MAY 5, 2015
The states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are all located on the Gulf of Mexico.
GULF OF MEXICO. We’ve been enjoying the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. Absolutely beautiful! The area simply demands its own blog post. You’ll recall my surprise a month or so ago, when we first arrived in the deep South and came upon the beaches here. I’m not sure what I expected but it was nothing like the beautiful reality we found. The Gulf coastline has turned out to be one of our very favorite destinations during the two years we’ve been on the road. And Gulf Shores, Alabama, in particular holds a special attraction for us. That’s why we’re going to return next November to spend the winter.
ABOUT THE GULF. The Gulf is an ocean basin, largely surrounded by the North American continent. The US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida border it on the north. Mexico shares a boundary as well, as does Cuba. The Gulf’s basin is roughly oval and is approximately 810 nautical miles wide.
DEEPWATER HORIZAN DISASTER. Five years after a BP oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people, effects linger, but for the most part the water is once again clear and the beaches are clean. BP executives and Gulf Coast residents differ as to the degree of restoration which has been achieved, but to my untrained eye everything looks beautiful and natural. Seafood is abundant and sport-fishing is booming. Dolphins frolic just past the surf-line and shore birds strut in the sand. Last year alone, nearly 7,000 sea turtles hatched along the Gulf Shores of Alabama. It appears to me that BP has acted responsibly and has done a good job of cleaning up the area after the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. Has BP done its job? Has the Gulf been restored? Were the cleanup efforts successful? Judge for yourself by looking at the photos in the gallery, below on this post.
(CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO OPEN THE GALLERY. USE CURSER AND ARROW.)
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- Fishing from shore.
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- Beach Sunset
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- Beautiful Beaches
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- Pier at Gulf Shores 1
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- Shore bird at the beach.
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- Sugar Sand Beaches 1
We’re leaving Alabama and heading north to Nashville, Tennessee. Just look at our map…we’ve made lots of progress during the last two years. We’re really seeing the country.
HERE WE GO AGAIN. Tomorrow morning we say “goodbye” to Gulf Shores, Alabama and head to Nashville for a week. We’re excited about our upcoming travels, but we’re also looking forward to our return visit to Gulf Shores next November.
VISIT US AGAIN SOON. OUR ADVENTURE CONTINUES.
