Ft. Morgan :: Why This Gulf Coast Hidden Gem is Perfect for a Family Weekend Away
Right before the start of school, we decided to take a quick trip to the beach to squeeze out the very last bits of Summertime.
We’d originally planned a longer trip to Galveston with some friends, but when those plans fell through, we started to look closer to home, and decided to just make a weekend trip.
Our Requirements:
- Sand you’d want to play in
- Water you’d want to swim in
- Beachfront condo / no crossing heavy traffic to get to the beach
- Pool for the kids
- Dining nearby so we wouldn’t have to cook
- Less than $1,000 for the whole trip
I searched from NOLA to Pensacola, and landed on a lesser-travelled city next to the busy (and often-crowded) Gulf Shores and the slightly pricier Orange Beach — Ft. Morgan, Alabama. We had stayed there a couple of years ago on a beach trip with my in-laws, and loved the quieter atmosphere.
Our Experience:
We left at lunchtime on Friday and arrived back home early afternoon on Sunday, so we had about 48 hours to make the most of. Feeling a little adventurous, we took I-10 to Dauphin Island, and took the ferry across to Ft. Morgan. The drive once you get off the interstate takes you through Bayou La Batre and some other small towns, and includes a short drive down the coast. Dauphin Island is also worth a visit, but our eyes were on the prize. The ferry ride lasts about 40 minutes, and it is a fun way for kids to experience traveling to the beach in a unique way.
Once we arrived at Ft. Morgan – you arrive right at the historic Ft. Site – we were only 10 minutes from our Condo. We stayed at Gulf Shores Plantation, and had a great experience. While I unpacked, my husband took the kids on a tour of the property. They checked out both the outdoor pools, the indoor pool, found the on-site restaurant and coffee shop. I met them at their last stop and we took a quick walk down the resort’s boardwalk to the beach. It was beautiful, and not too crowded. The best part was finding out our condo rental came with a free reservation of beach chairs and umbrella each day of our stay.
There are a couple of delivery pizza options, so that was our Friday night dinner. There are also several restaurants within a very short drive (Tacky Jacks 2 and Sassy Bass are two of the most popular), if going off-property is more your speed. After dinner was a night swim – the pool is open until 10 and was not crowded at all when we were out.
After a good night’s sleep, we spent the next day and a half playing in the sand, searching for shells, riding some waves, swimming in the pools (indoor and out), drinking coffee from the coffee shop and checking out the on-property restaurant. About lunchtime on Sunday, we packed up, and headed back home. It was the perfect spot for a quickie trip, and we’re already looking forward to going again.
