ST. ANDREWS STATE PARK EXPEDITION!

St. Andrews State Park ( www.floridastateparks.org ) is located in Bay County, in Panama City Beach, Florida.  The park has 1,200 acres, and gets its name because it is located on St. Andrews Bay, a 69,000 acre estuary located in northwest Florida.

The park has many amenities, including concessions such as the one shown here, that rent watersport equipment.

This photo shows the kayaks that can be rented for paddling around the adjacent Grand Lagoon, shown in background.

Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving is allowed in the park, but participants in those sports are cautioned about the presence of RIP CURRENTS in this type of water environment.

Bicycle rentals are also available, and there are many areas throughout the (mostly flat) state park, that provide pleasant locations for pedaling.

The sign at the top of this dock indicates this is the boarding location for the park's shuttle to Shell Island.  Shell Island is a seven-mile long barrier island that is part of the park, but has no bridges leading to it, so boating is the way people choose to access it. 

In addition to docks being used for Shell Island shuttle arrivals/departures, docks also have telescopes that will allow you to peer across the bay.  I was able to see the Sheraton Hotel where I was staying that was a mile away!  And since I always end my blog with the phrase "Miles of Smiles", I was amused at the poem on the side of the telescope---"See a mile, with a smile"!

 

 

There is an interesting page on Facebook called "Look at the front of my kayak".  This photo would qualify for their criteria, as it looks out over St. Andrews Bay.

 

This area is famous for its birding opportunities, and the park has erected signs and viewing platforms that enable a bird watcher to see the maximum birds possible.

Because the park has five distinct ecological landscapes within its boundaries, birders have opportunities to see a larger variety of species.  The five habitats are undisturbed pine hammocks, sugar sand beaches, native coastal scrub and wetlands, a lake, and inland shallow water tidal habitat on the lower Grand Lagoon. 

Thankfully, boardwalks have been built to provide visitors access to the "inner reaches" of the wetlands.

At the end of the board walk is a viewing platform, with benches, and interpretive panels to tell visitors what wildlife they might see in this particular habitat.

The park also has an area near one of the popular beaches on the Gulf of Mexico side of the park, where visitors can rent surfboards and inflatables.

 

And, of course, there is a gift shop where you will have hundreds of choices of souvenirs to take back home as a reminder of your fun time at the beach!

 

It was interesting to see that the large wall signs for sale in the gift shop, have the same advise as given in the Bible!

History buffs will probably enjoy reading about the heavy equipment that was used for industrial purposes in the distant past of St. Andrews Bay:

In the Southeast part of the United States, lumber production was a booming business in the past, as a growing nation needed wood to build homes and businesses.  Unlike today's lumber mills run by computer technology, in the olden days is was gears and pulleys and blades and "elbow grease" that got the job done.

Even though this Eagle Scout completed his project over 15 years, it is still providing a service, through education of guests, as well as students who come to the parks on school field trips.

It is easy to see why there were many accidents in saw mill of the past, as there was no protection for the workers from the spinning saw blade. 
 

 

St. Andrews State Park has a lovely walking trail that is near Gator Lake, and its short length means one does not need hiking gear to enjoy it.

Although no special gear is required for a hike, a good set of eyes that are alert to walking through alligator habitat, IS a requirement!  I have read enough stories about people who were killed in Florida from an alligator attack, that I take these warning signs very seriously!

I always take a photo of the sign that shows the trail map, before I start out on a hike.  That way I can refer to it, if I get confused as to which path to take.  Also, signs like this will usually tell you the total length of the trail and how long it generally takes to walk through it. 

I was intrigued by this scene of the scrub brush and trees,  forming a complete arch and canopy, for the bench along the trail. 
 

Since there are two and one-half miles of beach within St. Andrews State Park, it is easy to spread out and "social distance" from other guests.  I am using this photo of me giving the "V for VICTORY" uplifted arms gesture on the beach, as the visual aid for my First Place for Health ( www.FirstPlaceforHealth.com ) memory verse that says, "But thanks be to God!  He gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

 St. Andrews State Park has a pier that reaches out into the Gulf of Mexico.  This section of beach was able to escape the development of resort hotels and condominiums that border it, because it used to be a military reservation.  

 

I enjoy doing photography around ocean piers, because they provide so many "framing" opportunities for the sun, sky, and people!

As the sun was setting on my day at St. Andrews State Park, it was easy to see why it is one of Florida's most popular state parks!

