Alabama 2023 - July 11 - In the water

There was a shark experience on the pier at 10am, it was a bit of a rush to get there in time, but we made it.   The presentation, I think, was aimed at children, but the university students seemed unable to avoid all the long words, the technical names for parts of the shark, or its reproductive methods.  It was interesting for me, and the exhibits - partial skeletons (mainly jaws), and live rays (barbs removed) was interesting for the children. The tank is fairly shallow, and one had escaped a couple of days before.

We spent about an hour before moving on to brunch at Ruby Slipper.  The restaurant had a long wait. The waitress, seemed to be pre-occupied with something, and was not that attentive. The food is mainly omelettes, and was nice enough, but also seemed to take a long while to arrive.  Neither of the waits was timed, but spent with the grandchildren, who are not particularly impatient, so, if they are getting active, we have been waiting too long. The portions in America, at least in this area, are smaller than I remember them, which is probably a good thing.  The prices are also higher, which isn't.

We then drove to Fort Morgan, arriving in the heat of the day.  It was a relief to get into the museum.  The fort was originally built to defend against the British.  It has a chequered history, being re-fortified in times of conflict, and all but abandoned soon after.  WWII saw the most spectacular abandonment, when in 1946 (a year after the war ended) it was handed to the state as a historical site.  On top of the fortifications, there are great views of the oil rigs in the gulf.  If you think of these as ships, it is easy to see how useful the fort was.  Inside the massive buildings, with their high vaulted ceilings, the temperature is more comfortable, and you can begin to see how people survived the searing heat. That is, until you see the dress uniforms in the museum - thick material, tightly buttoned and high necked.

The picture shows us walking through the tunnels, they provide a fantastic echo, and led to a lot of shouting.

There were lots of dragon flies at the fort, I took a picture of one, if you look carefully, you should be able to make out the wings.

After driving back from the fort, and taking a short break, we headed to the Crab Trap Restaurant for an early tea.  The plan was to eat, then go back to the pier and spend some time on the beach, but a storm was threatening.  We were initially told there was a 30-minute wait, at the end of 30 minutes, we were told we could eat outside, or wait another 30 minutes. We decided to eat outside, under cover. 

So, after eating, we went on the beach immediately behind the restaurant, and enjoyed an hour (maybe), on the beach, in the water.  The water is warm, but still requires some acclimatisation.  I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

A darkness fell, we left the beach and travelled to an amusement arcade, the children loved it, but for me those places are simply a waste of money.  However, the occasional wins are a good life-lesson, I suppose.