Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail- Orange Beach, AL

Steven and I actually stumbled upon the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail while trying to find another trial someone told me about. It actually consists of 5 different trails. The trails do not make a loop, so keep in mind while you are riding or walking, that you will have to go back the same way. If you access the trail from Hwy. 161, you will begin your trip on Catman Road. It is a completely paved trail for bikers and walkers to enjoy. There are several benches, swings and picnic tables along the path so you have plenty of opportunities to sit and catch your breath or just enjoy the beauty and peacefulness.

According to http://www.obparksandrec.com/parkstrails/backcountrytrail.html, local lore tells of a half wild cat and half man known as "Catman" that lurks in the woods, swamps and along the trail. Catman Road is a 1.75 mile (one way) path. At the end of the path, you will find a covered and screened in picnic pavillion and the bathrooms. The bathrooms are very well kept and very clean. There is also a water fountain complete with bowls for your four-legged friends!





Toward the end of Catman Road, you can head left (in front of the bathrooms) and down Rosemary Dunes. We haven't ventured down that path yet, but we plan on it next time we are there! According to the map, it is 1.75 miles long and runs along side of Middle Lake and Little Lake.

If you don't want to travel down Rosemary Dunes, you can continue down Catman Road until you meet Twin Bridges. Twin Bridges is a 1.0 mile trail that winds behind the Orange Beach Sportsplex. There is a path that leads from the trail directly to the ball fields there. There are two wooden bridges on this path that go over a marshy area.


Also at the end of Catman Road is another trail off to the right. Rattlesnake Ridge, 1.75 miles, is another part of the Backcountry Trail we have not explored. The name just doesn't sound to inviting to me. :)

After you have made your way down the short Twin Bridges path, you will come to the end stretch (and the most grueling) part of the trail. Gulf Oak Ridge is a 2.75 mile path that winds through the most wooded part of the trail. The giant oak trees provide a welcome shade and beautiful scenery. However, this is the part of the bike path that has the most hills/inclines. (Of course, that makes for more downhills on the return trip!) Toward the end of Gulf Oak Ridge, there is a small pond. We have been told by several people that a small alligator lives there. We did spot a very large snapping turtle! The trial ends at State Park Road 2. There are parking spaces along the road if you choose to start your trip there.

This is a really nice trail to walk or bike. The scenery is very pretty and there are always beautiful butterflies fluttering all around the trail. I have seen several lizards, squirrels (of course) and an armadillo while out riding! If you are out that way, do yourself a favor and give it a try!

Eastern Shore Trail - Fairhope, AL

After making the decision to be more active and spend more time outdoors, Steven and I began looking for things to do near our home in Pensacola. Steven began an online search of biking and hiking trails. He stumbled across another blogger's post about The Eastern Shore Trail. The Eastern Shore Trail is a paved path that runs along the eastern shore of the Mobile Bay in Alabama. It runs about 24 miles one way through the charming towns of Point Clear, Daphne and Fairhope along Scenic US 98A.

After reading the wonderful reviews of the trail and surrounding areas, we decided to load up our bikes, the bike trailer and the kids and head to Fairhope. The trip down 98 through Foley and several other small towns was not very remarkable. This changed as soon as we entered the beautiful town of Point Clear. Large Oak Trees draped in Spanish moss shaded the road and large, magnificent homes sat along the bay. The homes and their grounds were breath takingly beautiful.

When we arrived in Fairhope, you could feel the old town charm. The homes were old, historic homes. The oak trees and bright pink azaleas helped add to the southern charm of this town. Since we arrived around noon, we decided to head into downtown to have lunch. There were several antique shops, boutiques and small diners with outdoor eating. After lunch we headed back down to the bay and hit the trail!



The trail was very nice. It ran along the bay giving a relaxing view as your ride your bike or walk. There were several park benches along the way in case you needed to stop and rest. There was a small beach area where lots of seagulls and pelicans were enjoying the water.



After our bike ride, we headed to the Fairhope Municipal Pier and Park. There was a huge water fountain in front of the pier where a wedding was taking place. There is a restaurant at the pier, though it was closed while were there. It was peaceful and nice, though the water in the bay is not nearly as clear or blue as the water we are used to in Florida. From the pier you could see another part of the park, which requires a fee to enter. It has a beach and several beach volleyball nets set up.



Overall, this was a wonderful trip! Steven, the kids and I all had a great time. We can't wait to go back!

You can visit http://www.cofairhope.com/ser_parks_trails.php for more information.