It has been several months since I've posted last. We have made a few runs up and down the road to Kansas City but really haven't traveled in awhile. Our next jaunt is our annual jaunt to Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, Alabama. I can't wait!
A friend asked me recently how we discovered Gulf Shores. I owe it to my friend and ex-sister-in-law, Theresa. She used to go there (and may still) and one summer took my daughter, Meghan, with her. Meghan came home gushing about the beaches and the restaurants and the fun that she had while in Gulf Shores. That planted the seed.
In 2005 or '06 we took our first Spring Break beach trip to Rockport, TX. We liked our little studio condo and we liked the little bay that was just outside our door. The complex was full of Snow Birds, those "old" folks who spend their winters in warmer climates away from places like Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Kansas. Rockport was a nice little town but it was a long drive to a real beach on Mustang Island. I was not impressed with the beaches there. They just seemed a little dirty to me. We had a nice trip and an enjoyable time but it just wasn't what I was looking for.
The next year we decided to stay in Port Aransas on Mustang Island. Of course, I was trying to save money and picked a condo that cost less than others. It was a nice condo but, it was in the middle of town, not on the beach. That meant loading coolers, chairs, bags and other miscellaneous items into the car every time we wanted to go to the beach. I think we went twice. We decided on that trip to find another beach.
We didn't go anywhere in 2007. I was job hunting, Erin was getting ready to graduate from high school and it just wasn't a good year to go. In the fall of 2007 I guess I caught spring fever a little early because I started looking at condos in Alabama. Ken and I had always wanted to go there and it just seemed like a good year to go. I found what looked to be a nice little place with a nice little rental fee so, in November, I made our reservations with Lynn Brau at http://www.myvacationcondos.com/ and we were set.
In March of '08 we set forth on a two-day, 18 hour drive to find our dream beach. And, we have returned every year since. This will be our third year with Lynn and our fourth year to go to Alabama. And I can't wait!
To read about our 2010 trip, check out the Prairie Wanderer archives. I will be blogging again once I am in beach attire with the sound of the Gulf in my ears and white sand is in my shoes.
