*We had the great pleasure to be hosted by the awesome folks at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism. Some of our meals, services, and goods were complimentary. The views expressed are always of our own. Let’s gallivant, Bama!
This was our second Gallivant to Alabama Beaches in two years and this time it would be during our annual family Christmas trip and now within the spectrum of what the travel industry is calling a FlexCation. We still had work to do but figured we could do it on the road and on the white sand of these popular communities. Be sure to keep some of those hard earned vacation days saved up and get some of the daily work hours completed with beautiful views, delicious meals, and plenty of much needed breaks during a winter trip to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach! Let’s get some turquoise into this FlexCation with your beachologist, Professor WhiteSand!
Check-In
The salt in the breeze, the tide within earshot, an endless view of the gulf, and a condo with all that you need for an HQ during a scenic and relaxing time away from your usual surroundings. This is Turquoise Place in Orange Beach and it’s beautiful location made this the heartthrob of our Gallivant to the Bama beaches!
Welcome to Turquoise Place! The lobby is stunning during every season of the year!Heading to the 21st floor with an inspiring view of Orange Beach as we rocket up to our condo!Just another way of showing you how the guests of Turquoise Place can towner over Orange Beach!
Meet the Beach Moms
Before we showed up to Orange Beach, we had a welcoming from the area‘s well known team of moms! Need groceries, meals cooked, and massages coordinated in your own condo? Click here and see all the services The Beach Moms can handle while making your trip one of the most memorable you’ll ever have!
The Beach Moms were gearing up for our Alabama Beaches getaway long before we arrived. Angel was our mom and I could tell that this unique concierge service was going to be a wonderful one from the get-go!
One of the best perks we experienced was Angel coordinating a Christmas tree for our stay. The Beach Moms knew we were here for a holiday season themed trip to Bama and they made sure our condo had the seasonal ambiance we all appreciate. Look at that smile from a happy Leah taking a break at the fireplace. Just like the kitty does back home….Cheers to you, Beach Moms! I’ll crack open a local beer in your honor anytime…Especially with this new beverage buddy wrapped around it!
Let the Beach Moms do some of the errands and planning for you while you’re staying in the area. Every moment you can spend enjoying yourself is valuable, and these fun loving ladies make sure that your getaway is even more fulfilling with their excellent service.
It’s not a silly Christmas trip without matching shirts for the whole family! Let’s jingle all the way through Gulf Shores & Orange Beach!Ok! Now get on the balcony and model those shirts with the gulf in the background!
Get Out & Be Grownups
Alabama Beaches will always have the bells and whistles to keep the whole family entertained. This area also has plenty of avenues for the grownups of the group to kickback and enjoy the gulf coast with plenty of local beers, bars, and cigars to go around for everyone!
Big Beach Brewing in Gulf Shores is always lively and always pouring those cold local beers we mentioned earlier. When we said to have all the grownups enjoy some beers we meant it. Grandmas love craft brew too!And don’t forget to take some Big Beach to-go! They have many styles and they all hit just right when you’re knockin’em back on the white sand near your condo!An evening on the beach with cans of Big Beach in our hands and the roaring waves of the gulf hosting us. I’ll make that beer run any day.Well, sure! I’d love to do a pose with the Orange Beach skyline. That’s a pose Professor WhiteSand would approve of!
Rise & Shine Turquoise-Style
There’s nothing like waking up to the same sounds of the gulf that lulled you to sleep the night before. Opening the sliding door to a Turquoise Place balcony that’s filled with Alabama sunshine is one of the greatest “good mornings” anyone can have.
Soaking in the gulf and the warm sun on this unforgettable balcony.Don’t even try to tell me you wouldn’t love to wake up to this scene. That’s more than early morning motivation. That’s natural inspiration rising over the gulf and into your bones.Waste no time during sunrise. One of the best ways to take a morning constitutional is on the white sand in Bama.A look at codo filled towers of Turquoise Place in the first moments of the morning.The walks on the beach are glorious but sometimes you need to get that heart rate up. Turquoise Place has a fantastic facility to workout in and it comes with another wonderful view.
