Log 64; Day 173; Nov. 10; Marina at the Wharf

This is the Wharf just behind our boat...I'll miss all of this within a minute walk

This is Marina at the Wharf from the Intracoastal view...our boat is us there just under the bridge

Diane, Steve, and Deb...this is the view they have of the Gulf from their condo.

Pirates cove...these dogs are everywhere...not even sure who they belong to, but they act like they own the place. We had trouble getting this dog to move so we could eat

This is the view from the water as we pull up to the sandbar at Pirates Cove

Another shot of Pirates Cove...note the dog on the table.

Our friends on Good News and Our Turn are waving to us from their table at Lu Lu's

Log 64
Day 173
Monday, November 10, 2008

6:30 AM CST
Location: Marina on the Wharf...on the Intracoastal...about 40 miles east of Mobile
Weather: 46 and crystal clear...forecasted to be 71 and sunny.

It got a little cooler last night (down to 45). I know our friends in Illinois and Michigan will laugh at this, (based on the weather they are having) but it’s still chilly for this area. The good news is, there is not a cloud in the sky, so the sun makes it feel much warmer. It’s still a little cold to write this log on the back deck...but it won’t be long and it will be warm enough.

We have had a great time the last couple of days here at Marina at the Wharf. On Saturday we called Steve and Diane and they went with us in the dinghy to a place called Pirates Cove, which is just up the Intracoastal about 5 miles. This place is exactly the kind of place you want to go in a dinghy and find a cold beer and cheeseburger. You can see by the pictures it’s a little rustic (rundown), but what a cool boating stop. You just drive the boat up on a sand bar...step out...and your at your table. Dogs everywhere. I’ll bet this place is crazy on a weekend in the summer. Deb says the cheeseburger was in her top 5 of all time. When we got back we took a ride to Steve and Diane’s new condo they bought just up the road. Great spot with a great view of the Gulf.

On Sunday Deb and I took the dinghy the other way, and went to Lu Lu’s...a place we had passed on our way to the Wharf. This is the place owned by Jimmy Buffet’s sister. It is a very nice place. Very different than Pirates Cove, but still very “island like” and another great stop for a beer and a burger. I’ll bet on a weekend during the summer there is a long line to get in here. As we were finishing our lunch we saw Andy and Mary (on Good News) come in with another Looper couple from “Our Turn”. They were in a rental car and out exploring the area. Hopefully Good News will get their shaft and props installed today and we’ll be about to catch up with them again before we cross the Gulf.

Today...we’re heading out about mid morning and only going 30 miles to Pensacola Beach for a night or two. I’ve picked a marina that is just off the beach, so my thought is we can walk from the marina to the Gulf and take a walk...or Deb can take a walk, and she can let me know how cool it was. It’s only going to get to low 70’s today, but with light winds and no clouds it should be another great weather day.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob