Planning a beach vacation this summer? Orange Beach, Alabama has everything you need to create spectacular memories for your family and it is only a four hour drive from Birmingham! Nevertheless, to eight and five-year-old boys, that is a monstrously long time! As we neared the coast for our Spring break trip, both guys started setting their watch timers to count down the remaining minutes and began scouring the scenery out the windows to see who would win the traditional “first-to-see-the-ocean” contest. Cole, our youngest, suddenly exclaimed, “MOMMY!! SNOW!!” as he spotted the first sand dunes approaching the bridge to Orange Beach. It’s true, the sand here looks remarkably like snow to our Atlantic beach accustomed eyes! And so began our exploration of Orange Beach, where the fluffy-soft, powdery-white sand beaches are the main attraction. But there is lots more to do here too… let us share what we discovered with your family, so next time you go, you’ll have some great ideas.
The Beach
Every morning, from our condo balcony, we watched a savvy great blue heron attempt to poach fish from unwary fishermen’s bait buckets. One day, there were no less than SEVEN osprey fishing near the jetty, a fun place to climb and explore. Every day, the Blue Angels (based out of Pensacola, 30 miles away) performed several fly-bys over the beach, to our little boys’ delight. Flags proclaiming “Leave Only Footprints” fly proudly every few hundred feet along the beach. Visitors must really take that to heart, for Orange Beach is one of the cleanest beaches we’ve visited. Although the water was a little chilly this time of year, the weather and water was gorgeous (I think there was some luck there). The waves were exciting, “massive explosions,” to our five-year-old, but quite tame and comfortable for allowing kids to play in, to us grownups. Ultimately, a very nice beach.
Things To Do, Places To Go
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo – Gulf Shores
Want to make a special memory with your family? How about getting a picture of your kid with a lemur on his head? If that sounds like fun, you MUST visit this little zoo. It may be small, but you can get hands-on close to more exotic animals here than anywhere else we’ve ever been.
Shortly after arriving, we attended an animal show in which every member of the audience got to see and touch a ferret, skunk, bearded dragon and a snake! After the show, we headed over to the lemur encounter, where for a very reasonable extra fee, we got to go into the lemur enclosure and make some new, furry friends! One lemur was very interested in my husband’s sweaty baseball cap (perhaps the salt was tasty?). He got lots of love and even a slobbery kiss in the ear. We then all took turns wearing the hat, and consequently, the lemur, on our heads! If lemurs aren’t your thing, you can choose to visit with sloths, tamanduas (a type of anteater), kangaroos (and even wear a baby in a sling pouch) or reptiles.
I was extremely impressed with this small zoo. The grounds and enclosures were very well kept, the animals looked healthy and happy, and there were employees and volunteers everywhere preparing food or enrichments for the animals. Many small zoos leave me feeling a bit depressed, and I have to admit I was nervous about trying this one. I can attest this is not one of those places. We had a wonderful experience and it was obvious the love and dedication for the animals is overflowing at this zoo.
Evan’s thoughts: “It was really crazy that the lemur jumped on my head!”
Dolphin Cruises Aboard the Cold Mil Fleet – Orange Beach
In a previous life working as an outdoor educator and marine biology instructor, I’ve had many opportunities to experience the thrill of seeing wild dolphins up close. Dolphin Cruises Aboard the Cold Mil Fleet gave me the chance to share that with my kids. There are several options in Orange Beach for dolphin cruises, but we chose this company based on friends’ recommendations. They did not disappoint. When our cruise time came, we boarded a clean, comfortable, and roomy boat (with a bathroom!) and headed out into the bay.
The Cold Mil Fleet pairs two boats to increase the chance of finding dolphins and to create a surfing wave for the dolphins to play in between the boats. I wish I’d known this trick when I was teaching kids out on Catalina Island! The wave puts playful dolphins right into view of everyone on the boat, including small kids peeking out over the rails. The captain and mate made sure the smallest passengers got the best views! We got to see several Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, including a one year old calf, jumping and playing in the wave. When we stopped, the dolphins started fishing around the boats, chasing fish toward the boats and snapping up at the surface right under our delighted noses! They were looking right up at us and we could see their teeth and eyes. The kids were loving it.
On the way home, Captain Tom gathered all the kids together for a Q&A about dolphins and how they are mammals, not fish, and other facts. It’s clear that this company cares about the animals that their business depends on, and giving back to them by educating the next generation to care for them.
Cole’s thoughts: “The dolphins were really cool! We saw them jump up and we were on a speed boat!”
Here's part of what we got to see (video):
Adventure Island – Orange Beach
We spent a few hours playing together at this arcade theme park. Our guys love anything that spits out tickets, and this time Cole won the jackpot! At a spinning, pirate themed game he won 1000 tickets!! He was beyond ecstatic, clutching his long ribbons of tickets in both fists. Of course, this kind of luck breeds jealousy between siblings so we had to give some lessons in being happy for others with Cole’s older brother. There were tears. Though our job is to teach the kids how to deal with disappointment, one staffer at Adventure Island, who witnessed the drama, decided she would rather see everyone happy. When I brought a forlorn Evan to the counter to pick out his prize, the girl at the counter ripped up his receipt and told him he could pick out a few extra prizes. I was stunned. We’ve been to many, many arcades and spent loads of money earning tickets for cheap prizes for the kids and NEVER had someone give us more than what we actually earned. In fact, I’m sure that staff are probably warned not to do this by owners in order to keep profits as high as possible. But to the owner of Adventure Island, I want to tell you that this small gesture made by your staff member completely made my son’s day. We ended up spending way more money than we would have for this reason.
