Category: Vacation Hints

We often get questions about the advantages of renting from a rental company verses from an owner directly.  Well, both have their advantages. The information in this blog comes from a previous post on our blog about who to vacation with and a new blog written by Tricia Howarth for the Vacation Rental Managers Association about how to rent your property. Speaking from the rental company side the advantages we see come from the problems people who rent from owner mention to us as they come through.  As a rental company we are here on site if there is a problem big or small we are here to help!  If you have to change rooms for some reason, say a leak, we have a large selection of properties to offer you in place of the problem room.  A rental company is just a phone call or a few steps away, where as most rental by owners are a phone call away but often in another state with just a cleaner to help you with problems.  Having a rental company  is handy for information, or if you happen to lock yourself out, or just the strange emergencies that come up.  We have people stop for everything from restaurant suggestions and clogged disposals  to Jellyfish stings, and missing bottle openers.  The nice part about a rental company is they have a staff of people close by to help with any and all problems.  Because of the large stock of condos we can often match or beat the pricing of a Rental by owner and provide additional service that guests want and need to make their stay worry free!

As Ms. Howarth mentioned on the other side of things if you are renting your property to make money you should make an educated decision. Most people by a place at the beach or the mountains to enjoy! They don’t usually want to spend lots of time and effort making reservations dealing with tax issues, marketing your property and maintenance calls, not to mention regular information calls about the area surrounding your property. She gave a great question to consider, “How does the return on the time it takes to do all these items compare with your regular earning potential during these hours or the value of time spent doing things you love?”

Property managers have contingency plans in place for emergencies and security for your property and for vacationers personal and financial information. These plans include onsite personnel, specialty locks and codes and. Are you prepared for computer hacks, or accidents on your property? DO you carry insurance that will cover if something does happen? How do you know your property is secure if you don’t hire someone to check on it? Property managers have the insurance, plans for accidents, and personnel in place to keep your property and your guests and their information secure. Keep in mind implementing any of these on your own is an added expense to your bottom line. Or it will be included in what you will pay in management fees each month.

Think about when you are on vacation. It is nice to have all the perks, the special attention of a staff to answer your questions. After all without happy guests you are not making money. Management companies hire specialists in guest services who are personable and happy to help twenty four hours a day, seven days a week even on holidays. Are you friendly at 4 AM when you get a call about being locked out or someone not having the Wi-Fi code? The satisfaction of your guests is what brings in future rentals. One bad review because your home wasn’t clean or the AC didn’t work when your guest arrived can ruin your future rental potential for an unexpected amount of time until you can get some positive reviews to counter act the negative information. Haven’t you heard good news travels quick bad news travels even quicker.

Exposure is not in the form of a beautiful printed pamphlet any more. You need a website to advertise on, and other options to advertise your property through multiple venues to allow the most exposure. These are fees that are also included when going with a management company.

IF you have the time, patience and money to Rent by Owner it is certainly a rewarding way to earn an income. The professionals in this field are excited and happy to help when you are ready to put your property in their hands.

According to their website; Tripping is the world’s largest search engine for vacation rentals. They also have a wonderful blog and from their research Fort Morgan is the number 2 beach in Alabama. Fort Morgan has historical draw and quiet beautiful beaches. No wonder it ranked number 2 in their research. We have a few more reasons that Fort Morgan is one of the best choices for a beach trip in Alabama.

Of course Tripping.com is correct. The Civil War era Fort Morgan is a wonderful place to visit and has huge historical significance. The battle of Mobile Bay was a big turning point in the war and was recently reenacted at the One hundred and fiftieth anniversary. This was almost entirely a sea battle and took place just off of the coast. The battle pitted two generals against one another whose backgrounds were so similar one would think the details of their lives were made up. This battle is certainly worth the research for anyone who is interested in our country’s history. The battles details range from captivating to humorous and even some of the gore that comes with war. Absolutely worth the time and the trip to the end of the island to visit Fort Morgan.

This article was about the beach! So let me tell you a little about why Fort Morgan has the best beaches. Fort Morgan had miles of federally protected beach which means it is untouched by development. In most places the island / peninsula is only half a mile across. So this means you have easy bay access to fish, kayak, boat, or participate in any number of water activities that are not easily enjoyed in the sometime rough gulf waters.

Then you also have the gulf beaches that are sugar white and as I mentioned basically untouched by development. You can explore eighteen miles of beach all the way to Fort Morgan on foot in the water or even take a bike trip down Fort Morgan road. This beach is home to shore birds, dolphin, fish, sea turtles, skates, sting ray, manta ray, tons of shells, crabs, snails, sea stars, and even the rare horseshoe crab. The school children in the area are involved a program that breeds and hatches out horseshoe crabs to repopulate the area waters with this ancient species.

