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 […]
Family Vacation Ideas with Teenagers: The Wharf at Orange Beach!
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 […]
Spring Break with teens: 10 reasons to visit Alabama’s beaches!
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 […]
Beach Bag Essentials: Everything you need to pack the perfect beach bag!
A day at the beach always brings big smiles, unless you forget something really important! Nobody wants that, so we made a checklist to help you remember all the beach bag essentials to make packing for the beach easy! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (at no additional cost to you). Click here […]
Complete Outer Banks Vacation Planner: Sun, sand, and sea (and more to explore!)
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a popular vacation destination for families who want to enjoy sun, sand and sea. A successful vacation takes just a bit planning, though. This guide walks you through everything you need to plan a wonderful Outer Banks vacation. We’ll cover: Outer Banks accommodations, OBX attractions in each region […]
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 […]
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 […]
Fall fun 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 […]
Packing tips for your beach cooler
Summer is here! And you know what that means — a trip to the beach — complete with a beach cooler full of goodies. But if you plan to have a picnic on the beach, you should know how to pack a cooler! Make no mistake about it; having a picnic in the beach isn’t […]
Fit Friday: Surf’s up at beach resorts this summer
In my never ending quest to get more healthy (aka, fit), I’ve begun exploring water sports, particularly for their advantages over land based sports: If you fall, you have a “soft” landing. I have not experienced a surfing wipeout yet, so that qualifies my use of soft. The water keeps you cooler. Get too hot? Just fall […]
