Coming from the Northeast, my idea of a beach day is bringing a lunch and chair and a book to enjoy the sound of the ocean and the view of sailboats and islands in the distance. Most New England beaches don’t have any more amenities than bathrooms and a small snack window. The Gulf Shores is not this type of beach vibe. Lined with condos and hotels, Gulf Shores is a much livelier beach scene. People walk with drinks in their hand saying hello to others as they pass. The sound of music is more prominent than the sound of waves. Bars, restaurants, and tourists shops line the beach and main road.

One of those restaurants/bars is a place called The Hangout. It is an all-in-one destination with a restaurant, music stage, fire pits, lawn games, shops, and a foam pit – yep, a foam pit. Just across the street is the massive Alvin’s Island Gift Store with any and all touristy kitsch and beach clothing you can imagine.

Down the beach a little is the Gulf State Park Pier. This popular spot for fishing also has a restaurant on the pier. Access to the pier does require a fee, but it’s only $2, so if you’re interested in spending a little time watching the fisherman, it would be worth it.

My favorite way to experience the beach, though, was to enjoy morning & evening strolls after the crowds died down. The sands are soft, the beach is long, and the water is warm. Definitely a beach I could get used to.

I also enjoyed tasting southern oysters for the first time. Southern oysters are a lot meatier, and many people enjoy them grilled – I tried these & wasn’t a fan. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Wolf Bay‘s creative & delicious mignonette sauce (DB Oysters with cucumber, shallot, pomegranate & dill). Still, the small briny oysters of the Northeast still have my heart.

Since my pale North European skin can’t spend much time at the beach, I spent the majority of my days exploring the art & history of the area.

At the western end of Gulf Shores is Fort Morgan State Historic Sight. The grounds include a small museum with artifacts and the fort, built in 1834. You can walk inside the fort and check out the rooms & views from the upper deck. If it’s a hot day outside, the cool dampness of the cement rooms is a welcome reprieve.

One of the most pleasant surprises of Gulf Shores is the vibrant art scene. Within a few miles of the beach there were several art galleries and community art centers. During my stay, I checked out the Foley Arts Center (small with a focus on jewelry and pottery), Gulf Coast Arts Alliance (large selection of paintings), and Costal Arts Center of Orange Beach (more of an art museum feel). While there was some overlap with the artists between the 3, I enjoyed talking with the artists that were on site, taking in the unique vibe of each, and buying a few pieces to bring home. The Coastal Arts Center also has a hot shop & clay studio where you can both watch & take classes to learn about creating glass & ceramic pieces.

A little further afield in Elberta is Bamahenge. From artist Mark Cline with funding from George Barber, comes the full scale replica of Stonehenge – even set up to align with the summer solstice. This is just one of the quirky sculptures around Barber Marina, so while I drove around to them all, I can imagine using the nice bike/walking path to make a day of exploring them all. From Dinosaurs in the woods to the Lady in the Water, I enjoyed the surprise sight of each as I came around corner.

To bring home a taste of the south, I made a quick stop at B&B Pecans on my way out of Gulf Shores. While their store is small, it carries a selection of flavored pecans, pecan pies, and candies. I always try to stop at local farms during my travels, so I was happy to add this to my itinerary.

The final stop in the area was Tolstoy Park, just north of Fairhope. Located in the parking lot of a real estate office, Tolstoy Park is the Henry Stuart House – a 1 room domed concrete hut built in 1925. Henry Stuart built this hut to be his residence for the final year of his life (or so the doctor’s told him). He ended up living in it for 18 more years and became a local legend in the area: the Hermit of Montrose. The hut includes the houseware and furnishings that Stuart would’ve had as well as many knickknacks left by visitors throughout the years.

I came for the beach, but I was drawn in by the art and vibrancy of the area.

Google Maps of places mentioned in post.