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!

Rain rain go away! - LA Adventures

For day 2, hubby and I jumped on the red line with Starline tours. It starts near Grauman's Chinese Theater, so we walked around just enough to remind ourselves what is there. Hand prints pressed into cement surrounded by the Walk of Fame. This is a very touristy area so we expected a lot of people, you just have to be patient when taking pictures of your favorite star's star or cement dedication slab.

I snagged these two shots from my hubby's Snapchat. Grauman's Chinese Theater.

After wandering a bit we jumped on the bus. The red line takes about 2 hours, so we just stayed on to see the sights and get some insight into the city. It sprinkled on us a bit throughout the day, but we managed to stay on the top, outside of the bus to get the best views. Although we did not take a lot of pictures, we learned about some of the history of the city along with the spots where celebrities can be spotted.

A very rainy/cloudy pic of the Hollywood sign.

A quick drive by the Viper Room, the location of River Phoenix's death, and the liquor store where Guns 'n' Roses used to buy cheap wine were highlights of the tour.

At the end of the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Mel's Drive In. The San Francisco based chain is famous for being featured in the film "American Graffiti" (which was filmed in SF).

Due to lack of planning we did not realize that Griffith Observatory is closed on Mondays and that was supposed to be our next stop. Instead we wandered up the highway towards The Great Wall of Los Angeles. The inspiring mural spans 6 blocks (around 2,700 ft/823 meters) and was sparked by artist Judy Baca in the 1970s. The mural tells the history of California starting with the native people and focusing on the struggles of the minorities throughout the years. This is a bit out of the way but I highly recommend making the drive!

These represent only a small glimpse at the mural. It's huge!

Santa Monica CA - It A-piers to be Raining!

I am out in California for a conference and convinced my hubby to tag along. It does not start until Tuesday (well, technically Wednesday, but my co-workers arrive Tuesday afternoon), so we have had a few days to explore LA and the surrounding area. It is unusually rainy right now. Our flight into Long Beach was slightly delayed due to flooding and huge storm that had started the evening before.

One of my staple moves when traveling is taking the double decker bus tours. Here in LA we chose Starline as they have 5 or 6 different buses throughout the area. [Buy tickets online to save $$$] You can take the green buses along the coast, get on the yellow line through Beverly Hills, or take the red line through Hollywood (just to name our top 3).

Sailboat at Fishman's Village

Sunday was our first full day and since we have a week to explore we got off to a slow start in the morning. We reached the green line around 11 am and were taken 1 stop to Fisherman's Village before the driver was on his break. We walked around a bit just to see the water until the next driver was ready to leave. It is a cute little stop if you have the time to check it out.

Pelicans looking for food around Fisherman's Village

View of the ocean off the pier.

We rode the green line up to Santa Monica Pier and took a look around. There are a lot of street performers that want you to pay for their entertainment and selfie opportunities. Some of them live off their income so do not be shy to hand over some cash, especially if they really are entertaining.

View of the ocean off the pier.

Walk all the way down the pier and gaze into the ocean, watching people play on the beach or swim in the waves. Stop along your walk to grab a bit to eat or peruse the shops and carts along the way. Do not miss a picture with the "End of the Trail" sign for Route 66.

About quarter mile (485 meters) up Colorado Avenue is the 3rd Street Promenade full of shops and eateries (and more street performers). It runs several blocks, up to Wilshire, so hubby and I took our time checking it out.

The remainder of our day was spent riding the yellow line through Beverly Hills. You can get a glimpse of the famous Beverly Hills shield which, according to Starline, you can only see in 5 places. Pictures you take of the shield can only be used for personal use as the city charges for commercial use. The yellow line also passess the famous Rodeo Drive, hubby and I talked about its prominence in the show "Entourage."

Our evening ended at the Killer Shrimp restaurant which makes their own shrimp broth bowl which is absolutely delicious!

Killer Shrimp served with french bread

I also blogged about Santa Monica and 3rd Street Promenade here.

Rome, Italy - Day 2 - An evening of Fountains

After a hot day of walking through the Coliseum and the Forum we decided it was time for a beer and a snack. The last major site on our list was the Trevi Fountain, so we started walking toward that area of town and happened across a pub. Snacks and beers all around!

In the cool of evening we were able to visit the Fountain, but everyone else had the same idea. It was packed! There were tourists clambering up and down the steps right in front of the fountain, and vendors selling wares all across the square. The cacophony of sound was almost overwhelming, but exciting too. We managed to steal a seat just to the right of the Fountain to sit and take in the elaborate design.

The Fountain was completed in 1762 and is made from Travertine stone (from Tivoli about 22 miles east of Rome). A restoration in 2015 led to additional lighting to improve nighttime illumination.

The Fountain appeared in the movies La Dolce Vita and Three Coins in the Fountain. The latter describing it to be good luck to throw a coin in the fountain by using your right arm and tossing it over your left shoulder. Of course we had to do this - for good luck and a return to Rome, right?!?!

