This trip was hosted by Alabama Beaches’ Sports & Events, in conjunction with the Coastal Half Marathon, for which we received complimentary accommodations and meals.
As the temperate begins to drop each year, we swap out our summer clothes for winter ones, switch from iced coffee to hot, and transition our colors to autumnal over neon. We begin to dream of cozy cabin getaways instead of sunny beach ones, but an off-season coastal getaway may be my new favorite indulgence. This year for Thanksgiving, we headed south to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama, to build a weekend family vacay around their annual Coastal Half Marathon.
Alabama’s Gulf-front beaches include 32 miles of white sand stretching through the communities of Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach before crossing the state border into Florida. For much of history, the area has been an off-the-grid, sleepy agricultural community. The Spanish arrived in the 1500s, building the stalwart Fort Morgan to protect the bay (later also a key point of defense in the Civil War), and it remained fairly secluded until the construction of the Intracoastal Waterway in 1937 which brought new commercial industry and connection. Gulf State Park opened in 1939, highlighting the area’s appeal for visitors, and tourism began to really grow after World War II.
By this point, it’s a well-known destination if you live in the South, but while Florida’s “30A” gets most of the attention—and branded bumper stickers—around these (Nashville) parts, Alabama’s beaches are our low-key preferred destination. Driving, it’s a straight shot down I-65 for an easy (if traffic-free) 7 to 7.5-hour drive. [Allegiant Air will begin the first commercial service to Gulf Shores International Airport in May 2025, connecting to a handful of cities that includes Houston, Knoxville, Cincinnati, and Kansas City.] Once there, the vibe is relaxed and unassuming – the opposite of the many posh beach communities that dot the Gulf Coast.
Athletics brought us to the beach, but we built a fun-filled itinerary for the long weekend that showed us how wonderful a destination the beach can be year-round!
Thursday
Arrival ≫
Growing up, when my family would drive to the beach, we’d leave before sunrise to arrive in the early afternoon. The advantage of traveling on Thanksgiving Day is that there was NO TRAFFIC, so our drive flew by. We landed in Orange Beach just after noon, checked in to our rooms at Perdido Beach Resort, and headed straight down to a Thanksgiving feast in their Grand Ballroom. It was a buffet of classic Thanksgiving dishes with a coastal, Southern spin – to name a few: pulled smoked turkey, sliced honey ham, red snapper, sausage and crab cornbread dressing, deviled eggs, green bean casserole… food coma commence!
Afternoon ≫
Being a holiday, we didn’t think much outside the resort was open, but after a long drive and a multi-course meal, we were happy to just settle in for the rest of the day. The resort is full-service with two restaurants, a coffee shop, a pizza parlor, a poolside lounge, and an evening lounge as we4ll as indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, a fitness center, and regularly-scheduled live entertainment.
Oh, and there’s the 180° oceanfront views. We were spoiled with two adjoining rooms on the 5th floor—a beach view double queen and a gulf front king—that were so amazing, when we first entered, my eldest daughter exclaimed, “This is the best day of my life!” (We may never be able to go back to a single family room.) The weather outside was warm enough to enjoy without jackets, so we took advantage of it before the temperature was forecast to drop.
Friday
Breakfast ≫
There’s no shortage of good restaurants in the area which is why eating was at the top of my to-do list on this vacation. We began with CoastAL Orange Beach, a restaurant complex situated directly on the beach. It has a waterfront restaurant alongside an open-air bar and entertainment space. It’s one of a handful of spots that opens early with breakfast beginning at 8 am—great for early-risers! We went both healthy and indulgent, splitting the breakfast burrito and the “beachbody” (yogurt, granola, and fruit), and the kids enjoyed a standard bacon and eggs. Killer biscuits, too.
Morning ≫
The beach was an unusual Thanksgiving location for us, but there was plenty to remind us that the holiday season had arrived. After breakfast, we headed to The Wharf—an entertainment complex with shopping, dining, an outdoor amphitheater, and even a Ferris wheel—for ice-skating at a pop-up rink. Was it physically draining to support two small children who had never ice skated before when I, myself, hadn’t done so in nearly 20 years? Absolutely, and my legs and ankles weren’t the same for the rest of the day! But we had a total blast. (Ice Skating Rink Presented by Pepsi is open through January 20.)
