We all know how pretty sand dunes are, but did you know that sand dune systems on the Florida and Alabama beaches are formed by wave and wind action and help to protect mainland areas from tropical storms and hurricanes? The sand dunes, which have evolved over millions of years, actually help to absorb the vast […]
Some of country music’s brightest stars are heading to Panama City Beach this month for the second annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam. Headliners for what promises to be a country music extravaganza to rival last year’s are Grammy Award winners Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and Grammy Award […]
Have you tried stand-up paddle-boarding yet? It’s lots of fun and easy to learn, so it’s no wonder it’s one of the hottest new sports to hit the Gulf Coast. Paddle-boarding offers an exciting and different way to explore the area’s lakes, canals, harbors and bays, and — once you learn to balance — the […]
Building Sandcastles 101
We didn’t know much about building sandcastles before our lesson with Rick Mungeam of BeachSandSculptures.com today, but had we been building sandcastles all by ourselves, I’m sure everything we would have done would have been all wrong. We started out learning that building sandcastles by the shore, as virtually everyone does, is the least desirable […]
Pranzo Serves Seafood Italian Style
We’ve enjoyed a few memorable meals at Pranzo on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, and each one has somehow been better than the last. The challenge is to order anything new because our past selections have been so amazing, such as the Seafood Canneloni. The chef stuffs homemade pasta with fresh Gulf shrimp, sea […]
A top-rated resort, Sterling Shores is just minutes away from everything Destin has to offer, from fishing charters and golf to shopping and restaurants. Sterling Shores Destin is the ideal base for a family vacation on Florida’s beautiful Emerald Coast. “It’s a great place to spend quality time with your family,” said one recent guest. […]
Enter our Sandcastle Facebook Photo Contest this summer, and you could win CASH and a FREE sandcastle-building lesson! The grand prize is $200 plus a two-hour lesson from beachsandsculptures.com, owned by professional sand sculptors Rick and Capri Mungeam. The lesson (good through the end of 2015) includes a demonstration of proper sand-sculpting tools and their […]
During the month of May, we’re offering one of our lucky Facebook fans the chance to win a three-day, two-night stay in a deluxe two-bedroom condo on the beautiful Gulf Coast, from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach. To enter, just visit us at https://www.facebook.com/Beachguide‎ and click on the contest link. Be sure to ‘share’ […]
Pelican Beach Resort in Destin Florida is celebrating the arrival of spring with a ‘Warmer Days of Spring and Sizzling Summer Special Offer’ — offering savings of 25% on family beach vacations. The condominium-style resort offers a variety of amenities, tasteful condominiums and an ideal location in the heart of the Destin area. To take […]
Vacation guests who book and stay in April with Young’s Suncoast will save up to 35% on stays in a beachfront condo or cottage rental in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. Plan a trip for Easter, the Mullet Toss, Spring Break, or just a weekend getaway. This Gulf Shores vacation deal is good […]
With a lineup of events that includes music festivals and food festivals, plus the iconic Flora-Bama’s annual Mullet Toss, folks along the Gulf Coast are gearing up to have fun this spring. Following are some highlights of what’s happening in the next few weeks. April 5 and 6, Pensacola Beach, 31st annual Pensacola Jazz Fest, […]
Get ready to “Uncork Some Fun in the Sun” at this year’s Sandestin Wine Festival, scheduled for April 10-13. Now in its 28th year, the annual festival offers wine lovers the rare opportunity to sample hundreds of wines from around the world, interact with top wine makers, learn what foods and wines go best together, […]
Winter Dinner Specials, Cafe Palm Breeze, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach. Enjoy Chef John Hamme’s Two for Tuesdays (every Tuesday), featuring two entrees and two glasses of wine for $18.95. And feast on daily dinner specials for $12.95 per person Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. For menus and more information, visit http://www.perdidobeachresort.com; […]
The mild days of winter are ideal for exploring nature along the Alabama Gulf Coast. And the park rangers at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores are offering guided walks for visitors who’d like to learn about the natural history of the area. The themed walks, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each […]
Winter is prime time for food festivals along the Gulf Coast. Following are details on some of the most popular, coming up in the next few weeks. Apalachicola Oyster Cook-off — Friday, January 17, 6 – 8 p.m., and Saturday, January 18, noon – 5 p.m., Riverfront Park On Friday evening, there will be a […]
