What Cool Animals Will You See at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo?

alabama gulf coast zoo
The biologically rich and diverse region that is Alabama’s Gulf Coast offers great ways to experience nature, whether out in Gulf State Park or at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The zoo offers unique chances to experience a variety of animals; it’s a great chance for kids and parents alike to make fun memories here on Alabama’s Gulf Coast! So, what do you have to look forward to at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo? We’ll tell you!

Lions, tigers, and bears are just part of the fun you’ll find on Alabama’s Gulf Coast! Download our free Vacation Guide for the best ideas for an incredible vacation. At Sunset Properties, we strive to ensure your vacation is the best it can possibly be. We think you’ll love it!

What Will You See at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo?

First and foremost, to get the most out of your visit to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, you should understand their mission. They opened in 1989 under the moniker, Zooland Animal Park. At the zoo, you’ll find an experience tailor-made to the visitor. Wide pathways, over 500 exotic exhibits, ample shade, and concessions are just a few ways the zoo strives to bring you the best zoo experience on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. The zoo operates from sponsorships, grants, and endowments to bring the best experience possible to its patrons. There, you’ll find lions, tigers, bears, primates, leopards, wolves, and more! Caring zookeepers work with the animals to ensure your zoo experience is the best it could possibly be!

Zoo Encounters

At Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, you’ll have great opportunities for a zoo encounter with some of the more easygoing animals! Imagine the look on your kids’ faces when they hop around with a joey, play with the lemurs, take it slow with the sloths, and more!

Kangaroo Encounters

Come, hang out with some joeys! The friendly kangaroo kids are a fun way to get up close and personal with Australia’s most iconic marsupial. The encounter also makes a great photo op!

Lemur Encounters

These fun creatures have been the icons of recent children’s movies, but what makes them popular at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is playtime! Come, join in on the fun with the young lemurs as they swing around and climb all over the place! It’s sure to make fun memories!

Reptile Garden

Walk through the reptile garden with a knowledgeable handler and have the chance to meet some of the coolest slithering critters! Lizards, gators, snakes, turtles, and more await you, safely, of course.

Sloth Encounters

Take it slow with a sloth encounter! The loveable, lazy sloths are the perfect slow-paced encounter for the kids! During this encounter, you’ll learn about the sloth’s natural habitat, diet, and movement patterns.

Tamandua Encounters

The tamandua, or lesser anteater, is a friendly-looking creature sure to make the kids laugh at its goofy appearance. The anteater, though, offers a unique zoo encounter! Learn about its habitat, diet, and more!

Plan a Visit to the Zoo During Your Family Vacation

There’s so much to adventure as a family here on Alabama’s Gulf Coast! Plan a visit to the zoo or soak up the fun and sun at the beach! You can’t  go wrong! Plan your family vacation to the Gulf Coast and see for yourself how incredible of a time it will be. Browse our beautiful condos and beach houses for the best places to stay down here. Here at Sunset Properties, we are your source for comfort and relaxation! So, contact us today to book your stay! And, when you’re looking for great things to do, be sure to download our free Vacation Guide!

 

Here are the Top 5 Gulf Shores Summer Camps

gulf shores summer camps
All around the Gulf Shores area, fun and educational opportunities are available for children to make the most of their summers.
Gulf Shores summer camps bring to the table what a typical vacation may not include, giving your child the chance to engage and enjoy the fantastic natural beauty, ecosystems, and fun on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. When your child participates in one of these Gulf Shores summer camps, you can be sure they get the most out of their time on the Gulf Coast. Here are the top five you should consider!

Summer camps are a great way to ensure your child stays engaged and has some serious fun during vacation! For the times they’re not in camp, though, be sure to download our free Vacation Guide! Here at Sunset Properties, our expertise will help you plan the best Gulf Shores vacation you’ve ever had! We guarantee it!

5 Great Gulf Shores Summer Camps for Your Child

Kidcam Gulf State Park Camp

From kindergarten to 13, your child can enjoy this weekly camp offers daily rates during the summertime at the biologically interesting and fun area, Gulf State Park. There your kids will enjoy the beaches, pool, splash pad, sports, nature trails, zip lines, boating, fishing, golf, and more! Register for this camp here!

PADI Seal Team Youth Camp

For kids 8 and up, this incredible summer camp focuses on everything underwater! If your kids are comfortable with the water, then this camp will take them to new depths! They’ll learn underwater photography, navigation, underwater ecosystems, and more. Think about the special memories they could make when you register for this snorkeling day camp!

Ocean Camp

If your kids love everything about the ocean, then Ocean Camp is for them! When they spend the day at camp here, they’ll learn about marine biology and the local environment. Marine science teachers bring fun and facts to the table, combining for an unforgettable experience they’ll tell all their friends about in the fall! Register here!

Kaleidoscope Summer Fine Arts Camp

The camp takes place during the last week of June only and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day during that time. At the arts camp, your kids will take part in hands-on classes working with a variety of mediums, including dance, music, and theater, as well. To end each day, your kids will enjoy a live performance from a recognized artist! Register here.

SummerTide Theatre Camp

Put on by the University of Alabama, the camp spans three weeks in June with each week geared toward different acting ability levels. If your child loves theatre and acting, then this is for them! Covering everything from the basics of theatre to advanced concepts depending on ability level, your child will act their way to inspiration! Register here.

Fit a Summer Camp into Your Summer Vacation

Summer day camps are perfect for kids when you visit Alabama’s Gulf Coast! Take advantage of all the great things to do here, too, when you download this free Vacation Guide! With it, you can craft the very best vacation. And, when you start your search for a place to stay, check out our beautiful properties! At Sunset Properties, our beach houses and condos are just steps away from the beach and minutes away from the very best restaurants and activities the area has to offer. So, why wait? Contact us today to book your stay!

