We have added several new homes to our rental pool this season and Dancing in the Rain is the largest of those new additions.  Dancing in the Rain is the other side of Bama Breeze a popular five bedroom, three and a half bath home on the southeast side of Sandy Lane.  Dancing in the Rain is also 5 bedroom 3.5 baths and it sleeps up to 14 people.  This home is three stories of beach fun and comfort.  Each room is bright and colorful with a tropical theme.   When you walk into the front door of our vacation home we want you to feel right at home. You’ll see a beautiful, tropical, great room area with plenty of comfortable seating.

The living room has a queen pull-out sofa, loveseat, large chair with ottoman, and additional chairs for extra seating. You’ll also find a large TV, DVD player, VCR, stereo, movies, and books. The dining area has a large table and a bar with seating for up to 12. There’s a fully equipped kitchen with everything you will need for those meals you might want to prepare if you decide to stay in.

Service for up to 12. This level has the master bedroom with a king bed, TV, and large private bath. You’ll also find the half bath and laundry room on this level. The main level deck is just out the back door, complete with plenty of seating and tables for the whole group. Here you’ll find a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Mexico and the neighborhood turtle habitat. Take the staircase up to the second level where you’ll find another three bedrooms with queen beds and TVs, and two full baths.

There’s a balcony a little smaller than the bottom deck with seating to view the beautiful gulf. Take another staircase up to the third level where you will find the fifth bedroom complete with four twin beds, including daybed with trundle underneath, TV and DVD player. There’s a balcony on this level as well just a little smaller than the second level with it’s own gorgeous view of the gulf and beach.

Once you’ve taken all the stairs back down to the main level, you’ll see another set of stairs that lead down to the door to the parking garage area. There’s parking for up to five small vehicles or four large ones.

There’s a BBQ grill and hose for washing off sand in this area. The neighborhood pool is just a few steps away from the front of the house. The beautiful Fort Morgan beach is a very short walk away, down the pavement and to the boardwalk. This area is such a quaint, family oriented place. Perfect for a quiet family get-away to the beach. • Fitness Room / Equipment: Access to fitness room located in Dunes condominiums. • Parking: Parking underneath for up to 5 vehicles. • Garage: Parking garage underneath house. Central heating and air • Iron & Board • Hair Dryer • Clothes Dryer • Washing Machine • Towels Provided • Linens Provided • 6 TVs located thru-out home.

• Direct TV. • • Stereo • DVD Player • Books • Games • Video Library Landline with free local and long distance. Free Wifi Access to two hot tubs, one at the community pool, the other at the Dunes condominiums. Two community pools . Large deck for the whole family. Two additional balconies on the second and third levels. Large Front porch with seating, as and a Outdoor Grill.

The Dunes subdivision is located in the Fort Morgan area of Gulf Shores. Our house, ‘Dancing in the Rain’, is located on the second tier from the beach, with a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Mexico. Right in the back, between the first two tiers is a huge turtle habitat, where you will see turtles, frogs, and lots of birds. Enjoy nature on the beach. The boardwalk to the beach is just a short walk away.

You’ll see miles of sparkling, beautiful gulf waters, and white sand that feels like cushion under your feet. You’ll feel the breathtaking breeze coming off the ocean waters. So amazing on your face. Rent a chair and umbrella or take your own, and just sit there and view the awesomeness of God’s beautiful creation. Take a walk, hunt seashells, take a dip in the ocean, or just soak up the sun. The main thing – RELAX. When you want a different setting, go back up to the pool and enjoy a relaxing swim or just lay around in a lounger and read a book or take a nap –RELAX.

Beach Therapy

Beach Therapy is back on our rental program after being away for a few years.  This home is a 4 bedroom 2 bath home that sleeps up to 10.  Does that mean that this house is the perfect size for your group?  This home is a single story, single family home.  Which means you are not climbing lots of stairs, just the ones up to the front door and you are not in a duplex so no other visitor noise to think about!

