Alligator Alley, swimming at Gulf Shores, and a great meal

I skipped my usual breakfast options and tried something Southern. The Piggly Wiggly supermarket was next to the Planet Fitness, so I bought a fresh sausage biscuit, The biscuit was flaky like it should be. Not something I'd have everyday, but no regrets.

After breakfast, I headed downtown to the visitor information center. It's located next to a museum and across the street from Mardi Gras square. Two friendly, energetic lady volunteers were full of suggestions. Among other bits of history, they told me that Mobile held the first Mardi Gras celebration in America, not New Orleans.

I told them my niece and brother had mentioned Allegator Alley. They told me a man had bought some swampland zoned for agriculture and wondered what he could do with it. He came up with the idea of putting alligators on it and charging people to both see and feed them. It has worked out well for him, and the city visitors center volunteers told me it was worth visiting.

I also told them I wanted to go to the beach, and they said Alligator Alley is on the way. They gave me some restaurant suggestions, and both agreed Wintzell's Oyster House was their choice for good seafood, and it is reasonably priced. That pretty much mapped out my day: Alligator Alley, the beach, and Wintzell's.

Alligator Alley looked close on the map -- only 35 miles away -- but traffic was heavy and it took around an hour. Alligator Alley has 3 feeding times and I got there just before one of them. The alligators are separated from the visitors by a chain link fence. There is also a fenced boardwalk area over a swamp where you can look down on the alligators. You can also feed them if you buy an overpriced cup or bucket of food chunks.

Before feeding time, the alligators just hang out in the water. They didn't bother the Blue Heron.

At feeding time, the alligators come up on the bank and a worker puts on a show of throwing pork chops and other cuts of meat into their waiting mouths. Many of the alligators were "nuisance alligators" that got relocated to here from elsewhere because they were too close to a school or other public place, or were causing a disturbance in the community.

After the show, you can line up for the opportunity to quickly snap have a picture snapped of you holding a baby Alligator before they hand it off to the next person. No time to dawdle or relish in the moment.

Then I was on to the boardwalk. I was content to watch others throw the food pellets to the alligators. It really wasn't that exciting --- except the first time or two for little kids.

The eyes are usually a giveaway for spotting an Alligator, and the pattern on their back. Some are easier to see than others. An alligator's life looks pretty boring.

Sometimes they are harder to spot. See if you see the Alligator near the center of this photo. I included a telephoto shot of the Alligator below the main photo.

The cypress trees in the swamp have snobby knees, and there were also some spiders around the chain link fences.

In addition to alligators, they have some snakes behind glass or in cages, and an area where you can see a few turtles and tortoises.

Although the beach was close, today was a nice day and traffic was backed up, so it took another 45 minutes to get there.

I expected to be able to just park and walk to the beach, but it wasn't that easy. Hotels and gated condominiums lined the road, and I wondered how people not directly staying there could go to the beach! Eventually I saw a few signs advertising paid parking for beach access and I parked in one at Gulf Shores.

I had a good time at the beach, and spent a few hours in the water... mostly hanging out and trying to catch good waves for bodysurfing. The water was slightly warmer than I would have preferred, but it was still refreshing, and I could have comfortably stayed in the water all day! I'm not a sunbather, but I enjoy the water, and there was a mild breeze when walking on the beach.

I debated whether it would worth the hour drive back into town to eat at Wintzells, but the volunteer ladies recommended it so highly that I took the drive.

The food was REALLY GOOD!! They don't take reservations and there was no wait. I got the Broiled J.O. Platter with fish, oysters, shrimp and scallops. (The J and O are J.O. Wintzell's initials.) My only complaint about my order is that there was enough food for two, and I was only one person, and I didn’t have a refrigerator for leftovers. So I made a pig of myself and finished everything except the baked potato. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The ladies at the visitors center even gave me a 10% off coupon, but I forgot to use it.

I noticed there are 3 tall buildings in downtown Mobile. It surprised me, since Mobile gets hurricanes. I guess they weather the storms okay. After all, South Florida beaches also have lots of high rises. 

I heard that Pensacola, Florida, has a nice welcome center on I-10 with a huge parking lot and security guards, so that's where I'm staying tonight. I hope the inside of the car doesn't get too hot. The air conditioning in the building feels great, and it has a cold drinking fountain.

I thought all of Florida was in the Eastern time zone, but most of the Florida panhandle is Central time. So future visitors, be forewarned. Florida is like Tennessee and has two time zones.