Alligator Alley

Matt has had a recent obsession with gators. The second we stepped foot into Alabama - he was DETERMINED to find one. The second day in Gulf Shores, Matt and his dad went to a state park to find alligators in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, they only found babies - little ones - and Matt was hoping to find the big guys.

That night, we saw a commercial on "Alligator Alley" - an alligator preserve where they care for  rescued gators in a natural environment. It was PERFECT for Matt!

And just like that BOOM- we were there!

OMG - it was so, so, so HOT. But still fun! While taking pictures I accidentally knocked my sunglasses into the gator pin and within seconds- they were chomped into pieces. I bought a new pair from the souvenir shop before we left (for only 8.99 with an "Alligator Alley" emblem - BOOYAH).

They had over 400 alligators in the preserve. One of the two largest - measuring in at 14 feet six inches long - His name was Captain Crunch. He had to be housed separately from the other 6 ft gators because there was a high chance he could/would eat them. Captain Crunch set the world record for strongest bite force at three thousands pounds. He was a grumpy old man.

Matt was on cloud nine. We were SO MISERABLY HOT. But Matt was happy.

Enjoy the pics and video of Captain Crunch:

"You can ride him. He is saddle broke."

More on Alabama to come!