Besides arcade games, we also tried out the go-carts. Our guys are too young to drive, so they rode shotgun while Mike and I raced. We all had a blast. Next time, we will have to try out the mini golf, bumper boats and other fun things to do there. Be sure to check the company's website for coupons and deals before you go.
U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park – Mobile, Al
Like most little boys are fascinated by war, guns and big machinery, my guys were very excited to visit this park, where you can board a real battleship and explore its interior. Many of the rooms were set up with authentic artifacts, models and dressed mannequins so you really get an idea of what it was like to live on a ship with 2,500 sailors. I had no idea the effort and planning involved in feeding, training, entertaining, keeping clean and safe, that many sailors! I am not much of a history buff, so learning about it in this way is really so much more exciting. Evan and Cole loved climbing into the hanging cots in one of the bunk rooms and sitting at the gun stations.
We decided to hit this park on the way home to Birmingham, but it is close enough to Orange Beach to turn into a day trip if you need a break from the beach. It was quite a bit bigger than I expected and our guys were already tired from the trip. Cole ended up crashing after the battleship tour, so only half of us made it through the submarine. If you visit this park with younger kids, make sure you have plenty of time and energy to see it all. Maybe a visit on the way to Orange Beach would’ve been better for us. Besides the battleship and submarine, there is also an aircraft pavilion and many other large vehicles on the grounds.
Where To Eat – No shortage of seafood places in Orange Beach!
Brick and Spoon, Orange Beach
Yummy brunch and specialty brunch drinks! This place was great. I had the Stuffed French Toast Sliders and a latte. Hubby had the Crab and Sweet Pepper Scramble. Both really good. Beignets were fluffy and delicious. They even have a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar (though I didn’t try). If you have very small kids or light eaters, consider saving some money and splitting the kid’s pancake meal. The pancake was enormous and my guys each were only able to eat a portion.
Big Fish Restaurant, Orange Beach
This is a place that feels upscale but is totally fine for casual dress and kids. We sat out in the courtyard at dinner time and were wishing for sunglasses, but were otherwise comfortable (ask for a table against the western walls or sit inside). I ordered the pan seared sea scallops but they were too salty for me. I was wishing I had Mike’s dinner instead. He had the halibut “Big Fish Style” and it was really good. For appetizers, we had the firecracker shrimp and a sushi roll. The sushi was particularly good! Great mimosas too! Standard fare for kids meals.
Fisher’s Dockside, Orange Beach
I loved the atmosphere at this restaurant. They have garage style doors for walls so in good weather the entire indoor area can be opened up. Our table was right next to the water with a view of the boats in the marina and a nice sunset. A side lawn has a place for kids (and adults) to play cornhole. Food was yummy. I had speckled trout tacos and Mike had blackened mahi mahi. The side of rootbeer sweet potatoes was my favorite here…a must-try. The kids Gulf fish bites and chicken tenders were also very good. As far as drinks go, I did not like my first drink (blackberry mojito on special), but my second was delicious… the restaurant’s own version of the Moscow Mule, a “Marina” Mule.
Crico’s Pizza and Subs, Gulf Shores
At the beach, it is essential to have a plan for those nights you’re just too tired to go out to eat or cook. One night the inevitable exhaustion hit us, and so we found this local pizza place which delivered two yummy pizzas right to our door on the 9th floor in Orange Beach (they serve Gulf Shores too)! Forget about the chains and support this great local option.
Treats - Don't miss these great dessert options
Kayden’s Candy Factory, Orange Beach
This place must be a hotspot for local teens; it was crowded with them! We stopped here for some delicious ice cream (fun, unique flavors like “Baja chocolate” with cookie dough, chocolate chunks and marshmallow swirl) but there was also a case FULL of amazing looking homemade candies and treats. Mike decided to forgo ice cream in favor of a chocolate dipped rice krispie treat. Yum! Want to try them sooner rather than later? They ship everything they make (except ice cream). Follow their facebook page and get a chance to win their weekly drawing.
City Donut, Orange Beach
This place is a local favorite and, according to one patron we met, often has lines wrapping around the building. We stopped here on our last day in town (a weekday) and the line was snaking around the inside. Plan to take your donuts somewhere else to eat as there was no room for tables inside! We went in for four donuts and left with a dozen and only two were left by the end of the day. They have all the standard favorites, plus some fancy flavors. All were pillowy soft and light. So good! I was also able to pick up a mocha here. The combo of specialty coffee drinks AND donuts is a rare find.
Where To Stay - Hotel, Condo or House?
When we go to the beach, we usually split a rental house or large condo with friends (always more fun with friends!). This time we were on our own, so we found a two-bedroom condo for rent at one of the high-rises on vrbo.com. Orange Beach has lots of high-rise condo buildings, so there is no shortage of affordable rentals right on the beach. Although I liked the building itself (the outdoor pool and its proximity to the beach was perfect) and the condo we stayed in, I wasn’t a fan of the indoor pool and hot tubs, which seemed dirty to me, so I cannot recommend where we stayed.
If you’ve never taken your kids to the beach, I highly recommend renting a condo with a full kitchen over getting a hotel room. You will be infinitely happier being able to eat/cook at “home” when your family is drained from playing outside all day and the savings from not eating out will more than make up for the marginally higher rental costs. If you are wondering what to bring, there are lots of articles on pinterest. Be sure to check them out before packing!
Disclosure: We received press passes to some attractions for this article, but opinions are all our own!
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