Alligators and sugar-white sands in Alabama
Gulf Shores has so many quiet bays you could find you have a beach ‘all to yourself’
America’s 22nd state is associated with its rural backwaters, says James March in The Mail on Sunday. In fact, it is sometimes described as the most “redneck” of the southern states. But first-time visitors may be pleasantly surprised by Alabama. It is dotted with attractions, including, as you might expect, some significant landmarks of the Civil Rights Movement; but I for one didn’t even know that it has a coastline – a “lovely” one, with “sugar-white sands and crystalline waters”.
The corner known as Gulf Shores makes for superlative beach-hopping. As I arrived, pelicans flew overhead in “neat V formations” towards “empty golden beaches” that stretched far into the distance. There are so many quiet bays in the area that you could find you have your beach “all to yourself”.
The Lodge At Gulf State Park makes for a good base; although it’s a Hilton, it has a “laid-back atmosphere” that makes it feel like an unusually “opulent beach shack”. Directly behind the hotel lies Gulf State Park, “a world of meandering trails” and lakes that is superb for birdwatching. On my (guided) stroll, I spotted flame-red cardinals and high-hanging turkey vultures. A waterpark nearby is good for families seeking to beat the heat; and for food, head to Orange Beach for its excellent seafood. Coastal restaurant is “the place to go”: just about every evening, its patio is “bathed in the milky orange glow of a Gulf sunset”, and its “creamy grouper-fish sandwich is deliriously succulent”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
About an hour’s drive north, you can do a kayak tour of the Five Rivers Delta, an evocative tangle of “lazy river bayous” sometimes called “America’s Amazon”. As you paddle downstream, you may notice the “dead eyes and green snout” of an alligator. For an “alluring diversion”, you could cross state borders and drive three hours to New Orleans; but you might find that Alabama’s “empty beaches, seductive southern rock, otherworldly nature and an endless sun” are all you need.
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The worst fast food restaurants in America
feature American Customer Satisfaction Index's most recent ranking of our nation's fast food restaurants
By The Week Staff Published
-
'The House GOP is begging to lose their majority'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Pig kidney transplant recipient dies
Speed Read Richard Slayman has passed away two months after undergoing the historic procedure
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Idea of You review: 'impossible escapism' starring Anne Hathaway
The Week Recommends Steamy romcom about a 40-year-old who falls for a boy band singer
By The Week UK Published
-
Expressionists: a 'rousing' exhibition at the Tate Modern
The Week Recommends Show mixes 'ferociously glowing masterpieces' from Kandinsky with less well-known artwork
By The Week UK Published
-
The Buddha of Suburbia: an 'orgiastic odyssey'
The Week Recommends Emma Rice brings Hanif Kureishi's 1990 novel to the stage
By The Week UK Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
Tom Crewe's 6 favorite works that challenge societal norms
Feature The novelist recommends works by Margaret Oliphant, Patrick White, and more
By The Week US Published
-
On the trail of India's wild lions at Sasan Gir National Park
The Week Recommends The sanctuary is a 'roaring' conservation success
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: almond marmalade cake
The Week Recommends This syrupy cake can be toasted for brunch
By The Week UK Published
-
Venice Biennale 2024: from the good to the bad to the downright 'bizarre'
The Week Recommends Central exhibition features the work of some 330 artists
By The Week UK Published