I'm glad I found this site.. :)

DH and I are going to be leaving for Gulf Shores in less than two weeks and I am so excited. We have never been before, but DH%26#39;s uncle and aunt own 3 condos down here and we are renting one at a discount.

I just wanted to say how happy I am to have FINALLY found a message board that is all about Gulf Shores. I%26#39;ve been online looking for one for every since we have planned the trip. Some locals from Gulf Shores need to develop a website/message board just for Gulf Shores! When we went to Myrtle Beach, I found a website called www.funbeaches.com and it is all about MB and things to do there. It was such a HUGE help in planning our vacation there.

I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll be frequenting this site daily looking for answers to my questions regarding our trip!

I'm glad I found this site.. :)

The wonderful thing about gulf shores, It is simple to find things to do,

There really isn%26#39;t tons of things, BUt just enough to get out of the sun a few mintues,

eat, shop, ride a go cart, explore the fort at fort morgan, Spend some time in foley at the outlet mall,

Ride the ferris wheel at the new warf, in orange beach.

Explore the state park that sits between gulf shores and orange beach.

Gulf shores brings people from all areas of the country, It makes for great people watching, seeing family%26#39;s having the best vacation ever.

Make sure to try Lu lu%26#39;s at the homeport marina,,

It is something everyone needs to try once...

www.lulusathomeport.com

And the newly rebuilt, hangout .. A blast from the past,

http://www.thehangoutal.com/

We are going on the 7th of June,

We are so excited....

I hope to someday call gulf shores home....

I'm glad I found this site.. :)

Thanks for your response. Alot of the things you have mentioned I had come across myself when searching GS on the net. I just thought to myself that surely there is more to do than that. But you said it yourself that there isn%26#39;t alot to do in GS, which will actually be quite nice, that way I have more time to spend at the ocean. DH will be away golfing for a few days and wants to go deep sea fishing. I am interested in neither and will spend my days alone at the beach or shopping.

Any other advice you can give 1st timers to the area?

I see that we will be down there at the same time. Where do you normally stay at?

we mostly have rented houses, Lsat year we tried Island tower, Which is next door to where you are staying this year.

It is a beautiful property,

This year we are going to be at Surfside shores I%26amp;II

trying to get by with a 2 bedroom...

The location you are going to be in is a great area, close to shopping, and bahama bob%26#39;s is just two buildings down from you,

They are right on the beach,, outdoor dining, Great food...

I will say if you are coming into town around 1:00 pm or later, you will run into traffic coming into town...

Just be ready for a slow drive into town from I-10

And If you delay buying groceries till later in the evening or the next day, It is way better..

The cheapest grocerys are at Wal-mart..

There is a store at fort morgan road, they are super high...

A good thing to do is eat at off hours in the popular places,

Or else you have to wait in long lines.

We go around 3.00 and just snack later,

It is funny to watch everyone leave the beach around 4;30 and go eat,

That is the best time to be at the beach,

way less crowded...

PLease do a review on the place where you are staying,

It looked like a good place , low density,,,

Getting excited, Can%26#39;t wait...

Is there lots of shopping in the area? I figure while DH is golfing or fishing, I%26#39;ll do some shopping.

We can%26#39;t get into our condo until around 3 or 3:30, so we%26#39;ll probably try to get into town at that time.

We%26#39;ll probably go out to dinner every evening, but I%26#39;ll probably fix lunches at the condo. DH and I enjoy trying new restaurants, so that%26#39;s why we%26#39;ll go out often.

I%26#39;ll definitely do a review of the condo. And I%26#39;m such a picture taker, that I%26#39;ll have tons of pictures. Can you post them on here? Also, is there a place to post a trip report?

Tanger Outlet in Foley is only a 10-15 minute drive and has some nice stores. Fordarama gives good advice, especially about timing for restaurants. In the summer peak hours at restaurants here can be very crowded. Also, if you are arriving in the 3-3:30 timeframe, you might consider waiting until the next morning to go grocery shopping. WalMart is the least expensive. Bruno%26#39;s prices can be brutal.

3 to 3:30 is about when everyone gets there...

That%26#39;s Why I told you it is slow going coming into town...

There are a few smaller places to shop in orange beach, and their is the warf....

There is a place to do reviews on the main page, It is easy to follow, and you can eview restaurants, rentals, ect..

ANd add pictures...

Here is a link for pictures I took and reviews of phoenix all suites west, as an example

tripadvisor.com/…1505008

You are going to have a great time at Gulf Shores! I definitely recommend going to the Wharf to kill a few hours until you can check in. One of our favorite things to do, particularly in the evenings, is go there and buy something at Starbucks and then walk around and look at the shops and the big boats, and watch people on the Ferris wheel!

When you go to Foley%26#39;s, if your hubby is with you in particular, try Lamberts. The food is great and it%26#39;s lots of fun, (IMO) but it would be more fun for the two of you together.

GS is a great place to go and you will definitely enjoy your trip.

Smiley, you%26#39;ve gotten lots of good advice already. As my fellow Arkansan pointed out, traffic is rather brutal on check-in/check-out days (for weekly rentals; Sat/Sat or Sun/Sun). It moves so slowly once you cross Mobile Bay (sometimes even as you cross it). It%26#39;s a pain, but it%26#39;s worth it since you do eventually get to GS!

I really recommend trying to skip Walmart on your first day into town if it%26#39;s a Saturday or Sunday. Everyone else will be there too. You might pick up a few needed grocery items at some point before Gulf Shores and keep them in an ice chest so you can do your major shopping during an off-peak time. If you%26#39;re planning to eat out every night, I would think you could plan to do this fairly easily and save yourself a bit of hassle that first evening.

There%26#39;s a really wonderful farmers market before you get to Foley or Gulf Shores. I am blanking on the name but you can%26#39;t miss it b/c it%26#39;s very popular. It will likely be crowded too, but it%26#39;s worth it to stop. Wonderful fruits, vegetables, and home made breads!

I do love the outlet mall in Foley. There%26#39;s lots of shopping to do there and I think it would be a fun place for you while your husband golfs. I haven%26#39;t tried the Wharf yet but hope to check it out this year. I think you%26#39;ll have a wonderful time in GS!

The market Lee4 refers to is Burris Farm Market in Loxley. It%26#39;s about three miles south of I-10. Good place. They also sell pretty good cheesecakes and other desserts there.

Here%26#39;s a good site for restaurants/bars:

www.orangebeach.ws/restaurants_bars.html

I live here and am a golfer so if your husband has any questions please feel to post!