After the very stormy day on Saturday, our wish for sun came true on Sunday!  When we awoke we were greeted with bright blue skies, sun and even though the temp was only in the mid-40’s, the day held the promise of highs in the mid-60’s. So off we went again exploring.

Despite it being a little chilly, we decided to go to Tacky Jack’s for breakfast.  We went there last year so we knew the food was average, the prices a little high but you can’t beat the view! We opted to sit outside and with the bright sun, it was pretty warm.  Rob had eggs with corned beef hash and I had bacon and eggs and grits, each for $8.99.  As Rob said this is the kind of place that you have to come to once.  Guess we’re not the only ones who felt that way even President Obama made a surprise visit here for lunch when he was touring the area after the oil spill in 2010.

One  of the things that we remembered from last year was the Lobster Zone Machine which is similar to the Claw Game found in amusement parks where you can win a stuffed animal if you are able to grab onto it with the claw.  The Lobster Zone Machine is similar except it has live lobsters in water – pay your $2.00, then try to catch one with the claw.  If you catch it, they will cook it! Certainly is different than the usual lobster tanks we have in New England!

After breakfast we walked up to their upper level observation platform to take in more of the view.  The danger sign at the top of the platform was pretty comical – we were concerned that we’d get sick from the altitude!

From there we headed over to Perdido Key Area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore which is actually located in Florida, another place we had been to last year.  The border of Florida is just a very short drive from the Orange Beach area.  To enter the National Seashore, there is a $5 charge payable at the manned gatehouse but if you have a Senior Annual Pass, the fee is waived.  To see a map of the area, click here. Note the Perdido Key area is over to the right on the map.

It was neat driving down Ft. MacRae Road in the center of the barrier island and seeing water on both sides –  the Gulf on one side and Big Lagoon on the other!  Miles and miles of beautiful almost deserted white sand beaches although that is probably because of the time of year and the current temperatures. In the summer, I would imagine the beaches must get pretty  crowded.  You can stop anywhere along the road and access one of the boardwalks to walk to the beach or to get to the Big Lagoon side.  After taking a walk on the beach and watching the shore birds scurrying about trying to keep their feet dry as the waves flowed and retreated, we finally decided to head back to Bella Terra.  Along the way, we stopped at a seafood market and picked up some fresh shrimp to cook for supper.

Once we got back we were both itching to take a bike ride so off we went on a short excursion, taking more pictures of  the resort, the swimming pool and inside the clubhouse (more photos below).

Then it was back to the hacienda where we later feasted on the fresh shrimp while watching the sunset. Is there a difference between the fresh and the frozen you ask?   Oh, most definitely yes, the fresh are much more tasty than the frozen shrimp that we get at home. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to buy some more before we leave the area.

More photos of our wonderful day of play….