Taste of the Island

The Wharf is a community of shops, restauraunts, a movie theater, an amphitheater, and even a Ferris wheel! Among all these things The Wharf has recently included a a conference center that houses large meetings, exhibits, banquets and more. Saturday, November 14th, the Mystical Order of the Mirams (a local Mardi Gras group) will be putting on the event "Taste of the Islands" which will be held at the Wharf Conference Center. They will have cuisine from local restauraunts, a cash bar, entertainment and a silent auction in which a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Alabama Gulf Coast Education Association. Last year they had over 600 people attend and this year they're expecting even more. Tickets are $50 each and don't forget to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to US Marine Corps Toys for Tots.

If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, call: 251-923-9862 or tickets can be purchased at the door.

Halloween on the Coast

October is one of my favorite months, second only to December (for obvious reasons of course:) There's gonna spooky Halloween stuff going on all month long. The Wharf is putting on a couple of different activities. First, there's gonna be a haunted house going on from the 16th-18th, the 23rd-25th, and the 30th and 31st. 6pm-8pm will be spooky family fun hours and 8pm-10pm will be spine tingling scary, which is not recommended for kids. Admission for this will be $4 and you can purchase your tickets at the Ferris Wheel ticket office. Saturday, October 31st from 10am to noon, The Wharf will be putting on a "Howl-O-Ween" doggie parade. After the parade, the dogs' costumes will be judged and the best of them will be awarded. I hope you can make it to at least one haunted house this year, because Halloween just isn't the same without going to one!

Fall on the Coast

Hey to everyone out there. In case you're not savvy on weather in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores around this time of year, I just want to let you know that it can be pretty back and forth. Even though it's the beginning of Fall, our weather can be in the lower 90's one day and the 60's the very next day. But don't be discouraged from going out to the beach if you step out onto your balcony and feel a little chilled. This time of year, the weather can sometimes be considerably cooler, but if you just simply step out onto the beach, you'll find that the temperature is actually pretty comfortable, and you should warm up quickly. Don't worry sunbathers! It's not time to pack up your swim suits just yet!

Bayfest

Bayfest is here again, this very weekend, the 3 day music festival will be celebrating it's 15th birthday in the heart of Mobile. The music festival features artists that cater to everyone's tastes. For example artists who will be playing live, include: 3 doors down, akon, alan jackson, jon miller band, steve miller band, stone temple pilots, t-pain, and a bunch of other artists along with those. When/if you go, you should know that the shows go on rain or shine, and don't forget to bring a lawn chair or some blankets so you can sit down in-between concerts. They also will have carnival-type food so don't worry about packin a sandwich. Tickets are $35 for a weekend pass, and $25 for a single-day pass. This is a chance you will not want to pass up, considering all the aritists that are gonna be there! I'll give you a link to the official website for more in-depth information.

Beach, Blues & BBQ

The first annual Beach, Blues and BBQ Festival will be held on Sunday, September 20 at The Hangout, which is located at the corner of Hwy 59 and Beach Road. Throughout the day, The Hangout will be featuring live music from national recording artists Eric Lindell, Cedric Burnside with Lighting Malcolm, American Idol contestant Kristy Lee, Papa Mali and local boys "The Rez". BBQ teams from across the area will compete, starting their cooking as early as 6:00 am. The doors of The Hangout will be open for the public at 10 am, and music will start at 12:30 pm continuing through 2 am! It's something everyone definitely needs to check out and don't be afraid to bring the kids because The Hangout is definitely a family oriented...well "hangout"!

Go Dolphins!!

Well it's that time of year again, the season of hotdogs, hamburgers, and totally wrong (but sometimes right) referees. High school football is back everyone and Gulf Shores is by no means slacking this year. We've already kicked off the year to a great start considering last Friday we beat Robertsdale Bears at our first game, wasn't even a home game! I sure hope ya'll plan on going because there's no better way to get a taste of southern pride and hospitality than going to a high school football game. And if you go, don't be shy, make sure you're sporting Gulf Shores Dolphins' navy and white! Here's a link for a schedule for the games, if you're going to a home game, go down 59 and make a left on county road six. After that you'll drive and little ways and you'll definitely be able to see the stadium on the right. All games start at seven! And if you want to support the Dolphins at an away game, call the school for directions! They'll be happy to help someone who wants to show their spirit!

Orange Beach is 25!!

