Gulf Shores Trip (Foley: amusement parks, house, live)

[bencronin04]

Taking the family to Gulf Shores for a week(September 6th-12th). We've rented a house on the beach only about 1 mile from 59. We plan on obviously playing on the beach and around town(some of the restaurants look really kid friendly). I also plan on one day taking a shared fishing trip and one day fishing the pier. One or two nights the wife and I are planning on getting a local nanny service to stay with the kids so we can have a date night. Wanted to see if there was anything around the area that we should definitely check out(parks, events, restaurants, activities, etc.), either as a family or for our date nights. I have two boys, 2 years old and 9 months old. Any suggestions are welcome!

[HipLib]

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[ronrutmr2]

I would say that 99% of the restaurants are kid friendly, this being a resort area.

Not knowing what kinds of foods you prefer, I can offer the following suggestions that are all near the beach areas:

1. DeSoto's - Their lunch menu goes for extended hours and is slightly smaller portions of their dinner fare. Some of the best seafood and vegetables, rather than a lot of fried stuff like fries, etc.

2. Bill's on the Beach - A little more pricey, and the newest place in Gulf Shores. We've been three times, and has been great each time.

3. Shrimp Basket - Several locations; good variety.

4. Wolf Bay Lodge (Foley location) - probably our favorite. Best steak (bacon wrapped filet) and seafood (try the crab stuffed triple tail). To splurge, open with the Cha-Cha dip.

5. In the San Roc Cay shopping area, there are several restaurants, including probably the best Italian on the coast, Cafe' Grazie.

In addition there are the usual fast food places, pizza, etc.

With little kids, you ought to visit the Gulf Shores Zoo. There are also several amusement parks that offer rides and putt-putt. On date night, if you like dinner/dancing, try Nolan's for a good steak and live music. If you prefer the more crowded scene with music and more of a beach scene, the Flora-Bama is the place.

Ron
Foley

[bencronin04]

Perfect, that is exactly what I was looking for. I plan on making myself sick on seafood as it's probably my favorite type of food and we really don't have anything spectacular in the DFW area. How is snorkeling in the area, or is that not really a thing to do out there.

[bencronin04]

I've heard there are some catch and cook restaurants as well? Any truth or guidance on those? Also, how is the crabbing? I've never been crabbing but it sounds fun.

[ronrutmr2]

Yes, there are several restaurants that advertise catch and cook. Be on the beach just after dark, and you will see many folks with flashlights and buckets catching crabs in the surf, although I have no idea how edible they are. In the bays and estuaries, many fish with little toss nets.

Every restaurant puts their own twist on cooking seafood, so experiment all you want. I usually shy away from fried, just for health reasons, preferring grilled and blackened, but it's all good! When I retired and moved to Foley, we began eating out dang near every day. That was nearly four years ago, and we still haven't hit every place. We have our favorites, and we try to experiment every now and then. Or as I like to call it, research...

Ron
Foley