Florida Spring Training 2017 - Day 68

We traveled down the west side of Mobile Bay this morning to Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the Gulf at the southern end of the bay.  It was a pleasant 25 mile drive down the west side of the bay then over a two mile long causeway to the island. The island is heavily wooded and there are a lot of vacation homes, and what appear to be a number of year round residences. We also saw a lot of evidence of sport fishing and perhaps surprisingly, not a lot of typical Gulf Coast beach town commercial activity.

We initially went to the east end of the island where there is a ferry dock that provides ferry service across the bay to its eastern side.  Our first stop was a visit to Fort Gaines, one of 38 forts built along the East and Gulf Coasts prior to the start of the Civil War.  There is also a similar fort (Fort Morgan) on the the east end of Mobile Bay; both forts were built to guard the entrance to the bay.  They were occupied by the Confederates during the Civil War and were part of the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864.  In that encounter, a Union Navy force, commanded by Commodore David Farragut, defeated the Confederate forces.  famously stating (although historically undocumented) "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead".

The present day Fort Gaines is run and maintained by a historical foundation.  It is not a large fort but it has been restored pretty well.  It certainly is in a strategic position at the tip of Dauphine Island and it played a large role in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Day 68 Pictures - Fort Gaines

A highlight of our visit was watching a demonstration of blacksmithing/metal working by the resident fort blacksmith.  He was very knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects regarding the Civil War, antique armaments and the technical details of working with steel.   We sat there fascinated for an hour or more listening to him and watching him make a small metal fish and then a BBQ meat hook out of a steel rod.  They were truly works of art and we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase both the fish and BBQ hook from him when they were done.

Day 68 Pictures - The Blacksmith

We then traveled down the island a ways for lunch at a restaurant recommended to us.  The restaurant is located on the beach at a country club with a golf course and pool.  The facility has seen better days, probably in the 60s and 70s as reflected in its architectural design (strangely designed circular buildings in a somewhat peculiar arrangement).  The restaurant was basically a golf course snack bar. The food was O.K. but nothing special.  Although the views of the beach and the Gulf were good.

After lunch we visited the Audubon Bird Sanctuary on the island.  The area has about 4 miles of trails as well as a small lake and access to the beach.  We walked out to the beach, took a short beach walk then walked back on a trail on the other side of the lake.  It is a nice area - we saw some birds but no alligators in the lake, although we did see some turtles.

Day 68 Pictures - Audubon Bird Sanctuary

We then drove back to the RV after a long but enjoyable day.  We leave tomorrow for Lafayette, LA for a two-night stay.