I just finished my review post on Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama. If you read that one last week, you should already be aware of the fact that I LOVE Gulf Shores! We make it a point to go at least once each year.

I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia from taking my kids there when they were young, or if it’s really just a cool place to visit…I don’t know, but all I DO know is that there is plenty to do near Gulf Shores to keep you busy for at least a week!

There are a few things I try not to skip every time we go to Gulf Shores, but I’ll get to those in a minute. Let me think…there’s got to be a way to organize this for you…let’s do GO, DO, EAT, SLEEP, and maybe THE REST. How about that? (In retrospect, this is a really long post, each of those words links to their respective sections if you want to skip ahead.)

THINGS TO DO IN GULF SHORES, AL

This video of Gulf State Park overlaps a lot of this post. Check it out…the beginning is funny!

GO – FAVORITE GULF SHORES LOCATIONS

These are places we love to go just because of the atmosphere. Just to warn you, some of these will overlap because places we go for fun are also often restaurants.

• THE BEACH! – is that too obvious? Yeah? No? Crickets? We prefer to swim in a pool, but hey…it’s Gulf Shores! Get the sand in your toes, the sun on your back, and the wind in your hair! Take some pics at sunset or sunrise for the photo album! This is often our first stop on most visits here.
• The Hangout – we go here EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. that we go to Gulf Shores. This place is energetic, loud, has a great menu, and even dancing on the tables! There is usually live music, outdoor games (and some inside while you’re eating), and is normally family-friendly, but they clear out the little kids around 10 pm if I remember right. More on The Hangout later.
• Giant Shark @ Souvenir City – It’s been over a decade since I’ve been in here, but kids used to LOVE to see the giant shark (try searching Google for giant shark store gulf shores). There’s a bunch of crap in the store that nobody really needs, but the shark is fun…maybe you can get a cheap t-shirt or something to commemorate your trip and prove you were there.
• The Gulf -is it cheating if I list an Orange Beach restaurant instead of Gulf Shores? Ask me if I care! LOL! We TOTALLY go here for the vibe. I am not a fan of seafood…I know, it’s crazy…so, I am thoroughly unimpressed with their menu, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE their decor, store, and chill atmosphere! My go-to order is a virgin pina colada (don’t remember if they have this or not), or a Dr. Pepper. Then we just sit around and relax at this super cool place!

DO – ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE

Fort Morgan

• Beach activities – OBVIOUSLY! Build sand castles, get sunburned, chase crabs, find seashells, feed the birds if you’re brave (or crazy), do the parasailing thing, rent jet skis, go fishing on the pier! It’s one of the prettiest beaches around…you don’t have to spend a penny to have fun.
• Fort Morgan – if you’re a history buff (and I am), you’ll want to check out Fort Morgan. It’s more of a walk-through tour of the historic military fort, so be aware of that, but the history is cool. They have pricing on their homepage, but it was super affordable. If you prefer a more informative fort, check out Fort Gaines across the bay. You’ll have to ride the ferry, but that’s fun too (but more expensive)…but I’d spend a whole day on Dauphin Island if you decide to do that…go early!
• Mini Golf – who doesn’t love a great game of putt-putt? We’ve played mini-golf at Tiki’s Mini Golf, but it’s been quite a while, so I’d read up on Trip Advisor’s Reviews before you go. It’s cheap, so maybe it’d be worth it if you have an evening out with the kids even if the reviews weren’t super great…but I’m not sure. There is another one on Google Maps called Shrimpy’s Mini Golf & Ice Cream…YAY FOR ICE CREAM AFTER PUTT-PUTT! Gulf Shores also has grown up golf for the big kids!
• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo – we’ve never been here, so I’ll abstain from commenting. It’s in Gulf Shores and who doesn’t love animals? The website looks like it’s great…next trip, I’ll go and update you!
• Escape House Waterville – again, we’ve never been since it was built after the kids grew up, but it looks like a TON of fun! They have escape rooms which are SUPER fun and they have a water park…oh, and MINI GOLF!!!
• Karaoke – we love to karaoke at home! Glynn and I have only been in one place for karaoke in Gulf Shores, so I will only tell you about it even though about a thousand places (not literally) came up on Google Maps. We’ve been to the Pink Pony Pub once for karaoke. We loved the vibe here too…it was REALLY fun and a cool little place. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been here, I’d check it out before taking kids if I were you. Karaoke tends to get a little R rated after about 9 pm anyway.
• Live music – we’ve enjoyed live bands and singers all over Gulf Shores. The Hangout is the most dependable for good live music, but my friends had a great time at Flora Bama during our last visit (Glynn got sick…so sad!). We’ve also had pretty good luck at Papa Rocco’s.

EAT

We have several restaurants that we go to just because of the food. Here’s my MUST GO TO list for food…can I get a drum roll?

Look how much fun these people are having at The Hangout!