August 29th is the day you will want to be in Orange Beach. Whether you're just down here for a visit, lived here before, or you're a life-long resident, you are invited to help Orange Beach celebrate it's 25th birthday. In conjunction with Baldwin County's bicentennial celebration, Orange Beach will be throwing a block party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The block party will be held just behind City Hall at the Orange Beach Municipal Complex. There will be many different festivities to participate in, including a large kids' village, live entertainment, a historical village, and county representatives will even be putting on their own historical demonstrations. Also scheduled is a recognition ceremony at 1 p.m. where the city will reconize past mayors, council members, long-time residents, and businesses that have hung around since 1984. So I hope you will come down August 29th and see what our city is all about!

Nolan's

For those of you who have been staying with Brett/ Robinson and coming down here to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores for years now, ya'll probably know about that restaurant that shut down a couple years ago that was called Nolan's. I never was able to eat there, just because when it was open, I wasn't even living down here, but I've heard from family members and a couple of friends that when it was open, it was great! Well guess what, someone came, renovated it, and it's back in business! I've had a chance to eat there once, and I gotta say, it's pretty fancy and the food is spectacular. If you're looking for some great, top of the line seafood...or even some steak I would recommend Nolan's. The environment is candle-lit and quiet til about eight pm when the bands start to play. It's in the little strip where the Zoo is, and it's right by Doc's off of hwy 59. Also, if you're feeling active after dinner, there's a mini golf course within walking distance that is a blast. So I hope you check it out and let me know what you think!

Sea Rocket

Looking for something faster than a dolphin cruise, or a glass bottom boat? Well then I would recommend the "Sea Rocket". Its' the only tourist speed boat on Pleasure Island. It's family friendly, safe and it's also coast guard approved! While you cruise, there are many sightings of dolphins if the kids are worried about that. The place that does it is located in Sun Harbor Marina, which is next to Tacky Jacks. They have trips that can last only one hour, or even eight! But with trips that can last eight hours, you better reserve it in advance. The number to the place is 251-981-FAST. I hope you get a chance to try out this speed boat, because I myself haven't even been on one before!

Vacation & Exercise

One of the best thing's about being on a vacation, is the fact that your diet won't follow you to your destination. What does that mean? Well I believe that while you're on a vacation, you shouldn't be worrying about a diet, or eating well. But with all of this good seafood down here, you might be feeling a little too full. So if you want to work off those calories and carbs, all the Phoenixes have well equipped gyms! They have cardio machines, and weight lifting machines. Some of them require a key, so before you hit the gym, make sure to head down to the front desk and ask for one. Usually the gyms are by the pool, so after you get back from the gym, a swim is a nice cool down and a way to relax. But if you feel like you didn't lose enough calories, there's always the sauna that are right by the gyms. Hope this helps and you enjoy your vacation!

Sand Crabs

So when you first check into your Phoenix, whether its at night, or during the day, you want to explore a little. Of course, if you get settled in before nighttime falls, you'll definitley want to go outside and catch some rays. At most of the Phoenixes, the pool area closes at ten pm, sometimes eleven pm. If you just want to walk on the beach, look around in your condo kitchen and there will most likely be a flashlight. No luck? Ask the person at the front desk if they have a flashlight you can borrow. Something else that's great to do after settling in or eating dinner, is to grab a flashlight, a net, a bucket if you want one, and go catch sand crabs! The little creatures look scary, but are harmless if you respect them like you would any animal. See how many you can put in your bucket, and watch your friends run away as you pour them out. But make sure you do let them go before you go back to your condo because who would want to sleep with a bunch of little sand crabs walking around? I hope you try it out!

Fourth of July

July Fourth is less than a month away, so its time to start making plans, as in where to go and what to do? The Wharf is the perfect place to go, they're gonna have awesome fireworks and on top of that they'll have Montgomery Gentry playing before the fireworks go off. Not only will they have those country music stars, but they will also have special guest "Little Big Town". I would recommend buying tickets as soon as you can, and make plans to eat at The Wharf because they have many restaurants that are great and that offer many different types of food. Not a big country music fan? No worries, you can go to Gulf Shores public beach and watch for a free show. Whatever you plan on doing, make sure you get to your destination in plenty of time, because many other people will be celebrating too.

Vacation Things To Do

The great thing about our Orange Beach Rec Center is that during Summer time, they offer many different kinds of classes. They have simple art classes, culinary classes, golf lessons, and even more exciting things like sailing camp and kayaking lessons. Some of these are meant to be only single session lessons, for instance, golf. Other classes are spread out over a week's time, like sailing and kayaking camp. The best part is that these "camps'' are meant for children, some even being as young as 6, and a couple of classes you can be any age! If the outdoors sports aren't for you, the Orange Beach Rec Center also offers yoga and tai chi classes. Not interested in a class? That's okay too, because while the fam is learning their preferred techniques, you can freestyle in the fully equipped gym or game room! Here's a link to their web site, because there's a lot to chose from! I would definitely check these things out on my vacation!

