When you consider where to go for spring break, especially spring break with teens, my top pick is Alabama’s beaches! Alabama sits on the Gulf of Mexico, offering calm waters, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and wide, white sandy beaches that rival those of neighboring Florida. But, for this mom of teens, Alabama’s family friendly policies […]
Vacation with teens: Nine ways to connect wherever you go
A trip to the beach is easy with little kids. Pack sunscreen, a bucket and shovel and let kids play till they can’t play anymore. Teens, not so much. A day or two on the beach, maybe, but they aren’t likely to find building sand castles for a week as entertaining as little ones do. […]
Get to know OWA Foley, one of the best things to do around Gulf Shores
My first couple visits to Alabama’s gulf beaches, I rarely ventured far from the fun near those long, wide, white sandy beaches. Then, I found out about the adorable town of Foley, Alabama, only a 20 minute drive from the beach! There are so many amazing things to do in Foley, AL that I keep […]
Turquoise Place: Best of Orange Beach Alabama Resorts (a review)
When I was invited to Orange Beach, Alabama to learn about the Leave Only Footprints eco-tourism initiative, I got the chance to stay at the Turquoise Place by Spectrum Resorts, one of the most luxurious Orange Beach, Alabama resorts. You know this kind of place — it’s a stunner that turns heads. And, if you’re […]
Complete guide to the best restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
If you’re a regular reader (and I hope you are!!!), you know I’m a big fan of Alabama’s Beaches. As a regular visitor, I get to try new restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach every time I go. I have collected a few favorites along the way, the very best restaurants in Orange Beach, […]
History preserved: Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces
Many years ago, I drove by Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham for the first time. I thought it strange that this obviously abandoned factory would be left there for all to see — an eyesore to passersby and a strange way to make a first impression on people coming to this modern city now known as […]
Leave Only Footprints: It’s not a motto, it’s a mission.
When Gulf Shores and Orange Beach invited me to learn about their Leave Only Footprints initiative, my first thought was sure. I mean, who says no to the beach? And, I figured it would be easy to write about their clean up efforts. I like eco-tourism. So I went to the beach — fully intending […]
10 reasons to vacation at Gulf State Park (+ a bonus!)
Between the popular vacation towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Alabama, sits the region’s shining jewel, Gulf State Park. This 6,200+ acre park is home to three fresh water lakes, a golf course, campground, cabins, a fishing pier and 2 1/2 miles of incredible beach. It’s a dog friendly park, and pets are […]
5 reasons Gulf Shores is better in the fall
Summer beach vacations aren’t bad. The hot sun and cool ocean waters complement each other nicely. But, summer beach vacations also mean hot, sticky, humidity. And crowds — have you been to a major beach in July? It’s bumper to bumper traffic on the roads, and bum to bum bodies on the beach. It can […]
Keep on summering at Alabama’s beaches
Growing up in Ohio, we considered ourselves lucky to wear shorts after Labor Day. Fall was one long, cold, rainy season that dribbled into dreary winters. But that was before the internet (I’m really old). And before air travel was so affordable. And before I moved south where summer fights with school schedules well into […]