School’s out and we are all ready to enjoy the added freedom that brings. The start of our summer vacation happened to coincide with the McLeod family get together so this was the perfect vacation to kick off summer fun. We were retracing our steps all the way back to the East Coast and Kiawah Island, South Carolina was our destination but first, we had some work to do. After arriving in Las Vegas we decided the safest bet would be to unload our entire car and all our belongings into a storage unit for safekeeping while we were away. Off we went unpacking in scorching desert heat. The good thing is by now we are pros at packing and unpacking so it was pretty speedy and left us time to enjoy some Vegas fun before heading out.
Our flight was smooth as we left the low hundred degrees desert heat and landed in the dripping humidity of South Carolina. Matt and his family vacationed on Kiawah Island when he was a child so it was fun to watch them relive memories and introduce this special place to the next generation of McLeod’s. It was a big clan with Mom and Dad, our 5, and Pete and Laura and their six kids. The more the merrier as we ran from the house to the rolling waves and sandy beach. The water was warm, the sun was hot and laughter was loud on this island paradise. There was sand castle building, body boarding, wave chasing, crab catching, cold drinks, great food and even better company. The kids are already making plans for next year as there is nothing like spending morning until night with your cousins by your side. We will see where that adventure takes us.
After nearly a month in Florida we were excited to move on to new states and of course, start our westward journey. There is something so exciting about heading west, maybe it’s because Matt and I met each other on the west coast. Whatever the attraction we were ready to point our compass toward the big W. The Florida Panhandle is long, our travel time from Hutchinson Island to Fairhope was over 9 hours but the kids did great back in the McLeod mobile and we were happy to raise our feet as Alabama welcomed us. Our Airbnb was in Fairhope, Alabama which is a small town on Mobile Bay. Between beautiful horse farms, an eclectic downtown and the most amazing sunsets I think we choose a great place to explore for a week.
Sweet Home Alabama
beautiful horse farm
Amazing sunset
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Our first day-trip was to check out the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. We headed south to the Gulf Shore and found a great hike through the marshlands. We discovered it is a feeding area for migratory birds, I believe 360 bird species have been identified here. The kids were much more intrigued by the “Beware of Alligators” signs along the trail and it made me a little nervous I will admit. We didn’t spot any gators and few birds for that matter, but we had a great hike in the sunshine. We did discover Lennox’s hiking limit is not as far as we wish and the level of whining increases dramatically once you hit the 2-mile mark. We either need to figure out a good way to carry a 40 lb kid, strengthen his legs, quiet his whine, or take short hikes… haha, too much to contemplate.
Cant beat this view
This guy!
more beautiful views
Lennox smiling before his legs were tired
gator land
Strike a pose
The clan
Smiling beauty
Homes on the waters edge
white sand beach
skimming waves washing over the shore
tiny shells
so nice to play by the ocean
USS Alabama
In stark contrast to our nature hike, we climbed aboard a massive steel battleship, the USS Alabama. Our fogged-in day made the experience eerie but perfect. As amazing as it is to be on such a massive ship, to walk between the walls and imagine the life of the soldiers, it is also heavy to realize the reality of war fought on these decks. The guns are massive and plenty, this ship was in the Pacific during WWII. I was an exchange student in Okinawa, Japan for a year and seeing this ship was also there was a strange realization. We watched a movie with stories from the shipmates about the war and you realize how lucky you are to be traveling the United States with your kids. My gratitude to all those who have served our country grows each time I encounter experiences which show insight into military life, sacrifice, and loss.
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Dauphin Island
After seeing how amazing the white sand along Gulf Shores was we had to travel to the other side of the bay to check out the western entrance to Mobile Bay, Dauphin Island. Our first stop was the Dauphin Island Sea Lab which we knew the kids would love, anytime a touch pool is available they are ecstatic. The lab had great exhibits as well as many hands-on displays including the touch pool, sting ray pool and preserved sea creatures for handling. There were Octopi, skate, squid and various fish all preserved in formaldehyde. I was startled at my first touch but Sienna examined them with no hesitation, she may prove to be the scientist of the family. After our undersea exploration, we headed to the beach for a picnic lunch. We were nearly the only people at this pure white sand desert-like beach which seemed to stretch for miles. The ripples of the fine sand create beautiful patterns and the water is deep blue with smooth rolling waves. The environment takes your breath away and we enjoyed each moment. One thing you can’t miss is the off-shore oil rigs. As we drive our vehicle across the country we are more guilty than most of guzzling gas but something about seeing oil rigs in the middle of the pristine ocean still seems odd.
Horseshoe crab
Hermit crab in a glass shell
Mr. Eel says hi!
and this unhappy guy
rock or fish?
Underwater
Blub… Blub… Blub
huge smile for this diver
Sea Turtle ride
beach time
Always smiling at the beach
beautiful shore
taking in the sun
true lines in the sand
It’s almost like a desert here
white sand for miles
Lennox – king of the dune mountain
a little life exists
More pictures from our time in Fairhope, Alabama
Part of our time here was decompressing from our epic adventures in Florida and Fairhope was the perfect place for this. It is a super cute town and we had fun wandering, exploring and also just living life in our country home. Here are a few more photos from our stay.
porch swing smiles
not sure what he is up to with the knife
everyone is getting ready for Mardi Gras
Beads.beads.beads
more Mardi Gras decor
Mural of lovely colors
Mississippi – The Shed
Some friends mentioned The Shed to us and when we were passing through Mississippi we happened to land here around lunchtime. When I first looked at the website it said it was closed due to cold weather (which was in the low 40’s) but that must have been the day before because it was open. Holy sensory overload!!! It seemed like every inch of every wall, ceiling, door…. was covered with something, or more like many things. The ceiling had hundreds of dollar bills stuck to it with forks, we added ours as you can see below. Although the building is a site to see the food was the star. I think they are BBQ Champions of the World! Best I think we’ve ever tasted. So if you find yourself in Ocean Springs, Mississippi stop here for some good food and just to see this crazy place.
