Penscola Lighthouse

Penscola was just our entry and exit point for Alabama and the Gulf Shores, but it contains some shopping, some beautiful beaches, and a fantastic lighthouse placed right next to a naval base. There is plenty to do on the base, like a aviation museum and Blue Angel viewings, but we did not have much time before our flight and opted for the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1859. It replaced a less bright lighthouse that was built half a mile away. The US government had recognized the importance of protecting this entry point and had built forts in the area surrounding the lighthouse.

A view of the beach from the top

A view of the grounds around the lighthouse

During the Civil War the lighthouse changed hands between Union and Confederate troops, and even went dark for a few months during transitions.

Blue Angels in the nearby naval base

The lighthouse lens

The bottom third of the lighthouse is painted white to contrast with the trees, while the top two-thirds is black to contrast with the sky. It is officially on the National Registry for Historic Places and many of the out buildings have been restored.

Going down the stairs

Going up the stairs (yep, that's me, Sassafrass, coming down and freaking out!)

Food in and around Gulf Shores Alabama

Thickblackglasses and I knew that going to the Gulf would involve a lot of seafood, and we were looking forward to it! To prepare ourselves we tried some oysters at an upscale restaurant in our hometown. Being far away from the ocean can be make it tricky to find fresh seafood, but this restaurant's oysters were not too bad. It still could not prepare us for the fresh delishousness of oysters (and other seafood) at the Gulf!

Our first oyster experience was at Felix's Fish Camp, near the USS Alabama in Mobile. Since we had tried raw oysters at home we decided baked oysters would give us a new experience. Felix's offers a mixed plate with two of each of their baked oysters: 2 Rockefeller (with spinach), 2 Casino (with bacon and Parmesan), and 2 Felix's (with breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic). My favorite were definitely the Felix's while Thickblackglasses opted for the Casino, but we enjoyed all of them and would highly recommend getting this plate!

Our second experience with baked oysters was at the Oyster House in Gulf Shores. Although they were not as good at the Felix's Felix oysters, they were still really tasty!

Baked Oysters and gumbo

During this meal we also decided to taste the raw oysters. The waitress made the cocktail sauce tableside which made for an even better experience.

At the Oyster House we also tried fried alligator. It came out in tiny bite-sized pieces and was breaded so it's hard to tell what it really looks like, but, for some, that may be better! They were well fried and crunchy. [We also had fried alligator in Texas (March 2013) a few years back, but failed to write about it.]

Thickblackglasses also went fishing, not deep sea, but out enough that he caught us all some delicious fishes! We brought them home to be grilled and fried. Both ways were delicious and we were lucky enough to package it and ship it home after vacation.

I cannot forget our stop at Matt's Ice Cream. Delicious homemade ice cream was perfect for a hot day in Alabama - I could not resist trying the banana split!

Dauphin Island, Alabama

A visit to Dauphin Island can happen in one of two ways. Firstly, there is a road/bridge connecting the island to the mainland, just south of Mobile, Alabama. The second way to visit is to take the car ferry across from Gulf Shores.

Yahoo! Inc. map, 2017

The 14 mile long island contains a fort and an estuarium, along with housing, shops, restaurants, a light house, a bird sanctuary, plenty of beaches, and more. We were staying in Gulf Shores, on the map above you can see the edge of the land and Fort Morgan, so we drove the round-a-bout way to the tip of land and caught the car ferry. Along for the ride was my niece and her friend, none of us had been on a car ferry before so that is where the excitement began!

Ferry boarding rules: Load left to right; Lanes one thru four; Approximate load is 28 vehicles.

While waiting for the ferry to arrive we watched lightning storm come across the bay. It was beautiful but we were told that if the storm was too fierce the ferry might be delayed. Lucky for us, it was not! The 30 minute ride across the opening of Mobile Bay was mostly filled with sites of oil and natural gas rigs, but it was still nice to be on the water.

Upon landing on the island we disembarked and headed toward the estuarium. Here is the definition as estuary from the National Ocean Service website:
"Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities that have adapted to brackish water—a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater"

Petting the sting rays

We were able to pet sting rays and horseshoe crabs along with learning more about the types of animals living in and around the estuary near Dauphin Island. My niece and her friend loved it (and they are teenagers!).

Turtles at the estuarium

 Afterwards, we took the half-block jaunt up the road to Fort Gaines.One of two forts built to protect Mobile Bay, construction began in 1819, but was not finished until 1853 and was used during the Civil War.

Central yard of the fort.

In August 1864, after a fierce battle, the men of the fort surrendered to the Union. The fort stayed under Union control for the remainder of the war. Although the fort never came under fire again, it did play an important role through the Spanish American War through World War II.

Canon looking out towards Mobile Bay

Standing atop the fort wall facing north

USS Alabama - Mobile, AL

The USS Alabama was a staunch battleship used during World War II. It is now moored new Mobile, Alabama and offers tours throughout it's structure.

Upon our visit to Alabama a visit to this battleship became the first thing on my agenda. Many years ago I (Sassafrass) visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri had just opened to the public, so I did not get to much of the ship. The opportunity to board and explore this ship was an incredible experience. I can still smell the oils and metals in my nose.

The tour offers three pathways to choose from and we managed to get through all three in about a three hour time frame. Mind you, we like to take our time and read everything and explore every nook and cranny. The pamphlet suggested that it would take half and hour for each path.

At the forefront, the Alabama contains nine 16"/45 caliber guns. 120 other guns help protect her during battle.

This ship and others like her were built to be cities on the ocean. They contain laundry rooms, barbershops, blacksmith shops, kitchens and cafeterias (or "mess halls" to use the military term), sleeping quarters, dark rooms for developing photos, and much more.

Barbershop

Many times the captain had two sleeping quarters, one was used during official visits by heads of state or other VIPs, while the second was used more frequently during tours and in battle. The official quarters are adjacent to a were decorated receiving room/dining area. While the "battle" quarters are located behind the command deck so the captain could be summoned and on-hand as needed.

There are 4 engine rooms on the ship and the tour gives access to one for exploring. The boilers and turbines are not running, but you can imagine how loud it may have been to work around the engines.

This is a highly recommended tour to take when visiting Mobile or Gulf Shores (a 1-hr drive). The Battleship Memorial Park also contains an airplane hanger and a decommissioned submarine open for tours too. This adventure could easily turn into a full-day experience!