13 Things I'm Doing at the Beach

1. Not cooking! It’s not that I hardy cook anymore anyway…if it wasn’t for Dear Hubby we’d all starve, however, our condo has a wonderful kitchen that could even inspire me to cook in. This week though… breakfast and lunch are self-serve.

2. Gazing at the beach from a lovely reclining chair though a cold front has moved in and it’s a bit chilly….no suntan today.

3. Exploring beach stores with plenty of tacky crap ( there’s no other way to properly describe it). Who buys all this stuff? But it’s one of those ingredients to the beach that makes it so interesting.

4. Soaking in the local color---I love beach towns and Gulfshores, Alabama has so many colorful, beautiful beach homes. It’s hard to believe that Hurricane Ivan destroyed most of it a few years ago, however, there is still some evidence.

5.Collecting memories of birds, dolphins arching up out of the water, tiny fish that can be seen in the surf, and don’t forget the shells!

6. Eating…restaurants abound and dinner is out each night. Hopefully we will get to Lulu's at least once for lunch.….the owner is Jimmy Buffet’s sister.

7. Writing on the beach or writing on the back deck overlooking the Gulf. Lots and lots and lots of free writing….who know where it will take me?

8. Watching Goofy daughter and giggling at her----while secretly wishing I looked like her and could do some of the things she can do----Ah, youth!

9. Being full of gratitude that Dear Son is with us as well on this trip---because of schedules, choir trips, trips with friends, etc we four have not all been together in like forever. I guess he really does like us!

10. Learning history----you don’t think I go somewhere and not know the history, do you? 11, 12, and 13 are just a synopsis of the history of this area.

11. Fort Morgan is down at the tipof the island. It was built after the War of 1812 and was named for Daniel Morgan, the Revolutionary War hero. It served as a training base during World War I, however, its main claim to fame was during the Civil War when Union Admiral D.G. Farragut lead a fleet to close the bay. During the attack, the U.S.S. Tecumseh struck a mine, and in the confusion, the fleet hesitated under the guns of Fort Morgan, prompting Farragut to order "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!". The fort continued as a coast artillery post until after World War II. You can learn more about the history of Fort Morgan here.

13. This area was featured on the news continuously as Hurrican Ivan bore down on the coast. You can see Hurricane Ivan damage photos here.

14. History legends abound….Gulfshores is part of Baldwin Couny, Alabama. Early in her history there are stories that a Scotsman reached the shores of North America 300 years before Christopher Columbus. Read about this facinating story here.