So, if you want to "peer through a pier", while listening to the pleasant sound of waves rolling against the sand, make your way to St. Andrews State Park.  It will give you "MILES OF SMILES"!!

DAUPHIN ISLAND EXPEDITION!

The bridge to Dauphin Island, Alabama stretched out in front of me like an Olympic ski jumping ramp---jutting into the sky with no indication as to what was on the other side.  As a first time driver on this highway over the water, one has to have faith that there is something on the other side of that highway ramp "into the wild blue yonder ";   I did not want this photo to be the visual aid for the famous song, "Highway to the Danger Zone"!

Fortunately, there was indeed a continuation of the highway over the gigantic hump, and once I made it to the island, I pulled over to take a photo of the extraordinary bridge I had just driven across: (The official name is the "Gordon Persons Bridge", and it carries a 3-mile, two-lane section of Alabama State Route 193 from mainland Alabama, across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to Dauphin Island)

 

The bridge is named after the 46th Governor of Alabama, and was opened in 1982.  The bridge separates the Mississippi Sound on the west from Mobile Bay on the east.

I also pulled over to take a photo of the official sign welcoming visitors to the island.  Lest someone think that the "D" word is mis-spelled, it is helpful to know the origin of the name.  An heir to the throne of France was called a "dauphin", and this island was named in honor of Louis XIV of France's great-grandson and heir.  The word dauphin is French for dolphin, but during the period of history that this land belonged to France, the term was used as the title of the heir apparent to the French monarch.

For me as a first-time visitor, my primary goal in getting oriented to the island, was to drive the main road that goes from the eastern end of the island, to the western end.  After getting as far as I could going eastward, I turned around to go in the direction of the ferry that I knew was on the west end of the island.  As I was driving towards the ferry location, I saw the large multistory, oceanfront condominium property I had read about, when I was searching on line for a suitable overnight lodging for the one night I planned to spend on the island.  However, at the time I looked, they were only renting in segments of a full week---much more than I needed. Likewise, as I was driving around the island, there were numerous large beach houses for rent, but they, too, were much more than I needed. 

 

 

Fortunately, I saw the sign for the Gulf Breeze Motel, located just a block from the main highway. I had read about this property on the Internet when I was searching for lodging, but their ad said they required a two-night minimum stay---and I only needed one night.  However, when I saw their parking lot was almost empty, I decided it would be worth a stop, to see if they might re-negotiate their two-night minimum.  My prayers were answered, when the gracious lady (with a Southern accent as unmistakable as my own!) said she could make an exception for me.  Little did she know, that as I drove over the bridge and around the island, I had been repeating, out loud, over and over, my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verse from Philippians 4:19, that says, "My God will supply all my needs according to the riches of His Glory in Christ Jesus."  That is because I had no idea if I would be able to find a place to spend the night on the island!  Yet I knew I could always drive back across the bridge, and return to the Mobile area, if nothing was available.  Just as I had faith to continue driving into that ramp that seemed to drop off "into the wild blue yonder", I had faith that God would supply my needs.  And, He did!  (The phone number for the motel is 251-861-7344, if you would like to inquire about staying there.)

Once my mind was put to rest as to where I would sleep, I continued to explore the island, and look for photo opportunities.  At the far end of the island, I came across the loading ramp for the Mobile Bay Ferry, that runs between Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan, Alabama.  It was my goal to take that ferry the next day to return to the "mainland", as opposed to backtracking on the bridge I used to arrive at the island. 

The last ferry of the day had already departed, so I parked my car to do a bit of photography, as the sun began to set. 

As I have mentioned in previous articles, one of my favorite activities when traveling, is taking pictures of sunsets (or sunrises!) in locations that are new to me.  

Sometimes, the bands of varying colors in the sky reduce the need for a "frame" for the photograph, but if the sky is somewhat monochromatic, as in this photo, I like to try to find a plant, tree, or other structure, to give some interest to the photo. 

I was up early the next day, to see as much of the island as I could, before catching the ferry.  I discovered that the Gulf Breeze Motel where I was staying also had its own set of docks, and a boat ramp, which I was oblivious to when I checked in, as it was hidden from view. When I was walking around the waterfront part of the motel property, I observed that one can also see the bridge to the mainland, on the distant horizon. 

The Dauphin Island public beach park was located just across the highway from the motel where I stayed.  It had ample parking, picnic pavilions, and elevated viewing platforms.

Elevated viewing platforms give better views of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the estuary, marshes, and sand dunes that provide habitat for the flora and fauna of Dauphin Island. 

