There Be Whales … Sugar-White Beaches … and Crystalline Waters

Monday, 13 May
Mid-Bay Shores, Maxwell-Gunter Rec Area — Niceville, Florida
Temps: Lo 52F / Hi 80F (11C / 27C)

Gotcha with the whales thing, didn’t I?

It‘s not a lie — but instead of being in the gulf waters, these whales are on a Whaling Wall painted by Wyland in 2001.

The mural, which is at the head of the Mid-Bay Connector crossing over from Destin, would actually be better described as a whaling “building” as all four exterior walls are painted with whales.

Aerial view shows the flag on the roof and the whales on two of the four walls.

In 1981 (or thereabouts), Wyland began one of the largest public art projects.  His goal was to paint 100 murals featuring life-size marine creatures … many of them whales.  As the foundation website explains:

… These murals were painted in life-size dimensions to increase appreciation and understanding for aquatic habitats and the life within. Perhaps, most importantly, they have reshaped attitudes about marine life conservation.

Located at the Mid-Bay Marina, mural #88 is 1,480 feet long x 60 feet high (451 m x 18 m).

I’ve seen several of Wyland’s walls, but this one is something else entirely.  The sheer size of it alone makes the eyes pop.  By the way, in 2008, he completed his goal of painting 100 murals …spanning five continents, 13 countries, and 79 cities around the globe.  I wish it was possible to photograph the mural without the distraction of the boats and vehicles parked around the building, but this is seldom possible with the whaling walls.

Some of the many whales depicted in the mural.

If you’d like to see the full-size versions that make up the collage, click here.

OK, on with the rest of the day.  I mentioned before that each crossing of the Mid-Bay Connector is $3 (for a two-axle car).  So we’ve been “collecting” the errands we wanted to run in and around Destin.  Today, adding some fun into the mix, we headed across the bridge to take care of business.

A: Mid-Bay Shores; B: Henderson Beach State Park; C: Eglin AFB; D: The Boathouse Landing;
E: Mid-Bay Shores.  I neglected to mark the mural wall, but just come across the Mid-Bay
Connector and look right where the bridge connects to the peninsula.

Having ordered our stops so as to minimize backtracking, stopping at the Whaling Wall viewing area was first on the day’s agenda.  Then we stopped at Home Depot and Lowe’s, before continuing over to the James Lee Public Beach Access for a day on the sugar-white sands of Destin.  That was a bust.  Not because the beach wasn’t beautiful — it was; not because the pond-calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico weren’t inviting — they were.  Rather, because it was crowded.  Well, probably not crowded by summer standards, but chairs and umbrellas were already strung along the shoreline, and we weren’t in the mood to take second chair.

Doesn’t look crowded, right?  I assure you there were no front row spots to be had.

Figuring the $6/vehicle entrance fee to Henderson Beach State Park would be a deterrent to most when there are so many free beach access points, we decided to head there for our afternoon of sun ‘n fun in the surf.  There were plenty of people there, too … but there was also plenty of real estate to be had along the shoreline, so we were happy campers.

Sherry, this one is for you … to encourage you to return to Henderson Beach someday ;-)

We put up our beach shelter, unfolded the chairs, and set about enjoying an amazing day on the beach.  A light breeze kept us cool when the sun wasn’t filtered by clouds; and the shimmering, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico invited us to play in the water.  With the water temperature at +/- 72F (~22C), Mui lost no time in taking the plunge.  Actually, as shallow as the water is, plunging isn’t really possible, but he did get to swim quite a bit.  Even I waded in to join him.

No need for any more words … I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Compared to the areas around the public access points, it is desolate here.

Note the tootsies!  My pedi matches the sea ;-)
(pure coincidence, I assure you.)

This is my idea of enjoying the beach, but …

… while I didn’t get as wet as Mui …

… I did wade in to enjoy the clear gulf waters.  Yes; that, tiny dot is me.

