101 Things to Do at the Beach

What to Do on Some of the Best Beaches in the World...
You've heard of the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." Along Alabama's Gulf Coast, we have our own unique list of "must try" things to do submitted by our visitors, and we're making it available to everyone. (As if you really need to know what to do on some of the best beaches in the world!) We want to hear about your favorite things to do on and around the beautiful white sand beaches of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. Vote for any of the favorites shown here or submit a new favorite of your own. You can even send us pictures of you or your family doing your favorite thing on your most recent visit to Alabama's beautiful white sand beaches.

1.   Relax!   4116 2.   Hunt crabs on the beach at night.   4100 3.   Having a drink on the beach with friends!   2938 4.   Meet the stars of Animal Planet's The Little Zoo That Could (a.k.a. Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo).   2120 5.   Sit in a low beach chair at the water’s edge and have the waves crash over you.   1805 6.   Eating at Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores.   1635 7.   Catch the "throwed" rolls at Lambert's in Foley. (Heads up!)   1596 8.   Going to LuLu's! Although the wait is long, the food is great!   1342 9.   Ride the Ferris wheel at The Wharf.   1253 10.   Watch the Mardi Gras parades in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!   1171 show 11 - 40   show 41 - 70   show 71 - 101     11. Catch a Brent Burns performance. 12. Take long, slow walks on the beach.  Fill your pockets with small shells that you can put in a glass jar in your kitchen window back home. 13. Stop at Hope's Cheesecake for cheesecake on a stick. 14. Find my inner Huck Finn kayaking the Bon Secour River in Foley with BeachnRiver Kayak Rentals. 15. Jam out at The Wharf amphitheater with the likes of Widespread Panic and Brad Paisley. 16. Snuggle up next to your spouse late at night on the balcony and watch the lightning over the gulf. It’s almost like you’re the only two people in the world. 17. Stop at Burris' Farm Market on your way down for the freshest fruit, veggies and Strawberry Shortcake. 18. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach! 19. Having our family's portraits made by The Picture Man! 20. Don’t forget lunch at Desoto’s – the best food on the beach! 21. Ride the waves and float down lazy river at The Oasis at The Wharf! 22. Wake up early and take a walk along the beach. You find more shells in the morning. 23. Get married on the beach. 24. Meet someone new and special. Spend the rest of your time there with them :) 25. Visit the zoo. My kids love to see the monkey read the newspaper. And Mikee's!! 26. Dig your toes in the beautiful white sand while watching the waves break on shore. 27. Take the ferry to Dauphin Island 28. Eat at the Shrimp Shack in San Roc Cay, Orange Beach daily specials are awesome and servers are friendly and polite!!!! 29. Watch the magnificent Gulf Coast sunrise and sunset. 30. Just hang out and enjoy my kids! 31. Boat rides around in the bay taking pictures or hanging out on the beach. 32. I printed out the list of 101 things to do at the beach and I'm going to try to do as many of them as possible as I visit Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. 33. Go down to the west end of the beach, at sunset, and watch the crains and pelicans, near the water outlet where the intercoastal waterway spills into the gulf of mexico. lots of shells there too! great photo opp! 34. Shrimp or oyster po'boys at The Shrimp Basket are a must! 35. Purchase some inspiring art items at the Waterfront Festival of Art in Orange Beach. 36. Get a bird’s eye view of the brilliant blue water while parasailing. 37. Sitting on the beach watching a beautiful pink and orange sunset with margarita in-hand! 38. Going to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley in June! 39. Body surf the waves. 40. Walk in the rain on the beach.   41. Food, fun, and fellowship with friends at Lulu's!!!! 42. Go on a dolphin sightseeing boat. 43. Attend the Shrimp Festival. Choose from fried, boiled, etoufee or on-a-stick. There's music, food and lots of art. A must do. 44. Take photos on the beach, near the dunes or on the rocks at the foot of Perdido Pass Bridge. 