12th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival

Balloon_Festival0
May 5th until the 8th enjoy all of the fantasy and adventure that follows hot air balloons. I know as a child it was such a special even to get to see even one hot air balloon floating along. In early May you have a chance to see up to 30 hot air balloonists from across the country floating through and around our area to celebrate the 12th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Of course It is not just balloons that are at this festival. The big events are as follows.
May 5 – Balloon Glow at Tanger Outlets from 6pm – 7pm
May 6 – Festival Grounds from 2pm – 10pm (open to public)
May 7 – Festival Grounds from 9am – 10pm (open to public)
May 8 – Enjoy the balloons from afar as they soar through the sky! (NOT open to public)
This is just a taste of what is happening at the balloon festival that weekend.

Take a look at all the fun you and your family can enjoy.  Information provided by The Foley Chamber of Commerce

Thursday, May 5

Balloon Glow at Tanger Outlets in Foley, Alabama. Come get up close and personal with 10 hot air balloons as they light the sky! Talk to pilots and crew and see the inside of balloons!
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm17653977852_96b456f226_c

Friday, May 6

Color Dash 5k. Run under 40 balloons and get colorful! Run begins at the Chamber office and ends at the Festival Grounds! Learn more and register today by clicking here. Also check out where to park.
Registration begins at 6:00am Race starts at 7:00am
Festival Grounds open to the public
2:00pm
Disconnected K’9s Frisbee Dog Show presented by Papa John’s
3:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm
Interactive Hot Air Balloon Display (weather permitting). Walk inside a hot air balloon!
5:00pm – Dusk
Tethered Rides. Purchase tickets here to go up in a hot air balloon! (weather permitting)
Dusk
Balloon Glow and Mass Ascension! Watch the balloons glow and soar through the night sky! (weather permitting)
Dusk
Have fun with the kiddos at the carnival that will be available all day! (rides for the whole family!) Purchase your tickets early by clicking here.
2:00pm – 10:00pm
Live Music featuring Mustache The Band! Check out their band here.
8:00pm – 10:00pm

17050418414_0e2cbce9b7_cSaturday, May 7

8:00am – 10:00pm
Arts & Crafts Vendors, Retail Vendors and Food Vendors (open at 8am for Color Dash 5k runners only. Open at 9am to public)
8:00am – 10:00pm
Disconnected K’9s Frisbee Dog Show presented by Papa John’s, Faulkner State, Global Marketing Solutions and Bon Secour Fisheries
10:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Interactive Hot Air Balloon Display (weather permitting). Walk inside a hot air balloon!
5:00pm – Dusk
Tethered Rides. Purchase tickets here to go up in a hot air balloon! (weather permitting)
Dusk
Mass Ascension! Watch the balloons all take off at the same time! (weather permitting). Check out all the balloons and their pictures by clicking here.
Dusk
Have fun with the kiddos at the carnival that will be available all day! Purchase your tickets early by clicking here. (open at 8am for Color Dash 5k runners only. Open at 9am to public)
Live Music featuring The Molly Ringwalds! Check out their band here.
8:00pm – 10:00pm

Sunday, May 8

Unfortunately the grounds are not open but we would encourage you to be on the lookout for the balloons in the sky!
7:00am
Balloons Fly
7:00am
Cote’s Music Factory (formally known as the Bamaboys Band)
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Dancing Story Lady (provided by “The Melting Pot”, a multicultrual experience presented by the Snooke Youth Club and a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts)
2:00pm – 2:50pm
Winners from BCCA Baldwin Star Search (provided by “The Melting Pot”, a multicultrual experience presented by the Snooke Youth Club and a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts)
1:15pm – 1:45pm
Snook Youth Club Angel Bells and Fiddlers (provided by “The Melting Pot”, a multicultrual experience presented by the Snooke Youth Club and a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts)
1:00pm – 1:15pm
Color Dash Runners end at the festival grounds. Grounds open ONLY to those who ran!!
8:00am
9:00am
Festival Grounds open to public
Arts & Crafts Vendors, Retail Vendors and Food Vendors17468590078_c4e2cb04e4_c
2:00pm – 10:00pm
Festival Grounds close
10:00pm
Check out these other fun things going on…
Tara McMeans with Design Print Promote designed our beautiful 2016 poster and t-shirts. Click here to view and purchase merchandise. She will be onsite both days signing posters and shirts as well as painting the scenery. Come meet the artist!

Our VIP tent is new and beautiful with incredible appetizers from Wolf Bay Lodge Foley, a full bar and beautiful new furniture. Also, don’t miss out on meeting John and Johnna from 97.5 WABD Cumulus Radio. Our VIP tent is sponsored by: Cumulus Radio, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Meyer Vacation Rentals and Southern Linc Wireless. Click here to purchase passes.

Check out some really cool trucks provided by Southern Comfort!

Want to keep the kids entertained while you enjoy yourself? No worries, we have a gaming truck that is over 50′ long and has all your kids’ favorite games inside. For a small fee, drop the kids off and let them enjoy their favorites; from x-box, wii, x-box 360 and more!

Kewl Kites will be joining us this year! Check out their HUGE kites and come to the festival both days to watch them fly!

Our interactive balloon, provided by Taking Off Hot Air Balloon Company and our very own Balloonmeister Tommy Rachel and powered by the Foley Fire Explorers, will be at the Festival Grounds both days. Walk inside the balloon and get great pictures!