Many of the Fort Morgan beaches are dog friendly as well. So if your furry friend travels with you they are welcome in the Fort Morgan area. The only place dogs cannot go are the refuge areas. Those are located in different areas all down the Fort Morgan peninsula. These refuges are set up to protect local wildlife and habitat. Some of these areas have hiking trails that include the pine Beach Trail, the Jeff Friend Trail and the Gator Lake Trail. These are fun and informative trails for any interested in nature. Late summer and Fall is a great time to visit the area to witness the cool weather and the sea turtle hatching season, bird banding, and the numerous festivals.

In our opinion Fort Morgan is the top beach to visit in Alabama. Fort Morgan has a little bit of everything for any traveler. Water sports, Nature, history, BEAUTIFUL scenery, great restaurants and quiet beaches. You should check it out for yourself! See you soon.

Don’t miss the 11th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival! This annual event brings balloon enthusiasts from all over the country to participate in the glow and host rides for event goers. This is one of our favorite events in the area and something we always try to make time to enjoy. Be sure to enjoy the prizes and sales at Tanger Outlet in Foley on the 30th of April from 7 to 8:30 in the evening. On May 1st at the Foley Sports Complex enjoy a carnival, Crawfish boil, Live music, Arts and crafts, and tethered rides at Dusk.

Dates & Times
May 2, 2015 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location

Foley Sports Complex, 18507 US Highway 98 West, Foley, AL 36535
Event Info
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Tanger Outlets Kickoff and Glow Event
Hot Air Balloon Glow, Four Day Super Sale, Spin the wheel for free prizes

FRIDAY, MAY 1
2 PM – 10 PM Foley Sports Complex
Carnival by Mitchell Brothers Carnival
2:00-10:00 pm
World Famous Disc Connected K-9 Frisbee Dog Show
Crawfish Boil
Arts, Crafts and Food
Live Entertainment: Sugarcane Jane 5:00-7:00 pm
Tethered Rides at Dusk
Live Music Headliner: Chee Weez 8:30-10:30 pm
Hot Air Balloon Glow at Dusk

SATURDAY, MAY 2
6 AM – 10 PM
Foley Sports Complex
Carnival by Mitchell Brothers Carnival 2:00-10:00 pm
World Famous Disc Connected K-9 Frisbee Dog Show
Crawfish Boil
Arts, Crafts and Food
Live Entertainment: JERI 2:00-4:30 pm
Live Entertainment: Rhythm Intervention 4:30-7:00 pm
Tethered Rides at Dusk
Live Music Headliner: Escalade 8:30-10:30 pm
Hot Air Balloon Glow at Dusk

Contact Us

PHONE: 251-943-3291

WEBSITE: https://www.gulfcoastballoonfestival.com

Address
18507 US Highway 98 West
Foley, AL 36535

Contact

251-943-3291

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY from Sunset Properties. Join us at the beach this Mother’s Day weekend two nights only $299.00 in a 1 bedroom, 2 bath condo that sleeps up to 6 people!!! You deserve a getaway for taking care of everyone in your life so drop a hint to your loved ones and then let them take care of you in the sunny weather at the beach. Fort Morgan is the perfect quiet getaway for your family or just you if you want a getaway by yourself! Be sure to take advantage of this special before we booked up!

We look forward to celebrating with you! See you soon.

As I move closer to when my little one is due my mind is wandering to the beautiful weather outside and how I will get ready to take my sweet little boy down to the beach once he is old enough to go. I grew up on the beach going with my family and friends as often as possible when I was a child. We certainly didn’t have the high end of everything to protect us but we absolutely had a fantastic time and have wonderful memories from every childhood trip to the beach. I remember my dad setting up a parachute with a long bamboo pole in the middle and stakes around it to protect us from the sun while we played near or in the water. We always had fishing pole, and sunscreen most of the time we camped out and had an amazing amount of fun. But I certainly remember getting some terrible sunburns as a child and that is a terrible thing to happen on vacation so I wanted to give you a few hints to keep you little ones safe, burn free, and with lots of happy beach memories.

There are some fantastic new products for kids now that were not available when I was a child in the 70’s and 80’s to help keep them from being sunburned. The first is clothing with SPF. You can get hats, shorts, shirts and swim suits with a great SPF to help protect your little ones from the sunburns. Be sure to look for the proper sunscreen for your little ones as well this will give you that little bit of extra protection. Apply sunscreen before you head out to the beach and often while you are in the sun! When I was a child my parents were creative with the sun protection. Notice my little brothers turban or cloth diaper to protect his little head.