Breakfast Taco Time
When it comes to tacos, I always say that it’s Tuesday somewhere. And it happened to be Tuesday at the beach and that meant I was putting a local legend on the grill. Give me the waves, views, sunshine, and Conecuh sausage! One of Bama’s greatest gifts to mankind since the vary beaches below our balcony BBQ were formed.Sizzling in the salty sky and filling the balcony with an aroma only Conecuh can produce.Inside our condo is its full kitchen that’s equipped with everything you’re going to need for memorable home cookin’ at the beach!Breakfast time has arrived in Orange Beach! A Turquoise Taco Tuesday!
Get Active
Gulf State Park is one of the local gems of Alabama Beaches that produces some winding and wildlife filled trails through the southern wilderness. Peaceful, scenic, and a treasure for the residents of the area and the droves of visitors.
Take advantage of the bikes that Gulf State Park provides free of charge. Just download the BLOOM Bike and Scooter Sharing app and get your day within the Alabama natural wonders started!One of the many depots for these complimentary bikes is at the Woodside Restaurant. I highly recommend this location for a quick meal in the middle of your day at Gulf State Park!Shaded trails wind through the park with plenty of beautiful ways to take a break and enjoy the scenery.The Gulf State Park trails have an off the beaten path feel to them within an exciting beach community. The white sand will always get you back to the water, but make sure you find your way onto the shady paths at the park.
Back to the Balcony & Beach
The Turquoise Place balcony called to us throughout most of our time spent at the condo. Hot tub, comfortable furniture, the sounds of the sea, and your imagination bouncing around the gulf.This was Leah’s office the entire time we were in Orange Beach. Keeping in touch with her friends, checking in on school assignments, and becoming one with the condo life!Leah wasn’t the only one that absorbed the ambiance that’s provided by the gulf and the surroundings of Turquoise Place. Professional napper at work….Just a short elevator ride away is the magical beach that will always be the headliner of any trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.The look of pure bliss in the white sand.
Go Shopping
There will never be a shortage of shopping options at Alabama Beaches. Souvenir hunting made easy when you turn down every major street in this community. Remember to save some room in your suitcases because you’ll want to bring some Bama back home with you!
Find some great deals at Beach Bazaar and expand that wild wardrobe while you’re at it!You won’t have any troubles finding Souvenir City and it’s iconic shark mouth entrance!We made several stops and showed no signs of slowing down until we set our merchandise down at our condo. Another successful shopping spree at Alabama Beaches!
Mom & Dad Night Out
Shall we stay in Alabama or head to Florida? Let’s do both and head to America’s most famous roadhouse and straddle the state line with a cold beverage at the Flora-Bama Lounge & Package!
Look what we found! And it was ladies night at the Flora-Bama!The famous Flora-Bama bushwhackers! One of the greatest grownup ways to enjoy a milkshake like beverage at the beach!Live music is the Flora-Bama specialty and the list of artists that have played here is miles long!The Flora-Bama has produced smiles like these for decades. This will always be one of my favorite bars and I find myself missing this old roadhouse often. I’d give the Flora-Bama a big bear hug and sloppy looking grin right now if I Could. Better head back I reckon!Next up was another favorite of ours with its friendly neighborhood vibes. This is where the locals meet and that’s exactly who we wanted to hang out with at Tacky Jack’s Cigar Bar! Holy smokes, I love that woman!If there’s just one lasting memory y’all have of me let it be this one at Tacky Jack’s Cigar Bar.
Hit the Beach Again
One of the best places to go shell hunting is a straight shot drive down to Fort Morgan State Historic Site. A quiet cruise through the trees of Baldwin County and to the tip of Alabama Beaches. There will never be a visit when I don’t head back to Fort Morgan and it’s hypnotic shoreline.
We didn’t party too much because we had another full morning planned and awaiting us. There’s two keepers in this picture….Mobile Bay in the background and the beauty of America’s gulf coast right here in Alabama. The history of this location can be felt in the sand, in the air, and every wave arriving at your feet.Old Fort Morgan and it’s entrance to history.Through colonization, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and through WWII, Fort Morgan was in operation protecting the strategic prize of Mobile Bay.Exploring this fort can spark the imagination of all generations. The plight of this structure is important to learn and I can’t wait to explore these grounds again and again.Nature slowly reclaiming Fort Morgan….
