We all call Planet Earth our home. It’s our responsibility to take care of our home and ensure future generations have as lovely a place to live as we do. Earth Day, April 22, is a day for citizens to unite in the effort to protect the environment worldwide. The 2021 theme for Earth Day is Restore Our Earth. An idea announced by Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin led to the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Thanks to [...]
Since 1992, April has been recognized as Stress Awareness Month. The website National Today recommends three ways to observe Stress Awareness Month: Practice meditation. Silencing the mind is one of the most effective ways to deal with stress. Adding fresh air and exercise to your day helps with stress. Visit your doctor. We think the best place to be for the first two is Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The Leave Only Footprints program ensures our beaches will stay pristine and [...]
Keeping Alabama’s coast clean is important for people and the environment. It’s also something everyone can do. The principles and beach rules of our Leave Only Footprints program ensure our environment is taken care of today and for future generations. With more than 5 million visitors to our beaches each year, it takes everyone’s cooperation to keep the coast clean and beautiful. What can you do to help? We’re glad you asked. Vegetation roots hold the dune system together. Avoid walking [...]
Are you ready for spring break? After a crazy year and cold winter, we’re all ready to get out and bask in the sunshine and white sand in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Following the Leave Only Footprints program is the way to make sure future generations will enjoy the same beautiful beaches we do today. As you plan your spring break trip, please become familiar with the following tips and guidelines to ensure the beach experience is pleasant for [...]
The 2021 festival season is about to take off in Coastal Alabama! Leading the way is the 47th Orange Beach Festival of Art on March 13 and 14. This free festival is considered the island’s first rite of spring. More than 100 artists will be onsite at the Coastal Arts Center, exhibiting and selling their wares in a variety of media during the two-day event. In addition to the impressive visual arts, you’ll experience wonderful performance arts of all kinds [...]
The wonders of nature are all around us. During a stroll on the beach, you may find a treasure trove of shells in one location. A little farther down the beach, a stack of driftwood might have been left by the last high tide. You may even find a hermit crab taking up residence in a shell. All of these coastal treasures are fascinating and seem like good souvenirs of a beach vacation. But if it belongs to the beach, it should stay on the beach. That pile of shells [...]
Coastal Alabama is rich with beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife. The smell of salt water, the sounds of the gulls and the waves, and the sugar-white sand are all a part of the beach experience. To keep our beaches and coastal area healthy and inviting, we ask our visitors to help by following the Leave Only Footprints program. Respecting the area’s wildlife is another way to make sure the coast is a fun place to visit. The seagulls may look friendly, but [...]
The month of February, somewhat hidden between celebrations of a new year and the first days of spring, can often get overlooked as a travel time. We think it’s a good time to explore the beaches, hike the trails and enjoy a relaxing getaway. A trip to the beach is also a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your love. If romance is what you’re looking for, a sunset stroll on the beach, hand in hand, can’t be beat. Imagine the warm colors of the sunset reflecting in the [...]
Sparkling water, beautiful white-sand beaches, a plethora of restaurants, and what we like to call Southern hospitality are givens when you visit Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. How do we keep it this way? The Leave Only Footprints program helps keep our environment beautiful, and the people - locals and guests - are responsible for keeping it friendly. You know not to litter and how to take out what you bring in. You know all about recycling. You know where to walk and where not to walk on our [...]
Taking a beach break in the winter is fun! A few days at the coast after the hectic holidays might be the best way to ward off the winter doldrums. Take advantage of off-season rental rates – your Gulf Shores and Orange Beach getaway is waiting. Need convincing? We have five good reasons to visit during the winter: A laid-back atmosphere – We’re always relaxed on Alabama’s coast, but in the winter the pace is even more so. Free parking – The public beaches in Gulf Shores do not require a parking fee December through February. [...]
