Attractions – Page 21 – Sunset Properties Blog

May 13, 2010

Ft. Morgan Oil Spill Update 05/13/10

Everything is still amazingly beautiful friends. We feel blessed to be here each day able to enjoy this serene place. We are looking forward to seeing all of our friends this summer. Our maintenance staff is busy making everything beautiful and ready for the busy summer season. We can’t wait for everyone to return to their beach home for some rest and fun in the sun. Below is the daily update from the Gulf Shores.com website, all good new still for Gulf Shores and Ft. Morgan.

Sporadic quantities of tarballs were found washed up on the beach Tuesday in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. Contracted crews immediately went to work to clean the affected areas. Currently beaches across the island are clear.
There have been no reports of oil odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.
The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
Tarballs travel independently of an oil slick and are not an indication that the slick itself will travel in the same direction or to the same area. The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.
According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOTpose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up if they encounter any on the beach. Click hereto read NOAA’s information about tarballs.
NOAA is providing daily updates to the closed fishing area, based on changes in the size or direction of the oil slick. To view the most recent map, visit https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters.
All appropriate preventative measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being used along Alabama’s beaches, bays, inlets and sensitive areas in an effort to prevent oil from reaching our shores. Researchers and scientists have indicated that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmedinformation provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about forecasts, visit the NOAA response site. To learn about the entire incident, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.

May 12, 2010

Oil spill update for 05/12/10 in Ft. Morgan

The latest update from the convention and visitors bureau is below. I spent some time out of the office on the beach it is as pretty as it gets down there. The water is perfectly clear, not too hot, and of course sugar white sand still there as always. Our friends the Hockman family sent us some more, great pictures to show everyone.

Thanks guys for sharing your family memories with everyone!!!

1.) There have been no reports of odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.
2.) The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management has stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
3.) Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters.

May 11, 2010

May 11 Oil Spill Update!!!

Good afternoon everyone. I wanted to let you know we have some new information from the CVB. WE STILL HAVE NO OIL ON THE BEACHES AND NO SMELL IN THE AIR!!!!! YAY!!!!! We have gotten reports of tar balls, but we have not seen any on our beaches. I am sure you have heard lots of talk about tar balls. I wanted to give you a little information about these so you would be informed about what they are. As I am sure you have noticed the national news ahas been rather deceiving about this entire incident putting everyone in a panic when very few places have had impact from this incident.

So what is a tar ball???? I actually remember these from my childhood on the beaches in Pensacola. Thes are the little pieces of tar that stick to your feet when you walk on the beach. I was always told as a child these were from when the road broke up during the hurricanes, it is the asphalt. It gets so hot on the beach and in such small pieces it just melts. These also occurnaturally. Without out lots of testing no one really knows where they come from. I have vivid memories of picking these up and stepping on them as a little girl. Some were hard, some were sticky, but we saw them so seldomly it wasn’t anything we really even paid atttention to.

I am saying all of this to ease your mind about the latest news sensation. These tars balls are nothing to fret about, but as always if there is a problem we will certainly let you know. According to John and Tara no oil balls on our beach!!!!

Check out the video they shot today

May 10, 2010

Monday 05/10/10 Oil Updatefor Ft. Morgan

Sorry for the lag in postings everyone. I wanted to take this opportunity to catch you up on our local beaches in Ft. Morgan. Below is the update from the Gulfshores.com website. The weather has been A-MAZ-ING, not to warm, great breeze, blue sky’s and amber sunshine! It is rare that the beach gets more beautiful than this. We had a gorgeous wedding this weekend for Tracy and Jeff Fox. Everyone we spoke to had a wonderful time, so much so that they want to come back next year. In fact I just got a call they want to come back today. So they are coming back for another night of peace and quiet on the beautiful beach. YAY!!!!

The forecast from our local news station showed the oil continuing to move west away from our beaches. I am posting some pictures below. So you can see how beautiful everything is. The first one is of our beach but you can see the protective booms being placed in the water, just in case! The second one is of my friend Mr. Hockman, as you can see he is having a WONDERFUL time!!! We hope to see you soon!!!!

There are currently no effects of the oil spill in the water or on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and, according to NOAA forecasts, no shoreline impact is expected for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not possible. At this point, the extent of any potential impact is unclear, but officials are increasingly optimistic that any impact we might receive will be minor.
While there have been reports of tar balls on Dauphin Island, on the west side of Mobile Bay, none have been seen or reported on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated last Wednesday that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.

May 7, 2010

May 7, 2010 Oil and Beach Update

Gulf Oil Spill Update, Friday, May 7, 11:00 a.m.

