Your Guide to an Unplugged Beach Vacation
Does your family need a digital detox? Replace screen time with sand time on Alabama’s 32 miles of white-sand beaches.
If the thought of pocketing your tablets and smartphones for a week causes you heartburn, then it may be a sign you’re due some downtime without the digital distractions.
How do you accomplish an unplugged family vacation in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach? We’ve got a few ideas to help you make it happen.
If you can’t declare a blanket ban on electronics for the duration of the trip, set usage hours. Leave daytime for beaches, attractions and connecting with family, then catch up on emails and texts at night.
Recapture family time and hold strong to your resolve. If you’re a book lover, leave the tablet at home and bring a paperback instead. Replace Hay Day with an old-fashioned game of Monopoly. If you’re really serious about unplugging, bring a digital camera so you can leave the smartphone in the nightstand drawer at your beach condo.
Use your newfound time to make new family vacation traditions. Challenge the kids to a sandcastle-building contest or cast your line on an Orange Beach charter fishing trip. Let the little ones climb at Boulder Park on the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail.
After a day or two, your family may not even realize they’re on a digital detox. Rather than tech distractions, they’ll be distracted by fun in the sun on Alabama’s beaches. Fair warning: They may not want to leave!