Summer is Here!

Guess what! It's Memorial Day Weekend, which means Summer has officially started. Gulf Shores High School and every other Baldwin county school is out! It also means that the Summer schedule for The Wharf is coming out, people like Three Dog Night, Earth Wind and Fire, and even Kenny Chesney will be playing! If you plan on going to a concert though, its best to get your tickets now because the concerts can get pretty packed. Here's a link so y'all can look at the line up! 

A great way to end a beach day, or week for some of ya'll, is to get pampered. If you're looking to just get your nails done, I would recommend Top Nails, which is by Brunos in Orange Beach on Beach Road. If you're looking for a spa treatment, I've heard very good things about Spa of Eden and Nou'Veau a 'La Plague, I'll give you the links to both. What better time to go to a spa than on your vacation? 

Hope this information helps, til next time!

The Weather Is Warming Up and So is the Fishing!

The weather is hot and the fish are biting, so I think it's about time to talk about bait! My place of choice? Mo's Fishin. It's on Beach Road right pass Zeke's Marina, it's a great place with friendly people. My brother recently came down, wanting to fish that night with live bait, he was worried that he wouldn't make it in time to get some shrimp. So my mom went down to Mo's with a cooler, put a layer of ice in the bottom, and brought newspaper. Doesn't sound like your typical live bait container, does it? Well it turns out that if you take them a cooler, and put ice in the bottom, they'll wet the newspaper and stack layers of live shrimp in between. My brother is the biggest fisherman you will ever meet, and when he heard this, he couldn't believe that my mom wasted her money on 7 dozen shrimp just to have them die. Well long story short, about five hours later we went fishing and as soon as those shrimp hit the water they came back alive! I know you're probably wondering who came up with wet newspaper, and I am too but it works and the shrimp stay alive long enough for you to use them. So if you come down here wanting to fish with some live bait, you don't need to worry about packing an aerator anymore! Just make sure you have that cooler with some ice packed in it, bring a newspaper or two, and you'll be good to go!

Restaurant Review

The one thing we have a whole lot of down here is seafood. I know with all the restaurants, it's hard to pick out the best ones so don't worry I'll let you know which is the best one on the beach, in town, and which one has the best atmosphere. If your looking for an absolutely gorgeous beach view and some top of the line food and service, I would recommend Bahama Bob's. It's on beach road right by Phoenix All Suites Hotel. It's so nice because you can walk on the beach while waiting for your food. Also, on Canal Rd right when you turn off Hwy. 161 (by the Flamingo's) there's this little place across the street called Doc's. When locals are asked which seafood restaurant is their favorite, about 99.9% of the time they say Doc's. It's small, but when you go just remember looks aren't everything! Finally, the restaurant that has the best atmosphere and pretty good food I would say Lulu's. Jimmy Buffet's sister owns the restaurant and you turn right when your coming over the Gulf Shores bridge, like you would be going to the track. Go early if you want to go and it's a weekend night because they don't take reservations and the place fills up quick! Until next time, hope your vacation goes great!

Yoga at the Beach!!

Looking to get your yoga fix on your vacation? Well don't worry we have plenty of places down here that teach and give yoga classes.One of the places is the Original David's Counter Culture. You can find it on 59 just a couple miles north from our friends at the Hangout, it'll be on the left. Another place to go is the Orange Beach Rec center. Turn right off 161 onto Canal Road and drive a couple miles down and you'll see it on the left. I'm not sure when about the class times, check their website for the most up to date information and class times. The rec center also has Tai Chi, aerobics and a lot of other fun classes so I hope ya'll check them out!

Great Breakfast Spots

If you're looking for some really great breakfast places, but don't want to go to Waffle House, we've got some of the best down here. There's Duck's Diner that's located on Canal Road in Orange Beach. It's on the right when your going towards Gulf Shores, right behind the Brusters and in front of the golf course. But make sure you go before 2:00PM, because that's when they close. Then, on Hwy. 161, if you're going towards Canal Road, turn right on Marina Road and keep going and then on the right will be Tacky Jack's. It's not only a good place for breakfast, but lunch and dinner too. These are just a couple of my favorites that have guaranteed goodness! I hope you check out these great places and don't waste the opportunity, see ya soon!