There are currently no effects of the oil spill in the water or on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and, according to NOAA forecasts, no shoreline impact is expected for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not possible. At this point, the extent of any potential impact is unclear, but officials are increasingly optimistic that any impact we might receive will be minor.
The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated Wednesday that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 20 miles out and in our very plentiful inshore waters.
All appropriate preventative measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being used along Alabama’s beaches, bays, inlets and sensitive areas in an effort to prevent oil from reaching our shores. Researchers and scientists have indicated that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmed information provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about the entire incident visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and response.restoration.noaa.gov.

May 6, 2010

Gulf Oil Spill Update, Thursday, May 6, 9:00 a.m.

I want to reassure everyone the beaches are still the beautiful white sandy beaches you have always known. Our amazing wildlife is flourishing all around and the little ones are starting to peek their heads out, everywhere we turn! It is a great time to be at the beach, small, to no crowds and perfect weather! Below are some answers to some of our most often asked questions, lately. I have also included the daily update for the Gulf Shores.com website about our local area.

Lance LeFleur, Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management:

There is an Area Contingency Plan (ACP)(https://ocean.floridamarine.org/acp/mobacp/) created for these kinds of situations that has been vetted by all agencies involved (which is now being followed).

At the wellhead, they are injecting dispersants at depth, causing the oil slick to break up into small oil droplets that are rapidly diluted and subsequently biodegraded by micro-organisms occurring naturally in the marine environment. Exposure to air, sunlight, & wave action also degrades the oil. They are also restarting the in situ burning today.

There is a two-stage protective process planned for the shorelines – shallow water skimmers & booms to catch what they miss. The booms are being tended and repositioned as needed – the placement is determined by the ACP. The highest priority at this moment is to close off Mobile & Perdido Bay entrances. The port of Mobile will remain open, using a decontamination process for ships entering the area (there will also be a decontamination station at Weeks Bay).

Once the bays are protected, all resources will be focused on the beaches. So far, 7,000 volunteers have called the 1-866 number & BP will donate hourly wages for those volunteers to their chosen volunteer organizations.

Below is the update from the Convention and Visitor’s Breaue

There are currently no effects of the oil spill on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and, according to NOAA forecasts, no shoreline impact is expected for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not possible. At this point, the extent of any potential impact is unclear.
Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 20 miles out and in our very plentiful inshore waters.
All appropriate preventive measures, including oil-absorbing booms, are being used along Alabama’s beaches, bays, inlets and sensitive areas in an effort to prevent oil from reaching the shores. Officials are optimistic that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmedinformation provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about the entire incident visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and response.restoration.noaa.gov.

May 3, 2010

Latest local Oil Spill Information 05/03

May 2, 2010, 3:00 p.m.

There are currently no effects of the oil spill on the beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. According to NOAA forecasts, shoreline impact along Alabama’s coast may occur early in the week. At this point, the extent of that impact is unclear.
NOAA is closing commercial and recreational fishing in federal waters between the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure begins immediately and is in effect for at least 10 days while researchers take water samples to determine the safety of seafood taken from the affected area.
Teams of responders have placed oil-absorbing booms at the mouths of bays, inlets and in sensitive areas all along the coast. These areas receive priority protection because they are the most vulnerable.
Governor Bob Riley has committed to placing preventive measures including booms along Alabama’s beaches in an effort to prevent oil from reaching the shores. Officials are optimistic that any impact directly on the beaches can potentially be cleaned effectively and fairly quickly.
National, state and local response teams are deployed at sites along the coast to deal with local effects.
Official information pertinent to our local area is being posted here. This is confirmed information provided by the Unified Command response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and local emergency management officials. For detailed information about the entire incident visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and response.restoration.noaa.gov.
We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of concern for Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Volunteers are asked not to self-deploy at this time. Those with an interest in volunteering should the need arise, are asked to contact volunteer banks by dialing 2-1-1 or 888-421-1266. They can also contact the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program at 251-431-6409 or mbnep@mobilebaynep.com with the following information: name, address, phone, email and resources (boat, kayak, etc.). Please be patient while volunteer needs and training opportunities are determined.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post information updates as they become available.

April 29, 2010

Oil Spill Update 4-29-10

Oil Spill Update 4-29-10, 9:30 a.m.

Like everyone along the Gulf Coast, the CVB is monitoring the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We are relying on official updates from the on-site incident team as our source of information. .

According to local officials there is no shoreline impact forecast for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for at least the next 72 hours. There is no official forecast beyond 72 hours.
BP is proactively placing booms at the mouths of bays, inlets and in sensitive areas all along the coast. This is a precautionary measure in the event that our area is affected directly by the spill.
State-of-the-art equipment is in place to respond if there is any movement toward any area of shoreline along the Gulf Coast and local experts are monitoring wind and water conditions. Officials in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach have a coordinated response plan in place if it becomes necessary for our area.
Official information is being posted by the response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and updated several times each day at https://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com and https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/.
Volunteers are not needed at this time and are asked not to self-deploy to the Alabama coast. Those with an interest in volunteering should the need arise, are asked to contact the state-organized volunteer bank by dialing 2-1-1 or 888-421-1266. This allows the state to contact volunteers if they are needed at a later date.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post additional information IF coastal impact becomes an issue.

