a thrill as you immerse yourself in history and wonder about the lives of the flyers who visited the club.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet once piloted by Major Brent Stevens

In 1946, this plane, the "Truculent Turtle", carrying a crew of four and 8,467
gallons of gas, set a new record of 11,235.6 miles and 55 hours 17 minutes of
continuous flight without refueling, between Perth, Australia and Columbus, Ohio

This helicopter served as Marine One when Richard M. Nixon was President,
and flew him to and from the White House grounds and Andrews AFB  

By the fall of 1992, the U.S. had withdrawn its forces from
Subic Bay and Cubi Point, and the Officers' Club was dismantled
and moved to the National Naval Aviation Museum 

The club is filled with signs, plaques and squadron
memorabilia from the crews stationed at Cubi Point

We left St. Louis looking for warm weather and a change of scenery.  And no matter where you go, you are likely to find plenty of interesting Road Stories.

We had a great time in Florida and Alabama.
Thanks for reading our blog.   ~ Sophie

River Of The Crying Bird

Warm weather and pristine white beaches are typically the draw for mid-westerners.  But Florida offers a variety of options for the visitor.  In northwest Florida, about eighty miles inland, is Wakulla Springs State Park and Lodge.

Wakulla Springs, a strange and mysterious place in
northwest Florida, is only a few miles from the state capitol

The Wakulla River, downstream from the spring, gives a feeling of total isolation

The spring is home to alligators and the occasional manatee

Vultures perch on a tree branch above the river

A 6,000-acre wildlife sanctuary can be found in the Spanish moss-draped woodlands just thirty minutes southeast of Tallahassee.  Here, Wakulla Springs creates one of the last pristine rivers, the Wakulla River, in Florida.  "Wakulla" may be a modern spelling of ancient Native American origin meaning "river of the crying bird" or "mystery."  Spanish explorers interpreted the Indian word for the spring as guarcura.  The Creeks modified the word and the Seminoles, in the late 18th century, began calling the river Wakala.  Kala is said to mean "a spring of water."

The Anhinga bird dives deep into the water for fish, and
then dries his wings by spreading them in the sun

The Great Blue Heron with a flock of smaller white birds

Cypress knees 

Some of the cypress found in the river was used in constructing the lodge

Wildlife and a vast array of birds -- over 182 varieties depending upon the season -- can be observed by hiking the nature trails, taking an hour-long river cruise, or when water conditions permit, a glass-bottom boat ride over the bowl of the spring, one of the world's largest and deepest springs.

Other than this fleet of excursion boats operated by the Park Service,
no boats are allowed on the spring or the Wakulla River

The rear of the lodge, and a diving platform as seen
from one of the excursion boats on the spring

View of the spring from the rear of the lodge

"Old Joe", an 11-foot alligator who lived in the river, was estimated to be as old
as 300 years. When he was killed by a poacher in 1966, he was stuffed and put
on display.  A $5,000 reward was offered for his killer, but was never claimed

Wakulla Springs has been commercially developed since 1844 when tours were offered to the public by a Mr. P. Randall.  When Edward Ball, brother-in-law and business manager to Alfred DuPont, first saw the site, he knew it should be preserved.  At the time Mr. Ball was scouring the area to purchase land to grow pulpwood for the production of paper.  His love for the area led him to begin buying up land starting in 1931 in an effort to keep the environs in as much of a natural state as possible.

Edward Ball, born March 21, 1888, died June 24, 1981.
 Mr. Ball kept a suite at the lodge until his death

Ed Ball personally handled the design and construction of the two-story lodge. Construction began in 1935 and was completed in 1937.  The style of architecture is Mediterranean Revival which combines Spanish-Moorish and art deco motifs.  Mr. Ball was a stickler for detail and craftsmanship, with the intention of creating a beautiful and lasting structure.

Front entrance of the lodge

Close-up of the front entrance

A fire escape from the second floor of the building

The rear of the lodge, as seen from the area of the spring

There is lavish use of marble throughout the lodge.  Most of the permanent appointments from floors to windowsills are made of  marble. The world's longest marble bar -- seventy feet, three inches in length -- is located in what is now the gift shop and ice cream parlor.  Most of the marble came "rough cut" from Tennessee and was "finish-cut" and fitted on site.

