This is the fourth year in a row that my family has spent the Labor Day weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This area is actually comprised of several different regions, and we have recently stayed in Orange Beach. Each of the past four years, we have gone down with two or three of our friends from college, all of whom have younger kids, and have stayed at a beautiful complex called Turquoise.
The resort is comprised of two high-rise buildings (we were on the 12 floor this year) overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. It also has a gym, a restaurant and bar, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a lazy river. One member of our group does his best to not leave the Turquoise the entire time, and if that is what you are looking for, it is not difficult.
In the past, we have gone with three other couples, but this year, only two could attend. We booked the condo about two months out, for about $1,200/couple for three nights. Since our families are getting bigger, we went with a four bedroom, but could have squeezed into a three. The condos are fully furnished, with large bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. The wrap around balconies have grills and hot tubs, and are just as much a draw as anything else.
One of the main draws for us is that Orange Beach is less than four hours from New Orleans. Prior to leaving, we coordinate with our group on who is bringing what, in terms of food. We load up the car on Friday afternoon and get out of Dodge as fast as possible. Since this is a heavy travel time, we try to leave as early, but the tunnel at Mobile always gets backed up for about half an hour (if you are willing to cut in line, you can drive most of the way at a steady pace in the right lane and cut over in the last mile).
Once we arrive and unpack, we call down to the beach and reserve chairs and umbrellas. These go fast, so you want to book them early, as they are a must in terms of having a place to relax and stay cool by the water.
On Day 1, Friday, we spend a lot of time in the car and a lot time unpacking. We try to eat most of our meals in the condo, and when we do a three night trip with three couples, we try to each take responsibility for one night. On the first night, we ordered pizza, which is easy because every American likes pizza. You have to order early though, because it can sometimes take an hour and a half to get the food delivered.
After that, once it got dark, we took the kids down the boardwalk to the beach to go ghost crab hunting. The kids used to be scared to pick the little crustaceans up themselves, but the older kids, including JR and Eileen, have gotten adventurous enough to go for it themselves. They are fun to catch, and the kids love looking at them in the buckets, but we always let them go after a few minutes of captivity.
One Days 2, we ate breakfast in the condo and headed down to the beach. The sand in Gulf shores is soft and pure white, and really fun to play in. The water is clear, but not as clear as a place like Destin. It was also a bit jellyfish heavy this weekend, which made our kids a bit skittish. Frankly, anytime anything brushes against their leg in the ocean, they think its a jellyfish, but because of this, they usually only last an hour or two in the ocean at any given time.
Once they’d exhausted themselves, we headed up to the pool, where they played until lunch. The pool is great, as it never gets deeper than a few feet, so kids our age require minimal supervision. At noon, we ate a quick lunch in the condo, and then headed out to a nearby boat rental company called Happy Harbor.
One of the coolest features about Gulf Shores is that it features access to both the gulf and the bay. On the bay side, you can participate in all sorts of water sports. We rented a pontoon boat, which we were able to drive ourselves (with almost no experience) that had a slide coming off the back of it. The rental was $350 for four hours and was totally worth it.
We took the boat into the bay from the harbor to a restaurant/bar called Pirate’s Cove. It is only a few miles away by water, but it took us quite a while to get there. The motor on the boat was only 60 horsepower, so it felt like we were crawling, but we eventually made it.
Pirate’s Cove is a restaurant that you can dock at and get drinks, food, use a bathroom or just hang out. When we arrived, it was packed, to the point that we almost didn’t stay, but a boat pulled out right in front of us, so we sneaked in. Once we docked, several people got bushwhackers, a unique, Alabama, alcoholic milkshake, and the kids started using the slide.
The slide attracted a lot of attention, and by the time we left, a half dozen other kids, who were screened only by asking if their parents knew where they were and can they swim, had gone up and down several times. We stayed for about half an hour and then cruised back. This is a great way to add some variety to a beach heavy vacation, especially with the older kids.
That night, we grilled in the condo. We brought a few sausages, cubed cheese and crackers, as well as barbecue seasoning and sauce from the Bar-B-Q Shop in Memphis. For me, this is the best seasoning in the world, and when you grill a sausage, slice it thin, put it on a cracker with cheese, the sauce and the seasoning, there’s little that can go wrong. We also grilled steaks and had twice-baked potatoes. Making these nights in the condo an event helps to make the vacation seem more significant, it makes it seem like it lasts longer.
On Day 3, Sunday, we went down to the beach early again and this time, spent almost three hours playing in the ocean and building sand castles. Prior to coming to the beach, we bought a waterproof sling that allows you to go into the water with the baby, but still have access to both hands. This makes going into the ocean with an infant, and with young kids, a lot more manageable.
On Sunday, we decided to go out for lunch. In the past, we have gone to a place called The Gulf, which offers multiple vendors and great options for everyone, as well as waterfront views. This year we went to Cobalt, which has a big menu, solid food and really cool outdoor patio with views of the bay. While we like to eat most of our meals in the condo, going out once is a nice change of pace.
That afternoon, we went back to the beach and then back to pool. The complex offers sno-balls (or as non-New Orleanians call them, snow cones) poolside, and our kids took full advantage. That night, we had chips, queso and margaritas, and we made ground beef tacos.
We brought several games with us this trip, but never got to playing any, which is a good sign, as we were too busy with other adventures. I personally spent a lot of time reading on the balcony and reading on the beach, and for those of you that enjoy a book, this beach is a great option. In past years, we’ve done several other things, including taking the kids to an arcade or going to Lambert’s.
On the morning of Day 4, we usually get up early and make our way home. If we leave after 9, it can take hours to get out of Gulf Shores and through Mobile. The other option is to vacate the room at checkout time but stay at the pool for several hours. If you don’t leave early or you stay late, you end up spending hours in the car.
As an addendum, less than two week after our trip, Hurricane Sally hit Gulf Shores and devastated much of the area. We are hopeful that they will be able to regroup and rebuild, and that we will be able to go back next year for another amazing Labor Day.