MY MEMORIES

Gulf Shores (continued)

Directly to our left there were maybe 50 cars parked all over the place in front of this building. We went into the building where we immediately saw a large busy dining room. They did not take reservations nor credit cards, just checks or cash. At a small counter they took our name and we were told our wait might be an hour. I normally don’t wait that long for anything, but we were told there was a waiting room to the right and a bar further down. We opted for the bar. It was a tiny bar with a few tables and a few bar stools and the place was packed almost cheek to jowl, but I elbowed my way to the bar and got our drinks. After a few sips a name was called and 4 people got off bar stools, we garbed two stools. While sipping we looked around, the bar sat right on the edge of the water with a view out onto the swampy bayou of Wolf Bay. Looking around indoors we noticed one dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceiling, Yes, the ceiling was low enough to reach up and touch it. Many dollars had initials and some with dates. Two drinks later, with no snacks at the bar we were half in the bag when our names were called over this muffled speaker just loud enough to be barely audible over the din of bar conversations.

The menu was mostly deep fried seafood. I ordered the shrimp and scallops combo with a cup of gumbo. Nancy ordered the shrimp and oyster combo and gumbo. The gumbo was the best I had ever had to this day. The meal was served with coleslaw and French fries with a spicy cocktail sauce and tartar sauce on the side. The seafood was lightly battered and cooked to perfection. The food was absolutely delicious and worth the wait. When I checked out at the counter, I asked about the check policy, I was told they took checks from anywhere and rarely ever have a bad one, thus not worth messing with plastic. What if the client came unprepared with not enough cash and no checkbook? It rarely happens but they always come back later that evening or the next day and pay up. Thus for many years to come, Wolf Bay Lodge was always on our schedule, to the point where we had a our own dollar bill with our initial on the ceiling where we check in on it again and again until many many years later a hurricane blew the whole place away.

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