Tips and Tricks

I always try to make a point to plan family activities, particularly when we are on vacation. That’s one of the main reasons for vacation—to help our little family stay connected. But it seems that as the kids get older, it’s getting harder to please everyone. I have to be careful that my attempts at bringing everyone together do not actually cause division due to fighting over what to do!

So I try to listen to everyone’s ideas, and one thing I have found is that music is almost always a big hit. And there are lots of music options at the Alabama Gulf Coast. Music festivals and concerts by various artists from a range of genres are frequent in the area. I’ve always found these events to be a great way to break up a vacation and entertain the entire family.

The next time you visit Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, I highly recommend checking out one of these music events. You can begin your musical exploration at www.thebeachiscalling.org.

My sister and I were just talking about how there’s nothing like a good beach book. It’s a very important issue for us, as we both love to sit on the beach, dig our toes into the sand and get lost in a good book. It just doesn’t get anymore relaxing than that.

We were trying to figure out what exactly makes a good beach book. Does the story have to take place at an actual beach? Should it be a romance? A comedy? Is a realistic story better or should it be more whimsical? We realized that the beach books we’ve read and loved over the years have varied between all of these characteristics and more. This led us to our next question: do the books enhance the beach experience or does the beach enhance our enjoyment of the book?

Maybe it’s a little of both, but one thing I know for sure is that sitting on a beach at the Alabama Gulf Coast definitely makes reading more enjoyable. With the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico sprawled out in front of me, I can easily relax and be absorbed by just about any story. I love to read anyway, so this type of setting is absolute heaven. I’m already planning for our next trip down to Gulf Shores, and this planning includes picking out a good book.

To start planning your next Gulf vacation, and for more information about the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach contests, go to www.thebeachiscalling.org.

I love my mp3 player. It’s so great for traveling. I actually plan music anytime we take a trip. I set up a “family” playlist of music that we all enjoy, and we listen to this music while we drive. Once before a particularly long roadtrip, I even created playlists that sort of matched the different areas we drove through. I was accused of having too much time on my hands, but it helped make the drive a little more interesting.

I also create/update my own “beach” playlist. This is an essential part of planning for me, and I always put a lot of thought into what music would best enhance my whitesand, Albama Gulf Coast beach-lounging experience. Choosing the right music really helps me relax, and choosing the wrong music…well, it’s certainly not going to ruin my good time, but it can be annoying to have to keep skipping over a song that I’ve decided I don’t actually like!

If you have your own beach/vacation music, get it out and listen to it. It might help inspire your entry into the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach contests. If you haven’t already, visit www.myspace.com/algulfcoast to learn more.

There are so many benefits to a great vacation and so many things that always make my vacations especially enjoyable, like after-dinner walks on the beach and playing with the kids in the gulf.

Now I have the opportunity to add even more value to these experiences by entering the “What Makes You Flip for Gulf Shores/Orange Beach?” contest. All I have to do is pick one of my favorite things about Gulf Shores/Orange Beach and write about it—the hard part will be deciding what I like best about the area! If I win, I’ll get a fabulous prize package, including a two-night stay and a Flip Video Camera. I have until April 15th to enter, and there will be another chance to enter between June 1st and August 15th.

Anyone interested in entering this contest can find more information on the Alabama Gulf Coast MySpace page at www.myspace.com/algulfcoast.

Is there anything worse than spend an entire trip feeling less than your best?
We can't claim to have the cure for the common cold at the Alabama Gulf Coast (even a cold seems better at the beach!), but there are some common-sense ways to ensure that a foreseeable circumstance doesn't put a damper on your stay:
1. Wear sunscreen – No matter the season or the weather, if you can go outside, you can sustain damage from the sun to your skin. Even in overcast conditions, ultraviolet rays can make their way to exposed areas. Use sunscreen to deter sunburns, even chapped skin from wind. And remember to reapply liberally.
2. Drink plenty of water – Staying properly hydrated might just be the “magic bullet” treatment so many people are searching for. Drinking enough water keeps a body healthy inside and out.
3. Rest – Everybody wants to get as much as possible out of vacation. But if you go home exhausted, that defeats the purpose. So slow down, kick your sandles off, take a nap.
4. Be mindful of the “locals” -- Insects, plants and creatures by land and by sea are beautiful to observe but less than pleasant to encounter, so be on the lookout for advisories and watch your step.
If you do find yourself in need of some first aid, visit www.thebeachiscalling.com. Click on “Travel Tools” and go to “Guest Services” in the drop-down window.