Studio39Designs

Cotton Bayou Trail – Gulf Shores, AL

After a walk along The Pier, we thought we’d check out a bit of one of several trails in Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL.  There was no special reason we chose the Cotton Bayou Trail, but it certainly was a lovely trail.  No cotton plants, tho, that we could tell!

Side Trail off Cotton Bayou Trail

This trail appeared to be a side trail off the main trail, altho with the fence where it’s at, it clearly wasn’t open to exploration.  But, it certainly looked inviting, with its soft, sugar sand path!

Tiny Water Lily Pads

All around us, there were small ponds of water….or maybe that’s what is typical in a bayou!  In any event, I loved the color and shape of these, and the reflection of the trees in the water as background.  I hesitated to step too close or explore too closely, as we were always warned of the possibility of alligators throughout the park!

Touch of Red

I love the feel of this image – soft, spring green, with just a touch of red.  The soft focus around the red leaf helps it to gently stand out.

Bright Leaf

Here’s another brightly colored leaf hidden among the green.  I decided to do a bit of creative cropping for this image.

Backlit Palms

I’m not certain what type of palm plant this might be, but I tend to call it a fan palm, for obvious reasons.  I really love the way the sunlight is shining thru the leaves, don’t you?

Delicate Blooms

I feel like I should know what type of flower this is, but the name escapes me.  The blooms were so tiny and delicate, I almost felt that if I breathed too hard, I would knock them from their branches.

Palm Rays

I loved the angle that these fan palms were growing.  I think it gives a rather dramatic feel to this image. 

Enjoy!