Each spring we take you on a guided tour of the newthings to to see and do when you make your annual pilgrimage to the sugared sands of Alabama and Florida’s Gulf Coast.
By Joe O’Donnell and Mary Ellen Stancill
Newhangout
At the corner of State highways 59
and 182, you’ll find The Hangout.
Named for a popular Gulf Shores spot
in the late 1950s and early 1960s,
there’s a retro feel to this modern day
establishment which includes a
restaurant, shop, three outdoor
theme bars, stage for live music and
projection screen to show old beach
movies. Join in the limbo contest and
see if you can beat the 17 inch
record!thehangoutal.com
True, blue restaurant
One of the Gulf Coast’s newest
restaurants, Cobalt offers picturesque
views of the bay and Perdido Pass, a
live petting tank and, of course, great
food. Located next door to the Caribe
Resort in Orange Beach, the restaurant
is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
with a wide selection of menu
options, from gourmet pizzas to classic
seafood favorites. Plenty of boat
slips are also available for small
boats or even medium-sized yachts.
cobaltorangebeach.com
Restored B&B
If you’re looking for a quiet
respite at the beach, book a room at
the 84-year-old, newly restored
Original Romar House Bed and
Breakfast Inn. Damaged by
Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the house
has returned to its 1924 charm with
modern amenities including a heated
pool and Purple Parrot Bar. Collect
shells on the beach or relax in a hammock,
but if you get the itch for a little
more action, Orange Beach activities
are just minutes away. bbonline.com/al/romarhouse
All-in-one destination
It’s no wonder there’s so much to
do at Guy Harvey’s new venture, Guy
Harvey’s Island Grill, Shop and
Gallery at The Wharf in Orange
Beach. Known as an artist, scientist,
diver, angler, conservationist and
explorer, Harvey’s Orange Beach
establishment combines many of his
passions into a destination for the
whole family to enjoy. The gallery,
located just across the veranda from
the restaurant, is the first in the
United States. There’s also a game
room and a large outdoor boat bar.
guyharveysislandgrill.com
Fishing pier
Set to open this spring, the fishing
pier at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores
will be the longest fishing pier in the
Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Ivan
destroyed the old 825 foot pier in
2004, but the new pier will be
stronger, longer and packed with
added amenities. A concession stand,
restrooms, picnic tables, snack bar
and tackle shop will be found along
the 20 feet wide, 1,512 feet long and
20 feet above sea level expanse.
alapark.com
Encounter alligators
Check out Alligator Alley in
Summerdale to see more than 150
alligators, including Capt. Crunch, the
13 foot long, 800 pound gator who
has the world’s strongest bite ever
recorded for an alligator. From an
elevated boardwalk, visitors can
observe alligators feeding at 11 a.m.,
1 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily. All gators at
Alligator Alley are part of the Florida
Nuisance Alligator Removal program,
which provides a safe and natural
habitat for alligators more than 4 feet
long who have lost their natural fear
of humans. Visit gatoralleyfarm.com
for more information and to see the
video of Capt. Crunch breaking the
world record with a 2,982 pound bite!
gatoralleyfarm.com
Grand kids
The 160–year-old Grand Hotel
Marriot Resort on the bay in Point
Clear is known as a great family spot,
especially for families with young
children. Just ask the likes of
Travel+Leisure, Zagat and AAA.
Following a $50 million renovation in
2003 and another $50 million renovation
completed in late 2006 (to
repair damage from Hurricane
Katrina), folks continue to rave about
the numerous activities for families to
enjoy. Offerings include a zero entry
pool for young children with a waterfall,
two whirlpools and a slide located
next to the Tom Sawyer’s
Treehouse and Playground, bicycle
rentals, guided trail rides, croquet,
horseshoes and a putting green
where tot-sized putters are available.
Children ages 5 to 12 can sign up for
the Grand Fun Camp and teens can
play foosball, pool or Wii in the Grand
Teen Center. A European-style spa,
two 18-hole golf courses and seven
restaurants ensure adults will enjoy
their Grand Hotel experience as well.
marriottgrand.com
Tour nature
Bon Secour National Wildlife
Refuge has 7,000 acres of wildlife
habitat for migratory birds, nesting
sea turtles and the endangered
Alabama beach mouse. Through the
end of March, visitors can make
reservations (by calling 251-540-
7720) for free guided nature tours
focused on bird watching, plants,
ecology, history of the area and any
wildlife you might encounter. Yearround,
visitors are encouraged to
explore the Jeff Friend Trail,
Centennial Trail, Pine Beach Trail and
Gator Lake Trail on their own.
