November 30, 2022

The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach, AL

We slept in a bit, and Kip got a message that his package had arrived.  While he was installing a new battery charger for the Boat (which he loves it because there are lights showing him what is charging),

I walked into town and got breakfast (chicory coffee and beignets) from Mo' Bay Beignet Co.  

Kip then biked 14 miles round trip to the Sanroc Marina (now called "Reel Suprise") and picked up a part (outboard engine flush), stopped at West Marine for a few items, and then stopped at a convenience store for some Diet Coke.  He said I was not going along with him - his orders.  So, I read and sat on the back deck.  

After Kip got back from his adventure, as sat on the dock but it was getting kind of blustery, so we went inside and took a nap!  After our nap, we got ready to go to the Christmas Tree lighting event.  

We walked into town and there were people everywhere!  They had a stage and people were talking, singing, playing instruments, snowmen and gingerbread men were entertaining the kids, etc.  

Then the countdown for the tree lighting.  Kip was underwhelmed and wondered why everyone didn't sing Silent Night or something.  

After the tree lighting, a firetruck started its way into the main area, and Santa was on top waving to everyone.

Then, Vinney's Pizza for dinner and we walked/ran back to the boat because it is COLD!  It is supposed to be 41 degrees tonight.  We are staying one extra night due to high wind in the area, so we can do more exploring tomorrow.  Needless to say, our daily budget has been blown out of the water while staying here.  

One week until we fly home.

November 29, 2022

Ingram Bayou, Near Orange Beach, AL to The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach, AL

We left Ingram Bayou pretty early.  The sky is partially cloudy, but it is warm.  I am officially bit up from the No-See-Ums from sitting outside last night.  They itch something fierce!  I will have to remember to get some No-See-Ums repellant as soon as I can find it.  

We got to The Wharf marina around 9:00 a.m.  We have a really nice slip that is right next to the intracoastal so we can set up our chairs and watch the boats and Tugs go by.  

We set up our chairs and spent several hours on the dock reading and relaxing.  

The area was so nice.  There are shops, restaurants, a Ferris Wheel, a train, nice facilities, and grocery stores not too far away.  There is a Christmas Tree lighting at 5:30 p.m.  We arrived at about 5:15 p.m. to watch the tree lighting, and someone said they postponed it until tomorrow night due to fear of rain.  The palm trees had lights on them that changed colors and flashed to the music.

We had dinner at Yo Ho Tacos (taco Tuesday!), shopped a bit, had some ice cream, and went to see a movie called "Devotion".  We were the only ones in the theater, so I did a dance number by the screen just to be silly.  Eventually another couple arrived, so there were 4 of us.  

The Nebo log is not quite accurate - I forgot to stop our voyage when we got here so it ran a bit over.  

 

November 26 - November 27

Holiday Harbor Marina, Perdido Key, Florida - November 26, 2022

We got up extra late and biked to the Publix store to get groceries.  When we got back, the mascot dog. Lady, was sitting on top of their boat's bimini, which was pretty funny.

Kip was still working on a battery issue and figured out that the battery charger on the boat wasn't working.  He ordered a new battery charger, and it will arrive at the next marina we are going to in a few days. While he was working on the battery, I was online buying Christmas presents!  

It was a low-key day since it was raining off and on.  We tucked in, read, had dinner and played dominoes until it was time for bed.

Holiday Harbor Marina, Perdido Key, Florida to Ingram Bayou,
Near Orange Beach, Alabama - November 27, 2022

We left the boat at 6:30 a.m. and went back to Johnson Beach.  The waves were supposed to be really big this morning.  I brought my shelling net, but the shells are pretty much smashed when they get to shore.

We got back to the boat and took care of miscellaneous things before we took off for Ingram Bayou.  We loaded the bikes, Kip filled the water tank, and we got the dinghy connected back onto the boat.  We are heading to Ingram Bayou.  

Ingram Bayou is a stream located just 1.6 miles from Orange Beach, in Baldwin County, in the state of Alabama, United States, near Caswell, AL. 

We are staying here two nights.  We are planning on jumping a few miles here and there until we fly home because this area is where we will be storing our boat.

On the way here, we saw several boats that we previously met and chatted with.  We also saw a 31' Ranger Tug with a fly bridge (boat name "Inconceivable"), that was the same color scheme as ours.

We got settled in the Bayou and sat out on the back deck and read.  Kip wanted to take a dinghy ride, so we drove around the area taking pictures and watching for alligators (ok, maybe I was watching for alligators)!  

There are several boats here that were left for some reason.  The creepiest one is the sailboat mast sticking out of the water.

Can you see the boat WAY back in the Bayou?  

It will be a quiet night, just us, the birds, the fish, and the alligators!  

November 25, 2022

Holiday Harbor Marina, Perdido Key, Florida

We decided that we were going to bike to Johnson Beach early this morning to look for shells.  We left our boat at 7:15 a.m. and biked about 2 miles to the beach.  It is slightly misting outside and is a bit cloudy, but the temperature is warm.

We didn't see many shells - again, the waves smashed most of them.  When we were leaving the beach, we asked one of the fishermen what he was fishing for.  He said "shark".  The hook on his line was huge, and he said that shark is really good to eat, it tastes like steak.  We then watched a bunch of surfers out fairly far in the water.  I wonder if they worried about the sharks.

We washed off our feet and went on the nature walk boardwalk.  It wasn't very long and some of it was very much in need of repairs.

Back at the boat we said hello to the dock's mascot, Lady (she lives on the boat next to us and can get in and out of their boat when she wants to).  We ate breakfast and took a short nap.    

We ended up packing a backpack and taking our chairs to sit and read / relax by the water.  We sat there for quite a while until the weather changed and got cold.  We showered and went to dinner at the restaurant in the marina.  Kip had the Grouper Rueben and said it was really excellent.

Kip checked the weather, and the forecast says very high winds.  The marina we are in is protected from the wind, so we plan on staying here until Sunday.  There is no sense going out into the water under high wind conditions.