Spring Break 2009

Its that time again! For the younger crowd and possibly older, Widespread Panic is doing a 3 day concert at the Wharf again! The dates are Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19th. You can buy your tickets on Ticketmaster. Its an oppurtunity I wouldn't pass up if I was visiting down here, its very interesting because in 2008 Widespread Panic was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. But if you're looking for something a little more quiet and low-key, there's always the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge. It's located about eight miles down Fort Morgan with 6,000 acres of nature, hiking trails, beach, and a good chance of spotting gators in Gator Lake. And of course, I'll give you the link below so you can check out the website yourself and get a little more information. I worked at a marina last summer, and I realized that some tourists that come down here have never had the chance to see ocean wildlife, even a jellyfish! So if your wanting more exposure to ocean life, try out the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. It's about an hour away, but it has a public aquarium and it focuses solely on the wildlife that you can find at our beaches. I'll give you the link to that too! Hope your vacation goes great, I'll be back with more things to do soon.

Dolphins & Scoops

One thing I love about living down here is the wildlife. Sometimes, when your out at the beach or even on your balcony, you can see sting rays and sometimes dolphins swimming around. But if you want a real close up, we have Dolphin Cruises! They have glass bottom boats, which is really cool because you can see all sorts of wildlife, not just dolphins. And when you get off your "cruise" they give you a coupon for buy one scoop, get one scoop free at Brusters, where the ice cream and waffle cones are homemade! Brusters is right off of Canal, your really can't miss it, Coco Island is a huge building right behind it. Anyway, I hope ya'll check out the Dolphin Cruise, and until next time, I'll talk to you later.

Rain?? No Problem !!

Hey ya'll. Hope everyone's doing good. For those of you down here, the weather is going to be a little yucky this week...but don't be too bummed out because as always I'm here to let ya'll know what's happening in our town. Remember me talking about the Tanger a few blogs back? Well they're still having those amazing sells, at QuickSilver everything in the store is 50% off! Crazy, huh? Its kinda sad also because they're closing, so they have to sell everything. But right behind the Tanger is a really cool bowling alley,you can't miss it, now I know what some of you might be thinking...but bowling is a lot funner than it looks. Surprisingly a lot of locals from Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Foley head down there. Its good for little kids during the daytime, and at 10:00 on weekend nights they go into midnight madness mode. They turn off the lights, and everything is lit up by black lights...it's pretty cool. But before you go bowling, an awesome place to eat is on 59 across from the Chick-Fil-A (before Tanger). It's called Lamberts. It's the perfect tourist restaurant. There's only two in the country and we have one down here. It's a huge building with a painting of the family that started it on the side. The restaurant is so cool because the waiters love to play tricks on you, and while you wait for your food to come out, waiters will bring around free side dishes such as fried okra, sweet potatoes, molasses for your rolls and much more! Speaking of rolls, they throw them at you! Yes, actually throw. On any given night during Spring Break and Summertime the place will be packed. But don't hesitate to go because they seat people fairly quickly and they never take reservations.

Jet Skis and Parasailing!!

Hey everyone, hope your vacation is going well and for those of you who aren't here yet, I hope your getting excited because we could not ask for better conditions. I'm just now getting over the stomach virus, ugh I'm so glad that it's gonna be gone before the weekend! One thing that I've missed so much about spring and summer is the jet skis, or wave-runners to some of ya'll out there. For all of you vacationers who are looking for a thrill, it's the perfect way to "wake-up" after several days of relaxing on the beach. Wanna know where to rent them? I'll put a link up for ya'll who are interested. And I know there are a couple of you who are too intimidated to drive one by yourself, so while your buddies are out there on the water, you can be a couple hundred feet in the air looking down on them! Para-sailing is an awesome way to get an aerial view of our sandy, white beaches. I'll hook ya'll up with a link for that too! But I gotta tell you, if you don't wanna be dipped (they'll slow down and put your feet in the water) then just tell them, which I would consider asking them not to because it can be a little scary!! Hope ya'll are getting excited and try not to get too burnt!