Mui’s having way too much fun!

We weren’t the only ones having fun at the beach today.  Mui was swimming quite a ways out when I noticed two dolphins swimming not far from him.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to interpret my signs from that far out and missed his chance to swim with them.  The dolphins were too far out for me to get a decent photo of them, but I did have company in closer proximity that didn’t escape my shutter clicks.

Sandeling stand-off.
They faced off for a while before the one on the left submissively turned tail and ran off ...
(Note the difference in coloring; the one on the right is a breeding adult.)

… and this one strutted his stuff on the beach for a while.

Ruddy Turnstone sipping the sparkling waters of the gulf.

Don’t look at me like that; I have no interest in your crab!

It was difficult to pull ourselves away from the inviting beachscape, but we did so around 5:00p.  After getting cleaned up at the pavilion, we continued with the rest of our plans.  Rather than return to Mid-Bay Shores via the Connector, we took the round-about way home.  Not so much to save on the toll, but so we could stop by the FamCamp at Eglin AFB and check it out for a future stay.  We found the campground.  Or perhaps I should say we found “a campground.”  But it doesn’t fit the description we have.  Too hungry to search further, we moved on.   We’ll try again when we go to the commissary later this week.

Next stop — The Boathouse Landing in Valparaiso (“D” on the map) for dinner.  This casual restaurant has a lovely setting overlooking the Boggy Bayou.  Nothing fancy, but the food was good, and the entertainment was free.

Not only do we have a nice view from our table on the deck overlooking the bayou …

… we have pelicans fishing, dolphins swimming, and great blue herons on lookout.

I’m a sucker for shrimp, so I ordered the pasta special, which was shrimp tossed in with penne pasta, with spinach and mushrooms.  Mui ordered the garlic crusted grouper, topped with crab meat.  A couple of cold brews washed down the meal.  But the best part was the chocolate volcano we shared for dessert.  Drizzled with cherry syrup, it tasted just like a black forest cake.

Clockwise from top left: No breadrolls; hushpuppies with strawberry butter instead —
garlic crusted grouper — chocolate volcano — penne pasta with shrimp.

We arrived back at the campground just in time to wrap up our day with a beautiful sunset, which we enjoyed in the company of two anglers — a great blue heron and a fisherman.

I’m not in the habit of photographing people going about their business, but Mui and I
both got a chuckle from the way this guy tucked his catch in his pants pockets.

The great blue heron started out fishing close to shore …

… before wading deeper into the water and moving into the perfect spot for a sunset photo op.

The scenery wasn’t exciting, but at full zoom, the colors were.

What a way to end a gorgeous afternoon on the beach, and a good meal on the bayou.

Wildlife … Not; But We Have Murals

Saturday, 17 December

It was still dark out when we woke up — yeah, I know … no surprise there; we’re early birds.  We dallied in the room until the sun began its day, using the time to pinpoint a few places to check out on our way home.  By the time we left to grab a bit of breakfast at the Manhattan Bagel shop down the street from the hotel, the skies had brightened to a brilliant blue, but the sun wasn’t much help warming the temp up from the 32F (0C) that we woke up to.

(1) Wyland Wall and 9/11 Tribute mural in Wilmington, Delaware; (2) Russell W Peterson
Urban Wildlife Refuge; (3) Wyland Wall in Baltimore.

I love murals, and when I know there’s one not far from where I am, I try to seek it out.  When I was with my former employer, I was a regional manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region.  That meant making quite a few trips to our offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia and environs, and Wilmington.  Amtrak’s Metroliner service was my best friend back then, whisking me to these offices at least once a month.  (Trust me, I am not missing all that work-related travel.)  One of the sights I saw from the train window was the Wilmington Wyland Whaling Wall.  When a search of the internet revealed that the wall was just a short detour from our hotel, it was a no-brainer to stop by for a closer look-see.

