I started Day 2 by pretending to be productive, knocked out some work, then celebrated with a pilgrimage to the undisputed champ of gulf coast groceries — Rouses. Picked up supplies and headed back to take a nap so deep it may have reset my DNA. Later, I enjoyed a couple of solid stouts and some good convo with neighbors while eyeballing the new Coach Houses and dreaming of the day I can build one without selling a vital organ.
Day 3 was a little more eventful. It hit the ground with drama—the gas pump from hell tried to eat my credit card like it was a snack. After a short but passionate battle, I emerged victorious (and only mildly sweaty). We made the run to Fort Morgan and, in what I can only assume was a reward from the universe for not committing arson at the gas station, we made it onto the ferry to Dauphin Island just before it shoved off. The ride across was easygoing—oil rigs in the
bay, and beautiful sandy beaches along the shoreline. We spent some time at the Alabama Aquarium, where the sting rays glided with grace, the turtles looked mildly annoyed, and I did my part by silently judging the seahorses. We made a quick stop at the beach just to take in the view, then headed back around the bay. Had oysters in Mobile that were so
good, they almost made me tear up. We followed that up with pilgrimage to LoDa Bier Garten—one of my all-time favorite places for craft beer—for a well-earned pint. We cruised through Fairhope, made a pit stop at Fairhope Brewing, and settled a high-stakes checkers match that ended in a tie—nobody even lost a chip. Then we rolled back into Orange Beach with time to spare in the evening—beaten by no gas pump, bested by no brewery, and undefeated in checkers, ready to let the night ease in on our terms.