The ice cream parlor boasts the world's longest marble bar, at 70 feet, 3 inches

The bar is made of eight marble panels, all with matched grains.
cut on site from a single block of marble.  

The dining room

Circular couch in the lobby

The lobby is comfortably furnished in rich maroon leather.

The use of marble extends to gaming tables placed throughout
the lobby and the ice cream parlor

The elevator is the oldest still-working art deco
elevator in the United States.  The interior
walls are walnut with inlaid marquetry panels.

Every aspect of the Lodge reflects the attention to detail in the high quality of material and craftsmanship.

The ceiling is made from the "hearts" of cypress trees that had fallen into the
cold water.  Immersed for 50 or more years, they are impervious to rot

The paintings on the ceilings are by a German artist named Mr. Piplack.

It was later discovered that Herr Piplack was the last court
painter for Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm

A massive fireplace is the focal point of the lobby.  It appears to be cut
stone but is, in fact, a special light-weight, air-impregnated poured
concrete, grouted and finished to resemble actual stone

The hand-wrought iron Limpkin (here) and Heron (below)
on the balustrade of the main stairs are life-sized

The stair treads are marble and the risers are granite.
The marble is matched grain, cut from a single block

The guest rooms have been refurbished and fitted with the latest amenities,
but still retain the elegance and ambiance of the original rooms

This is the terrace ballroom.  The entrance to the lobby is a two-door
Moorish archway surrounded by mosaic tiles hand-made in Spain

As bucolic as the spring is and as impressive as the historic lodge is there is another fun side to Wakulla. The site has been  has been the featured location for numerous movies. Two "Tarzan" movies  starring Johnny Weismueller  were filmed at Wakulla Springs, as were the underwater scenes in "Airport '77".  But the most notable film to be shot at Wakulla Springs is the cult classic "The Creature From The Black Lagoon".
  

The 1954 black-and-white horror film, now a cult
classic, was filmed at Wakulla Springs.

This little creek, off  the main spring, was the creature's "lair"

The creature's head was modeled after the head of the
Oscar statue, given to Academy Award winners

In the less-visited Florida Panhandle, far from the crowds of Orlando or the excitement of the Space Coast, in an area that bills itself as "The Forgotten Coast", we found the strange and mysterious waters of the "River of the Crying Bird" and learned a few more Road Stories.

Really? And How Are You Going To Get It There?

Over the years Mike and I have tried to keep as souvenirs of our travels something indicative of the region, small and light...something we find especially beautiful or useful or that just reminds us of the places we've been.  More often than not, I'm the one that strays from the path of reason -- although Mike has had his moments.  For example, that harpoon he had to have when we were in Alaska.  The shop keeper did convince us to ship it home, and it worked out just fine.  I, on the other hand, have been known to be unwilling to allow the object of my desire be removed from my "hot little hands" and have insisted that "I can get it home."   The results?  Some fragile, awkward, heavy, or unwieldy objects have made the trip home with us (OK, mostly with me) by ship, train, or plane. On occasion I have even tested the boundaries of the RV...glassware from West Virginia, or a pull-down classroom map from Kansas, but those hardly count against me.

An original pull-down classroom map at a ridiculously low price in an antique store in
Atchison, KS.  Getting this one home? No problem!  We have a 34-foot RV!  You get some
idea of the age of this map by how many of the countries' names have since changed.

Eons ago while in college at Central Methodist (now CMU) I had the opportunity to spend a month in England for a class between semesters. It was a fantastic experience visiting Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower of London.  And because my mother raised me right I spent any free time seeking out antique venues along streets like Portobello Road.  On one such excursion I came across a cut glass cruet set that I decided would be a perfect gift for my folks. Why I thought they needed a cruet set on the kitchen table next to the French's Mustard and the Heinz Ketchup I don't know but at the time it made sense. When I proudly showed my purchase to our adored sponsor, Mrs. Forderhase, an English Professor, she just smiled and shook her head, murmuring "Well, at least it isn't a wedding dress."  (Apparently, the previous year a young woman, who was not engaged, had purchased a wedding dress.)  Mrs. Forderhase admired the beauty of the cut glass and assured me that my parents would love it. The only caveat was that it could not go in the luggage.  I would have to hand-carry it.  This was  day three one of a four-week train odyssey...but those cruets made it home unscathed.

