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Family Travels on a Budget

Travel with kids: theme park family deals, cruise ships for kids and best cruise lines for teens and other cool places to visit, including adult getaways

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Home » Destinations » USA » Alabama

10 reasons to vacation at Gulf State Park in Alabama

May 5, 2020 by Karen Dawkins 10 Comments

Between the popular vacation towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Alabama, sits the region’s shining jewel, Gulf State Park. Covering more than 6,200 acres, Gulf Shores State Park is home to three fresh water lakes, a golf course, the Gulf State Park Campground, cabins, the Gulf State Park Pier and 2 1/2 miles […]

Filed Under: Adventure, Alabama, Beaches

Festival of Art: Spring break fun in Orange Beach

January 18, 2020 by Karen Dawkins Leave a Comment

Every March, in Orange Beach, Alabama, the Festival of Art celebrates the arts, including visual and fine arts, crafts, glass art, pottery, painting, sculpting, textile art, wood art and more. The 2020 festival will be on March 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, at Orange Beach Waterfront Park. At the Festival of […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Arts/Culture

Family Vacation Ideas with Teenagers: The Wharf at Orange Beach!

December 31, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 1 Comment

Spring break family vacation ideas with teenagers can be a challenge. Where can a family go to make everyone happy? You know, where do go so teens get time to sleep in, plenty to do, and lots of food options? How do you balance a teen’s need for independence with family time? When considering family […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Beaches, Teens and Tweens, USA

Spring Break with teens: 10 reasons to visit Alabama’s beaches!

December 9, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 87 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Beaches, Teens and Tweens

Vacation with teens: Nine ways to connect wherever you go

March 28, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 5 Comments

Plan vacation to include fun things to do with teens and reconnect with yours

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. […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Teens and Tweens

Get to know OWA Foley, one of the best things to do around Gulf Shores

March 18, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 5 Comments

OWA Foley theme parks in Alabama

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 […]

Filed Under: Alabama, USA

Turquoise Place: Best of Orange Beach Alabama Resorts (a review)

March 9, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 8 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Alabama, hotels, Reviews

Complete guide to the best restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

February 19, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 125 Comments

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, […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Destinations, Food

History preserved: Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces

September 17, 2018 by Karen Dawkins 1 Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Alabama

Leave Only Footprints: It’s not a motto, it’s a mission.

October 12, 2017 by Karen Dawkins 3 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Beaches

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Meet Karen Dawkins

An avid traveler, I enjoy discovering new places: history, culture, and adventure. I love it all! Well, not bugs. I don’t like bugs very much, so I probably won’t visit a bug museum.

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