Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/375781
I park my flip-flops on the immaculately kept condominium walkway, where water hoses dangle waiting to spritz down my soon-to-be very sandy feet. not expecting to see a soul, I stumble by early birds and great blue herons, squeak open my sleepy eyes in time to witness the tangerine skies and feel the crystal-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico wash over my toes. The Gulf shores and orange beach, recently named some of the best Gulf coast beaches by The Travel channel, feature 52 kilometres of meandering white sand that feels and looks more like fine sugar crystals. It doesn't take long to fall in love with alabama's sweet tea and southern hospitality where strangers become fast friends connecting over football and a bowl of fried crab claws, and locals giggle every september about the arrival of the lovebugs (a.k.a. plecia nearctica) and their unusual acrobatic inflight mating rituals. summer's a busy time with families from neighbouring Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana flocking to these expan- sive beaches, so I choose to visit in the fall, when it's much quieter, the weather is hot and the waters are still remark- ably warm. having only a few heavenly days in this excep- tionally beautiful area, I try to squeeze in as many adventurous activities as I can. There are kayaking, zip lin- ing and biking trails to explore for all levels, a slew of wild- life to admire, and plenty of outstanding fish and seafood eateries that would make any foodie delirious, all served up in casual family-friendly settings. on ThE WIld sIdE although I never planned on visiting a zoo while in the alabama Gulf coast area, it turns out to be one of those special places where adults and children can equally have a blast. I meet Patti hall, director of the alabama Gulf coast Zoo, as she pats her 200-kilogram siberian tigers, "salt" and "Pepper," through the chain-link fence. "We're resilient," Patti chimes in, referring to hurricane Ivan (2004) when Patti and her staff managed to evacuate most of the animals to her home. Their heroic efforts inspired the television show, The little zoo that could, produced by animal Planet. I even have one of those "it doesn't get better than this" moments while holding lolly, an absolutely adorable young kangaroo, swaddled comfortably in a pillowcase. FocusInG on habITaT If you are drawn to secluded beaches, like to fish or have always wanted to spy on an osprey, then you'll enjoy explor- ing the Pine beach Trail in the bon secour national Wildlife Refuge. situated on more than 2,830 hectares of coastal lands, the refuge is also a nesting site for endangered log- gerhead sea turtles where every May through to september, volunteers can sign up and help monitor the nests. "There are more than 400 species of birds during migration season, which peaks in mid-october," boasts our enthusiastic park ranger, denise McInturff, on our three- kilometre trek to the beach. however I'm even more intrigued by the tiny dotted tracks on the dunes made by nocturnal white beach mice and even more thankful there are no alligators or venomous cottonmouth snakes surpris- ing us on our path, although they do inhabit the area. our reward, after carefully tiptoeing around the state- protected sea oats, a species of tall golden grass sprouting from the sand dunes, is reaching a breathtaking uninhab- ited beach, where all conversation is lost to the sound of the waves rolling in. opposite: Wake up early to wit- ness a magnificent sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico. Rena Godfrey top: Getting up close with a young kangaroo is just one of the unique animal encounters offered at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. jeff Maisey left: It's all thumbs up at the Gulf Adventure Center in Gulf State Park. jared shelton Fa l l 2 0 1 4 15