Lots of us are participating in social media challenges these days. We, at Sunset Properties, are fans of many of these. One of our favorites is the “tell me you love (something) without telling me”. Here’s ours:
Tell me You Love the Alabama Gulf Coast without Telling Me You Love the Alabama Gulf Coast
1. I daydream about playing mini golf at Pirates Island.
Mini golf is something we all did as kids. As adults, we tend to gravitate to larger courses like those at Craft Farms or Gulf Shores Golf Club. But sometimes we do admit, we find ourselves daydreaming about those warm spring and early summer afternoons when all we wanted to do was sink a purple ball into a silly hole as we golfed our way around a pirate ship shaped mini-golf course. Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf located just north of the Intracoastal Holmes Bridge still offers fun and silly adventures for the whole family. Time to make your daydreams a reality!
2. My favorite picture on my camera roll has my bestie getting tossed off a giant flamingo by a rolling wave.
The waves of the Gulf of Mexico are unpredictable at best. As long as the red flags are not flying, swimming in the Gulf is usually a wonderful experience. The warm, salty water can make most achy joints feel nice. Floating with the kiddos or you sweetheart is a great way to pass an afternoon. With private beaches attached to great beach home subdivisions like The Dunes, enjoying the Gulf can be a daily indulgence while you’re in Gulf Shores. That image, however, of your best friend tipping not-so-gracefully off that giant flamingo is still one for the record books! We know. We all have an image similar to that one on our camera roll, too!
3. I have walked through the mouth of a shark.
Not everyone can say they’ve walked right through a shark’s mouth without getting so much as a scratch. If you can, you are one of the special folks who really loves the Alabama Gulf Coast. Souvenir City, located in the heart of Gulf Shores since 1956, is one of our favorite gift shops. With everything from magnets to fudge, t-shirts to coffee cups, they pretty much have something for everyone. We can’t think of one person who loves the Alabama Gulf Coast and hasn’t walked through the shark’s mouth.
4. I know exactly how long it takes to get from Tanger Outlets to the Intracoastal Bridge.
About 15 minutes. That’s the answer. It takes about 15 minutes on an average day to get from everyone’s favorite coastal outlet mall in Foley to the WC Holmes Intracoastal Waterway Bridge that leads onto the island if you enter via Alabama Highway 59 (Gulf Shores Parkway). If you choose to stop and shop at the Tanger Outlets in Foley, you’ll find more than eighty retailers ready to help you with some retail therapy. But if you love the Alabama Gulf Coast, you already know that! Just like you already know that when we leave the mall, we’re only about fifteen minutes away from the most beautiful coastal scenery anywhere surrounded by 32 miles of sugar white beaches.
5. There is still sand in my backseat floorboard from my last visit.
Speaking of beaches, if you truly love our coastal paradise, there is still some sand in your backseat floorboard from your last trip down. We ask that you watch out for the sea oats and Alabama Beach Mice and please stay off the dunes when you visit the beaches. Please take your trash with you and leave only footprints when you visit the beautiful shoreline in Orange Beach, but those who love the Alabama Gulf Coast tend to take flip flops full of sand home with them. And it ends up in the backseat floorboards. There is seemingly no way to get all the sand out of a car. But, honestly, who would want to? Why not carry around a few grains of one of your favorite places on earth? After all, it’s just a tiny reminder of where your heart longs to be. You love the beach and little island just like we do.
6. I look forward to visiting two-toed sloths.
Like those of us who live on Island Time, two-toed sloths move at their own pace. Usually, it’s a much slower pace than everyone else. But that’s ok. And like you, we love our friends, the sloths, who live at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. We stop by to see them as often as we can. They remind us to slow down, chill out, and enjoy all that our wonderful island home has to offer. Speaking of slowing down, did you know there is a lazy river at Caribe B Penthouse 4? Enjoying that makes for a wonderful afternoon. But, if relaxing in a penthouse condo’s lazy river isn’t your thing, how about relaxing in a beach home right on the beach in Gulf Shores? Check out Castaways 7B. If you want to slow it down even a little more, take a look at Tortuga Bay, which is perfectly placed in the quiet Fort Morgan community.
7. I have library cards for both the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Public Libraries.
While we’re on the topic of relaxing, we know sitting on a balcony overlooking the gleaming waters of the Gulf of Mexico, listening to the melody the waves make while reading a great book makes you smile. The beach and books just seem to go together. But, there’s no need to bring a book from home when you can borrow one from the Orange Beach Public Library or the Gulf Shores Public Library. You already know the good folks at both the Orange Beach Public Library and The Gulf Shores Public Library only require a valid form of identification (a driver’s license) to get your library card. We know your library cards have been safely parked in your wallet since last year and you’re itching to use both! Our local libraries have great hours and are serving patrons in spite of the pandemic. Check out The Gulf Shores Library’s website for their hours and The Orange Beach Public Library’s website for their hours.
8. My all-time favorite gumbo comes from Sea-N-Suds.
Your mouth starts to water each time you think about an ice cold beer perfectly placed beside a big ole bowl of Sea-N-Suds gumbo. Admit it: you can almost see that super cold condensation rolling right down that superbly chilled bottle as the amazing aroma of your favorite gumbo floats by your nose. Inhale the goodness! Since 1975, this uniquely styled restaurant has been serving up some of the freshest Alabama Seafood and coldest beers around. Parking is sometimes a challenge for this wonderful local eatery, so why not consider staying at Lighthouse 607. You can walk to Sea-N-Suds from that impeccably decorated beach front luxury condo.
9. I know swimming at Alabama Point East can be challenging, but the fishing is amazing.
Fishing is more than a sport. It’s a lifestyle. If you are a professional angler at heart, but choose to make your living some other way, we know you love to fish on the west side of the bridge at Alabama Point. The swift waters that rush into and out of our back bays of Orange Beach offer some of the best fishing anywhere. The beach at Alabama Point East Park is also a great place to spend a day with your family. We don’t recommend swimming too far out in the swift waters, but the easy waves that touch the sandy shore are always perfect. With restrooms nearby, you know you can’t go wrong enjoying a day here. You might even catch a hermit crab or two.
10. When I pass Shell Banks Baptist Church, Fort Morgan is just a few more songs away.
Fort Morgan Historic Site is a place locals and guests fall in love with after just one visit. It may seem a long drive from the heart of Gulf Shores out Fort Morgan Road to the Fort, but if you pass the trip by enjoying our local radio station Sunny 105.7FM and noticing local landmarks, the drive doesn’t seem so long. One such landmark is Shell Banks Baptist Church. About eight miles west of the intersection of Gulf Shores Parkway and Fort Morgan Road, is the location of Shell Banks Baptist Church and Cemetery. This particular place is extremely special because before any Europeans inhabited our island home, the Native American (Indian) village of Achuse was located on the site. The first Spanish Explorers recorded a visit with these early inhabitants in 1539. But anyone who loves our Alabama Gulf Coast already knows this. Once you pass this landmark, you know you’re almost half-way to Fort Morgan. Turn up your radio and sing along as you finish your drive to the end of Fort Morgan Road. Just outside the fort gates, you’ll pass The Dunes and The Indies. Your perfect vacation home might just be inside one of the condo complexes. Once you reach the fort, get ready for a fun-filled day of exploring both inside and outside the historic walls. Inside the fort, you already know you’ll find years of history and memories just waiting to me made. Outside, the beaches of magnificent Mobile Bay await you.
We know you love our family-friendly Alabama Gulf Coast just as much as we do. If some of these ways don’t ring true with you, we’d love for you to tell us You Love the Alabama Gulf Coast Without Telling Us. Use our comment section below for your thoughts! At Sunset Properties, we listen to our guests. We listen and respond. We are a family-owned company and our guests become our extended family. When you’re ready to return to your Island-Home-Away-From-Home, give us a call and we will be happy to help you find the perfect place to stay! And if you’d like to own your own Island-Home-Away-From-Home, we can help you with that, too!
251.543.1370
