Day 228: - Near Orange Beach, AL to Pensacola, FL
Day 228: Saturday, December 10th: We slept in this morning and when we awoke there was a small flock of Loons playing in the anchorage:
It was a pretty view watching them. Sadly, they never came very close to the boat:
We got underway and headed east toward Pensacola. We kept watching a huge cloudbank to the north of us. It looked foreboding but seemed to be moving north away from us:
We were cruising in an area where Bill vacationed as a boy. It those days this area was totally undeveloped but that is no longer the case. The summer cottages and high-rise condos line the Gulf shoreline and sit quietly on the bayou side of the barrier islands:
This observation tower in its quiet setting seemed out of place. It was in a small park:
We crossed the border from Alabama into Florida. Florida makes the 17th state (plus two Canadian Provinces) that we have cruised in during the Loop.
As we got closer to Pensacola the barge traffic seemed denser. We were gaining on three tows as one was coming towards us. It was sort of tricky in the narrow channel:
The bright white sand of the barrier islands along the southern side of "Big Lagoon" sparkled. The beach sand is like table sugar. It has a high content of quartz and squeaks when you walk on it:
As we neared Pensacola Bay the dolphins came over to play in our wake and bow wave. These gentle mammals are so quick that getting a good picture is a real challenge. You can barely see the one in our wake, between the tow and us:
As they get closer they are even more elusive:
They ride under the surface and then suddenly break out for a breath of air. They are gone as quickly as they came:
We were now in the clear waters so typical of the Gulf of Mexico. This picture doesn't show it very well, but one can read the depth by the color of the bottom; lighter color means shallower water:
Passing this lighthouse and water towers signaled our arrival at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, the primary flight training facility for the Navy, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard:
A few miles further and we arrived at the port of Pensacola:
We turned behind the sea wall and entered our marina basin. This is Palofox Pier Yacht "Harbour":
In 2004, hurricane Ivan brought an 18-foot high storm surge through here, lifting the floating docks off their pilings and floating them through downtown Pensacola. The piers have been rebuilt and are so fancy that they have personalized cast cleats on them:
Here is the sign documenting our presence:
Position tonight: N30 24.177 W087 12.822
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