For some people, choosing the right beach for vacation is serious business. (It’s me — I’m some people.) I want all things from one beach trip: beautiful white sand, easy water access for paddleboarding and dark skies for starwatching (not to mention sea-turtle protection). I also want charming boutiques, unusual activities and the hubbub of other happy vacationers.
This year, instead of trying to force one beach to be everything, I went to two, both about a seven-hour drive from Nashville. Here’s my tale of two beaches.
Gulf Shores, Ala.
Usually, when people refer to Gulf Shores, Ala., they’re talking about three communities officially called “Alabama’s Beaches.” That includes, from east to west, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan, a 30-mile strip along the Gulf Coast that encompasses many acres of protected land, including in Gulf State Park and the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge. One of the things that makes me love these Alabama beaches so much is that these are places where being in nature is encouraged. Yes, there is a lot of development, but there are still places to walk among the Southern pines and watch the waves crash. Since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Gulf Shores has become more environmentally conscious, investing some of its BP Restore Act funding into habitat restoration, beach access and recreation — plus the development of the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability, which opened earlier this year. Heading to Gulf Shores from Nashville will get easier in November, when Allegiant Air starts direct flights to the Gulf Shores International Airport. The airport launched commercial flights earlier this year.
Stay
Since 2007, I’ve rented houses from Sunset Properties, a family-owned company that helps me find spots in Fort Morgan — my go-to because the beaches are dog-friendly (unlike in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach). It’s quieter and more remote — 16 miles or so to the grocery store — but you get serene views and access to both the Gulf and Mobile Bay.
If I wanted to opt for a hotel, it would be The Lodge at Gulf State Park. Rebuilt in 2018 after Hurricane Ivan destroyed its predecessor, it was designed to withstand storms and respect the beach environment. The state park also has cabins with easy water access — perfect views from a central location.
Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach
Do
At the beach, I like to do things that can be done only at the beach. I started with Sand Castle University, which is exactly what it sounds like. SCU comes to the beach nearest you and teaches you how to make head-turning sand castles. The timing didn’t work for me to do a Paddle and Paint Kayak Excursion at Wind and Water Learning Center, but that is the most me outing imaginable, floating on crystal-clear water and painting with watercolors from inside a rented kayak. I’m a huge fan of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach, so I headed there to look at the galleries and to take a hand-building pottery class. They mailed my vase back to me in Nashville. That way it had time to dry and so I wasn’t responsible for its safe transit. On days when I’d had enough sun, I explored Fort Morgan, a National Historic Landmark that has been standing, hidden in plain sight, since 1834.
Like many beach towns, Gulf Shores has a lot of good spots to grab fresh seafood, fried food and buckets of beer. I don’t eat shellfish, but my friends do, so I make sure to get them some royal reds, the deepwater shrimp that is a specialty of the region. Tacky Jack’s, which has waterfront locations in Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, is one of our go-tos. I like taking food back to my rental house to eat on the deck. Sarah’s Homemade is one of my favorites, particularly the chicken salad and chocolate chip cookies. Woodside Restaurant, inside Gulf State Park, uses some ingredients grown in the park and offers a nice selection of vegetarian dishes (sometimes hard to come by at the beach); it has seating both on the screened-in porch and the outdoor patio.
Ocean Springs
Ocean Springs, Miss.
After my Alabama Beaches soirée, I headed to Ocean Springs, Miss. Ocean Springs has an Amtrak station, and the new Gulf Coast route starts this summer, connecting New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., by train. Nashvillians aren’t so lucky. (Please, TDOT, help us get rail service back.) We can drive or fly to the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, although not directly. Ocean Springs gets lumped in with Gulfport and Biloxi, but the town has a completely different vibe, best suited for leisurely strolls through town, art appreciation and nods to all things Elvis.
Stay
I stayed at Gulf Hills Hotel and Resort, a nearly century-old resort tucked away in the middle of a golf course, just a mile-and-a-half from downtown. In the 1950s, Gulf Hills was where Elvis Presley liked to get away. The hotel has had a lot of lives (and rebuilding from hurricanes). The current iteration leans into Elvis and the midcentury-modern vibes. I scored a large dog-friendly room with a kitchenette, and made use of the big pool, groovy lobby and scenic views. Plus, because it is the only waterfront hotel in Ocean Springs, I could paddleboard right outside my door.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art
Do
One of the best things about Ocean Springs is the legacy of Walter Anderson, who lived there for years. He was a sometime recluse who suffered from mental illness, and thus his talent was not always recognized in his lifetime. At the Walter Anderson Museum of Art downtown, you get a comprehensive look at Anderson’s enormous talent, including his murals in the Ocean Springs Community Center next door. Much of Anderson’s work was about the natural world. (He once strapped himself to a tree on nearby Horn Island so he could experience a hurricane in the landscape!) Anderson’s family’s Shearwater Pottery has been a working ceramics studio since 1928. After many visits, I finally headed home with one of their ceramic pelicans to grace my living room. Shearwater is in a neighborhood where I like to paddle, and normally I’d drop in at Inner Harbor Park. But I was in the mood for more art, so I drove the nine minutes to Biloxi to the Ohr O’Keefe Museum of Art, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry. Having all my high culture out of the way, I cruised down Beach Boulevard during Golden Hour. For the 30ish miles between Biloxi and Bay St. Louis, the Mississippi Gulf Coast offers open views and access, never blocked by high-rises or surf shops.
Gulf Hills Hotel has a bar, but not a restaurant as of yet, which was a good excuse to venture out. I wanted an excuse to wander downtown and check out all the boutiques and sweet shops. I love Maison de Lu, a French restaurant with both lunch and dinner and a lively bar scene. May’s Market and Lady May were the answer when I wanted to grab something quick, while Blue Dog Bistro was my go-to for vegetarian options.
The drive home from Ocean Springs was slightly shorter than the typical drive home from Fort Morgan (yay!), but it meant I couldn’t stop for my traditional farewell key-lime milkshake at Stacey’s Olde Tyme Soda Fountain in Foley, Ala. Till next year, Stacey!
From Gulf Shores and Ocean Springs to Bristol and Lexington, here are our recommendations for late-summer getaways
