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This is not Florida yet if brought here blindfolded, I defy anyone to convince me otherwise. White sand, blue water, heat, palm trees all the ingredients necessary for a subtropical experience are present but this is Gulf Shores , Alabama yet it looks more like Florida than much of Florida . This 30,000-acre island community at the southern tip of Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico mingles southern hospitality with a warm weather getaway but with no crowds or the degree of pavement of better-known tourist destinations.
The setting of Forest Gump's shrimping industry and home of the largest fishing fleet in the Northern Gulf, this retreat has retained its character unscathed from hurricanes and continues to attract those who appreciate a quiet beach experience, a splash of southern culture, history, wildlife (dolphins are everywhere), spectacular seafood, fishing and 12 courses of championship golf but without driving as far from up north. Just remember to not feed any alligators in the stormwater ponds. If arriving by air, remote does not mean far away - both Mobile and Pensacola are within easy driving distance and efficiently serviced by US Airways.
The obvious activity here is none at all beach combing and nature observing are prime pastimes, and if relaxing on the white beaches needs a disruption, a quick excursion to a nature preserve or secluded magnolia tree-lined historic main street community is just the ticket. At the beach, play pick-up volleyball, sail, windsurf or rent a jet boat. Avoid dining on land fare while you are here because nature's seafood soup of the Gulf of Mexico has generated the best fin and shellfish you will find anywhere. Try the Red Royal shrimp followed by bread pudding a regional favorite. Eat outside at one of the fine restaurants to enjoy the soft Southern breezes.
Accommodation choices are the perfect balance of beachside cottages and apartment rentals with a sprinkling of high-rise condos convenience and amenity without sprawl. There are many choices available in various pricing spectrums. Cottages can be quiet and secluded try The Beach House B&B. For condominium fare, try the Gulf Shores Plantation or the Beach Club. These havens of comfort are fully furnished and have every possible recreational amenity. Pools you ask? The Plantation alone has six outdoor ones and one indoor one as well as golf courses situated everywhere. They are also corporate stewards of nearby beach and dune ecosystem conservation efforts including protection of three federally endangered species.
Families frequently find their favorite leisure activity to be the outdoors and nature. Given that, make your first break from laying on the beach a nature walk at the nearby Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. This spectacular gem and example of excellence in conservation demonstrates that nature can be enjoyed rather than avoided. Created in 1980 and consisting of 6,700 acres of pristine coastal ecosystems, Bon Secour (French for safe harbor) harbors habitat from dunes and marshes to freshwater swamps and pine-oak woodlands, as well as rare plants and animals. Local favorites include sea turtle nesting, migratory birds and wild flowers highlighted by a rare mixing of temperate and subtropical plant species. Stop at the visitor's center and pick up a trail guide, stroll to your heart's content and see how many of the plant and animal species described in the brochures you can identify. I saw a robust octopus resting and flexing its gill jets and tentacles in only one foot of clear water near the calm bay shoreline of a marsh trail - of all places. This was a rare find indeed considering a predatory bird usually gobbles up these soft and succulent prey in such unprotected waters.
For the ultimate outdoor appreciation, sign up for a boating excursion. Numerous vendors are available for power boating and sailing tours and if you like fishing it is almost illegal to leave here without sampling the sportfishing prey of the Gulf. Try black and striped bass, bream and red drum or board a deep-sea charter at Orange Beach and go after marlin, red snapper or mackerel. If you feel lucky and skilled, try the World Championship Red Snapper Tournament in April. For simple nature appreciation, a truly unique boating experience is Sailaway Charters an informative interpretive naturalist-guided tour of the local marine biology and resources - just about the best two-hour experience around but then again, I am biased as one who had the same career in their professional youth.
Passengers are introduced to the aquatic fauna and given hands-on demonstrations of shrimping, oystering and crabbing in between the exploration of bays, bayous and marshes. The first mate cleverly sneaks in some biology and nature education on the sly while demonstrating fishing techniques. All the while, dolphins are surreally surfing around in waters you might think are too shallow. The highlight of the trip is when a trawling net is released into the water and hauled back up full of flopping Bay bounty. The critters are transferred to a holding tank and examined at close range to the delight of landlubber kids of all ages.
It is easy to forget you are in the heart of Southern culture while soaking in the tropical-like beaches but if a break from the beach seems inevitable - a 15-mile inland jaunt to picturesque and cozy Magnolia Springs provides the best diversion and country relaxation around. Steeped in Spanish, Creole and Civil War history with live oak-canopied streets, this riverfront community reeks of relaxation and tranquility. Stroll around the neighborhoods, take a refreshing dip in the mineral springs, have a home-cooked meal, go fishing or even watch the motorboat mail carrier make deliveries in dockside boxes on the Magnolia River .