As an outing for a rainy day, or just for a break from sun and sand, Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum offers an exciting and educational experience for the whole family. One of the most-visited museums in Florida, the kid-friendly facility offers free admission, free parking, and free guided tours of everything from vintage aircraft […]
Happening in November in Destin
Saturday, November 9 Habitrot for Humanity Half Marathon and 5K Run Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 6 a.m. to noon Course features spectacular scenery ranging from beach to bay. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. www.sandestin.com/events Saturday, November 16 Sandestin Wine Festival presents Sparkling Wine and Holiday Nights Village of Baytowne Wharf, 4 to 7 p.m. […]
The Gulf of Mexico and its white-sand beaches are the backdrop for the 29th annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. Rated one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, the Frank Brown festival showcases the talents of songwriters from around the world. This year, the 11-day event runs from […]
Beer Fest This Weekend at Baytowne Wharf
More than 200 international and craft beers from 40-plus breweries are the stars at the sixth annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest in Sandestin. Known as “the Best Beer Fest on the Emerald Coast,” the celebration kicks off on Friday night, October 18, with a beer and barbecue pairing presented by Marlin Grill on the Village […]
Always a crowd pleaser, the National Shrimp Festival opens this week in Gulf Shores. Founded in 1972 to lure vacationers to Alabama beaches during the off-season, the annual festival has grown into one of the Southeast’s biggest special events, attracting more that 250,000 visitors each year. This year’s festival, scheduled for October 10, 11, 12, […]
“The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” is counting down the days till the Destin Fishing Rodeo. Described as “the ultimate tournament for saltwater anglers of all ages,” the popular competition — a magnet for fishermen since 1948 — annually attracts more than 30,000 participants. The fishing is free for everyone aboard boats that are registered in […]
As home to more than 200 species of fish, the Gulf of Mexico attracts thousands of anglers every year. In fact, there’s something biting year-round, all the way from Destin — known as “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and boasting one of the largest charter fishing fleets in the U.S. — to Gulf Shores — […]
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is gearing up for its annual Labor Day Weekend Celebration, August 29 through September 4. This year’s lineup of special events includes an art show, live music, pool parties, picnics, beach volleyball, bonfires, fireworks, and more. Resort guests will also receive discounts on accommodations, plus complimentary bike and kayak rental […]
Country music fans will have something to celebrate when the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam debuts in Panama City Beach next month. Scheduled for September 26, 27, and 28, the event features a stellar lineup that includes Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert, Trace Adkins, Kip Moore, Darryl Worley, Blackberry Smoke, and the Charlie Daniels Band. Performances will […]
The spirit of Old Florida is still alive along the wide, tree-lined streets of Apalachicola. Situated between river and bay, the town has been a busy commerce center since the 1830s and was once the third largest shipping port on the Gulf Coast. Before the Civil War, cotton grown in the surrounding areas was stored […]
Something’s in bloom year-round at Bellingrath Gardens and Home. The former country estate of Mobile Coca-Cola bottler Walter Bellingrath and his wife, Bessie, the 65-acre property in Theodore, Alabama, makes a great day’s outing away from the beach. Attractions include an award-winning rose garden, the Bayou Boardwalk, Mirror Lake, the Great Lawn, the Asian-American gardens, […]
What To Pack for the Beach
While you don’t need a whole lot of stuff for a trip to the beach, it still pays to put a little thought into what you’re packing. Otherwise, you’ll either end up lugging too many pairs of shoes or discovering when you arrive that you’ve forgotten something basic like suntan lotion or your bathing suit. […]
Get fired up and get a head start on football season at the second annual SEC BeachFest, scheduled for August 15, 16, 17, and 18 in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In addition to appearances by football greats Gene Stallings, Vince Dooley, and Phillip Fulmer, activities at this championship celebration include 5K and one-mile fun […]
The annual Pensacola Beach Air Show is flying high again this summer with 24 different aerial acts, plus plenty of food and live entertainment for the whole family. This year’s action-packed show, presented by the Santa Rosa Island Authority, is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 12 and 13. Admission is free. Show time on […]
Watch the past come alive this summer during the annual Twilight Tours of Fort Morgan. Located at the tip of the Fort Morgan Peninsula, near Gulf Shores, the 19th-century fort was built to guard the entrance to the main ship channel into Mobile Bay. Completed in 1834, Fort Morgan was active during four wars – […]
