Gulf Shores

I've neglected you yet again, my dear blog. Someday, I'll be better at this little hobby of mine.

After my parents picked me up in Mobile, we headed to Gulf Shores, my grandparents' winter vacation destination of choice. We spent the rest of the day, catching up with them and enjoying the view.

The next day, Mommles and I decided to go to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The zoo is unlike any other zoo I've ever seen. It feels so intimate, almost more like a farm than a zoo. We even had food to feed about half of the animals by hand. There were wolves, tigers, deer, ocelots, capuchin monkeys, bears, and so many more. The zookeepers are super passionate about their jobs, too. Between 2004 and 2005, they had to evacuate every single animal three different times to save them from hurricanes.

Mom's favorite.

We always seem to see this at zoos.

Chuckie, the zoo's mascot, was the only animal they left behind during Hurricane Ivan.

Why do I find capybaras so funny?

Obviously, we stopped for ice cream afterward.

That night, we met some of my grandparents' friends for dinner in Pensacola at McGuire's Irish Pub. The restaurant's claim to fame? The million signed dollar bills on the walls.

The next afternoon, Mommles and I took a leisurely walk on the beach. We made our way down to the pier, admiring the amazing sand castles and looking for seashells along the way. The sand felt so perfect and soft and although the water was cold, it felt so nice to escape the snow for a bit.

Nothing, of course, was better than spending some quality time with my best friend.