fws.gov/bonsecour
Two festivals, one weekend
Fairhope is the place to be during
the weekend of March 20 to 22. The
58th Annual Arts and Crafts Festival
and the 37th Annual Outdoor Art
Show draw locals and vacationers
alike as exhibitors line the streets of
downtown Fairhope. Last year
brought more than 250,000 people to
the area to enjoy the perfect spring
weather, blooming azaleas and
vibrant art community.
eschamber.com esartcenter.com
Beach couture
If you’re looking to fill your beach
wardrobe with more than flip flops
and tank tops, head to Coastal
Couture in Orange Beach where you’ll
find selections like Valentino shoes
and handbags, Tom Ford sunglasses
and Tory Burch dresses. Open seven
days a week during the spring and
summer, Coastal Couture carries a
mix of vendors in a variety of price
ranges from Marc by Marc Jacobs and
Dolce and Gabbana to Cynthia
Vincent and Tibi. Check them out in
the new Publix shopping center, just
across the street from the beach.
251-981-5000
Perdido Beach Resort
The Perdido Beach Resort is a
Mediterranean-style resort, with twin
towers offering 346 oversized rooms
and suites, each comfortably decorated
in a tasteful coastal style. The
resort’s Voyager’s Restaurant specializes
in locally provided seafood and
produce and an extensive wine list
featuring select bottles from
California, France, and Australia,
including the area's finest selection of
wines from Cain Vineyard and
Winery, as well as unique French
Burgundies. After a fine meal, take a
midnight stroll along the beach or
enjoy the soothing sounds of piano
music and entertainment in the
Lobby Lounge.
perdidobeachresort.com
Perfect place for a hammock
Hammock Bay, a 3,000-acre
master planned community on the
north shore of Choctawhatchee
Bay, consists of 13 separate and
distinct neighborhoods with home
from the $160s to the $600s. There
are 20 miles of cycle, walking and
nature trails; a residents-only Lake
Club with wide screen movie theatre,
$250,000 kids playground,
and its own resort style pools; a
state of the art fitness center; a Bay
Club on 500 feet of
Choctawhatchee Bay front with its
own 700-foot boat dock. Hammock
Bay is also home to the Freeport
Regional Sports Complex at
Hammock Bay—60 acres of ball
fields, soccer fields, tennis, basketball,
shuffleboard and volleyball.
Beach Fire
With a clean, fresh approach to
casual fine dining, Fire Restaurant
in Grayton Beach specializes in natural,
hearty, true dishes that offer
flavors ranging from adventurous to
the familiar comfort. Presenting a
menu rooted in locally grown vegetables
and Gulf fish, Fire
Restaurant melds flavor and texture
in dishes that change with the season.
And don’t be surprised if a little
New Orleans flair sneaks into a
recipe or two: Executive Chef Carl
Schubart is a New Orleans native
who has brought with him a love of
fresh ingredients—and a good
roux.
restaurantfire.com
YOLO Surfing
If riding the wild surf is a bit too
adventurous for you, check out
YOLO boarding, a new kind of
“surfing” that suits those who love
the water but not the wave action.
YOLO (an acronym for You Only Live
Once) involves standing up and paddling
on a big, safe, comfortable longboard,
offering a whole new point of
view—from paddling with dolphins
or sneaking up on blue crabs to dropping
in at your favorite surf-break or
just enjoying the view towards the
beach. YOLO-ing has evolved from its
surfing roots to a far more gentle way
to enjoy time on the water from a
new perspective—anywhere, anytime.
Rent boards, take lessons and
learn more about this new sport at
YOLO Board, 820 N. County Hwy.
393 in Santa Rosa Beach.
yoloboard.com
Zip in at the Wharf
At the opposite end of the adventure
spectrum is the new zip line in
Village of Baytowne Wharf at
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The
zip line runs 52 feet above the ground
and takes adventurers 650 feet from
tower to tower, giving great, and very
fast, views of the Baytowne Wharf
area.
baytownewharf.com
Classic and chic
The mother-daughter team of
Vickie and Shelby Miller are the creative
inspiration behind Magpies, an
inviting new jewelry store in Seaside’s
Ruskin Place that offers the perfect
combination of classic and chic. The
two search the world to bring
Beaches of South Walton the finest,
most unique collection of fashion jewelry
available. Finely crafted classic
pieces as well as modern alternatives
keep the merchandise balance young
and fresh.
magpiesjewelry.com
Beach artist
Abstract Artist Michael McCarty,
the Beaches of South Walton 2009
“Artist of the Year,” produces contemporary,
modern art work and traditionally
works with acrylic on canvas,
but has been known to experiment
with mixed media. His canvases are
filled with an abundance of color,
sometimes brilliant and sometimes
muted, but always interwoven with
subtle visual suggestions. McCarty
designed cover art for bands including
Atlanta Rhythm Section Little
Richard, James Brown, Willie Nelson,
Waylon Jennings and Lynyrd Skynyrd
among many others.