April 28, 2010

Oil Spill Update 04/28/10

Oil Spill Update and Talking Points 4-28-10, 12:15 p.m.

Like everyone along the Gulf Coast, the CVB is monitoring the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and relying on official updates from the on-site incident team as our source of information. The following are the most recent talking points we’ve compiled for our staff. We encourage you to pass them on to your front-line team and anyone else fielding questions about the spill.

There is no shoreline impact anywhere along the Gulf of Mexico, nor is any forecast for at least the next 72 hours. There is no official forecast beyond 72 hours.
The responders on-site at the spill have scheduled “a controlled, on-location burn to begin at approximately 11 a.m. CDT today—a strategy designed to minimize environmental risks by removing large quantities of oil.”
State-of-the-art equipment is in place to respond if there is any movement toward any area of shoreline along the Gulf Coast and local experts are monitoring wind and water conditions. Officials in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach have a coordinated response plan in place if it becomes necessary for our area.
Official information is being posted by the response team (Coast Guard, Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP and Transocean) and updated several times each day. The site is https://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
We will continue to monitor the incident and post information IF coastal impact becomes an issue.

December 30, 2009

Activities for Men in Gulf Shores / Ft. Morgan

Ok guys I know you want a break just as much as the rest of your family and maybe you would like some special things to do just for you. Have an adventure or just relax with a line in the water. I’ve got some ideas for you!!!

Beautiful beaches are not all there is to enjoy in Gulf Shores.

1. Golfing; for all of the golf enthusiasts out there! There is a golf course minutes from anywhere you stay in Gulf Shores and levels of difficulty that range from beginner to professional. Most courses are reasonably priced and offer specials that include carts if you’re not up for the walk in the humidity. Check out Gulf Shores.com for a list of local courses and specials.

2. Fishing; weather you are ready for an adventure on a boat or you like to fish off of a pier or the beach you have opportunities surrounding you. Some of my favorite memories as a little girl are fishing with my Dad so this might be something to do with the kids to make some great memories!! You can charter a boat for a day or for a shorter half day trip. If it is a longer trip they usually include food and will take you where the fish are biting and provide your license and all of the rigs and tackle you need to bring home a great catch. Some of the captains will even grill your fish for you for lunch! The prices are based on the length of time you are on the water and how far you go out. There are several great piers in the area that are fun to fish off of for a minimal fee. You do have to provide all of your gear for this type of fishing and don’t forget you fishing license. Surf fishing is always fun too, and one of the more popular ways to fish in Ft. Morgan. You just need to be careful of swimmers, and be sure to pick up a fishing license! You can purchase a fishing license over the phone or at most local bate stores.

3. Water Sports; for you guys who are looking for an adventure, you have everything from para-sailing and jet skis all the way to kayak rentals or scuba diving. All of these activities come with risks but they are all lots of fun too. You can find providers of water sport rentals or activities at Gulfshores.com. Most of these activities are offered on an hourly basis. Be sure to go with a company that has a good reputation and trained guides.

4. Nature / Wildlife activities; because of the amount of coast line and wildlife refuges located in this area you have numerous opportunities to enjoy wildlife in their native habitat. You can go on a Dolphin watching cruise or a nature hike on one of the islands many hiking trails. Depending on the time of year you can experience different types of nature that migrate through or hatch right here on our coast. You can see sea turtle hatching’s in the fall, bird banding and migrations in the Fall and Spring, even things like manta ray and different types of sea snails migrate through the area at different times of the year. All of these are amazing. Try to catch one of them while you are here.

5. History; for all of you history buffs, did you know there are two Civil war era forts in the Gulf Shores area? What about the Native American settlements??? There is a huge Naval history an AMAZING museum about 40 minutes away. This area has a long and very proud history and the list of places to see and experience is a little overwhelming. Try not to miss the candle light tour of Ft. Morgan, and the Naval Air station Museum in Pensacola. The Gulf Shores Museum has some great information about the Native population in Gulf Shores along with settlers that followed and the widely varied heritage they brought to our area.

There are many more things that can be added like massages, shopping, and amusement parks! This is just the short list guys! If you are looking for a specific activity ask at the front desk, We are happy to help!!!! Be sure to spend some time on the beautiful beaches but try to take some time and enjoy an afternoon doing something just for you.