Media Testimonials

In addition to the comments below, check out our recent media coverage.

Matt Payne and Elaine Warner, 405 Magazine, August 2018

If variety is the spice of life, this stretch of Alabama coast is full of palatable pleasures. Water activities are prime, but there are attractions for history buffs and nature lovers, too.

Paula Burkes, The Oklahoman, May 2018

Lower Alabama, or what locals fondly dub “the other L.A.,” is the first source of water and food for birds migrating north to nest from the Yucatán Peninsula — after 600 miles of hard flapping. It's also the last pit stop every fall before the birds' arduous flight south. Like our feathered friends, more than six million tourists a year drop into the Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan areas (population 16,000) to enjoy our own form of food, drink and release. We find it along 32 miles of the soft, sugar-white sand and clear waters that lace the Gulf of Mexico. There's something way welcoming about Alabamians, whether they're die-hard “Roll Tide” University of Alabama or “War Eagle” Auburn University fans. Waitresses are authentic and as sweet as the sugar in southern sweet iced tea.

Bryan Richards, Trivago, March 2018

Gulf Shores is the place you’ve never considered visiting but absolutely need to add to your bucket list. It’s raw, unpretentious, and full of activities our wives would snub their noses at...head down to the Gulf Shores where outdoor adventure awaits. Tear up some waves with jet skis or catboat rentals, spend the day angling, or kayak through the wetlands. Cap the day with dinner and beers at The Gulf, where the restaurant is built out of shipping containers and the seafood was caught that morning.

Diana Eaton, Tulsa Kids, March 2018

The Alabama Gulf Coast has pretty beaches and is rapidly rising in popularity due to its abundance of natural beauty and the recent growth in activities both on and off shore. And, from a bird’s eye view, it’s obvious why families flock here, but, as the saying goes, there’s more than meets the eye.

Cynthia Drake, Austin American-Statesman, February 2018

Gulf State Park is an appropriate location to begin an entrée to Alabama’s Gulf region. Situated across the freeway from the area’s famous white-sand beaches, the wide-eyed wonder of nature begins to unfold here through dozens of nature programs for campers and day visitors, a theme that continues throughout the area with dolphin cruises, a surprisingly intimate zoo and brag-worthy fish caught from the 1,500-foot pier here, among other nature-based activities. The focus on animals and nature makes Gulf Shores and Orange Beach an ideal family destination, especially during the spring, when throngs of spring breakers head to the more populated beaches in Florida, Mexico and elsewhere.

Allan Richter, Discover Life, December 2017

The area that includes Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, on 32 miles of coastal Alabama’s beautiful white sands, is at once a natural paradise, a fitness maven’s delight and a place to get wild. Getting crazy and plugging into nature in the same spot may sound counterintuitive, but those are perfectly compatible concepts given the great premium Gulf Shores and Orange Beach put on keeping the beaches clean (something the area’s many sea turtles appreciate, too) in the two cities’ “Leave Only Footprints” campaign. Reflecting the destination’s diverse opportunities to lay back and unwind, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach host a cast of characters that includes the restaurateur sister of a music superstar, a kilt-wearing master of ceremonies of a raucous music bar, and a gator named Lefty that doesn’t behave like other members of his shy species.

Cherie Yurco, Making Music Magazine, September 2017

If you are looking for a music-filled getaway that combines gourmet seafood, beautiful sand beaches, and a laid-back relaxing attitude, look no further than Alabama’s Gulf Coast. During my trip in early November last year I was able to enjoy a songwriter festival, craft beer festival, and oyster cook-off. Aside from the live music and large selection of gourmet and southern cuisine, I basked in the beautiful coastal setting and authentic southern hospitality.

Mike Sharp, Texas Outside, April 2017

"Dad, spring break is coming up, where would be a fun place for the family to go!" It took a nanosecond for me to respond with "Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!" The wife and I have been to Gulf Shores three other times and loved it and each time we were there we said, "We've got to get the family back here."

Samantha Nelson, Those Crazy Nelsons, March 2017

“Did you know that Alabama has beautiful, white sandy beaches with warm, clear waters and sunsets that make you consider selling your house, buying a tent and never leaving the beach? Who needs a job anyway, right?”

Linda Holloway, Kids Life Magazine, March 2017

It is that time of the year when winter daydreams transfer to reality. Even as I am writing, my mind wanders from the keyboard to days where the warm Gulf breeze flows over my face and the surf forces sand between my toes. A place where babies coo, children squeal with joy, teens trade phones for activities, and parents are content. This magical place has a name, it is simply tagged… The Beach Club.

Susan Elnicki-Wade, Life, February 2017

Its 32-mile long southern tip juts out into the Gulf of Mexico and is known for lovely beaches with sugar-white sand made of quartz eroded from the Appalachian Mountains.

Karen Kwan, Among Men, February 2017

Powdery white sand beaches and the warm Gulf of Mexico are what draws locals from nearby states to the Gulf Shores of Alabama, but this little gem is worth a long weekend getaway for anyone needing to hit pause and get away from city life. With loads of outdoor activities to immerse yourself in the delicious –and hard-to-find elsewhere– royal red shrimp (these are deep-water crustaceans with a sweet meatiness to them) to indulge in and of course buckets of sunshine, a jaunt here makes for a well-rounded R&R solution.

