Gulf Shores Alabama Vacation Guide

Gulf Shores, Alabama is the perfect place for enjoying the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and for soaking up some Gulf Coast sunshine. The streets are lined with shops, restaurants, and boutiques that will appease any shopping fanatic. Historic sites like Civil War Battlegrounds and antebellum homes are a stone's throw away. The Gulf's warm waters offer endless opportunities for aquatic recreation. A day in Gulf Shores can include swimming, fishing, water skiing, bird watching, parasailing, hiking, or lounging on a beach with a good book. Gulf Shores rentals are the ideal accommodation choice for enjoying all Gulf Shores has to offer.

Oh, those lovely beaches. Sand, sand everywhere. The coastline stretches over 30 miles and offers endless opportunities for working on your tan. Seagulls and seashells line the shore at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. Called a "gem" by Dr. Stephen Leatherman (Dr. Beach!), Gulf Park has 2.5 miles of sugar white sand beach, plus a full range of other activities including a fishing pier and a golf course. Perdido Point Public Beach in Orange Beach is another area that receives high marks for beach beauty. The beach has 2,000 feet of white sand and a boardwalk that is a great place for watching Gulf sunsets. Make the most of all these great beaches when you stay at Gulf Shores condo rentals. The beach at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, located near Fort Morgan, is the place to go to escape the madding crowds. Dunes and wispy sea oats are pretty much all you will see while visiting this very secluded Gulf beach.

The Gulf Shores area is known as one of the premier golf areas of Alabama. Cotton Creek was the first course on the Gulf Coast designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer. Very playable from the forward tees, the course offers a stiff test of golf from the tips. The rolling fairways and undulating greens offer plenty of opportunities for risk/reward type shots. Gulf Shores Golf Club was the first course built in the county, and even with today's modern club making technologies, stands the test of time in presenting a difficult test of golf. An appeal of the course is the lengths at which the course uses the natural surroundings, complete with the antics of the local wildlife. Kiva Dunes, a true links course, was designed by golf architect Jim Edgemon and former PGA Tour player and U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate. The topography of the golf course matches that of the surrounding area, with every tree, every hazard, every green, and every mound fitting the landscape.

Gulf Shores makes a great base for enjoying other local attractions. For a look at the antebellum South, visit historic Mobile to see some of the homes that stand vigil over the area's past. One great example is the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, a 20-room mansion that is a member of the National Registry of Historic Places. The home was built in 1855, and is one of the most photographed of all the Mobile mansions. Also on the registry is the Condé-Charlotte Museum House. Built between 1822-24, the home is decorated with antiques and artifacts depicting five periods of Mobile history.

Gulf Shores has something for everyone in your travel party. Visit historic Fort Morgan, site of the Civil War Battle for Mobile Bay. Head out in the Gulf for a day of deep-sea fishing. Blue marlin, yellow fin tuna, amberjack, cobia, and red snapper are just a few of the prime targets. For a bit of naval history, visit Mobile's Battleship Memorial Park. This facility is home to both the USS Alabama and the submarine the USS Drum.