We hit the road bright and early at 7:16 AM, leaving Alison Creek Campground (where Wild Blue Yonder had been parked and prepped like a land yacht at port) with one ambitious goal: make it 589 miles to Buena Vista Motorcoach Resort in Orange Beach in a single day. That’s way more road than we usually chew in one bite, but the time zone bonus, an early start, and our love for this Gulf-front paradise had us feeling bold. Orange Beach is a little out of the way considering our final destination, but we’ve got some business to take care of here—and let’s be honest, there are far worse places to mix work with a view. Despite the expected traffic snarls in Greenville and Atlanta, the wheels kept turning—and so did the radio, which for unknown reasons treated us to a marathon of Red Hot Chili Peppers before abruptly shifting gears to Jungle Boogie as we escaped Atlanta’s clutches. Ten hours and seventeen minutes after our journey began (fueled by determination, coffee, and the lure of perfectly level concrete pads), we pulled into Buena Vista and bee-lined it to 158 Dockside just in time for $1 Happy Hour oysters. Straight from the gulf, they were otherworldly—worth every mile, every restroom stop, and every confusing Chili Pepper lyric.
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