DAY 31 June 24, 2009

Missed breakfast at the hotel this morning, so I tracked down Dick Russell's BBQ at 5360 Highway 90 W. So much good stuff at great prices-I ordered breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I had 1 egg, potatoes, and a biscut with peach jam ($2.95). Breakfast was very good-the biscuts may be the best I have ever tasted and they paired very nicely with the peach jam. Lunch was BBQ pork sauced, cornbread dressing, beans, yeast roll, and bread pudding ($6.95) and fried pickles ($2.25). I should have just stopped at the pickles, because the meat tasted gamey, the sauce was flavorless tomato sauce, the dressing was watery (there were puddles in the dish??), the beans were lukewarm, and the pudding was dry. The yeast roll was good, but not nearly as much as the biscuit.
I went into Mobile thinking I would check out the Museum of Mobile ($5), but ended up loving the visitor center (park across the street it is free) and their museum. Then I rode the free trolley around town and got a great air conditioned view of the downtown area. As I headed out of town, I noticed the USS Arizona-maybe next time.

I went down the east side of the Mobile Bay headed south. There are a couple of great little parks on Captain O'Neil St just south of the Daphne Museum and across the street from the old courthouse plaque. The kitschy little community of Fairhope has a beautiful park also-their municipal beach is $8 per car-up to 6 people but you can park next to the entrance and enjoy the pier and gardens without charge.

Point Clear is even prettier than the other towns and is home to the Grand Hotel-what a beauty! Way outside of this gypsy's budget.



Further down the road on County Road 1 E was a beautiful view of the surrounding estuary.

Foley is one of the locations of Lambert's (www.throwedrolls.com) Cafe. The parking lot was packed at 3 pm, but I am still too full from my earlier meal.

I had high hopes for Gulf Shores, but it is a MEGA tourist trap overpopulated with high rise rental condos. There was one redeeming site - The Happy Shak Hippie Boutique.

It started to rain and then pour as I came out the other end of the island and into Florida. I stayed at the Motel 6 (I 10 and US 291) for the night. The staff was wonderful and the room was clean.

ROUTE: I 65 South> I 10 West and then East>US 98 East> County 98 East> County 1 East>County 27 North>US 98 East> AL 59 South>AL 182 East>FL 292 North> US 98 North> I 110 East>I 10 East exit 13

Lodging: Motel 6 Pensacola

Meals:
Dick Russell's (***Food ***Service)

Attractions: Museum of Mobile (next time), Mobile Visitor Center, Mobile's Free Trolley, USS Arizona (next time), Daphne Museum, Fairhope Muni Beach (next time), and Lambert's Cafe (next time)

$$$: $17 Food $7 Souvenir $8 Groceries $45 Motel = $77