By: Christina Steffen and Rudder
Day 1:
My family and I flew into Ferguson Airport right off Highway 98 near the NAS (Naval Air Station). It’s a small private airport but once a year has an AWESOME open house…I love eating Conecuh sausage (a local favorite) and seeing my girlfriend Copper, she’s a Vizsla. Then we headed home to our house on Perdido Bay.
Day 2:
You know the feeling when you turn down a road heading to your favorite place? I can feel the salt air blowing in my face as I hang my head out of the window. I’m so excited to walk on the Discovery Trail at Johnson’s Beach today on Perdido Key; birds are singing, I see Ospreys returning to their nests with fish for their babies, people are paddleboarding on the Intra Coastal, and finding just the right spot to put up an umbrella to enjoy the sunshine and emerald green waters!
Day 3:
Today my cousin, Murf (a Pointing Griffin), came to town. We went to Hub Staceys, a local waterfront hangout with great food, to launch the boat they trailered from St. Louis. We all jumped in and took a quick ride across the water to Sunset Grill and Holiday Harbor. Most of the restaurants are “dog friendly”, and some even give you snacks and a bowl of water! After that, we drove the boat to Southwind Marina, a few miles down the coast to pick up some friends. Sharky, a Cairn Terrier, lives there and his family has a boat too! They own the dive charter, Niuhi. Captain Andy takes you scuba diving and spearfishing. Dogs aren’t allowed to dive but we played in the water the rest of the day.
Day 4:
The best part about living and playing in Perdido is there’s SO much to do! I heard the family talking and we’re going to Big Lagoon State Park for a picnic today. It has walking trails, a boat launch, a huge pavilion, and an amphitheater, and you can rent kayaks and paddleboards there too! I hope they brought lots of hot dogs…
Day 5:
Did I hear someone say, Fort Pickens? Dog Park? Farmers Market? Ft. Pickens is at the end of Pensacola Beach. It’s cool with lots of history, and you can walk around and read historical markers about how it was built to defend Pensacola Bay during the Civil war. But…guess what!! There’s Pensacola Beach Dog Park on the way!! AND it’s on the beach!! Sand between my paws! On the way home, we stopped at the Pensacola Farmers market because it’s Saturday and we can walk around and look at all kinds of crafts, veggies, food, and TREATS. I got petted A LOT…someone was playing music too.
Day 6:
My other cousin, Cooper, is here visiting. He’s a yellow lab and LOVES to swim, maybe a little too much. We took everyone to the new boardwalk at Perdido Pass. Cooper tried to jump in the water when we were walking. He got in lots of trouble…but we ended up sharing a sandwich at The Gulf, an outdoor restaurant that’s made out of shipping containers!
Day 7:
Cooper and his family left today but not before we had breakfast at Perdido Bay Country Club. We sat outside watching the golfers. Afterward, we drove to the dog park off River Road. Chasing Frisbees in the water and running around is the best. We got pretty hungry so we all went to Cosmos in Orange Beach. It’s one of my favorites. They give you water and a plate of treats! It’s totally dog friendly and even has a shop for dogs called Maggies…what could be better than that?
On our way home, we drove past the Purple Parrot; they have a fun bar and huge swimming pool, I know…I used to live in a condo there. Since it was Tuesday, the Blue Angels were practicing. It was pretty scary hearing the roar of the engines. We headed over to the souvenir shops at Villagio, so Cooper’s family could do a little shopping. Cooper and I got to walk around the plaza looking at the restaurants, ice cream shops, art, and salon. I wish we could have gotten a doggie massage! Next week will be just as fun…I think I heard we’re going to the Flora Bama Yacht Club, across the street from the famous Flora Bama (Florida/Alabama line). People can anchor their boats there, swim, and eat the best firecracker shrimp on the island…plus other deliciousness!