This structure, which could be locked off, led to the pier:

 

Bird watching is a popular activity on the island, so my next stop on Dauphin Island was the Audubon Bird Sanctuary:

Hundreds of different species pass through this area, as it is a popular "rest stop" for migratory birds flying between North America and South America.

The bird sanctuary has several live oak trees, which is the type of tree I am leaning on in this photo.  Some of the older and larger live oak trees on the island are called "Goat Trees".  The story goes that the goats would scramble up into these trees at night to sleep, in order to escape the alligators.  Even though there were numerous signs throughout the bird sanctuary warning about alligators, I did not see any when I hiked through the area.
 

The bird sanctuary contains a large pond, that would be the perfect feeding and resting place for waterfowl traveling through.  A bird might think of it like a human thinks of a well-equipped rest stop, that one finds along our nation's Interstate highway system!

There are several miles of walking paths in the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.  This photo shows one with a hard-packed dirt surface, covered in pine needles.

Sections of the trails that go through areas more prone to flooding have elevated board walks.  As you can tell from the photo here, the vegetation of this section is composed mainly of pine trees and saw palmettos.

I have learned by "trial and error" that it is always helpful to take a photo of the trail map where you will be hiking, so you can refer to it later, when you are confused about which path to take at an intersection! 

After trying several different trails, I chose the trail that I thought would lead to the open ocean.  The sound of crashing waves was a big clue, I was headed in the right direction!

My next stop was to go to the ferry, pay the fee, and get to the front of the line, so I could be assured of my car making it onto the vessel, which only carries a few cars at a time.  My car is the red one on the left.  The ticket booth attendant said I could leave the car in line, locked up, and continue to walk around the area to explore. 

I walked the short one block distance to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.  Since I started out in college with a major in Marine Biology, I wanted to get my photo made with this sign, so I could contemplate the "what if" my career might have looked like if I had not changed course.  At the time I was in college, however, this place did not exist, as it was not founded until 1971.  The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is Alabama's primary marine education and research center. It sits on grounds formerly owned by the US Air Force for the 693rd Radar Squadron. 

The educational arm of the Sea Lab is adjacent and is called the George F. Crozier Estuarium.  It is open to the public, and includes a 10,000 square foot exhibit hall, and a Living Marsh Boardwalk.  The exhibit hall features four sections that highlight aquatic life that could be found in the river delta, Mobile Bay, the barrier islands, and the northern Gulf of Mexico. 

Eventually, it came time to board the ferry, and my car was taking its first ever ferry ride!  This photo of me beside my car shows I am giving thanks and praising God that I was able to take my first-ever journey on the Dauphin Island Ferry!  Not everyone who wanted to get on the ferry for this trip was as fortunate, however.  The ferry was built to hold 25 cars, so you can imagine that during busy tourist seasons, the ferry may fill up quickly. 

 

As I walked around the ferry, I came across a small, bronze sign.  When I looked closely at its weathered inscription, I was surprised to read that I was standing where a former U.S. President had stood!

President Barak Obama stood at this spot, when he visited the area on June 14, 2011, to survey the effect of the oil spill brought on by the explosion in the Deepwater Horizon, off-shore oil drilling operation.  Here is a close-up of the small, unpretentious sign.  It is amusing to note that when a U.S. President is in his airplane, it's call sign becomes "Air Force One".  Likewise, whenever the U.S. President was on the M/V Marissa Mae Nicole, its call sign was "Ferry One"!

The end of the island where the ferry is located, is also the site of a historic military struggle, near a place called Fort Gaines.   I am using the concept of a "struggle between opposing forces",  to help me remember one of my First Place 4 Health (www.firstplace4health.com) memory verses:  "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  Ephesians 6:12.  Hence, Fort Gaines on the end of Dauphin Island, and Fort Morgan on the Alabama mainland, served to protect Mobile Bay.  It was the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, during the American Civil War, that the famous phrase, "Damn the torpedoes!  Full speed ahead!", was uttered by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut .  Farragut went on to become the first admiral of the U.S. Navy, and his phrase became a U.S. Navy traditional battle cry.

 

My journey back to the mainland was complete, when I reached Fort Morgan, Alabama, which is the sight of the Fort Morgan State Historic Site.  It too has seen many struggles.  Besides the Civil War, it played defensive roles in the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.  If you would like to explore this section of the southern United States, visit their website at www.dauphinisland.org to plan YOUR expedition!

Having "circumnavigated" Dauphin Island---arriving via bridge and leaving via car ferry---my expedition to Dauphin Island was a great experience, and gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia