Alabama on 2 Cents Worth a Day!!: Experiencing The Wind of Change in Florida

It has been 25 years since we watched the wall come down in Germany. I was only 8 years old, but with The Scorpions and David Hasselhoff singing about change and freedom, it sure felt like a magical moment.
What better way to celebrate German Reunification Day, than a trip to our favorite area along the Gulf Coast?!
The 3rd of October found us once again on I-65, heading south. Summer is officially over, which means we will be staying at the 4 Points Sheraton whenever we're in Fort Walton Beach...until Memorial Day comes around again.

I woke up at 6:30 Saturday morning. Normally, that would be ample reason for grumpiness. Not so this time. After opening my eyes to gauge if it was even worth it being awake already, I looked out over the balcony onto the ocean and spotted dolphins! Now, that's a reason any day to get me out of bed in a hurry! The morning sun painted the sand pink, while the dolphins were hunting fish and playing in the surf. I had never seen a pod of dolphins lingering in the same area for such a long time. We must have been watching them for over an hour. Amazing!

They are a bit hard to spot here, but you get the picture.

Looking out at the horizon, my thoughts started to drift and I found myself contemplating a time when people thought that the horizon was the end of the earth. But really, if you're looking out onto the water from the beach, what else is there but wide open "nothingness"? The horizon also forms a pretty straight line, and the ships do "fall off" when they get far enough out at sea.

Watching a pelican going from swimming to flying is a lot like watching a C-5 take off. You are never quite sure, how such a big thing could possibly get airborne. But they do, and they look majestic!

One of our Fort Walton Beach discoveries is Props. A local brewery and pub with an awesome beer menu. I usually get the 4 Kings, but during autumn, it is all about the Oktoberfest!

Before heading back up to Montgomery, we drove through the Gulf Islands National Seashore all the way to Pensacola Beach. It was well worth the "detour"!