To get away from the crowds we wandered down some side streets and came across the Pantheon. The square was busy but not as crowded at the one by the Trevi Fountain. Although the Pantheon did not make it on our "must see" list it was a pleasant surprise to be confronted by it late at night.
Completed in A.D. 125 it has stood the test of time.

A terrible pic, but apparently the only one I took at the Pantheon.

While sitting in the square and people watching we ate one of many scoops of gelato - a must have in Italy. I am sure that frequent travelers can tell you where to get the best gelato, but we just ate it every chance we got. If you're unsure, just check to see what type of ingredients are used to make it - artificial colors or flavors are a big no-no - look for fresh ingredients. TripAdvisor has good recommendations for further review.

Rome, Italy - June 2016 Day 2 - Et tu, Brute?

Feeling the effects of jetlag, we were sure to sleep a lot the first night in order to accomplish the sites on our list for Day 2.

To start off we visited the Roman Coliseum. For the second site, again, we were sure to pre-buy our tickets before we left the States. This saved us standing in line for the second time, but today we made it on time! We met up with a group of about 12 people and had a guided tour. Afterwards, we had plenty of time to explore on our own.

It officially opened in A.D. 80 and was used consistently for four hundred years. The "basement" of the Coliseum is open to the air, it is thought that there was a covering but it was movable. Fighters or animals could be raised on elevators through openings in the floor for ease of movement.

Each level of the Coliseum was reserved for different castes of people. Nobility were allowed to sit the closest while those that were poor could observe from the highest levels. Very similar to today - your seats in a stadium are mostly based on where you can afford to buy tickets (yep, upper level for me!).

There are a few shops and restaurants surrounding the Coliseum. If you can walk a few blocks away it will save you some money. We stopped at a little place for lunch and sat outside in the shade (at least there was a bit of a breeze). Of course we had to order pizza, but we also tried an interesting appetizer made of pumpkin flower. It was deep fried and tasted delicious - if you get a chance, try one!

Fried pumpkin flower

After lunch we walked over to the Roman Forum. This is where the people used to live and interact with one another. Rick Steves also offers an audio guide of the Forum, so we popped on our headphones and took a self-guided tour.

Some of the buildings have served multiple purposes over the centuries. A temple built for a wife by a grieving husband stood at much higher ground. Later, when the building became a church and the street level had been lowered a set of stairs was added to provide access.

Temple of Antonius and Faustina, later on became a church.

Julius Caesar lived and died at the Forum. His funeral pyre is preserved and many people have left offerings of money.

Caesar's funeral pyre - many have left offerings.

The Forum also contains the House of the Vestals and the Temple of Vesta. This classic story of the Virgins that kept the fire burning to Vesta. Young aristocratic girls were chosen (aged 6 to 10) to serve in the temple for 30 years and were required to stay chaste for the entirety of their service. In A.D. 394 the temple was abandoned when Theodosius I, a Christian emperor, ordered it.

Temple of Vesta - the Vestal virgins lived behind the temple in an elaborate house.

Rome, Italy - June 2016

Thickblackglasses and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in June 2016 and decided we would take a trip to Italy - along with a Mediterranean cruise - to celebrate!

We started off with 2 days in Rome, you know, to see the most important sites first - ha! There's so much to see and 2 days just doesn't do it justice, but here's a summary of Day 1.

After many delays just to get out of the States we finally landed in Rome at midnight. We were supposed to arrive at 9 pm or so and the hotel said they would just leave a key at the door. Well, due to the delays there was no one around. Tracking down the phone number we made an international call from our US phones in order to find someone to let us into our room. Thankfully there was someone out and about only a few blocks away so she came to our rescue!

The hotel, Residenza Santa Maria, was a little place tucked in some back streets in the Trastevere neighborhood. The area is not real close to all the sites, but it was worth the extra walking and bus riding as it was quaint, quiet, and beautiful. There is easy access to the tram, the bus and taxis.

Due to our late start we missed our appointment to tour the Vatican Gardens (that included a pass to the museum). Unable to get a refund, we were told to re-book. Since we were able to get inside the Vatican without standing in line for 3 hours, we decided just to re-purchase the tickets for the museum. Yes, you heard that right, we by-passed a huge line of people waiting to get inside, so buy your tickets ahead of time!!!

One thing we did not know was how much there is to see in the museum before reaching the Sistine Chapel, the piece de resistance. So don't linger too long in the other parts, but don't forget to take it all in! Download Rick Steve's audio tour of the Chapel in order to get a closer look at the intricacies of Michelangelo's work. It is forbidden to take pictures inside too, so keep that in mind.


Luckily we visited during a Jubilee year for Catholics, so extra doors were open in St. Peter's Basilica. If you are Catholic I am sure you understand the significance but for me I was unsure what exactly that meant. For sure it means that more people than normal were visiting the Vatican during 2016.

The alter inside St. Peter's Basilica

Please note that Italy is very hot and humid during the summer months. If you can avoid traveling during that time I highly recommend the fall. If not, bring a water bottle. Rome is full of fountains to fill your bottle and keep you hydrated.