Jennifer Carter, Cobb Life, January 2017

There is nothing –NOTHING– in this world as transporting for an inland city dweller than that first shock of salty air hitting your nostrils as you near the ocean with the windows rolled down, or more exuberant than that first wash of frothy waves over your feet when you are drawn into that surf like a magnet. The water somehow brings you back to your natural state, and that state is peace.

Allan Richter, Discover Life, January 2017

Reflecting the destination’s diverse opportunities to lay back and unwind, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach host a cast of characters that includes the restaurateur sister of a music superstar, a kilt-wearing master of ceremonies of a raucous music bar, and a gator named lefty that doesn’t behave like other members of his shy species.

Perri O. Blumberg, Architectural Digest, November 2016

Sugar-white-sand beaches, a culinary scene rivaling New Orleans', a vibrant shopping district—Gulf Shores, Alabama, is one of America’s greatest under-the-radar beach towns. Wander your way through the Wharf, an entertainment district that's a hybrid of Rodeo Drive chic and old-school Charleston charm, or enjoy fresh oysters and cocktails at one of the many waterfront locales. And, of course, there’s always the beach.

Katherine Rodeghier, Daily Herald, October 2016

Alabama? Seriously? Yes, I tell my surprised friends. We spent our vacation in Alabama. In fact, in 40 years as a travel journalist, stepping onto all seven continents, I've had the pleasure of staying on the Gulf Coast of Alabama three times, once with my professional organization and twice on family vacations. The first time was decades ago with my kids; last year we took a grandchild. I'd go back in a heartbeat. The communities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores sit on Alabama's Riviera, 32 miles of sugar sand beach, as local boosters like to say. It's unlike the rest of Alabama as its tourist office tries to convey with the slogan: "It's a whole different state."

Tamra Bolton, Parade, October 2016

Everywhere you go on the Alabama Gulf Coast, you will find things that surprise you, entertain you and give you lasting memories of good times, great food and new friends…after all, isn’t that what a vacation is all about?

Randy Mink, Leisure Group Travel, October 2016

There’s something pretty appealing about going out onto your beach house balcony with a morning cup of coffee and watching Gulf of Mexico waters gently lap the wide expanses of white sand. With 32 miles of beaches extending from the Florida border to the western tip of Gulf Shores, Alabama’s coast provides the perfect getaway for girlfriends looking to reconnect in no-pressure surroundings.

Becky Beall, Travel Voice by Becky, August 2016

Nostalgia. The sound of the ocean waves meeting the sandy shoreline also offers me such a feeling. It floods my mind with trip after trip to Gulf Shores with my husband and how our growing family learned to appreciate all the goodness found in Alabama’s coastal community. And, now that they are older, they enjoy those beautiful feelings of nostalgia that juxtapose new memories they are creating with their own families. Yep, nostalgia.

Desire Miller, TravelingMom.com, July 2016

There’s something for everyone in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. You can do much more than sit on the beach, though that’s just fine if that makes you happy. You can go kayaking, eat seafood galore and other special treats, hit the spa, go on a sunset cruise…the sky is the limit.

Candy Harrington, Emerging Horizons, June 2016

Although sand and wheelchairs usually don’t mix, the Alabama Gulf Coast is the exception to that rule. In fact, this 32-mile stretch of coastline is the perfect vacation choice for wheelchair-users and slow walkers. From a very comfortable accessible cabin just minutes from the beach, to accessible trails, sightseeing tours and even power beach wheelchairs, there’s no shortage of fun accessible things to do along this scenic slice of the Alabama coast.

Mark Shuman, Daily Journal, June 2016

Some people might be surprised that Lower Alabama's sands are as soft and white as Cancun's, but we knew it, and now we love "L.A.," too. Not just for the beaches, either. True, the 17,000 condominiums in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area are there for a reason; the beaches are spectacularly wide, white and clean. But there are good opportunities to get outside and appreciate other natural and historical attractions in a part of the country many Midwesterners have never explored.

Bob Curley, Coastal Living, May 2016

Alabama’s Gulf Coast isn’t all about the beaches: the 6,000-acre Gulf State Park between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, for example, has six different ecosystems, including wet pine flatwoods, live oak maritime forests, coastal dunes and swales, longleaf sand ridges, freshwater marshes, and coastal hardwood swamps. You can explore them all by foot or bike on the paved, 15-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, keeping a sharp eye out for white-tailed deer, foxes, and alligators. After a day of pedaling, geocaching, and birding, settle down for the night at one of the park’s new outpost campsites, built on platforms and equipped with bunk beds, grills, and canvas tenting. Not into roughing it? Segway tours of the trail are available, too. 

Jefferey Payne, Chill Magazine, March 2016

Whether it’s family time with the kids, an adventure with your golfing and diving buddies, or you want to impress your wife or girlfriend with how grown up and romantic you’ve become, you’re hard pressed to find a nicer shoreline. 

Jane Schneider, Memphis Parent, March 2016

Seven hours south of Memphis, balmy Gulf Shores, Alabama beckons. Long a favorite beach getaway for Memphians, the shoreline boasts the usual assemblage of condos and high rises, looking like colorful children’s blocks lining the water’s edge. But beach time isn’t the only form of relaxation this getaway has to offer. You’ll find extravagant wildlife and outdoor fun just steps away from its sandy shores.

Matt Ward, Golf Travel Weekly, January 2016

Usually when people hear the expression — “roll tide” — the automatic assumption from many would be the rightful fanfare tied to the much acclaimed University of Alabama football program. That’s true but the Gulf Coast region is also beginning to make it’s own kind of waves with a tide that is indeed rising to prominence.