Here’s how the foundation’s website describes Wyland’s whaling wall project:

In 2008, twenty-seven years after Wyland’s quest began, the artist and the Wyland Foundation completed the monumental goal of painting 100 life-size public marine murals.  These murals were painted in life-size dimensions to increase appreciation and understanding for aquatic habitats and the life within.  Perhaps, most importantly, they have reshaped attitudes about marine life conservation.

“We know now that water connects all the countries of the world,” Wyland says.  “Our goal with these projects over the last three decades has been to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public.  The health of our oceans and waterways are in jeopardy, not to mention the thousands of marine animals and plants that face extinction if we do nothing.”

The completed Whaling Wall campaign is one of the largest art-in-public-places projects in history, spanning 5 continents, 13 countries, and 79 cities around the globe.

Photographing whaling walls is not easy as they are painted on public buildings, often overlooking a parking lot.  This time, I lucked out with no cars blocking the mural, but I couldn’t do much about the tree branches on the right side of the building.  Nor could I photograph the entire wall as that would have put me in the middle of a busy, multi-lane road.

WW 44: “Delaware Marine Mammals”
dedicated 2 August 1993.

The bonus for making the detour — another mural just down the street from the whaling wall.  This one, painted as a tribute to the fallen firefighters of September 11, decorates the side wall of Wilmington’s Fire Station No. 1.  Because of the fence and the wall in my way, it wasn’t easy to photograph the mural in its entirety, but here’s a look at it anyway.

a "patriotic tribute to the fallen firefighters of September 11."
dedicated November 2007.

More information about this mural can be found in the blog post here.

Our next stop was pure happenstance — and a very pleasant one even though there was little to see in the form of wildlife except for a few sparrows that were flitting in and out of the tall grass.  I guess the smart ones have migrated to warmer climes.  Can’t say as I blame them.

(Lest you think the image to the left is of a “real” bird; I am going to disappoint you and tell you that it’s a sculpture that is part of the sign welcoming visitors to the refuge!)

We found the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge when we followed a sign that pointed to the “Riverfront Walk.”  We were thinking it would be a walk like the one at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor — it wasn’t.  But the detour was not for nought.  When we spied the sign for the refuge, we just kept driving until the road dead-ended in a parking lot with a building nearby.  It turns out that the building is the DuPont Environmental Education Center (DEEC).  It was too early to participate in any educational programs planned for the day, or view the exhibits, so we just wandered around the boardwalk instead.

Left: A refuge-appropriate mural at the industrial plant outside the gates.
Right: the refuge is named after a former governor of Delaware who gained international
recognition as an environmentalist, scientist, activist, and public servant.

The refuge overlooks the Christina River with the Wilmington skyline in the distance.

Collage of images from the refuge.
A flyover bridge leads visitors from the parking lot to the DEEC Building and the boardwalk.
(Yes; I couldn’t resist doubling my pleasure with a reflection shot!)

A wise old owl gets ready to swoop down on ...

… the invading red jackets.

By the time we left the refuge, the clouds had moved in.  Hoping the blue skies would reappear as we approached Baltimore, we headed south on I-95.  There was quite a bit of traffic, but it flowed smoothly.  Alas, it was still overcast when we reached “Charm City” as Baltimore is known.  As it was rather breezy and chilly as well, we had no incentive to take a walk around the Inner Harbor.  So, we made a quick detour to photograph another Wyland Whaling Wall, and got back on the interstate heading home.

WW 46: “Extinct Atlantic Gray Whales”
Dedicated 16 August 1993.

We ran into a traffic jam exiting from I-95 to the beltway heading west.  Rather than sit in the back up, we quickly switched plans, and took the beltway in the other direction.  Yeah, it took longer to get home; but at least the traffic was moving.  I’ll take long over stationary anytime!  Twenty four hours after leaving the condo, we were back home … just in time to eat the sandwiches we had prepared but forgotten to take with us for an “on-the-go” early dinner yesterday!