Make a safe spot for your little one to enjoy the water too. When my brothers and I were kids my parents dug us a little lagoon just past the major break in where the water washes on to the beach. They made a small wall with an opening for some water to wash in then closed it up so we weren’t trying to fight with the waves as they came in. Or if they left it open it was just a small bit so a trickle of water could get in to our little pool area. I have seen mothers bring small blow up pools down to the beach they fill those with beach water and put them near the water and under the shade so the little ones can enjoy the beach but not be over whelmed by waves and too much sun.

Instead of a parachute which is awesome if you are up for the work! You can now rent umbrellas and chairs so you don’t have to worry about taking lots to the beach beyond your sunscreen and a bag with snacks and sunscreen. I remember everyone carried an armful of things when we went to the beach but we had a fantastic time most of the time. I have a few extra suggestions of things to throw in that beach bag to help keep your little ones cool calm and collected.
1. Inexpensive beach toys, dollar store is perfect for these! Something to build a sand castle and pour and sift, sand and water will keep them busy for hours.
2. A plastic zipper bag for treasures. I would suggest something that will trap smell just in cast they pick something that is still alive and you don’t find it right away!!!
3. Baby powder will help get all pesky sand off as you head in for the evening.
4. SUNSCREEN, don’t forget it!
5. Flip flops for the walk back if they are walkers.
6. Wagon to pull them in if they are not walking.
7. Hats, sunglasses, clothing with SPF material.
8. Water, fruit, cooler, to stay hydrated.
9. White Vinegar, just in case jellyfish are nearby. Even broken parts of them can cause stings.
10. Trash bags. For diapers or trash you may make. You always want to leave the beach cleaner than it was when you got there.
11. Camera for those irreplaceable candid moments in the sun!

A visit to the beach with little ones can be fun and educational for all involved just remember to tap in to that inner boy scout or girl scout and BE PREPARED! This will make your trip so much more enjoyable and memorable! See you at the beach!

My boss recently forwarded me a blog recounting the experiences of people who have visited Fort Morgan and had supernatural experiences. These experiences included hearing voices and noises, seeing apparitions and lights, and having doors slam or reliving long over battles as they exit the Fort. The most common experience was an uneasy feeling or a feeling of dread or fear. I for one and very

skeptical of these experiences! Not to discount anyone’s personal experience as we all are on very individual journeys that are make up who we are and are built on an individually unique history for each person. I for one have never had anything even close to what these people are describing. Far from feelings of dread or fear the feelings that I experience here are mostly ones of peace, joy and contentment, and restfulness. This area has a long history of battle and lives lived in difficult circumstances. The end of the island was long inhabited by a native population prior to the military presence which began early in the 1800’s.

The natives were adept at living in this harsh climate but the settlers who came with the military struggled with the constant storms and lack of fresh water. They did thrive however after utilizing several fresh water springs in the area and fortifying the structures to withstand the seasonal storms that pummel the peninsula.

Unfortunately, many lost their lives as this was a military installation and battles were inevitable. Some lost their lives in naval battles while some were lost in accidents or in battles near the fort. People have mentioned seeing soldiers, slaves who built the unique star shaped Fort, and even spirits of women who may have lived at the fort with the officers.

As I mentioned I have never had experiences like this when exploring the beaches or the Fort in the decade I have lived and worked in this area. I have heard echoes that were a surprise but were explained and doors closing because of the constant high winds that pop up any time of the day and night. I have even seen lights there were unexplained by the average visitor. The locals know some are boats in the bay and some are from the light house beacon that flashes through periodically. The weather also adds to the mystery of the area. The island near the fort is only about half a mile across so more often than not in the winter months we get fog that will hang over the end of the island for days at a time. It seems more like you are vacationing in the old movie Brigadoon than it does a beach vacation. My husband chalks the other worldly experiences to the drinking habits of the visitors and the distance between the local “watering hole” to Fort!

No matter your beliefs or experience whether they are peaceful, sunny like mine or a little creepy and exciting like some of the visitors to our area Fort Morgan they are all worth a visit! Check out our specials and make your way to the Alabama coast this year. Spring is almost over so we have some great last minute deals. Summer is booking fast and the days are full of

sunshine here and the nights well you might get a little fright or you could experience the most breathtaking sunset you have ever seen off of the end of the peninsula. Fall weather is PERFECT the crowds are small and the prices are low and you can’t get a better time to visit! Looking for ward to seeing you soon or hearing your ghost stories from your visit to Fort Morgan!!!!

We are so excited to announce a new partnership with Preserve at Soldier’s Creek Golf Club! What does this mean for you? Well if you are a golfer this is for you! All you have to do is contact us at the Sunset Properties office and we can book a reservation for you for only $49.00 total for a morning or afternoon tee time!

Give us a call for this special offer only through Sunset Properties!!!! We look forward to seeing you and making your tee times for this Spring.