Orange Beach 

AlllaBama!  Want to know what I liked best about Orange Beach, AlllaBama?  Not one single person poked fun at the way I talk!  See, I tend to linger a little on my Texas “I’s” (as in ICE tea).  However, my thick Texan southern drawl didn’t hold a candle to the folks down in Orange Beach.  In fact, my accent was essentially drowned out by all of the “well haaay yalls” they have going on down there!  It was as if I had died and gone to southern speak heaven!  I found my people in Cotton Bayou.

Remember Mayberry? Andy Griffith?  I would say Orange Beach is a close second! I kept looking for Aunt Bee to pop out of the closet with an apple pie!  It felt like I was trapped in a LIVE version of a Vineyard Vines advertisement.  EveryONE, child, parent, mom, dad, kid, teen and everyTHING looked the same.  It was like participating in The Truman Show.  The town was squeaky clean and the folks were incredibly friendly!  It’s a remarkable american tight knit community almost to a fault. I can’t wait to go back!

For more information on the area we stayed in Orange Beach click here →Stairway to Vacation.   Suffice it to say, I spent every afternoon at Perdido Beach Resort on Orange Beach.  The beach cabana boys were accommodating and it they didn’t require a a reservation.

The majority of of the people we met at Cotton Bayou own their bayside/beach house and leave their main residence for a three month summer stay-cation in Orange Beach.  Most families permanently reside in Alabama, Atlanta, Carolina, Texas or Tennessee.  Now on to the good stuff!

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 The FOOD & the FISHING! 

Let me first confess, that I’m not normally super hyped up about fish nor am I a big seafood fan.  I do love me some sushi and the occasional grilled salmon filet but that’s typically all she wrote.  The only choice I had was to to either starve to death or forced fed red snapper.  Apparently it’s JUST what you eat when you are there!  And the question I have now is, “why have I not been eating this fresh flaky white fish all along?”

Y’all, red snapper season is it’s very own thing and a big BIG deal in these parts! Right now the Golf Coast is experiencing an abundance of these humongous red snapper fish. So much so that the  season was extended to allow recreational anglers to fish for red snapper in federal and state waters for 39 weekend days. For your fish fanatics, the open fishing days each week are Friday, Saturday and Sunday only with additional open day on Monday, Sept. 4.  Mr. Chicken Fry was invited out by the locals to fish and take a look at his catch!  What a whopper RIGHT!!  

Check out this spread!

We were treated like first time visitors at a church prayer meeting.  The surrounding neighbors welcomed us by pouring out authentic genuine hospitality like in the olden days!  Circa 1975!  The impromptu pot luck appetizers were delivered promptly for a customary meet and greet happy hour! (told ya it was my kind of town)  This of course was followed by gourmet homemade dishes such as coleslaw and pinto beans while the men tended to the grill.  The teen queens even busted out some Betty Crocker brownies for desert!  It was all so over the top delightful.

We also had a few meals at the local dive beach bars. The Sassy Bass  at Happy Harbor Marina was excellent and I highly recommend the tuna or snapper!  We also made a stop at Fishers which was jammed packed full of beautiful happy people of all ages.  Fishers is located on at a marina offering fine dining upstairs while downstairs is a casual family friendly environment. While waiting for a table, ladies are encouraged to stroll throughout the  boutiques and gift shops allowing the men to stroll the marina highly admiring the large fishing vessels and discussing all things RED SNAPPER!

Everything I ate was delicious and healthy. The grilled tuna steak was big enough for two people!  It was grilled to perfection and I asked for the vegetables to be steamed only!  The potato looking thingy on the side is a plantain!  I didn’t try it!    If you visit, be sure to also try out Tacky Jacks which is a beach bar just paces away from Sassy Bass.  You can come by boat or car.  TJ’s also has shopping, fun live music and a gregarious fun place for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

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Check out this rockin beach cruiser thingy.  It’s a stylin ride if you ask me!! This cool cart came with our house! I pedaled my legs off! Unlike a paddle boat, this baby was super fun! Notice that the passenger side has a convenient nifty cup holder (FOR MY WATER) !!! 

 

My only disappointment was the ocean water.  I was really expecting to see clear green/blue water but apparently due to all of the massive Gulf Coast storms, it had churned up the water making it look icky!  Such is life sometimes right?  Unfortunately the water near the shore was dark and murky.   The story is that other rivers feed into this area of the beach and due to the heavy torrential storms it kicked up a bunch of mud.   It was a  dang shame.  Usually it takes about a month for the waters to clear once the storms cease.

I guess I will just have to plan a trip back to verify!    Who’s with me?

True to form, I found and made time to get giggy with it and did two very basic but effective outdoor bay side workouts!  Give them a try today!

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Our last night in Orange Beach was tuff.  We hated to leave all of our new best friends!  On a Sunday they through us a spread fit for a King!  The whole rigamarole red carpet bayside homegrown treatment.  The grill was lined with brats, chicken, RED SNAPPER, RED FISH, and fried fish!  Hush puppies, corn, french fries, cole slaw, beans, bread, rice and vegetables.  I brought my infamous guacamole and they politely raved!  (BLUSH)

Angi’s table side huac

avacados

cherry tomatoes sliced and diced

green onions sliced and diced

minced garlic

cilantro

jalapeño

lime juice

salt and pepper

 

Hey here is something I don’t see everyday.  In Texas we have June Bugs, in Orange Beach Alamaba…they have pool crabs!  Well what do ya know?!?!?

What are your weekend plans love bug?

Love, be kind and unwind.

Angi xo