FIRST OFF, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” MOM!  Mom is in Houston and celebrating her 86th. birthday today!  She is still paddling around and riding scooters and jet skis – so here’s to you Mom – and the next 86!         

Santa is leaving us today as he has some very important responsibilities to attend to…………….BUT, after he had gone we found a Christmas surprise in our cockpit, a beautiful little folding bike for the land side of our journey.

    

Anxious to try out our new Santa surprise, we biked from Orange Beach to Gulf Shores to have lunch at Tacky Jacks.  The name says it all……notice Karen transporting her go-box and backpack (thank you Brenda) on the rack!

          

We enjoyed the amenities of The Wharf – shopping, movies, Christmas decorations, music, ferris wheel and as always – looking at boats.

                 

A Christmas Eve surprise was our friends (and fellow loopers) that we had  met in New Orleans.  Jane and Bryce, who are now docked in Mobile Bay drove over to join us for some terrific oyster dinners at Villaggio’s.  There we gave our bartender David a history of America’s Great Loop.  The temperature had dropped and Jane and Bryce were appreciative to have “Louise and Jack’s” (Karen’s Mom & Dad) Texas Space Travelers camping jackets!

        

As the evening drew to an end, we were visited by local dock residents – a racoon and heron.