Vacation Hints – Page 19 – Sunset Properties Blog

March 12, 2012

Money Saving Tips

All individuals are feeling the strain of the economy–so, with much less expendable income in most people’s pockets, extras like hobbies, going out to eat, and traveling to Fort Morgan, AL are often sacrificed. If you still want to vacate without busting your budget, think blue and white, as in the sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast. There are always free or low-cost events and activities for every age, and we have a few vacation ideas to save you even more money!

Skip hotels–Stay in a Condo – Renting a private Fort Morgan cond, as opposed to a hotel room, might sound like it would be much more expensive. A condo, however, can save you money in a couple of different ways. First, if your rental has a kitchen, you can cut back on eating out. You can grab some groceries once you get to town, and stock the kitchen with all your favorites. If you don’t feel like laboring at the stove each morning, get quick fixes like cereal and frozen waffles. If you’ll be out all day, you could even pack some sandwiches for a picnic lunch–there is no shortage of locations to picnic in Fort Morgan. Lastly, if you are traveling in a large group, you can get better prices renting a beach house or three bedroom condo rental.
Shoulder Season–Stay during low season –If you’re willing to vacation in off season, you can save a lot of money. Rates are already cheaper when it is less busy, and Sunset Properties offers even more money-saving deals during this time. If you can be flexible about your travel plans, you can get much better deals.
Keep an eye out for specials – Much different than our competitors, Sunset Properties loves to offer flash sales and discounts on our Facebook fan page. Follow us on our page and you may be able to sneak away for pennies on the dollar!
Stay Away from it all – One of the best things about visiting the beach and Fort Morgan is it’s quaint, secluded atmosphere. Something of a novelty these days around tourist destinations, Fort Morgan has embraced this label and the tourists love it. Fort Morgan, in reality, is just a short drive from Gulf Shores but far enough way from everything to enjoy the coasts major attraction…the beach. Did we mention laying out all day and playing in the ocean is free?

September 29, 2011

An Awesome Day-Excursion to Dauphin Island, AL

Traverse Mobile Bay by Ferry and Arrive on a Fun, Island Getaway

**by Mike Turner | July 26, 2011**

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Here is a great, day trip that will be a boat load of fun (literally) for the entire family.

It begins with a family style breakfast at Hazel’s Nook in Gulf Shores. Pancakes, yup, Waffles – yup, and my favorite- made to order omelets. (Bacon, onions, cheddar cheese, and salsa for me please).

Next, is a stop at the local store to stock up on munchies, water, soda, and sunscreen for the day of adventure, followed by a leisurely 25 mile drive down State Road 180 (West Fort Morgan Rd.) to the Dauphin Island Ferry Terminal. The Ferry runs every 45 minutes, and here is a link for specific times, etc. https://www.mobilebayferry.com/schedule.html

Cost runs $30 for a car plus $10 per passenger over the age of 12. If you want to save some dough, you can park at the terminal and walk on or take a bicycle with you for $5. I have taken the bike route and it was a blast. Or if you have a Harley, you can grab a round trip ticket for $8. But you need to plan ahead and take some rain gear, just in case. Dauphin Island is very bike/motorcycle friendly.

The boat ride is a treat in itself, taking in the sights of other boats, maybe a tanker, or perhaps if you are lucky a dolphin playing in the boat’s wake.

As you arrive onto Dauphin Island, you feel like you have been transported back in time. It is 17 miles long and ¾ of mile wide barrier island that is parallel to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a sleepy, fishing village with tons of charm, miles of undiscovered beaches, quaint eateries, and another great attraction – The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, home to the State of Alabama’s Marine Science Institute. https://www.disl.org/

Here you will find a treasure trove full of adventure. Huge aquariums, touch-tanks, The Living Marsh Boardwalk, and Weather Station.

At the west end of the beach, there are vendors providing umbrellas, jet ski rentals, parasailing, water slides and certified lifeguards, clean restrooms and showers. Entrance fees are $2 to park, and $3 for each person over the age of 12. No alcoholic beverages, pets, glass or grills are allowed however.

