THE FAMILY VACATION DESTINATION is in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama. With 32 miles of beautiful white beaches stretching from the Fort Morgan Peninsula to the Florida State Line, you have 1000s of vacation rentals to choose from. Many different properties include beachfront cottages, homes, and condominiums. The area is rich in history, going back to the early 1800s with the construction of Fort Morgan at the mouth of the Mobile Bay. Not only can you soak up the sun but you can also get a history lesson with a visit to this historic site.
With activities such as deep-sea fishing, parasailing, dolphin cruises, bird watching, or visiting museums from The Fort all the way to Flora-Bama and everything in between, you’ll always have an adventure waiting for you!
Fort Morgan
Fort Morgan is a peninsula sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay with views of both bodies of water. The area consists of several beachfront homes as well as popular condominium-style resorts such as the Beach Club, Royal Gulf Beach & Racquet Club, and Kiva Dunes. For the golfers in your party, the Kiva Dunes Course is a must with its World Class Golf Course.
If nature is your thing or you’re the adventurous type, check out the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge with a number of beachside hiking trails filled with native birds and other wildlife.
Gulf Shores
Until the late 1970’s Gulf Shores was the secret vacation destination for many Alabamians. The beaches were sparsely dotted with small beach cottages where families spent entire summers fishing and soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches. Today the area looks very different with a number of fantastic condominium complexes as well as beach and bayfront homes.
A few popular hot spots include The Hangout, LuLu’s, DeSoto’s, Acme Oyster House, and many more. Gulf Shores offers the cleanest public beaches along the Gulf Coast with their “Leave Only Footprints” initiative. If shopping is your thing, just a short drive north on Highway 59 takes you to Foley and the home of the Tanger Outlet Mall. The mall offers a variety of shops for those who love to shop. While in Foley you might want to check out the OWA Amusement Park for a day away from the beach. A vacationer’s favorite is Lambert’s Café, Home of the famous “Throwed Rolls”.
Back in Gulf Shores, you might want to spend a day at Waterville home of the Flow Rider, Massive Wave Pool, and several waterslides.
Orange Beach
First settled in 1860, Orange Beach was just a tiny fishing village. Orange Beach, much like Gulf Shores, was a sleepy beach secret where few families lived year-round. That all changed when the area was destroyed by Hurricane Frederick in 1979. Since then, the area has grown with beautiful condominiums such as Turquoise Place, Caribe, Bella Luna, and Phoenix West ll with many more to come.
The bay is home to a group of small islands, namely Robinson Island and Bird Island just inside the mouth of the Perdido Pass. Boaters anchor and spend the day soaking up the sunshine and creating memories with family and friends.
On the eastern edge of the city limits, at the Alabama Florida border, is the legendary Flora-Bama Bar and Ole River Grill. Frequenters include Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffet, you just never know who might run into. Flora-Bama is also home to the annual Mullet Toss. Don’t forget to grab a famous Peanut Butter Bushwhacker!
Several other local restaurants offer excellent cuisines such as Fishers, Cobalt’s, Cosmo’s, Tacky Jacks, Doc’s Seafood, Big Fish Restaurant, Live Bait, and the very popular Big Mikes Steak House. The Wharf in Orange Beach offers a nightly light show and weekly fireworks show, comprised of several restaurants and boutique shops it is a great place to visit while in the area. It is also the official weigh-in station for the World-Famous Marlin Grand Championship.
The area is less than a day’s drive from several large metropolitan areas: Dallas-10 hours, Houston-8 hours, Little Rock- 8 hours, Baton Rouge-3 hours, and Atlanta-5 hours. Mobile Regional Airport to the west and Pensacola Regional to the east are both a 1-hour drive. Uber and Lyft are now offered in the area! Flying your own plane? Park and refuel your plane at Jack Edwards Airport in Gulf Shores.
Whether you decide to spend your family vacation in Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, or Orange Beach you’ll be ready to come back and book your next adventure!