• Papa Rocco’s – I’d be in a bind if I had to choose if Papa Rocco’s or The Hangout as my fav in Gulf Shores! Papa Rocco’s has Italian food + pizza. Who doesn’t love THAT?! We’ve been here a BUNCH over the years but didn’t realize they have live music every night. We had a BLAST listening to Smokey and Mark when we went and we even got to meet Papa Rocco in person!
• The Scoop – save room for a scoop of ice cream after Papa Rocco’s! DELICIOUS ice cream…neat atmosphere! We actually walked over from our RV park one time (we’ll talk about that in the next section).
• The Hangout – I told you I’d come back to this one! The food is great at The Hangout. If you want to save money, order an appetizer to split (and drink water). This is a cheap way to enjoy the entertainment on the cheap. They have both seafood and normal bar and grill kinds of food (menu online). Glynn struggled a little bit due to his recent conversion to veganism, so be aware of that. They have an MC that takes over about once an hour and gets everyone moving around the restaurant. They often call out people to dance on the table and usually do the Cupid Shuffle with the everyone in the building once or twice, so brush up on your dance moves!
• Cobalt – allow me to indulge with another restaurant in Orange Beach…and call me a CHEATER, I don’t care!!! We LOVE to go here at least once per trip. It’s a bit pricier than some, but worth the extra $$$. I love the decor and the view. The food is delish, and so is the atmosphere. You can check out their menu on their website.
• Original Oyster House – why would someone who HATES seafood go to a seafood restaurant? Because they LOVE their friends! It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been here, but everyone had a good time. It’s neat to sit by the water and enjoy the view. The food was good, and the service was great!
• Fin & Fork – MY GOSH…we spend A LOT of time in Orange Beach, sorry gang…I can’t help it! Orange Beach is less than 10 minutes from Gulf Shores…it’s a slippery slope! Guess what? Cool vibe, neat decor, great food, and the website even says live music…that’s like, the perfect trifecta (except a trifecta is for 3 things and that’s 4…I’m a dork today)!

SLEEP

We have stayed in a variety of places in Gulf Shores.

• Airbnb – we have used Airbnb to find a condo ON THE BEACH…that was FANTASTIC. This link will give you a $40 credit to use with your first Airbnb purchase if you are new to it (yes, it is an affiliate link of sorts, but it will not cost you extra money to use it). We stayed at Sunrise Village Condos…it was PERFECT for the two of us! When the kids were little, we’d stay at Sandpiper Condos on the beach. It was great for our family of 5! If these aren’t on Airbnb, they’ll be on VRBO for sure!
• High-rise Resorts – there are a TON of these bad boys all over the place. Not so much in Gulf Shores, but for sure in Orange Beach (I know…I just can’t help it…it’s all kind of the same to me). One of our friends has done her nursing continuing education at one of the Phoenix buildings. We went over to hang out with her there…they are NICE! Great pool, great tiki bar, and great access to the beach!
• RV parks – LOTS of RV parks! I’m only going to tell you about the two I’ve visited: Gulf State Park (my review post) and RV Luxury Resort. I think it’s obvious in my post about Gulf State Park that I am head over heels about that place. It will forever be our go-to in Gulf Shores, but when it’s not available, we will most likely go to RV Luxury Resort. We stayed there one time when the state park was unavailable. I did not like that it is a concrete jungle. They cut down all the trees and paved the whole thing. I HATE that, but they do have a small pool, and they’re right across the street from Papa Rocco’s and The Scoop…so hey…it ain’t all bad! There are true luxury RV parks that don’t allow RVs like mine (small and cheap), so if you’re into that sort of thing…BYE FELICIA! Just kidding…check them out on Google.

THE REST

Gulf State Park Pier

Wow! That’s a lot of words so far! I’m sure you’re thinking, “what else could she POSSIBLY say?” Stick around…I’m rarely at a loss for words! Haha!

There are a few other things we’ve done that are definitely points of interest in Gulf Shores, AL.

• Deep Sea Fishing – if you have the money, or have some friends who would be willing to split the cost, charter a boat and go deep sea fishing. Glynn has done this twice (and I tagged along once) while staying in Gulf Shores. SO. MUCH. FUN! You get to keep the fish you catch and they will clean the fish for you. Check out Zeke’s Landing for chartering a boat.
• Dolphin Cruises – if the price for deep sea fishing is a bit too steep (and it really is!), do a dolphin cruise. It was $15 per person, and it was really neat! My friends and I got some great pics and had a very relaxing cruise! We used the Sunny Lady Cruise and had a BLAST!
• Movies and concerts – why would I put those two together? THE WHARF…that’s why! We have holed up in the movie theater on more than one rainy day in Gulf Shores (even though it’s really Orange Beach…LOL!). We also went to a GREAT concert out at the Amphitheater there (Steve Miller and .38 Special for those of you that are wondering!). I highly recommend it! You could just go to the Wharf for chilling, eating, or shopping, which brings me to…
• Tanger Outlets -Ladies, you have to go North to Foley for at least one morning or afternoon. My BFF and I actually try to go to Gulf Shores once a year around the end of November or beginning of December to finish up our Christmas shopping. Gulf Shores is a ghost town, but the pace suites me still! We actually shop in Foley all weekend, wrap, and stack all the presents so when we get home, we are COMPLETELY finished with Christmas! We shop till we drop while the guys fish on the pier, which also brings me to…
• The Pier – this is the largest pier in the Gulf of Mexico and it IS NOT IN ORANGE BEACH! You thought I was gonna say something important, right? No, really! If you stay at Gulf State Park, you get a free pier pass. You can also get a pier fishing license which is cheaper than an Alabama fishing license from what I understand. The pier also has a couple of restaurants (check their website for hours of those), lots of benches for sitting and is wheelchair accessible. You should be aware that this is a hot location at sunset…maybe do your sunset shots elsewhere, unless you get there early and stake out your spot.

Our video on Gulf State Park will be ready soon so PIN THIS and come back to it in a week!

I believe that’s enough for now! Can you tell I love Gulf Shores? For more pics of Gulf Shores, click here.

Have I missed anything? Is there a place or restaurant I’ve missed out that you love in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area? What other beaches do you love to visit? Be sure to tell me in the comments! I LOVE to hear your feedback!