There is also the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, https://www.dauphinisland.org/bird.htm Dauphin Island has been recognized as one of the ten most globally important sites for bird migrations. The Sanctuary includes more than 150 acres of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes, including a lake, a swamp and a beach. It is located on the Eastern end of the Island and has walking trails and boardwalks in which to experience this unique natural treasure. Migrating birds utilize this area after their long flight across the Gulf from Central and South America to rest up before heading on. They also utilized the Sanctuary as their final feeding and resting area before their return flight. (And you thought the Atlanta Hub was busy).

And if that isn’t enough to do, don’t forget to check out Fort Gaines for an awesome view of Mobile Bay, and you can image yourself as a sentry watching out for enemy ships!

Have fun!

July 23, 2011

Body Surfing in Ft. Morgan

Have you ever been surfing? What about Body surfing? There is a big difference between the two but both are worth trying. If you want to start out on easy waves Ft. Morgan is the place to try. Of course, surfing is standing on a surf board riding a wave. Body surfing is using your body like a surf board and riding a wave in. My boss took a great video body surfing in Ft. Morgan. Give us a call to book a trip and try out your surfing skills.

July 18, 2011

Tiki Beach, Luxary Gulf Front home Beautiful view

We have a gorgeous new home called Tiki Beach. It is located just to the east of The Dunes community and it is a walk out the back door on to the beach home. Luxury at every turn, this home is a joy to be in because comfort was key in every purchase. With 6 bedrooms and 5 baths you have enough room for your entire party. You have 3 master bedrooms with views of the gulf. The other 3 rooms you have a queen bed and then two rooms with bunk beds. One has two sets of bunks and the other a single set of bunks. This home sleeps 16 people total. With sweeping views and limited visitors to that area, this is the perfect house for your getaway. Take a look at the sneek preview! Sneak Peek of Tiki Beach

July 8, 2011

Tennis Time at the Beach!

For all of you tennis fans, Gulf Shores is now part of the Alabama Tennis Tour. This means there are outstanding courts within 20 minutes of your vacation spot. Oh, and did I mention they are, FREE!!!! Gulf Shores has an immaculate 5000 square foot state of the art facility right in the heart of town. These courts are located at the George C. Meyer Tennis Center which is on West 2nd Street, just behind the Post Office.

This Center boasts 12 hard surface courts, 6 Rubico courts, 4 covered courts, and 2 open. There is seating for 150 and the courts are lighted so you can enjoy evening games and bring your cheering section along. There are also covered pavilions a tennis lounge, restrooms, and observation decks.

The hours of operation are as follows; courts are open 7 days a week 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. The Tennis center is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5p.m. So pack your rackets don’t forget your tennis shoes, and get ready to enjoy cool gulf breezes while you play a match or two. Special thanks to Pam Livingston for the great photos!!!

November 18, 2010

Benefits of Liking us on Facebook

Benefits of Liking us on Facebook

Why Like Sunset Properties on Facebook?

Sunset Properties is always trying to find ways to connect with the friends and the fans of our great beach rental company. There are many ways that we have connected with you over the years, but we’ve gotten really excited about our Facebook page lately. So excited in fact, that we’ve gone a little crazy. Our Facebook page not only offers great information about Ft. Morgan, Gulf Shores, and the Gulf Coast, but we’ve also started giving stuff away, holding fun contests, and offering killer deals.

Here are some reasons for you and your friends to Like our Sunset Properties:

All of the great Contests– Sunset Properties is holding all kinds of contests. We are posting the information onto our Facebook Page. This will be a great way to keep up with our photo contests, blogging, story contests, and more. Most of our competitions are open to everyone and are simple to enter, but you can’t win a contest if you don’t know about it. So, follow our blog or just like us on Facebook!
All of the great Giveaways– Sunset Properties gives away Condo stays, tickets to shows and attractions and prizes. We announce our giveaways on Facebook and often, they’re time sensitive so liking our page might just be the best way to win.
All of the great Fan Deals – Sunset Properties announces Fan Deals that are too good to pass up. We might announce a last minute two night stay for just $75.00 total for the first person that calls the company with a specific phrase. Again, the best way to be notified of the deal is to like our page.
All of the great Gulf Shores / Ft. Morgan Information – Sunset Properties posts pictures, event info, links to articles, and interesting facts about Ft. Morgan, Gulf Shores and the beach. Anyone that loves to come to the beach will love the information.
We’re Cool – Everyone likes cool people, right?! (Okay, so we like to THINK we’re cool:)

