Travels of the Confetti

2/6/11 to 2/9/11 We left Dauphin Island under ideal conditions to cross Mobile Bay - sunny and with a slight westerly wind. We had a fellow AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruiser's Assoc.) member named Wally Conway offer to let us spend a night or two in the slip near his condo while he was away in the Florida Keys. It is located in Orange Beach, AL on a cute little bay framed with white sand. When we arrived we were anxious to put some meat and produce on the boat so I looked up the nearest grocery store on my phone GPS and we started off on foot. No sooner had we walked across the street in front of the condos when we ran into a couple walking down the sidewalk and asked for some verification of the location of the grocery store. Jim and Jennie told us it was about three and a half miles in each direction, clearly out of walking distance. We were reassessing our plan when they offered us the loan of their car. What a treat! We drove to the Publix and loaded up $150 worth including some things we normally wouldn't buy because we wouldn't like to carry them back to the boat (like cat litter).
We left Orange Beach headed for Fort Walton Beach and "Free City Dock, Rest Rooms and Pump Out". The dock indeed was free but it was quite run down, the rest rooms were a good walk and below par oh and the pump out was not working. Also we were immediately inspected by two obviously homeless gentlemen both of which had there beer in paper sack. We chatted with them and they seemed harmless enough but one never knows for sure.
We left headed for Bluewater Marina in Niceville, FL. The weather is cold and blowing out of the north which is less than desirable when traveling east bound. We spent a couple of days at the upscale marina ($65 per night to tie up) but they are fully equipped with laundry, showers, restaurant and a loaner car. We took advantage of the car and ran across the Air Force Armaments Museum. I leaned on a B-17 which my father flew on many occasions in WWII. Bluewater Marina is located next to Niceville, FL. As we were driving I was looking intently for a photo opportunity with a Niceville police cruiser - a rolling oxymoron. No luck. Lace wants a haircut but when it came down to actually walking into a salon cold she chickened out. The GPS odometer now reads 723 miles.