Cut-glass cruets from England, purchased 43 years ago,
still have a place in my Mom's dining room

Did I learn my lesson?  Not exactly.  A few years later while visiting with family friends in Mexico (holã, la Senốra Tola) I came across a potter in San Miguel de Allende who made beautiful ceramic tiles. One or even a half dozen would have been a pretty reminder of the trip. But if one wanted to use them....thus, I ended up with sixty.  Yikes, those tiles were heavy!   Yep, I carried my cumbersome cache through three airplane changes. Today I could barely lift them, much less carry them all that distance, and the airlines wouldn't let me on board with them, anyway. And where are they now? A few were set into the backsplash when we remodeled our kitchen some years ago.  The rest are still waiting for just the right project.

A few of our hand-made (and HAND-CARRIED) Mexican tiles
adorn our kitchen back splash

 There are those finds that are not extremely fragile or heavy but just awkward.  On a bus trip through Eastern Europe with my folks, we enjoyed visiting everything from ancient cathedrals to farmers' markets.  One day while in a small town in Hungary, while Dad and the rest of the tour group had lunch, Mom and I scurried off to visit the lively local weekly market in the town square.  We returned with a handmade basket used locally to carry vegetables. One thing about carrying a sturdy wooden basket-across hundreds of miles in a bus - you can put lots of other finds in it. Today that basket hangs next to an antique egg basket in the hallway arch at Mom and Dad's farm.

I don't remember for certain, but I'd be willing to bet that by the
time we got this basket back from Hungary, it was filled with
lots of other treasures from our trip

One would think that time and experience would teach a lesson.  But as we grow older we simply become more of who we are. I still have a penchant to bring that "prize" home - regardless of the momentary inconvenience.  While in the city of Hue in Vietnam, Mike and I had the privilege of observing a talented craftswoman create a conical hat that when held to the light tells a poetical story. The young woman sat on the floor and using her feet and her one arm, created her masterpieces. (See our January 14, 2014 blog  Nón Lá Cúa Viȇt Nam)  The experience of watching her create the non bai tho  (literally translated "poem conical hat") which is produced only in the city of Hue made it unthinkable that we leave without purchasing one (well, actually, two).  It was a bit inconvenient carrying them on the remainder of the trip and wearing them on board several different flights on the way home...inconvenient, but well worth it.

The inside of a conical hat.

Despite missing her right hand, this artisan weaves beautiful conical
hats, and can make about two hats each day

A "trademark" of the hats made in Hue.  When you hold them up to
light, you can see a scene "woven" into the hat - in  this case, a pagoda.

Too fragile to pack, I wore both of these hats, one atop the other,
on our flights home from Vietnam

Rarely do you get a second chance to buy a treasured object.  When you see "the" item that you just have to have, you need to buy it.  You can't say "no" to fate and you can't over-think it, no matter how illogical the purchase or the circumstances.  While travelling in the state of Rajasthan, in India, our group of sixteen stopped at Dastkar, a self-help initiative that provides jobs for skilled local women.  I had purchased a few manageable gifts but had decided against buying a lovely folk-art handmade quilt because it was very bulky and rather heavy.  But as we boarded our bus, one of the group had to go back to use the restroom, and we were told there would be a delay of about fifteen minutes.  Our guide commented to me that I could have bought the quilt and mailed it home.  Back off the bus I went; into the shop and, with uncharacteristic speed, bought the quilt.  Sometime later the same day, the guide told me that I must have misunderstood him.  No, we wouldn't have an opportunity to go to a post office, much less pack up the quilt for shipping. And no, it couldn't go in the bus' luggage compartment, since we were each only allowed one checked bag. I lovingly lugged it with me the rest of the trip.  More than once I thought our guide was laughing under his breath.  But, hey, it's okay.  I brought it all the way home on the plane and I still think it is lovely.

My quilt from India

Working on a quilt. These women can sit like this
for hours while they work

Regardless of the job, the women wear their beautiful and colorful
saris to work every day.  I even saw one woman making charcoal
and she was dressed in the most gorgeous blue color.

Since the women's self-help co-op is close to a tiger preserve, it is only natural
that a tiger figures prominently in the quilt.  Note the intricate work around the border

Like the pictures that you take and the new friends that you make, the "perhaps impractical" souvenirs that you bring home -- no matter how you get them home -- are all part of your Road Stories.