Enterprise, Alabama Boll Weevil Monument

On our travels today I took Nancy to the City of Enterprise, Alabama. Enterprise is famous for the Boll Weevil Monument, a large monument of a woman holding a boll weevil, which is located in the middle of Main Street. The city erected the statue because the destruction of the cotton crop by the boll weevil had led to agricultural diversity, starting with peanuts and more prosperity than had ever come from cotton alone. It is said to be the only statue to an insect pest in the world. Enterprise is right outside of Fort Rucker, an Army base which is the home of Army Aviation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise%2C_Alabama

 

Fort Rucker, AL

We are at the Engineer Beach Campground at Fort Rucker, Alabama for a couple of days. I was stationed here at Fort Rucker back in 1970-1971 before going to Vietnam. Fort Rucker is the home of Army Aviation. Anyone in the US Army that has anything to do with flying will at some point in their military career come to Fort Rucker. To most of us it is known as Mother Rucker. This place brings back a lot of memories for me, some good, some bad. I was stationed here when I first met my late wife Barb. No she didn't live around here. She lived in California, I was at home on leave in California when I met her. I went to Helicopter Maintenance School here and to Flight Operations School here back in 1970-1971. After I finished my schooling I was assigned here and worked at one of the many airfields here. I left here in July 1971 for Vietnam. I came back here in 1990 to attend Non-Commissioned Officers Academy. While I was here in 1990, the US Army National Guard and Reserves were activated to active duty for Desert Shield. That's when I decided to find a different career. Twenty years in the military with a tour in Vietnam I felt was enough time that I gave to my country. I wasn't going to war again. It was time for someone much younger than me to have Fun, Travel & Adventure with the Army. I went back to collage to earn a degree to get a real job. I earned a degree in Avionics Engineering from Oklahoma State University and in 1995 I was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration as an Air Transportation Systems Specialists.

Arnett's Gulfside Stables

Nothing like going out riding after breakfast. We even found a Grady size horse. We will be leaving here tomorrow with a change in our itinerary. Instead of going to Keaton Beach from here we're going up to Fort Rucker, Alabama for a couple of days, then an overnight stop at Yogi Bears Jellystone Park in Madison, FL before getting to St. Augustine. I was stationed at Ft. Rucker back in 1970/1971 before going to Vietnam.

 

  

  

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

We made it to Florida this morning. Nancy went into the Welcome Center and got her free cup of Florida Orange Juice. We are staying at Arnett's Gulfside Stables in Santa Rosa Beach, FL for a couple of days before heading next to Keaton Beach, FL for a couple of days.

 

Dauphin Island, Alabama

We had another beautiful day today. I took Nancy down to Dauphin Island and toured the old Civil War Fort Gaines. The construction of Fort Gaines started in 1819 and took 40 years to build.

Dauphin Island was first known by the French as Massacre Island until they changed it name in 1707 to Dauphin in honor of heir of the French throne: "Dauphin." The island was also the first capital of the Louisiana Territory.

After our tour I took Nancy to a little seafood cafe I knew of on the island for lunch. I became a little teary eyed while there because this was the same little cafe I took Barb to after we toured the island four years ago and started planning our Hawaiian trip.

After lunch I took Nancy for a half hour ferry cruise across the bay and came back to the RV park through Gulf Shores and Foley but not before stopping at a produce stand in Loxley where I picked up some hot boiled peanuts. I don't think Nancy cared for them that much.

Just before getting back to the RV we stopped and picked up a couple loaves of bread so Nancy could feed the ducks and geese back at the RV park.