Jet Ski and Boat Rental

ParaSailing

Beach Tips Part 2

Aight so I hope ya'll are getting really excited for Spring Break, as for me I can't wait. I already told ya'll about what your gonna need to bring to the beach. You know stuff like sunscreen (and how you need to use it, which you definitely will) and chairs along with a radio. Some of ya'll also like to bring floats to the beach, which I recommend for little kids (who wouldn't?) but the big ones that adults lay on I would not recommend actually having them in the ocean. Why you ask, because your out there on your float, drifting in and out of sleep but the problem is that you have nothing to hang on to, so you end up way too far away from the shore. In the pool, they're not too bad as long as they're not huge, you gotta be considerate of other people too. Goggles come in handy, it's really cool to look under the water, and I would also recommend a net for some scooping fun. Being on vacation down here is a good time to learn how to skim, which the waves don't need to be up for. Don't have a skim board? Our Orange Beach Winn Dixie actually sell them, crazy ain't it? Our Walmart usually carries this stuff too. Those boards are just for someone who is just learning how to skim and won't be near a beach when they go back home. Or you can always get a boogie board, those are really fun! If you want a nicer and more expensive skim board, then I would recommend going to Blonde John's. It's right off Beach Road, where you turn by the Hangout. Turn into the Oyster Bar and it's one of those little shops in there. Meanwhile, hope you have a good time down here and keep reading for more in the know local stuff.

Beach Tips Part 1

For all of ya'll out there that our about to come visit our little town, I gotta say...the weather is absolutely positively awesome! There's just no beating it, during the spring is the best time to come down here because the humidity is lower than it is in the summer and the breeze coming off the shores are so nice. I was thinking about all the out-of-towners that come down here, or what we locals fondly like to refer to as "shoobies" (because they wear shoes on the beach) and I suddenly realized that some of ya'll probably have never really been to a beach...so it makes sense to me that I offer a local's guide to essential beach gear. Of course there's the obvious stuff like sunscreen, the most common mistake shoobies make is that they think if they put it on, they'll still be super white - WRONG. If you're never in the sun you need to put on at least SPF thirty, then gradually work your way into tanning oil, and when you buy tanning oil it's gotta have some SPF in it, and get the kind that says bronzer...it'll make you way darker. Then what are you gonna lay on? Thankfully we have beach service down here, look for an umbrella that's bright orange, or an American flag one and those guys can hook you up with a chair. You'd rather have your own chair to keep? Head to Walmart, they sell beach chairs, or you can always go with the traditional towel. One thing I'd suggest is a radio...you wanna catch some rays right? You can alternate your tunes with the gentle sound of the ocean breeze for a perfect day. Read my blog for more tips about beachtime, see ya later!

Grape Escape & Coastal Video

Hey everyone out there. Hope y'all aren't as cold as I am! For some reason a cold front came through, but don't worry because our warm weather will come back just in time for all the Spring Breakers. But while we wait for that I'll be headed to Coastal Video. I like the one that's in Orange Beach by the Brunos and Winn Dixie because they have a lot of great books if your not wanting to watch a movie in your spare time. Also the one in Gulf Shores has just as many books and movie choices, but the Orange Beach one will most likely be closer. After getting a movie at the Orange Beach one, if it's lunch time, right around the corner is an absolutely awesome place called Grape Escape. I'm telling y'all, if I didn't have to be at school everday for lunchtime I would definitely be at that place! The people are real friendly and the food is the best,  there's also a whole lot of wine for you older folks. Plus they know of this really great lady that can actually teach you how to paint an awesome painting, she talks you through the steps as you paint. I haven't gotten a chance to try it, but I'm sure if y'all head down there, they'll be happy to give you more information on that. Just a couple of things I would recommend ya'll check out until this weather gets better! Peace out.

Spring Break Prep Begins

  Hey everyone! Hope y'all survived Mardi Gras okay, unfortunately I didn't get to go to many parades because I took a trip to a little place called Disney World which was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Now that I'm finally back though, I can't wait for all the Spring Breakers to come to town. Yes, it's a little early for that....I know. But my brother, who's going to college in Tallahassee, is getting his Spring Break in March. So I decided it's about time to start telling all y'all who are coming down here about the more "summery" attractions. We all know that you're planning to spend some time on the beach, but forget your bathing suit? Not a problem, there are so many stores around here that sell everything you could possibly need. My personal favorite, Surf Style. I love it because there's so many around, you don't have to go very far. The best and biggest one is right across from the Hangout (which is a really cool restraunt, the food is not bad either). Anyways I gotta go, but I'll be letting you know about more cool places soon enough, see ya later!