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, check out the Moore Brothers Village Market and Jesse's Restaurant, the community's general store, eatery, filling station and social center. Browse the knickknacks and sample the authentically prepared Gulf Coast seafood and Louisiana specialties including Caesar salad with encrusted catfish; crab cakes; soft-shell crabs; gulf shrimp, étouffée and goat cheese grits. This may be a great opportunity to bring back some unique groceries to your Gulf Shores bungalow. For longer visits, the place to stay is the Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast - an 1890s Victorian home also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Featured in the This Old House televisoin series, the rooms are a trip back in a time machine but without any loss of amenities the guestrooms have private baths, telephone, cable TV, antiques, wood floors, walls and ceilings.
Explore the region's Civil War heritage. Visitors who may be literate about Northern events, discover the region offers the opportunity to round out their knowledge of what some residents refer to as the War of Northern Aggression. Some popular sites to visit are Fort Morgan , Fairhope Historical Museum , Fort Mims , Baldwin County Heritage Museum and Blakely State Park . Being a significant Confederate port, the Battle of Mobile Bay as well as the Overland Mobile Campaign are a primary theme for Civil War aficionados. These prominent events included some of the first intense sea battles utilizing ironclads and torpedoes. If visiting only one site, choose Fort Morgan it is close by and covers history from the War of 1812 to World War II.
Hurricanes over the last couple of years have rendered some of the establishments discussed temporarily closed for reconstruction. It is therefore advisable to call first but not to worry - this resilient and valiant community has emerged victorious over nature's somber reminders of who is in charge and are likely back in operation. It will take more than a hurricane to overcome the welcoming hospitality and natural resources of Gulf Shores but that doesn't mean you should wait any longer to immerse in this subtropic nirvana of the south.
Flora-Bama Lounge
This "world-famous" quirkey jewel of Americana can best be described as a family-style (yes, I said family-style) boogie or honky-tonk rock/country music bar. With vast square footage for various bands, bars, outdoor decks, dance floors and pool tables, the disorganized looking carpentry of this lone relic between high-rise condos straddles both sides of the Florida-Alabama state line (hence its name and this article's title) and
the only night spot I know of that can be appreciated by singles, couples
and groups of all ages who want to mingle, dance or people
watch. Go ahead and get a T-shirt from the package liquor store everyone
else does when no one is looking. A popular regional event of April is
Flora-Bama's annual mullet-tossing championship, when hundreds compete
to see who can toss a dead fish farthest from Florida into Alabama (the
record is about 190 feet).
Resources & Contacts
Eating
Most restaurants in Gulf Shores have excellent fare for starters, I
recommend the following dining experiences:
King Neptune's Seafood Restaurant
1137 Gulf Shores Parkway , Gulf Shores
251 968 5464
For all information regarding places to stay, all-inclusive packages,
what to do and what to eat, your one-stop-shop is:
www.gulfshores.com
Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau
PO Drawer 457, Gulf Shores , AL 36547
Gulf Shores Welcome Center - Hospitality & Information Department
3150 Gulf Shores Parkway (Hwy. 59 south), Gulf Shores , AL 36542
251-968-7511 or 800-745-SAND
Orange Beach Welcome Center & Administrative Offices
23685 Perdido Beach Blvd. (Hwy. 182), Orange Beach , AL 36561
251-974-1510 or 800-982-8562
The Beach Club www.beachclubal.com
925 Beach Club Trail, Gulf Shores , AL 36542
888 260 SAND
Phoenix VI Condominiums
26802 Perdido Beach Blvd., P. O. Box 4009 , Gulf Shores , AL 36547
251 981 6901
The Beach House B & B www.bigbeachhouse.com
9218 Dacus Lane , Gulf Shores , AL 36542
800 659 6004
Things to do:
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge www.fws.gov/bonsecour
U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service
12295 State Hwy180, Gulf Shores
251 540-7720
Oh and to report a sea turtle nesting or stranding, call 1-866-SEA
TURTLE (1-866-732-8878)
For kayaking, try:
Kayak Safari www.dolphinandkayaksafaris.com
4100 Harbor Road , 1000 Captain Trent Lane , Orange Beach
251 981 1386
Moore Brothers Village Market and Jesse's restaurant www.moorebrosmarket.com
14770 Oak Street , Magnolia Springs
251 965 3826
Their motto is "The way grocery shopping was meant to be."
Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast www.magnoliasprings.com
PO Box 329 , 14469 Oak Street , Magnolia Springs
800 965 7321
Their motto is: "Classic Southern Hospitality"
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JustSayGO Travel Show
This is not Florida yet if brought here blindfolded, I defy anyone to convince me otherwise. White sand, blue water, heat, palm trees all the ingredients necessary for a subtropical experience are present but this is Gulf Shores , Alabama yet it looks more like Florida than much of Florida . This 30,000-acre island community at the southern tip of Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico mingles southern hospitality with a warm weather getaway but with no crowds or the degree of pavement of better-known tourist destinations. 
The obvious activity here is none at all beach combing and nature observing are prime pastimes, and if relaxing on the white beaches needs a disruption, a quick excursion to a nature preserve or secluded magnolia tree-lined historic main street community is just the ticket. At the beach, play pick-up volleyball, sail, windsurf or rent a jet boat. Avoid dining on land fare while you are here because nature's seafood soup of the Gulf of Mexico has generated the best fin and shellfish you will find anywhere. Try the Red Royal shrimp followed by bread pudding a regional favorite. Eat outside at one of the fine restaurants to enjoy the soft Southern breezes. 
Accommodation choices are the perfect balance of beachside cottages and apartment rentals with a sprinkling of high-rise condos convenience and amenity without sprawl. There are many choices available in various pricing spectrums. Cottages can be quiet and secluded try The Beach House B&B. For condominium fare, try the Gulf Shores Plantation or the Beach Club. These havens of comfort are fully furnished and have every possible recreational amenity. Pools you ask? The Plantation alone has six outdoor ones and one indoor one as well as golf courses situated everywhere. They are also corporate stewards of nearby beach and dune ecosystem conservation efforts including protection of three federally endangered species. 
Families frequently find their favorite leisure activity to be the outdoors and nature. Given that, make your first break from laying on the beach a nature walk at the nearby Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. This spectacular gem and example of excellence in conservation demonstrates that nature can be enjoyed rather than avoided. Created in 1980 and consisting of 6,700 acres of pristine coastal ecosystems, Bon Secour (French for safe harbor) harbors habitat from dunes and marshes to freshwater swamps and pine-oak woodlands, as well as rare plants and animals. Local favorites include sea turtle nesting, migratory birds and wild flowers highlighted by a rare mixing of temperate and subtropical plant species. Stop at the visitor's center and pick up a trail guide, stroll to your heart's content and see how many of the plant and animal species described in the brochures you can identify. I saw a robust octopus resting and flexing its gill jets and tentacles in only one foot of clear water near the calm bay shoreline of a marsh trail - of all places. This was a rare find indeed considering a predatory bird usually gobbles up these soft and succulent prey in such unprotected waters. 
Passengers are introduced to the aquatic fauna and given hands-on demonstrations of shrimping, oystering and crabbing in between the exploration of bays, bayous and marshes. The first mate cleverly sneaks in some biology and nature education on the sly while demonstrating fishing techniques. All the while, dolphins are surreally surfing around in waters you might think are too shallow. The highlight of the trip is when a trawling net is released into the water and hauled back up full of flopping Bay bounty. The critters are transferred to a holding tank and examined at close range to the delight of landlubber kids of all ages. 
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, check out the Moore Brothers Village Market and Jesse's Restaurant, the community's general store, eatery, filling station and social center. Browse the knickknacks and sample the authentically prepared Gulf Coast seafood and Louisiana specialties including Caesar salad with encrusted catfish; crab cakes; soft-shell crabs; gulf shrimp, étouffée and goat cheese grits. This may be a great opportunity to bring back some unique groceries to your Gulf Shores bungalow. For longer visits, the place to stay is the Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast - an 1890s Victorian home also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Featured in the This Old House televisoin series, the rooms are a trip back in a time machine but without any loss of amenities the guestrooms have private baths, telephone, cable TV, antiques, wood floors, walls and ceilings. 
Explore the region's Civil War heritage. Visitors who may be literate about Northern events, discover the region offers the opportunity to round out their knowledge of what some residents refer to as the War of Northern Aggression. Some popular sites to visit are Fort Morgan , Fairhope Historical Museum , Fort Mims , Baldwin County Heritage Museum and Blakely State Park . Being a significant Confederate port, the Battle of Mobile Bay as well as the Overland Mobile Campaign are a primary theme for Civil War aficionados. These prominent events included some of the first intense sea battles utilizing ironclads and torpedoes. If visiting only one site, choose Fort Morgan it is close by and covers history from the War of 1812 to World War II.