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Polk Summer Vacations in Gulf Shores Alabama

Peach season is in full swing in South Georgia and I love fresh peaches.  We live in the heart of fruit and vegetable farming and fresh peaches are only a few miles from our home and we often go to Barney GA peach sheds to buy peaches and eat peach ice cream which is sooo good. 

Peaches always remind me of our family vacations to Gulf Shores. Daddy had planted a peach orchard on our farm and after mama had canned and frozen all we could eat, we sold them. Daddy would pick them before he went to work and we would put them in baskets and sell them by the peck and bushel at ridiculously low prices compared to today. 

When we had sold all the peaches, we would use the money for our summer vacation to Gulf Shores Al.  This was the highlight of our year.

Some of our friends would go to Gulf Shores, AL, others to Panama City, FL, or to the mountains. But until I was a teenager, our summer vacations were to Mississippi to visit our grandparents. This changed as we grew older and some of our grandparents died and we began the annual Gulf Shores trip.  

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There was a little motor court or motel just across the inland waterway into Gulf Shores and we always stayed there.  Can’t remember the name of the lady who managed it but she always had us a loaf of homemade bread in our cottage.  Of course, Daddy carried her fresh tomatoes and other vegetables from our garden so it was a good swap.  It was not fancy or the closest to the beach but it was not expensive and very clean.  We thought it was wonderful for we didn’t stay in motels very often.  We didn’t mind the short drive to the beach or the walk if Mama and Daddy were too slow getting ready to play in the water.

The beaches on the Gulf Coast are beautiful with white sand and blue waters and we swam and played in the surf for hours.  Mama would insist we go back to the motel about 11 o’clock, eat dinner, take a nap and go back to the beach about 3 or 4 PM.  She had this idea that you couldn't swim for about an hour after you had eaten and we would grumble a little but you didn’t argue with our mama.  So lunch and a nap it was.  

We carried lots of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and other fresh vegetables from the garden and tomato sandwiches and other goodies that Mama had baked were so good.  We seldom ate in a restaurant but that was OK with us because our Mama was an excellent cook.  The treat for the week was when Daddy would go to the shrimp boats and buy fresh shrimp for Mama to cook.  Some were fried and most were boiled for us to enjoy and eat too much.  It was good eating!!!  That was one of the highlights of the week. 

At night we would go down to the beach to the small entertainment area and ride in the bumper cars.  Daddy would have a big old stinky cigar in his mouth and would drive like a demon with a big grin on his face as he tried to bump us off the track.  He enjoyed this immensely and we would all laugh and laugh at him but he was enjoying himself and we were too.  Mama would stand on the sidelines and laugh but did not ride. Not sure why but I think she thought it would be unlady-like. Mama was a real “Southern Lady” from head to toe. 

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One of our side trips during the week would be Fort Morgan.  These are the remains of this Confederate fort which helped guard the Mobile Bay area during the War Between the State. It was always cool wandering around the ruins and chasing each other through the echoing passages.  Arvin and Sam, my brothers, would play like soldiers with sticks for guns and have battles of war.  Fun and funny because we had super imaginations and could see the bullets flying and hear the sound of the guns.  Of course, the Confederates always won.

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With all these fun activities, the beach was the main attraction and loved every minute we played in the Gulf.  Our vacation was always too short and we would hate to leave but we were anticipating the next year when after the peaches were gone, we would head back to Gulf Shores for the best week of the year.  

That’s all for today,

The Georgia Peach 

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Sunday's Ponderings

How are ya'll doing? Come on over and have some coffee on this cold, winter night. I'm just glad it is not snowing, sleeting or raining. I have been in all of it and don't care for it. Remember, I am a Southern girl who likes it 80 and rising with a glass of iced tea (sweetened) in my hand. Cannot get a tan when it is 32 degrees and falling.

As you know we were off to the beach last week. We went to Mexico Beach, FL and stayed at the famous or infamous hotel, the El Governor. Now this is the only hotel down there with a couple of small, teeny tiny motels and lots of condos. We like the El Governor for every room has a beach side and we had a corner room with a window on 2 sides. We enjoyed the 2 views unless the crazy pelican came flying almost into the window. I think we were in his flight path and we thought he was coming in to visit, until he veered up and to the right. We sure were glad for we didn't take any pelican food with us and were not prepared to be hospitable to a pelican. Not sure they drink iced tea or coke.

The weather was wonderful with cool nights and warm days. I strolled, walked and ambled on the beach every morning and each evening. Got my feet wet and strolled and looked for shells and found lots of them each morning. You get that beach shuffle of walk a few steps and bend over, walk a few steps and bend over. I can never find too many shells for each one is like a little treasure to me which God scatters on the beach with the help of the waves. I even found one whole sand dollar, which is unusual on this beach. We also found some sea urchins on the bay side at St. John's park. Those are new to us since you don't find these on the Alabama beaches where we usually go.

As I walked and ambled along each day, I met several people each time. I think the AARP crowd likes it down there also and they like to ramble along the beach. Now being from the South, we tend to speak to everyone whether we know them or not and I did. "Good morning" or "Good afternoon", I would politely say with a slight nod of the head and a big smile. Well, some of our northern people didn't quite know what to do. Some nodded, some looked bewildered, some looked at me like I was crazy and some actually returned the greeting.

It was rather amusing to me, for generally the men spoke and the women would not. I wanted to say, "Down heah in the South, we have manners because our mama's raised us right and you always speak when spoken too, you heah?" Some of them were just plain snooty and stuck up, but that's alright for my conscious is clear and mama didn't have to look down and shake her head at me or give me a sermon. Can't understand some people for it doesn't take much to be nice, just a smile and a hello. It wasn't like I was going to stop for a conversation, just being nice. Wake up northern Americans and be nice.

It always amuses me when I am at the beach at what some people wear. It seems that those who need to cover up go nigh nekkid and and those who look good, cover up. Can you figure that one? I saw way too much skin on some people and it was hangin out everywhere. Sure isn't pretty either and they don't even seem to mind but they aren't looking at it are they? I was tempted to go up and say, "Dahlin, when it hangs out and over or under and out, you look a whole lot bettah if it's covered up." That's the lady-like way, but I forget that some from our northern climates were not raised up by a Southern-lady-mama who always told us a little mystery was better than having it all laid out. Worked for me.

The food was great - steamed shrimp and grilled oysters straight from the gulf that day. Just can't get any better and lots of fresh coffee, iced tea and cokes. Now that is something good. Wish I could live like that every day and maybe someday I can.

Glad to be home though and talk with ya'll. I missed you lots.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach