East Beach in Downtown Gulf Shores, AL

The East Beach area of Gulf Shores, Alabama sits right next to Gulf State Park. Home to the Gulf Shores Hangout, this area of town is the site of the annual Hangout Music Festival, which takes place right on the beach over an entire weekend once a year. Some of the most popular condos in Gulf Shores are located in the East Beach area, including the Lighthouse and Phoenix All Suites. Gulf Place, which is right next to the Hangout, is the public beach area, which is currently being renovated and improved as part of the Gulf Shores Small Town, Big Beach Vision 2025 for Sustainability. At the far end of East Beach, where the Colonnades and Royal Palms condos are, you can see the Gulf State Pier. The Gulf

Orange Beach's West End

The above image is the Western-most section of Orange Beach, AL and the Palm Beach condominium is 3.5 miles from downtown Gulf Shores and Gulf Place.  A great Orange Beach seafood market is behind Sugar Beach in Lartigues;  they offer wonderful homemade gumbo along with fresh gulf seafood.

This is our first post in this section of the website and we were thinking, what better way to start a category for fun in the sun, than to talk about the places on or just off of the beach.  We've recently gathered aerial video for some great spots in downtown Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and will start the first parts of this section by including posts from Waterville, the Hangout and the Track in Gulf Shores and Tacky Jacks, the Gulf, San Roc and Perdido Pass in Orange Beach, AL.

These are just examples of our recent posts for fun things to do and places to enjoy while visiting the beach.  The Tacky Jacks video was for our restaurant menus page which offers menus for every restaurant in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - the Alabama Gulf Coast. 

Terry Cove is a small area of Orange Beach that offers some of the best features in town. The waterways pour into the Gulf of Mexico here, making it a popular area for taking the boat out for the day to go fishing or just enjoy the sights. Ono Island is just east by Perdido Pass and the end of Highway 61. Perdido Pass is the most popular place on the Alabama Gulf Coast to beach your boat or hop around to one of the numerous watering holes in Orange Beach. This area is close to the Florida state line, which sits approximately two miles east (left in the image) from Perdido Key, FL. In the other direction, Gulf Shores is a short drive away at just six miles or so from this area. The central location and spectacular views make Terry Cove one of the most

The architecture world was shaken last year when renowned architect Dame Zaha Hadid passed away in Miami, Florida. Hadid, born in Iraq in 1950, is known all over the world for her work. She won the prestigious Stirling Prize in 2010 an 2011, was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004, and was also the first woman to be awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects' Royal Gold Medal in 2015. Some of her notable designs include those for the aquatic center used in the 2012 London Olympics and the Guangzhou Opera House in China. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for the contributions she made to the world of architecture.

Hadid is leaving her mark on Miami with the construction of the One Thousand Museum,

 Just down the road from The Track Family Recreation Center, about a quarter of a mile north of the beach, Waterville USA offers some of the best water attractions on the Gulf Coast! Waterville USA is both a waterpark and an amusement park spread out over 20 acres near the Gulf State Park. The park originally opened in 1986 and, since then, it has become one of the most popular destinations in all of Baldwin County, Alabama.

The waterpark portion of Waterville USA features over seventeen water attractions, including pools, a lazy river, waterslides, and a wave pool, just to name a few. The Dune Racer, one of the most popular waterslides, features several different tubes so the whole family can race down these 55-foot tall slides. Little kids

The Gulf Coast is known for its famously sunny, warm weathers that keeps visitors coming here all year long. In particular, this area is very popular with snowbirds looking for the perfect place for secondary winter home or just a long vacation on the beach over Christmas. The coldest month of the year around here is in January, with an average low of 43F and an average high of 61F. The closest you'll get to snow down here are those fluffy white-sand beaches everyone talks about.

Coastal Alabama, like most of the southeastern United States, does get the occasional hurricane and, if not hurricanes, thunderstorms in the summer months. In fact, 66% of the precipitation in the Gulf Shores area occurs during thunderstorms. The rainiest months are July and

New feature:  View all of the menus for the local restaurants in one place.

Let's be honest: the best part of most vacations is trying new food and local specialties wherever you go. Whether you're looking for fine dining for date night, a casual eatery you can bring the kids to, a delicious and filling brunch, or even some place that will deliver when you're too worn out to go to a restaurant, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has a wide variety of solutions even the pickiest eaters.

This area of Alabama is famous for its fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, so seafood restaurants are a staple around here. When you're looking for a quick bite in a very casual setting, The Shrimp Basket in Gulf Shores can't be beat! Grab a fried shrimp or catfish

Looking for your next family-friendly activity in Gulf Shores, Alabama? The Track Family Recreation Center offers attractions and activities that parents and children alike will enjoy. The Track is located north of Portage Creek, about ten minutes away from The Wharf in Orange Beach. Just off of Gulf Shores Parkway, The Track is about 25 minutes away from Fairhope Bay and just up the road from Gulf Place in downtown Gulf Shores. The Track Family Recreation Center also has locations in Destin, Florida and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Perhaps The Track is best known for Wild Woody, a three-story go-kart track where visitors can choose between single-rider or double-rider go-karts and race friends or family all over the track. In addition to Wild