Let’s Go Swimming
One of our favorite spots to take a dip is at the State Pier. It’s also one of the longest piers anywhere on the Gulf of Mexico. Flanked by Gulf Shores & Orange Beach and positioned in the smack dab middle of Gulf State Park!Another one of my favorite views in all of Alabama. The State Pier stretches across the water and supplies this picturesque moment. An amazing place to swim, fish, take beautiful pictures, and relaxing with a cold one at the Pier’s End Bar & Grill!
Stay Active at Gulf State Park
You saw the biking and now here’s the hiking at Gulf State Park!The beaches aren’t the only waterways in Orange Beach & Gulf Shores. Gulf State Park preserves wetlands that put you back in old Alabama.The ancient dunes are still here at the park and I catch myself looking off at them like I due with the gulf at times.
Relax
Back to our condo at Turquoise Place and it naturally invites you into a relaxing state of mind. There’s so much to experience in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, but there’s something so gratifying about time spent in a phenomenal condo like this.
Sprawl out on the couch, Gigi, and finish those plans for taking over Alabama Beaches!This table has 2,000 reasons why you should park it for awhile inside the comfortable condos at Turquoise Place!Don’t feel like cooking? Then get take out and a lot of it! Perdido Beach Blvd-Orange Beach is loaded with dining options that can make a beautiful night a tasty one!
Go See the Lights
Mark your calendars for Christmas season in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach right now! This quickly became one of the greatest holiday trips we ever took and one of the huge contributors to this memorable Gallivant was The Wharf and all its Christmas cheer that lit up Gulf Shores!
Light shows with music mixed with the shops and restaurants at The Wharf!A Ferris Wheel that skies over The Wharf and the holidays are one of the best times of year to enjoy this iconic ride into the Bama night.There’s not a single square inch that is overlooked when it comes to lighting up The Wharf! Even Alabama has outdoor ice skating!Just because we live in Iowa doesn’t mean we’re ready to stick a triple reverse axel on The Wharf’s rink. We’ll train-up for the next Christmas trip!
Bye-Bye Beaches….For Now
Chores will always need to be done, but they’re a lot more enjoyable when you’ve had a brilliant FlexCation at Alabama Beaches.Time to divvy-up the seashells before leaving. A task that always brings back the recent memories you made in Bama’s white sand.One more sit in your favorite chair before checking out. Every second in the Orange Beach sun is a precious one.Goodbye to one of the greatest bathrooms we’ve ever enjoyed on our Gallivants. I loved cranking up those jets at the end of each day in this hot tub. And you’re going to really like all the multiple shower heads in that magnificent shower! Turquoise Place made a lot of new friends during this visit!Thank you to everyone at Turquoise Place! You made all six of us feel great and welcomed the entire time! The staff was more than friendly and we genuinely enjoyed chatting with everyone we bumped into. Y’all have a wonderful 2022 and beyond!
One Last Pitstop
North of the beaches is a private collection of roadside attractions that are open to the public. And we are suckers for these pitstops!Into the woods we go for a replica of the ancient world…We made it to Bamahenge! Stonehenge of the south and it’s a full sized recreation of the famous one across the pond!
So much was packed into our FlexCation to Alabama Beaches and we still managed to find plenty of time for relaxation. The top reason we make the trek to this group of welcoming communities on the Bama gulf coast. We only spent four days here, but we were homesick for Bama shortly after getting back to Iowa City. That’s always a great feeling to have after a long road trip. And we can’t thank all of you enough for making this Christmas season one of the greatest ever. This is another getaway that Professor WhiteSand says to get the hang of, and make a routine of it. Santa totally got my letter!
Just try to keep me away from the beach! Hey…Is that the Professor WhiteSand guy? What else is there to do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach? Click here and check out all of our gallivants to Alabama!
Make your reservations for a fabulous Turquoise Place condo on their website.
