Alabama

When was the last time you went on a relaxing beach vacation? Maybe it is about time to plan that next excursion! How about a visit to Orange Beach where the Southern hospitality is as warm as the sun?

David (my husband) and I recently visited Orange Beach – my third visit and his first. I was born and raised in Mississippi and love returning to my roots in the deep South. You gotta love a place where several times a day you are addressed as “honey,” “sweetie,”  “sugar,” and told  “bless your heart”  in a friendly Southern drawl. Doors are held open for you, strangers strike up conversations, grits are a staple, and butter is served at every meal (whether you request it or not).

sea oats

sunset on the ocean

Orange Beach is located on the Alabama coast between Mobile and Pensacola, just down the highway from Gulf Shores. These beautiful beaches were a well-kept secret for many years but now more and more people, developers, and businesses have discovered this great little vacation spot. I guess it was just too difficult to keep Orange Beach’s 32 miles of  pristine white-sand beaches and turquoise waters hidden for too long. The soft white sand that makes up the beaches here looks and feels like powdered sugar. (It is made up of quartz grains that washed down from the Appalachian Mountains hundreds of thousands of years ago.)  These beaches are absolutely gorgeous and are now considered some of the best in the United States.

beach selfie

white sand beach

 On our most recent visit this February, David and I spent one morning at the Alabama Point East State Park. This park was located at the Perdido Pass Bridge and had plenty of free parking, picnic areas, restrooms, etc. What attracted us was the 6,000 feet of wide, white beaches and four boardwalks that led you over the sand dunes and sea oats and out onto the beaches. The sand, clear water, and unspoiled natural beauty of this area was breathtaking. One could spend hours or days here – loved it!

Orange Beach

a morning walk

Another big perk about visiting Orange Beach is the wide variety of delicious food at your door step. Every season, there is some fresh catch-of-the-day being served! Choose from shrimp, crabs, oysters, grouper, flounder, or snapper just to name a few. Here are some of the places I have dined at in the past and enjoyed:  Cotton’s Restaurant is well-known for steaks and fresh seafood. It is located on the main drag in an old 1950’s wood-paneled, former beach house and has water views. Cobalt is located under the Perdido Bay Bridge with great views of the bay. They have tasty seafood dishes and are well-known for their creative happy hour drinks. Enjoy a meal or cocktail on their expansive patio located near boat slips for those coming by sea. There are some great sunset views here in the evening.  Cosmos is one of my favorite restaurants in this area. It is located a little off the beaten path and not near the beach, but is well worth the drive. Cosmos is an art-filled restaurant with outside bar, gift shop, live music and serves fancy Southern fare in a casual setting.  Lambert’s, just a short drive to Foley, is another area restaurant popular with locals and tourists alike. I can best describe it as “Cracker Barrel on steroids”. Lambert’s serves down-home Southern vittles with a flair. Fresh, hot baked rolls are thrown to your table from passing carts (or in Southern speak – rolls are “throwed” at ya!). Fried okra is spooned onto your paper towel and servers pass by your table serving up black-eyed peas, fried potatoes & onions, macaroni & tomatoes, and boiled cabbage as your side dishes. Other servers pass by with buckets of sorghum molasses and apple butter for your rolls. It is a meal and entertainment all in one! Another Broken Egg  and Brick and Spoon are both local, casual chains and are a “must do” for breakfast or brunch. They have wonderful service and top notch egg dishes, biscuits and gravy, French toast, beignets,  and many other dishes with a Southern or Cajun-Creole fare. Both had delicious brunch drinks including Mimosas, Bellinis and Bloody Marys….yum!

fried green tomatoes & shrimp salad

fish tacos

fried shrimp

crab claws

Orange Beach can appeal to old and young, couples or families. There seems to be something here for everyone to enjoy. There are several hiking trails, bird-watching areas and state parks in the area for those who want to get close to Mother Nature. There are dolphin tours, deep sea fishing charters, golf courses, biking trails and boat rentals.  Families with children can spend time at the water parks, miniature golf courses, and adventure parks. You can’t throw a shoe and not hit a T-shirt shop, beachwear boutique or souvenir shop for those who love shopping!

sunset view at Cobalt

My favorite memories from here are the days just spent on the beach with no plans other than reading a good book. My “happy place” has always been sitting in a beach chair with an umbrella over my head and my toes buried in the sand. I can sit for hours listening to the sea breezes and the crashing waves on the shoreline.  I love walking up and down the beach searching for the perfect shell and laughing when a rogue wave tries to knock me down.  I always enjoy seeing the pelicans flying low over the waves and watching the speedy little shore birds looking for their next meal in the surf. In my opinion, days just don’t get much better than this. 🙂

Hope to see you on the beach soon. The “Redneck Riviera” awaits!

beach time!

sea bird

turquoise waters

Orange beach

sand dunes