3/31/2010

No Need for Improvement

Golf always makes my beach vacation better. Not that a vacation along the Gulf Coast needs much (or any) improvement—golf is more of an enhancement. I love the game, I love trying out new courses and re-visiting old favorites. And it’s a great way to spend quality time with certain family members (or escape family altogether for a little “me” time).

Brett/Robinson golf vacation packages make interspersing golf throughout my vacation that much easier. The packages are personalized and include green fees and cart fees for multiple rounds of golf, as well as accommodation expenses. Everything is already planned by the time I arrive at my vacation spot, so all I have to do is check in, relax, and play golf.

More information about Brett/Robinson golf vacation packages and area golf courses can be found here.

The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival

I think most people would agree that the beach, particularly along the Gulf Coast, is an ideal place to be in May. Throw in some live music and a festive atmosphere and you’ve got quite a party—or The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival.

This is a first-time event that will take place May 14th, 15th, and 16th on the beach, next to the Hangout in Gulf Shores, and will feature more than 60 musical artists—including some Grammy Award winners (view a complete list of artists here). Bring a friend or two, a group, or the entire family. It’s a great opportunity to have fun on the beach and enjoy an assortment of music.

The best way to enjoy this festival is to never have to leave. Brett/Robinson vacation properties are available onsite, so traveling to and from doesn’t have to be a concern. Go to the Brett Robinson web site for more information.

3/17/2010

Picture This

It is a beautiful day on the Alabama Gulf Coast. You and your family just checked in to one of Brett/Robinson’s fabulous properties and you are ready to hit the pools and beaches. You have everything you need for your beach vacation including your most important tool, your camera.

When you get home, you want to be able to remember every detail of every fun moment. Capturing memories is so much easier today in the age of digital cameras. All you need is a digital camera, memory card and batteries and you are good to go.

Here are some tips to make sure you take home some great photographs.

  • Cameras and sand do not mix. Be very careful with your camera on the beach. Just a little sand can make a camera inoperable. Always have your camera in a water/sand-proof container when it isn’t in your hand. A zip-close plastic bag or a six-pack cooler make good camera protectors.
  • For the best lighting when taking pictures of your family, hit the beach in the “magic hour” just before sunset or just after sunrise. The softer light compliments skin tones and you do not have to fight the harsh shadows of the mid-day sun.
  • If you want to take pictures during the day when the kids are building sandcastles, swimming in the pool or playing in the surf, use a fill flash. Most cameras have the option of having the flash operate on each picture. Using the flash will fill in shadows on faces and offset some of the light reflecting from the white sand and water.
  • If you want some group family shots, dress everyone in a similar color (white shirts and khaki or denim pants/shorts are nice) and go to your chosen location about an hour before sunset. I recommend doing this on your first or second day at the beach while everyone is still fresh and before someone gets too much sun.
  • Don’t forget, the beach isn’t the only place the family is having fun. Keep your camera with you on excursions to go cart tracks, mini golf or when dining out. Our fun restaurants have a lot of places for picture opportunities, too. Even a trip to souvenir stores in Gulf Shores can produce a family picture in the mouth of a shark or under the tentacles of a purple octopus.
  • Please be careful of the dunes and sea oats on our beautiful beaches. They are protected areas. They prevent beach erosion and serve as a buffer between the Gulf of Mexico and the properties that line the beach. They also add to the beauty of the area. When photographing them, please do so from the boardwalks or walking paths.

The main thing to remember when you have a camera in your hand is to have fun. When you are having fun, you are taking fun pictures. That is what memories are made of.

Sheepshead Fishing

Orange Beach has long been known as one of the premier areas on the Gulf coast for offshore fishing. Many have forgotten or just don’t know how awesome of an inshore fishing that we have.

In the spring of the year as the water starts to warm up sheepshead, a black and white convict striped fish that can steal a shrimp without the slightest hint to the angler, spawn in the inshore and near shore waters of Alabama. After they spawn, the ravenous fish can be caught around the inlets, jetties and piers on live shrimp and fiddler crabs. For what they may lack in beauty they sure make-up for in their stubborn fight and they are quiet delicious as table fare. This is a fairly easy fish to locate (any structure from a piling to a pile of rocks will hold these fish in the spring).

Sheepshead are a great fish to target with your children as they do not require specialized equipment. The same tackle that you use for bass fishing will work quite nicely. No long offshore runs are required; just a short trip to the Perdido Pass Bridge or the jetties, and let the fun begin.

