A Buddies Reunion

There’s talk of a “buddies reunion” among some of my old college friends. It’s been years since all of us have been able to hang out together, and my former college roommate called me last week and suggested we organize a small reunion. I agreed and, of course, suggested we make it a beach reunion.

Now I have a reason to rent a beach house through Brett/Robinson. It’s been a while since I’ve gone the beach house route; condos usually suit my vacations better (plus I’m not usually willing to give up all the amenities). But now we’re talking about a group of about seven formerly rowdy guys who will be attempting to revisit their youth—I think the privacy of a beach house is necessary this time. With no neighbors to disturb and a portion of the beach to ourselves, it should be a solid good time!

Sausage Festival

There are three reasons this Saturday is significant. First, it’s the day before Halloween, which means there will be lots of Saturday night pre-Halloween parties.

The second reason is the Original German Sausage Festival in Elberta from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is especially significant if you love sausage—this festival has the best you will ever taste. The town’s founding fathers developed the recipe for this tasty sausage, and you can only get it there. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! There will be baked goods in addition to the sausage, as well as arts and crafts, live music, carnival rides, and a Bier Garten that features a large selection of imported beers.

The third reason Saturday is significant is it’s my mom’s birthday—and I’m terrible at mom gifts. She’s a fan of festivals, though, so I think a mother-son trip to the Sausage Festival may be in order.

Accommodations

Golf is obviously a major factor when planning a golf getaway. Striking the right balance between cost, challenge, and scenery that fits your personal preference is important when choosing which courses to play.

But it’s not the only thing that determines the success of the getaway. Where you stay has the potential to make or break the vacation. Again, finding the right balance between cost and luxury is important, as are factors such as distance to golf courses—is driving a long distance to play golf worth your while, or would you rather be close to your destination? Amenities play an important role, too: hot tubs and pools offer relaxation opportunities after a long golf game, and access to a putting green is an excellent way to warm up your game before heading out.

Brett/Robinson’s various condos offer many golf-related advantages: they’re close to exceptional Gulf golf courses, several have putting greens (and other amenities), and, of course, the company offers golf packages.

Visit the Brett/Robinson website for more information.

Weekend Fishing Trip

So the fall snapper season has been open (on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) for a couple weeks now, and I haven’t been out there fishing yet—this fall semester has kept me pretty busy, even on weekends.

But that’s changing this weekend. I’m clearing my schedule and hanging with a good friend who’s visiting with his family for the weekend. And you guessed it: we’ll be hitting the Gulf with our fishing rods. They’ve booked a six-hour fishing trip and invited me along. Can’t wait!

I’m so glad this extra season was added. Fishing along Alabama’s Gulf Coast in the fall is an awesome experience. If you haven’t made plans to be here, you have until November 21st (season ends at midnight on the 21st). So get planning!

Calling All Inner Children

I don’t care how old I get, Halloween is still fun. The house is already decorated with ghosts and pumpkins, my costume is ready to go, and I’m just waiting for the parties to begin.

In and around Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area, the parties will be starting up soon enough. The Uptown Foley Halloween Party takes place on Thursday, October 28th in the streets of downtown Foley—games, face painting, and of course a costume contest are some of the activities that will go on.

Then there are a number of events taking place Halloween weekend. Stop in at the 12th Annual Halloween Celebration at NAS and walk through the haunted CH-37 Mojave helicopter. The Magnolia Corn Maze will transform into a haunted maze for the weekend. And LuLu’s Homeport Marina will also have a haunted house on Halloween night.

Call up your inner child and have some fun!

Take a Tour

I was sitting around the other day, dreaming of my next vacation and browsing Brett/Robinson’s Orange Beach Today website when I discovered that of all the things I’ve done along the Alabama Gulf Coast, I’ve never taken a tour.

In particular, I’ve never toured from the air. And there are a couple ways to do this in the Gulf Shores area. One is by plane—or biplane. The Bird of Paradise biplane rides fly you and a friend (or just you) over Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, along the Bon Secour River, over Mobile Bay…pretty much all over the place. A hot air balloon ride is another aerial option, and there are a couple places in the area that offer this.

And while on the subject of alternate transportation, I’ve also never taken a ride on the Wales West Railway, which travels around woods, wetlands, a lake, gardens, and Victorian-style buildings. Too bad I won’t be there to try it out this month—I hear the train and park are completely decorated for Halloween right now.

Something New

I like trying new things concerning vacation, but I rarely want to give up a visit to the Gulf. The Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area is my favorite place to vacation. Period. I’m not usually willing to spend vacation time elsewhere.

But I have yet to stay at Brett/Robinson’s newest property, Phoenix West, which means I’ll get to try something new without sacrificing my favorite getaway spot.

And I know this place is going to be awesome: fully furnished three- and four-bedroom condos, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, saunas, and a lazy river with a water slide (love those lazy rivers!). Can’t wait for the new experience!

October Fun

So I’m heading out to the Magnolia Corn Maze with some friends this weekend. This is maybe my favorite October activity. There’s just something about wandering through the meandering, corn-stalk-lined paths that screams autumn. The hayrides are fun, too—they make me feel like a kid again!

I may have to make a return trip at the end of the month. That’s when they do trick or treat in the maze, and they’ll have a haunted maze and haunted hayride. I love October and all of its “scariness”!

There are a number of fun Halloween-type events going on at the end of the month: the Uptown Foley Halloween Party, the 12th Annual Halloween Celebration at NAS, and the 3rd Annual Howl-o-ween Spooky Pooch Parade and Costume Contest (you have to love pets in costumes!). The Pumpkin Patch Express is also worth checking out—you get candy with your pumpkin.

Nature at its Best

So it won’t be much longer and the leaves will be changing. In fact, the trees in my backyard are already showing signs of change, with a couple red leaves here and there. Fall is here, and it’s a great time of year for nature.

If you’re looking for a scenic and relaxing autumn drive this season, you might check out Alabama’s Coastal Connection, which was just ranked as one of the 50 most comfortable touring drives by Goodyear. And with good reason—the Coastal Connection passes through beaches, wildlife preserves, towns and historic sites. The nature is incredible, and there are many interesting places to visit and learn about the Alabama Gulf Coast along the way.

A Perfect Time to Visit

There are so many reasons to visit Gulf Shores and Orange Beach this month. The Shrimp Festival starts October 7th, the Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley concerts take place October 15th and 17th, Thunder on the Gulf is from the 12th to the 17th, and then there’s golf—which is just about the best activity you can undertake on the Gulf this time of year. The best part: Brett/Robinson has deals to accommodate all of this.

Stay four nights and pay for three during the Shrimp Festival and Thunder on the Gulf, or get a 20% discount on three nights during Thunder on the Gulf. You can also extend your vacation and get three free nights—a deal that applies to stays to the end of the year.

And, of course, there are the golf packages. Customize your own or choose the masters or championship golf package, which includes one round of golf per day for three days. Visit the Brett/Robinson website for more information.