Middle of the Week Activity

I don't know about you but sometimes I get restless during the week and get tired of waiting for the weekend. So one of the places I like to go that calms my mid-week blues is the Coffee Merchant. Every Thursday they have an open mic night, and sometimes in between those, they'll hire some live entertainment (who of which are always locals).. They're located right off of East 20th Avenue, right by Smoothie King. Its that road that you turn onto to get to 59. But if it's not a Thursday and you still wanna get out, I always like to go try my hand at tennis at one of the Phoenixes, don't have any rackets? No problem, head down to the front desk and ask for some! Even if its a rainy day, they have a raquetball court inside, but make sure you sign up ahead of time! See ya around! 

Mardi Gras Begins!!

And its finally here!!! Our famous Mardi Gras parades have started. In case you didn't know what Mardi Gras is, its a series of awesome parades that start happening around this time in Febuary. It originally started in the 1700s and has been around ever since. I know at one point in your life you've heard of Mardi Gras, and I don't blame you if you instantly think of New Orleans, but just to set the record straight, Mardi Gras originated in a little town called Mobile and I guess New Orleans loved our idea so much they just had to steal it. If anyone tries to tell you different, you can set them straight. Now when Mardi Gras comes around, there's this awesome thing that always comes with it...King Cake. Its the best thing you'll ever taste, the catch is though, if you eat it at any other time of the year besides Mardi Gras, you'll have bad luck for the whole year. And in every King Cake, theres a little plastic baby, whoever gets it has to buy the next cake. So while your down, go to WalMart in Gulf Shores and stock up on things that are purple, gold, and green and head to Mobile. If you don't wanna drive that far everytime you wanna see a parade, we just so happen to have some in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, I'll give ya'll a link to both the Mobile parade site, and our local parades, because it's definitely something that everyone needs to participate in! 

 

Mobile Parades 

 

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Busy Weekend

  Hey whats up everyone! Jeez this weekend sure has been a busy one for me. It was really cold Friday, and since I love warm weather, after school let out I went over to Phoenix West, worked out in their gym, and swam in the heated pool (it feels awesome after coming out of weather that's in the thirties..) Afterwards I met up with a couple of friends and headed down to Indigo Joe's in Foley, its right by the Target down there and they know exactly what someone who loves sports would want. Waking up Saturday morning, I decided it wasn't too bad outside, so I headed over to The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, if it sounds familar to you then it probably is, not a lot of people realize that Gulf Shores is the home of animal planet's show The Little Zoo That Could. I think its pretty cool that we're able to go there and see the animals in real life. Afterwards I walked down the road and ate at a place called Crico's, it might be small but the food is amazing, and theres always a friendly face. But if you wanna know the most perfect way of finishing off your weekend, take a nice long walk (or run) down our sandy white beaches, the weather is absolutely awesome, and even though its not quite bathing suit season yet, it's definitely getting there!  

Shopping At The Tanger Outlet

Hey ya'll its me again just typing away admiring my newly bought clothes. This weekend a couple of my friends and I headed to the Tanger Outlet stores where clothes are on sale by the dozen. Can you believe that The Gap has most of their clothes for sale off 70%!?!?!
Places like American Eagle and Pac Sun are trying their hardest to get rid of those winter clothes and bringing in the summer clothes, so you could head down there and shop for any season since our weather happens to be a little unpredictable.
While the girls are out shopping, if the guys aren't into sticking around a mall, right down 59 there's a Mossy Oak and an Outdoors store that will keep anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors occupied for hours. And afterwards I would definitely recommend meeting up and having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse that's right by Mossy Oak...their bloomin' onions are amazing on a plate.

The Blog Begins

Hey everyone out there, this is Evan here, just recently added as an official blogger. Sorry if the name confuses you, but yes I am a girl who attends Gulf Shores High as a junior (same grade, same school as Beachin' Brett). I'm just here to tell you about what all there is to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach from a local's point of view, I know its probably confusing when you first visit my hometown, but don't worry because I'll be here to tell you where all the tourist's are going, and where all us locals are gonna be hanging out. 
Speaking of those locals, some of them sure are crazy! I was talking to a couple of my friends the other day, and they were actually planning on getting up at 4 AM just so they could go surfing before school, some things I will never understand. But if you have some mad surfing skills, don't be afraid to jump in with them and show off a little, those guys might be crazy but they're super cool...and by the way, don't forget to grab a wet suit before you come down because the water can get pretty cold out there during January, no lie.

    If you can't brave the waves, but wanna see some day light, then do what I do and head to the state park! In Gulf Shores there's a little bridge you can fish off of or in Orange Beach (which is right down the road) you can go for a walk/jog/run/bike ride/or even skate down one of the awesome (and paved) nature trails. It's a great way to get outside and grab some sunshine without getting too cold.

    Talk to ya later!