Yesterday we went to another local restaurant in Gulf Shores called The Hangout.

The Hangout had a polar bear dip into the Gulf of Mexico for New Years Day. 

There were several hundred people who participated in the dip with many more onlookers on the shore.   As we walked down to the beach people were watching us and saying, "Are they really going to do that"?  

Here is a video courtesy of Becca. 

Here are photos from a local news station.  See anyone you know?? 

http://www.al.com/news/beaches/index.ssf/2015/01/gulf_shores_polar_bear_dip_dra.html

Happy Noon Year Eve!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

A local restaurant in Gulf Shores called Lulu`s hosted their 10th annual Noon Years Eve Celebration.

BEFORE

 They had 400 beach balls in a net above us then dropped them after we counted down to noon.

AFTER

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Since there is no snow here they decided to use a bubble machine and spray it out among the crowd.

Lemur Encounter!

Today we went to The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

 While we were there, Anna, Becca, Mariah and Lily had a opportunity to pet baby lemurs!

This red lemur is a Red Ruffed Lemur.

 This black and white lemur is called, you guessed it, a White and Black Ruffed Lemur.

Lemurs are native to Madagascar rainforests.

Both of these two species are endangered. 

Lily loved petting them!  One even cuddled up to her like it wanted a hug.

Mariah said their fur feels as soft as cotton.   

Their fingers and hands feel like our hands and they even have fingernails like ours.  

Becca thought a lemur might bite off a chunk of her hair while it chewed on it to groom her.  The lemurs are less than a year old and are teething as Mariah found out when one chewed on her finger.

 

Mariah and Becca were surprised when a lemur jumped on their heads and wobbled off.

Are We There Yet????

ARE WE THERE YET?

So, after 15 hours on the road yesterday

and after 6 states: MN, IA, MO, AR, TN, MS 

we finally made it to the hotel Horn Lake, Mississippi. 

Today we have one state left which is our destination: ALABAMA!

We filled up with gas at $1.99 this morning 

and got a couple more Redbox movies to watch in the van.  

Lord willing, we will be in Orange Beach this afternoon.

Lily and Josiah are being great travelers...kinda... :)

Last night, at the hotel pool, we met a family with 2 kids named Lily and Josiah!

We noticed we are in the South already...

for breakfast they served biscuits and gravy as well as grits.

Also, notice the flowers growing at our hotel in the picture.

Historic snowfall!

Historic snowfall 

Snow fell on January 29, 2014 in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Icicles frozen on our beach house.

This does not look right!

Icicles on our stairs leading to the beach.

Snow on the beach.

Icy sea oats

Sand dunes

Usually these beaches are sugar white but Wednesday the the white came from the snow.

The sand looked brown from the rain that froze it.

During the freezing rain all the shells that were facing up had ice in them.

Kids that live on the Alabama coast have never seen snow or ice on the beach before! 

The adults say it has been 50 years.

All of these shells are stuck in ice due to freezing rain. 

Do you see the frozen water droplets the sea oats?

Snow and beach...WHAT?????

Icicles on the railing going to the beach.

Icicles + palm tree = not normal

Palm trees

The sand burrs are trapped by ice.

Sand burr plants.

The ice is thicker than the stem of the plant.

Huge plant frosted with ice

The walk to the beach is very icy.

Sea oats are covered with ice.

The ocean and frozen sea oats.

Our Beach House and Sand Dunes

This year we rented Aqua Vista, a house directly on the beach!

Aqua Vista is a 4 bedroom duplex and ours is on the left side. 

In February friends and family will be staying in the other side named Sandbox.

We LOVE seeing the dolphins from the huge windows facing the Gulf.  Another treat this year has been watching the Blue Angels practice over the Gulf.

Here is the VRBO link to the house http://www.vrbo.com/308451

The back of the house facing the Gulf Of Mexico.

The sand dunes are protected so we must stay on the path.  The sea oats roots hold the sand dunes together when waves crash against them.  The dunes are habitat for the endangered Alabama Beach Mouse and other animals. 

 After Christmas people donate their Christmas trees to the Gulf State Park.  The State Park volunteers lay the Christmas trees on the beach right up by the dunes so the sand can start piling up over the Christmas trees.

The sign in the background says 

NATURAL HABITAT

AREA:

Please Stay Off The 

Dunes & Sea Oats

                                              

This sign says that Orange Beach has a fine of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail 

for walking or driving on the dunes.