June Brings Beer and Balloon Festivals on the Gulf

June is looking like a good month for a trip to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach thanks to a couple events coming up. First is the Top of the Hops Beer Festival at The Wharf on June 9th. I’m pretty sure I can entice my beer-loving husband with this one: for $34.99 (for general admission) you get a commemorative sampling mug and unlimited two-ounce samples a variety of beers (more than 150 world-class craft beers, to be exact), plus seminars on everything from cooking with beer to brewing beer, games, food, and live music.

Then there’s the 8th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival taking place June 15th to 17th. This one looks like a lot of fun—live music all weekend, an arts and crafts village, the Disc-Connected K9’s World Famous Frisbee Dogs (this alone is a lot of fun, watching these dogs perform their amazing acts), and, of course, food. It’s the kind of event we used to take the kids to all the time when they were young. I don’t think I’ll have a hard time convincing them to go now (especially if it means another Gulf Shores vacation!).

Now to book a Gulf Shores Plantation condo—and take advantage of the resort’s condo bonus days. We’ll stay seven nights and get the seventh night free. Time to make it happen!

First Things We Do When Arriving at the Beach

I found this old picture of my daughter very happily digging her toes in the sand. I remember taking the picture. It was one of our earliest Gulf Shores & Orange Beach vacations, and we had literally just arrived at our Gulf Shores Plantation condo. All she talked about during the whole trip down was walking on the sand again—and that’s exactly what she ran off to do as soon as we got there.

Seeing the picture got me thinking about the different things we all do (and have done) when first arriving at our Gulf vacation. Usually, we all unpack the car and get the condo/beach cottage set up for the week. I actually don’t mind this being the first act of vacation. I’m so happy to have finally arrived at the Gulf Shores resort that it’s really a fun task—sort of like setting up a new home!

But there have been variations in the first vacation task over the years. One year the air conditioner in the car broke about two hours before we arrived. We were all so hot by the time we arrived that the first thing we did was change into our bathing suits and head straight for the closest of the Plantation’s six outdoor pools for some relief from the heat. Another year, my husband and I booked a golf vacation, but ended up not being able to leave until the morning of our first round of golf—we left very early that morning and arrived just in time to play that round. And several times we’ve arrived in the area around lunchtime, making our first vacation activity a delicious lunch at a favorite Gulf-side restaurant.

Digging our toes in the sand on arrival is still a favorite, though, and I’m pretty sure both my kids still get that happy smile when their feet first touch those white-sand beaches. I feel a photo opportunity coming on at our next visit—could make a nice then-and-now picture.

A Golf Vacation Could Make a Nice Mother’s Day Gift

Do you know I completely forgot that Mother’s Day is next month? I had not given one thought to this special day until I saw a Mother’s Day sale commercial on t.v. But now that I’m thinking of it, I have a great idea for my mom this year: take her on a Gulf Shores Plantation golf vacation.

It’s a perfect gift, as she’s really gotten into golf over the past year—taking lessons and playing on a couple local golf courses. Now I think it’s time she experience the true beauty of the game by playing some scenic Gulf Shores & Orange Beach golf courses. Plus she’ll get to take advantage of Gulf Shores Plantation’s putting green amenity and experience the convenience of having the beautiful Kiva Dunes golf course right next door.

And, yes, it’s a convenient Mother’s Day gift for me too, and I am completely fine with my husband and kids considering it as such. It’s something the whole family will enjoy, and Gulf Shores Plantation golf packages are so easy to book—just click on “Golf Packages” on the Gulf Shores Plantation website and fill out the Gulf Shores Golf Package Request Form.

It’s a good time for a beach vacation—fourth and seventh nights are free for Gulf Shores Plantation vacations up to May 22nd!

Creating New Beach Vacation Traditions

So our spring vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach has come and gone, and it was yet another fabulous experience. The weather was beautiful, my husband and I were able to squeeze in a couple rounds of golf, and I think we started up a new vacation tradition: family game day.

This actually started one morning during another favorite tradition—the after-breakfast walk down the beach. The whole family does this every morning during every vacation (weather permitting). Somehow on the walk back to our Gulf Shores Plantation condo, a race broke out, which my son won; he was promptly challenged to a quick tennis match by my tennis-playing daughter. The challenges and competitions just continued from there.

It was a lot of fun. We took advantage of all of the resort amenities—horseshoes, basketball court, swimming pools, even the putting green. The only game we didn’t get to was shuffleboard, but I’m adding that to the list for summer. We even went out and bought a couple board games, prepared a nice cozy dinner in the condo (thank you fully furnished kitchen), and continued the games into the night. It was truly a fun day.

Next up: summer vacation in a Gulf Shores Plantation beach cottage, where round two of the family game challenge will play out.

Need a Quiet, Relaxing Place to Connect During Vacation?

You have to love technology. Thanks to technology and the internet, I can work from home when one of my kids is sick, connect with whomever I need or want from anywhere and at any time, and squeeze in some extra work while on vacation—though I’m not so sure I’m grateful for this last advantage!

But it really is an advantage when a big project comes up at work and your help is desperately needed even though you’ll be on vacation. Which is exactly what’s happened in my case. So I’m thankful for a particular Gulf Shores Plantation amenity: Connections, the resort’s wireless hot spot.

It’s an excellent location to set up the laptop, order a Starbucks coffee (maybe even a pizza or sandwich), and concentrate on a little work. It also offers a nice view of the beach, so you don’t lose that vacation feeling. Working on a computer is much easier to swallow when you’re staring out at the Gulf!

The other up side to working on vacation: I’ll save one or two of my vacation days. Think I’ll apply them to this summer’s Gulf vacation and take advantage of Gulf Shores Plantation’s Condo Bonus Days special—seventh night free!

Spring Vacation on the Gulf—Don’t Forget the Bathing Suit

As our spring vacation gets closer, I find myself checking the Gulf Shores weather forecast almost daily. Know what I’m often finding? Temperatures in the 70s. A good it of sunshine. Spring really seems to be coming to life in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach.

I have high hopes that by the time we get down there in a few weeks, we’ll have no problem engaging in some outdoor swimming. And we’ll certainly have our pick at Gulf Shores Plantation—six outdoor swimming pools are part of the resort amenities. I love to bounce around and relax by each of the pools throughout the vacation, but my favorites are the ones that offer a view of the Gulf. Soaking in a resort swimming pool and gazing out at white-sand beaches and the Gulf beyond is the epitome of relaxation, in my mind.

And the Gulf—another swimming option if the weather is warm enough! I admit, I still enjoy dodging the waves; age hasn’t claimed that small joy yet. Although I do seem to spend less time in the water and more time on the beach (with a good book, of course) than I used to.

But even if the temperatures dip down a bit, or if we have rain, swimming won’t be out of the option, thanks to the resort’s indoor swimming pool. And that’s why we love Gulf Shores Plantation. Can’t wait to get down there!