If you haven’t liked Sunset Properties on Facebook, now is the time to do it! And, spread the word to your friends and family. You never know when you or a friend might get a chance to win some really cool stuff!! (Hint: we’re giving stuff away in the next two months)

November 9, 2010

Getting Around Fort Morgan

Anyone who has stayed with Sunset Properties knows that some of the selling points of Fort Morgan Alabama include its peacefulness, friendly locals, beautiful pristine beaches, and wonderfully priced beach rentals. Unfortunately, just like with any quiet vacation destination, sometimes it can be difficult to get around our quaint little area of Fort Morgan, AL because of the lack of transportation options. Luckily, we have decided to put together a unique list of 4 ideas offering some insight into “fun ways to get around Fort Morgan.”

Now, before we can get to the list, there are probably a few questions you need to answer about yourself and your group when vacationing with Sunset Properties.

How large is your group?
Can you and your group walk around a lot?
How far are you from attractions or the beach?

Here are some the “fun ways to get around” Fort Morgan…

Take The Trolley Around The Dunes Community – Okay, this is not exactly accurate, but riding around our golf cart is the next best thing. In fact, during the summer months we run our golf cart tours (mostly we take you to the beach and back) about every 30 minutes. Offering this type of service to our wonderful customers is just another way we can say thank you.

Walking – I know walking doesn’t sound as much fun as riding in a cool golf cart, but hear us out. Beside the guests who stay with us, there is not really much drive through traffic in Fort Morgan. This enables guests the ability to peacefully walk around the Dunes and Indies Communities. Plus, although roughly a mile walk, guests can walk pretty easily to the actual fort in Fort Morgan. For larger groups that don’t have many kids, this might be the cheapest and easiest means of transportation (unless you want to go to Gulf Shores for dinner—and then we would recommend driving).

Ride A Bike – What a great way to enjoy the scenery that Fort Morgan has to offer while getting some extra exercise? This can also take the place of an attraction as most kids love to ride a bike. If you are interested in renting a few bikes we would recommend checking out www.beachbikerentals.net.

Mobile Bay Ferry – Again, not many options with this ferry as it only goes to one location. Nonetheless, how else are you going to get to the historically beautiful landmark of Dauphin Island? Also, I have heard tale of people riding their bikes to the ferry and spending the day on Dauphin Island sightseeing (refer back to number 3 about biking riding).

We decided to add one extra “fun way” to our list for our adventurous travelers.

Did You Say Kayak – How much fun would it be to go kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico? Sounds a lot of fun to me. If you are interested be sure to check out www.gulfshoresalbeachrentals.com.

June 19, 2010

Ft. Morgan Oil Leak Update 06/19/10

Good afternoon everyone. It is another HOT, beautiful, breeze less day in Ft. Morgan. The beaches are sugary white and the water is still see to the bottom clear. We have no smell beyond salt water and sunscreen at our beach toady. We wanted to thank the Skelton family for allowing us to film as the paddled around in the water. Thanks guys have a great trip!!! We have some great news be sure to check out the video for the update! Hope to see you soon… 06/19/10 Oil Leak Update for The Dunes Community at Ft. Morgan from Sunset Properties

June 18, 2010

06/18/10 Ft. Morgan Oil Leak Update from Sunset Properties

Happy Friday everyone! It is a hot and humid day at the beach and it looks like we may get a little rain a bit later. The wind has picked up today making everything more pleasent at the water. We have no smell and the water is still beautifully clear. Some long time guests Lindsey and Ryan wanted to share some of their vacation experience with us. They are having a great time and so is everyone else I have run into this week. We hope to see you soon. 06/18/10 Ft. Morgan Oil Leak Update from Sunset Properties

June 10, 2010

Ft. Morgan, The Dunes Beach Oil Leak update 06/10/10

Good morning everyone! Another beautiful day on the Dunes Beach in Ft. Morgan. The crowds are not huge but the people who are out are enjoying the beach. I have a couple of videos for you one from yesterday afternoon about what people are finding on the beach and one from that morningWhat we found In the water and on the beach 06/09/10, the Anderson Family were kind enough to let me film them enjoying the beach this morning. Ft. Morgan, The Dunes Beach, Oil Leak Update 06/10/10 We see just a little bit of seaweed floating around but mostly I see kids and families in the water and having a great time. We hope to see soon!