A brief vacation on solid land!

I ended the last posting with the beautiful sunset Friday night and that old saying "red sky at night sailor's delight" just was not true because on Saturday the gray returned and eventually soaking rain followed.  Al and I decided to be adventurous and walk into town which took about 45mins and we stumbled into the beginning of the small town Veterans Day parade.

So we found a nice little diner type breakfast place and ate a rather (too) large country breakfast while watching the parade go up the main street one way and return back into town on the same street going the other way.  Thus everyone could get a glimpse of it all from both sides!  We then walked all around the very quaint town of Fairhope before hiking back to the marina.  My ankle is still healing so was very sore and tired after all that extra walking but it was worth getting the feel of the town pride in our verterans and the soldiers fighting right now. The rest of Saturday was spent with Al napping off his breakfast and me organizing all the brochures and paper things we have aquired about marinas and places to stop along the way.  Then Sunday morning after our walk, we headed to our vacation at the Marriott Grand Hotel for 2 days and nights of pampered bliss away from the weather and the rocking boat!

While we waited for our room to be ready, we enjoyed the Sunday brunch that is a go to spot for tourists and after church folks.  Here we sit in the clothes we walked in around everyone in their Sunday best but after a mimosa or two, I quit caring.  The food was amazing and abundant.  

On the grounds of the Grand Hotel are many live oaks with lots of hanging moss.  

The view of Mobile Bay from the hotel.  Again, a gray sky all day! But a cozy room with a great hot shower is ours to use all day and night so we are content.  

We had a very nice walk along the bay and Al snapped these photos to capture the southern feel of the homes, docks and foliage.  Then at 4pm sharp, the daily firing of the Civil War cannon commenced.  That was followed by high tea and cookies in the hotel lobby.  

 Tomorrow we will return to the boat refreshed and ready to continue the cruise into the Gulf hopfully with some sun on our backs!