March 20: Moss Point, MS to Orange Beach, Alabama

Seventy-two miles downhill to the Gulf of Mexico!  Ok, so there was a 15 mph headwind that took a little bit of the fun out of it, but even still, seventy-two miles, downhill, and we ended up on the white sandy beaches of the gulf coast in Orange Beach, Alabama.  Who knew there were white sand beaches in Alabama? 

On our way to Orange Beach, we crossed the Dauphin Island bridge onto Dauphin Island, the “birdiest island in America”.  Dauphin is a narrow thread of an outer bank coastal island that blocks the southwest corner of Mobile Bay from the Gulf.  It’s just about due north of Cancun.  The bridge is four miles long and most of it skims the water so closely we could watch the brown pelicans, cormorants, and gulls bob on the waves as we rode by.  

Approaching the Dauphin Island bridge from the mainland spit.

Rob, Matt, and Alan brave the winds across the bridge.

Claire takes the top and heads down to Dauphin Island.

After eating a quick lunch on Dauphin Island, we rode another couple of miles to catch the Mobile Bay ferry which motored us 45 minutes across the mouth of Mobile Bay to the western tip of the sandy spit that leads to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.  From the ferry we could see the offshore natural gas derricks in Mobile Bay, considered at the time of its discovery, one of the largest fields of methane in the world.  The derricks sit in only 11 feet of water in the bay, but pump natural gas from wells 21,000 ft below sea level. 

The ferry ride was windy and a bit rolling, but hey, how often do cyclists from Colorado get to ride ferries?!

Pat, Deb, Leslie, Bob, Bill, Gary, Julia, and Parker and Matt in the background wait for the ferry.

Rich dressed in full Grateful Dead bike trunks and jersey and Alan (is he yawning again?)  -- waiting for the ferry

Claire and Mark with Rachel in the back – waiting for the ferry.

Riders huddle round the van to keep out of the wind while crossing Mobile Bay on the ferry: Rich, Julia, Chris, Gary, Alan, Claire, Stu, Jerry, Alan, and Rob

Tougher riders Leslie, Katrina, Ron (turned around), and Nate brave the wind with crossed arms.