Green beach
The 158-acre master planned
enclave of Alys Beach (the 15th and
latest community in the Beaches of
South Walton), offers more than 600
rowhouses, courtyard homes, villas
and compound retreats—accommodations
all positioned to take advantage
of water views, sight corridors
and Gulf breezes. The community has
1,500 feet of beach front and a 20-
acre nature preserve. Alys Beach is
the first entire community in the
world to be designed “Fortified … for
safer living,” a national inspectionbased
program launched by the
Institute for Business & Home Safety.
The town draws on sustainable
design and construction techniques
to create a harmonious relationship
between people and their environment.
Information about short-term
rentals is available by calling
866-732-9276.
alysbeach.com
Award-winning hotel
The readers of Travel + Leisure
chose WaterColor Inn and Resort as
one of the “Top 100 Hotels in the
Continental U.S. and Canada” in the
magazine’s 2008 World’s Best
Awards survey. This is the third
consecutive year the 60-room, beachfront
hotel has been named to this
prestigious list.
Forbes.com recently listed the
property as one of its 2008 “Ultimate
U.S. Vacation Spots,” and the Inn was
named to Condé Nast Traveler’s coveted
2008 Gold List, which revealed
its readers’ choices for “The World’s
Best Places to Stay.” Watercolor is
Northwest Florida’s only AAA Four
Diamond hotel.
Eco and terracotta
New this year at Portifino Island
Resort on Pensacola Beach are two ecotours designed to explore the Gulf
Islands National Seashore and the
Gulf of Mexico, including biking, hiking
and kayaking. Terracotta
Restaurant will be renovated this year
and welcomes Chef Robert Theriot
from New Orleans. He is revamping
the restaurant’s menu beginning in
March, which will focus on European
coastal cuisine. Central to Chef
Theriot’s menu will be working with
local markets and farmers to bring
the freshest available ingredients to
the day’s menu.
portofinoisland.com
Spanish wine
Fine Spanish wines, elegant tapas,
savory paella, jazz music and bay
breezes are just a few things visitors
can expect during Pensacola’s fourday
wine festival, April 2 to 5. To
commemorate the city’s 450th
anniversary and Spanish heritage,
this year’s wine festival will incorporate
a Spanish theme, with special
guests including winemaker Jorge
Ordoñez, food critic John T. Edge and
the Pensacola celebrity chefs.
pensacolawinefestival.com
Pier Park
At roughly 1 million square feet,
this Panama City Beach open-air
complex is Northwest Florida’s
largest shopping/dining/entertainment
venue. Newly-opened restaurants
and stores are a mix of popular
national chains and favorite local
boutiques and eateries. Offerings
include: Jimmy Buffett’s
Margaritaville, Dillard’s, Borders,
JCPenney, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Old
Navy, Candymaker Candy Stores,
Massage Envy, Panera Bread, The
Back Porch restaurant and Hofbrau
Beer Garden, plus Grand 16 Theatre,
a 16-screen, 3,000-seat movie theater
complex. Pier Park, developed by
Simon Property Group, offers a parklike
setting and spectacular Gulf
views. The adjacent Aaron Bessant
Amphitheater hosts the Pier Park
concert series each Thursday night in
June and July, featuring outdoor musical
performances ranging from rock
and country to jazz and blues.
simon.com
Discover wine
The Sandestin Wine Festival at
Baytowne Wharf brings an opportunity
for discovery. Four days of unique
events open up a wide range of experiences
from attending private dinners,
participating in auctions for rare
and distinctive wines, and taking part
in wine tastings showcasing more
than 600 domestic and international
wines. Wine novices are able to learn
more about wines and sample from a
comprehensive selection including
the finest appellations from all major
producing countries in all varieties,
styles and price ranges. Wine aficionados
enjoy meeting winemakers,
asking detailed questions and acquiring
hard-to-get selections. An added
bonus is the opportunity to immediately
purchase your favorite selections.
All wines are available at special
event pricing at the Retail Wine
Tent on Saturday and Sunday.
sandestinwinefestival.com