45. Eat at Bubba’s all-you-can-eat shrimp. 46. Sit on my beach chair near the Gulf, close my eyes, and just LISTEN! 47. Enjoy the great music, childrens activities, arts, and crafts at the Annual Shrimp Festival in October. 48. People watch on the beach,while sitting under a beach umbrella. 49. Bond and reconnect with your family and relax. 50. Ride the Wild Woody and the Sky Coaster at The Track. 51. Grab a pitcher of suds (beer) and a dozen on the 1/2 shell (oysters) at Sea-n-Suds. The ONLY restaurant ON the Gulf. 52. Lay in the sugar white sand at night and count UFO's 53. Cold mil fleet dolphin cruises. We go every year. My grandchildren would think we had missed something if we skipped that. 54. Getup early in the morning and walk down to the marina and watch the boats go out. 55. Eat fried shrimp - and lots of it! 56. Kitesurfing 57. Enjoy a pitcher of beer and a bucket of Royal Reds at the Gulf Shores Steamer. 58. We always try to fly 2 or 3 brightly colored kites while we play on the beach. The ocean breezes make kite flying sooooo fun and easy. 59. Visit the world-famous Flora-Bama Lounge, the "last great American roadhouse". 60. Hang out at the beach all day, walk the strip in Gulf Shores with your friends and make a stop at The Hangout. 61. Have breakfast at Big O’s! 62. Hunt crabs on the beach at night. 63. Eat at Bahama Bobs for a fantastic sandwich or seafood delight. 64. Read a book under the sizzling summer sun while enjoying the cool breeze coming off the ocean and a cool drink by my side - pure bliss. 65. Sit on the beach and just listen to the waves. 66. Go fly a kite! 67. Go Crabbing at Fort Morgan. 68. Rent Bikes and tour Gulf Shores and Orange Beach 69. Go for dinner at Jessie's in Magnolia Springs. It's off the beach at bit, but their food is amazing! Totally worth the drive!!! 70. The White Sands Silver Jewelry & Boutique shop in Orange Beach is a must. They have a great little shop with some great silver pieces, artwork and handbags.   71. Eat at Bayside Grill. 72. Take a family picture in the mouth of the giant shark at Souvenir City. 73. Have a beer and a burger at Pirate's Cove Marina - and go there by boat. 74. Curl up under your beach umbrella with Anne Morrow Lindbergh's classic short memoir, "Gift from the Sea." 75. Shopping at Old Time Pottery. They have such great bargains and I always come home with something new for my home. 76. Stay at The Indies at Fort Morgan & walk to Tacky Jacks 2 for dinner, then sit at the tip of the marina and watch the sunset. 77. Go jet skiing, boating, water skiing or parasailing. 78. 13. Going to LuLu's! Although the wait is long, the food is great! 79. Bury yourself in the sand at night 80. Surf fishing is fun. I saw a man catch a small shark - and then release it! 81. Take an early morning stroll on the beach before anyone else has left their footprints; you'll feel as though the beach belongs to you! 82. Eating at Wolf Bay Lodge is the best! 83. Watching the fireworks over the water on the 4th of July in Gulf Shores. 84. Catch mullet madness at the annual Interstate Mullet Toss. 85. Live in flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts. 86. Eat at Lester's on Canal Road. 87. Bag some serious bargains at Tanger Outlet Center. 88. The race track and bumper boats in Gulf Shores are great for the kids! 89. Laser tag at Adventure Island! 90. Surf the Flowrider at Waterville. 91. Ride the tallest Ferris wheel in the southeast at The Wharf. 92. Hunt for shells! 93. Make the sugar sand "bark" while you run through it. 94. Take a walk on the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. 95. Watching the sun rise while having a hot cup of coffee. 96. Polar bear dip at the Flora-Bama 97. Read a book on the beach. 98. Look for Flounder at the pass on West beach at night. 99. Swimming and playing in Lake Shelby is our #1 thing to do in Gulf Shores. 100. Learn to use those little surf boards on the edge of the water. 101. Enjoy the mini-golf and bumper cars at the amusement area in Orange Beach. Want to see other fun things to do that didn't make the top 101? Click here. We were having so much fun coming up with our 101 things, we decided to stop and give you a chance to join in. Got something that's a "must try" Gulf Shores/Orange Beach activity? Something you have to eat, or see or do every time you're here? Send us your favorites and we may add them to our list.