Lunch ≫
I’d been to Gulf Shores several times prior to this trip but never with my kids. One of my last trips involved a self-made bushwhacker bar crawl (different phase of life 🙃), and the unanimous favorite was from Tacky Jack’s. Now starving after a 2-hour ice skating adventure, we checked out their newest Gulf Shores location (others are in Orange Beach and Fort Morgan) to re-energize. The menu is both surf and turf, and the best part of lunch is the build-your-own meat-and-three lunch menu. I can also confirm the bushwhacker holds up, though it lacked the carefree connotations of my previous visits. 😉
Afternoon ≫
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are about 7 miles apart, and sandwiched between them is Gulf State Park. The park was a New Deal project of the 1930s, older even than the incorporation of the two towns on either end, containing both beach and forest under its acreage of protection. It even includes a freshwater lake, a rare presence in such close proximity to a body of saltwater. Though there’s an impressive 1,500-foot pier reaching out into coastal waters, the temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up, so we headed for the more sheltered woodlands. We explored the playgrounds in the Lake Shelby Picnic Area and then scootered and skateboarded through the paths around the Learning Campus and Restaurant. The park is home to a beautiful, diverse array of local wildlife that is a pleasure to explore, especially on wheels.
Dinner ≫
So maybe the cold was harshing the vibe of outdoor dining, but it definitely didn’t affect the food! After a busy, active day, we headed to an early dinner at Lulu’s, located just across Portage Creek from Tacky Jack’s. Lucy Buffett is the namesake to and owner of Lulu’s, another one of those restaurant complexes, like CoastAL, that has more than just dining. There’s an arcade, live music, outdoor games, and even a ropes course on the property. Buffett’s menu—now expanded to two other locations—includes southern and Gulf favorites with a Key West-style kick: gumbo, tacos, okra, grits, and all the seafood staples. Even though it was 40-degrees on Black Friday, the crowds would have you believe it was still summer out.
Saturday
Morning ≫
Our entire trip was planned around the annual Coastal Half Marathon, a healthy antidote to the binge-eating that was happening the whole rest of the weekend; Colin was running the half while the kids and I opted for the 1-mile fun run. The early morning start time got us up in time to see a gorgeous sunrise from our balcony before gathering at the starting line at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. The routes wound through the state park’s paved backcountry trails for a pleasantly (according to Colin) flat course.
Continuing with my food-centric theme for the weekend, though, the real highlight of the race for me was the RIDICULOUS meal at the finish line. Catered by Cosmo’s, the buffet included sandwiches, crab cake sliders, and grits and gumbo and baked goods for dessert. With accompanying music, beers, bouncy houses, balloon animals, and face-painting, consider the whole family satisfied.
Afternoon ≫
Some may consider this enough for a day’s activities, but a quick nap was all we needed to refuel for our afternoon activity, a sandcastle building class with Sandcastle University… for which we didn’t even have to travel! Our instructor, Catie, met us on the beach outside our hotel where they came prepared with everything we would need. In the 101-level class, they guided us through building a strong castle foundation and using specific tools and techniques to add decorative features like windows, stones, and staircases. It was such a unique way to spend time on the beach with intention while still doing something relaxing. Following our class, the kids splashed in the ocean yet again as we sat stunned they had both the energy and thick-skin for it, followed by a thawing dip in the hot tub.
Dinner ≫
For our final dinner, we couldn’t miss Gulf Shores’ perhaps most colorful dining establishment, The Hangout. If you’re driving in from the north, along Gulf Shores Parkway, it’s the place you’ll run into as you finally hit the ocean. And if you’re wondering which came first, the restaurant or the music festival of the same name… it was the restaurant, though the spot has apparently been a “hangout” to locals for decades. (The festival launched in 2010, two years after its namesake, redeveloped restaurant.) If you read anything about it online, you’re warned that the staff may break out into song or dance on the tables, and during our visit, even in late November, that was totally accurate! It has the ambiance of a big food hall with (at least at dinner time) a host who hypes up diners with games and contests, and the menu has beach shack staples like burgers, fish sandwiches, nachos, and, to the joy of my eldest, milkshakes! It was her 7th-birthday eve, and we toasted her year before exhaustion from the day finally sent us home.
Sunday
Breakfast ≫
The end of a weekend, a long drive ahead—it’s always such a downer. We made an early departure and a quick(ish) stop for breakfast on our way out of town. When you need something more substantial than a pastry but quicker than a restaurant, BuzzCatz Coffee and Sweets is the perfect option. The display case is filled with pastries and baked goods, but there’s also a menu of breakfast sandwiches and platters for a little more fuel. Though it fit the bill for our quick outing, you could really settle in for a leisurely morning; and with its eclectic decor, my high school self would have loved it for its cool coffee-shop vibes.
I used to be a holiday traditionalist, but the older the get, the more I actually appreciate and enjoy doing things that are different! I would have never considered the beach for a cozy holiday getaway, but after this off-season stay, I’ll be further enticed to visit my favorite beaches in Alabama any time of year.