PS….As a bonus while you are trying to catch a sheepshead, don’t be surprised to find a red fish or a pompano on the end of your line.

Thanks to Capt Brad Johnson with Triple C Charters for taking my wife and daughter inshore fishing. Hope you enjoy the video.

Capt. Randy Boggs
Reel Surprise Charters @ SanRoc Cay Marina
251-981-7173 or 1-800-806-7889

3/10/2010

Springing forward

Daylight saving time is here. It is the wonderful time of year when it seems the sun shines a little longer on a beautiful day. For me, it means more time to spend outside and more beach time with my family. Daylight saving time also makes it easier to be on the beach at the break of day and the setting of the sun.

I am a photographer and my favorite times of day are just after sunrise and the hour before sunset. The light at these times of day is perfect. It is hard to describe what I feel when I am on the beach with my camera in the afternoon as the sun sinks low on the horizon. There is a magical change in the colors. The light softens and the sugar-white sand reflects some of the colors of the sky. The Gulf water transforms from a sparkling green-blue to a glowing turquoise, to deep cobalt as the sun sets. Standing in the soft white sand and watching this transformation takes my breath away.

Mornings are just as magical. When the sun begins its ascent and trickles of light reach out to hide the stars, the perfect time of soft light returns for the camera lens. Once again, I am left breathless as I watch the breaking of the day and feel the Gulf breeze on my face.

On your next visit to the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast, schedule some time to be on the beach for the “magic hour” at sunrise or sunset. I bet it will leave you breathless, too. Don’t forget your camera.

Post provided by Luanne Burnett

3/08/2010

Changing seasons

I love living on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast, especially when the seasons change. There is something good about every season and when a new one starts, I am ready for the change. I have a new favorite four times a year and right now, my favorite is spring.

There are patterns I follow throughout the year. One of them is taking my grandchildren to lunch after church on Sunday. After a winter of trying different places around Pleasure Island, we finally got back to our spring, summer and fall favorite, Bahama Bob’s in Gulf Shores. The sun was shining, the beach was beautiful and the Gulf of Mexico was reflecting the azure of the sky. The staff at Bahama Bob’s had the plastic rolled up and the porch was filled with the sweet smell of sand and surf. It was a perfect day.

Of course, kids being kids, they almost always get the same thing, chicken tenders. On this trip, I had the fried shrimp. As always, everything was excellent. Combining good food, a perfect view of the dunes and beach and quality time with my grandchildren is my favorite way to spend a Sunday.

Another sure sign of the new season is the 2010 Orange Beach Festival of Art. This annual event takes place March 13 and 14, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Waterfront Park, 26389 Canal Road, Orange Beach. This year, it is part of the state tourism department’s Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns. The first fine art and fine craft show of the season features juried artists from the region and across the country. This year, four complimentary attractions have been added to the festival. A literary arts tent will house regional and celebrity authors, book readings and book signings. A drama and dance stage, children’s art alley and songwriters and musicians stage complete the list.

Early spring is a great time to visit the coast. A weekend getaway to the beach is the perfect way to experience the change of the season and see why the locals love this time of year.

post provided by Luanne Burnett

3/03/2010

Consistently Good Golf

“The hallmark of a good golfer is consistency” – Author Unknown

Truer words have never been spoken. The same can be said for a golf course. The hallmark of a good golf facility is consistently good golf, service and amenities. Craft Farms is a good golf course.

Actually, it’s two good courses. Cotton Creek features tight, rolling fairways, frequently bracketed by lakes. The distance goes from a player friendly 6000 yards to a very challenging 7200+ yards from the tips. Cypress Bend offers wide fairways, large landing areas and large undulating greens. However, water comes into play on most of the holes, as well as featuring some greens well protected by bunkers. The courses are Alabama’s only Arnold Palmer creations and have five sets of tees to accommodate all skill levels. Like all Palmer courses they feature numerous risk/reward opportunities.

The friendly, knowledgeable staff in the Pro Shop are always ready to serve. The Cotton Creek Clubhouse is more of an upscale restaurant and sports bar than the average golf course sandwich shop. The driving range and the two putting greens are consistently in excellent shape.

Make a golf trip to the coast and include a couple of rounds at Craft Farms in the mix. Good times, great golf and service are a sure thing at Craft Farms.