Gulf Shores/Orange Beach vacation

[Pooh Crew]

Just spent an amazing week in Orange Beach, AL! The water was clear and beautiful, the beaches were clean and white, and the weather was perfect. I guess everyone has been scared away by the oil spill because there was no one else there. It was our first time to stay in a condo there and we were worried it would be crowded, but we had the entire place to ourselves. It was the privacy of a beach house with the amenities of a fancy condo. The restaurants were not crowded at all...we walked into Lamberts at 5:30 and there was no wait.

If you are considering a Gulf coast vacation, GO! I'm so glad we did!

 

[laurie31]

I'm glad you had fun!

I've heard the samefrom people around here who have been (the oil AND the crowds are non-existant). I hope tourism will pick up for them when the word gets around.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

It does look clear, however, flying over the water you can see all the oil sheen around in the water. I would not get into the Gulf to swim, but I would enjoy the rest of the beach and the pools.

 

[Pooh Crew]

From everything I read about the area, there is only limited oil pretty far out. The news was saying that they had scaled back flyovers to once a day because they weren't seeing any oil or sheen.

We did get in the water, as did most of the other people on our stretch of beach. No one went further than waist deep, but my bathing suit has a white design on it and was still just as white when I got out of the water. We saw crabs, a big turtle, tons of fish, and even a shark! We found dozens of whole sand dollars and the largest most beautiful shells we'd ever found on a beach.

There was absolutely no oil smell. We ate at Bahama Bob's on our way out of town and they were taking down the red flag and replacing it with a yellow one! I thought that was good news.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

From everything I read about the area, there is only limited oil pretty far out. The news was saying that they had scaled back flyovers to once a day because they weren't seeing any oil or sheen.

We did get in the water, as did most of the other people on our stretch of beach. No one went further than waist deep, but my bathing suit has a white design on it and was still just as white when I got out of the water. We saw crabs, a big turtle, tons of fish, and even a shark! We found dozens of whole sand dollars and the largest most beautiful shells we'd ever found on a beach.

There was absolutely no oil smell. We ate at Bahama Bob's on our way out of town and they were taking down the red flag and replacing it with a yellow one! I thought that was good news.

I'm glad you didn't have any problems with the oil. I have friends who fly over it every day and I ask them all the time about the oil. They say, "yeah, it's there and it's close to the shore. Don't get into the water." So we go to the beach to play in the sand and eat ice cream. OH! The flags have to do with currents in the ocean and dangerous marine life. They have used the red flag for thick oil in water, but that is not it's main purpose.

 

[descovy]

Yes! The beach looks great, and folks are getting in the water.

We planned a beach roadtrip for this summer (live in Houston)... originally along the gulf coast. Then the oil spill. So we re-routed the trip to Hilton Head SC, Jekyll Island, GA. In hindight I'm glad, because we have never made it to the Atlantic Coast and this was the push we needed to go the extra mile.

But coming home to TX we took I-10 and stopped in at Gulf Shores for half a day. Ate lunch at Lamberts too (with a 45 min wait!) and dipped our toes in the surf. It was the same sugar white sand and clear water you would expect. And yet QUIETER! We were there on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was close... no lines at the amusement parks. Those who were savvy enough to book a trip/ keep their ressies were enjoying the world at their finger tips. Honestly it did make me regret a bit changing our plans away from Gulf Shores. It was like they were all in on a "best kept secret."

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Yes! The beach looks great, and folks are getting in the water.

We planned a beach roadtrip for this summer (live in Houston)... originally along the gulf coast. Then the oil spill. So we re-routed the trip to Hilton Head SC, Jekyll Island, GA. In hindight I'm glad, because we have never made it to the Atlantic Coast and this was the push we needed to go the extra mile.

But coming home to TX we took I-10 and stopped in at Gulf Shores for half a day. Ate lunch at Lamberts too (with a 45 min wait!) and dipped our toes in the surf. It was the same sugar white sand and clear water you would expect. And yet QUIETER! We were there on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was close... no lines at the amusement parks. Those who were savvy enough to book a trip/ keep their ressies were enjoying the world at their finger tips. Honestly it did make me regret a bit changing our plans away from Gulf Shores. It was like they were all in on a "best kept secret."

I was there last week, this week and will be there next week. The oil can not really be seen from the beach, but it can be seen from a plane. It isn't a lot of oil, it is a light sheen of oil. Yes, people are getting into and a lot of people aren't getting into it. You have to do what is best for your family, but information really needs to get out that it is still there, just light.

 

[canopynut66]

Just spent an amazing week in Orange Beach, AL! The water was clear and beautiful, the beaches were clean and white, and the weather was perfect. I guess everyone has been scared away by the oil spill because there was no one else there. It was our first time to stay in a condo there and we were worried it would be crowded, but we had the entire place to ourselves. It was the privacy of a beach house with the amenities of a fancy condo. The restaurants were not crowded at all...we walked into Lamberts at 5:30 and there was no wait.

If you are considering a Gulf coast vacation, GO! I'm so glad we did!

Good for you that you went and seen for your self My daughter owns several condos in Gulf Shores area and she has had awful time as the media show Lousianna then "talks" about Gulf Shores/Orange Beach so people seeing that think is oil soaked and it is not. She and her family just got back from two weeks there and said was beautiful and clean. She even had Jimmy Buffett tickets for anyone wanting to rent at that time and media scared them away so she they went themselves. Usuall she is all packed out until early October by now. so she hopes picks up soon

 

[luvsJack]

We are planning a trip to Pensacola and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach over the long Labor Day weekend, there are some really great deals to be had for hotels.

Have friends down there now, reporting white sand and beautiful water. Another friend is in Destin--same report. And all are swimming in the water.

 

[Pooh Crew]

Dh and I both vacationed in gulf shores as kids and then together as adults. It was important to us to support the area in this crisis. I did have considerable worries about the oil, but we wanted to give it a shot. I'm so glad we did! I've always wanted to go to the beach in winter with cooler weather and no crowds--with the breezes off the gulf and everyone scared away by the media, it was like winter (but warmer)!