As you walk in the front door you notice how large the living space is. There is plenty of room for everyone to enjoy themselves in the living area that has seating for everyone either at the table or bar for meals and on the comfy sofas or chairs in the living room.  Enjoy the large TV for movie night with the family or take your family time on to the porch with plenty of room for meals or games in the fresh beach air!

Kitchen View

This house is just across the street from the community pool and just steps from the Dunes Condo pool for you to enjoy.  It is less than a 5 minute walk down to the beach to enjoy those days in the sun, or nights under the stars.  The view off your deck is perfect for watching the sunset and snapping a few pictures.

Each bedroom is built for comfort.  New beautiful bedding along with the gorgeous beds and all the comforts of home have been added to this beach house. Each room has a queen bed and the two rooms on the left share a bathroom.  The two rooms on the right also share a bath.

Shared Bath

There are two rooms that feature bright colors and bold prints! The other two rooms have calmer colors and more somber prints. So whatever is comfort for you this home has it!!!

Orange Room

The softer color rooms have beautiful sleigh beds while the other brighter rooms have more modern beds with just a headboard. One of the rooms painted a soft yellow opens directly to the living area. A great option for a kids room!

Front Bedroom

This room also has a shared bathroom and adjoining room. The other sleigh bed is in a room that is a soft peach with a comfy tropical bedding that mimics the shower curtain in the adjoining bath.

Queen Sleigh Bed

When you are not being comfy in the living room or bedroom or enjoying a meal with your family at the spacious table outside enjoying the beach is the place to be. Enjoy the great deck or take a short stroll to the beach or just head across the street to the pool! You have so many option to rest relax and recuperate at Beach Therapy, call to book your stay today!

 

 

Sand – Y – Sol, or Sand and Sun is what you see out the doors of this beautiful home in quiet Ft. Morgan. This home has stunning views of the gulf and miles of sandy white beaches. Easy access to the beach is just a short walk from the front door, and if you prefer not carry your umbrella and beach chairs, parking is available conveniently located to the beach access. The community pool and hot tub are just 2 houses away with no busy streets to cross. There is also access to an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub and fitness room at the Dunes condo. This 2400+ sq. ft duplex has a spacious living and dining area, and fully equipped kitchen, with a wall of windows overlooking one of the decks, and with panoramic views of the gulf. There are 4 bedrooms, each with an ensuite full bath. A bedroom with a queen bed is located on the main floor.
Upstairs is a huge master bedroom, including a TV, a king bed for your sleeping comfort and French doors that open to a private deck overlooking the gulf. There is another queen bedroom upstairs and a bedroom with two twins beds and a TV. A full size washer and dryer are upstairs as well.
A convenient outdoor shower is located at ground level next to stairs leading to the main deck. Other amenities include covered parking, gas
grill, 3 satellite TVs, Wi-Fi internet, surround sound, DVD player in the living room, family DVDs, books, board games, ironing board. This home has been newly renovated January of 2014 and is ready for you to be the first guest.
This home features beachy decor that incorporates the colors you see outdoors just inside the door. The living room has comfy sofas and an overstuffed chair for everyone in the family to have a great seat for game night or watching a movie. Dine indoors or out at one of the two dining table options. This home also has a great gas grill for your use!

It’s 2 miles to see historic Fort Morgan, 6 miles to Kiva Dunes golf course and Gulf Shores Plantation. Fort Morgan Marina is across the highway on the Bay Side for fishing, and also Tacky Jacks II restaurant and bar. The Mobile Bay Ferry is a 1.5 miles away for Ferry Trips to Dauphin Island. Nearby fishing charters, bicycle and jet ski rentals, sightseeing cruises.

I know here in white Gulf Shores area today it will not get above 40 degrees and rainy just a little north of us will be getting snow and most of you who visit us are under snow as we speak.  I don’t know about you but we are ready for Spring around here.  Rain, snow, slush and cold go away sunny warmth hurry our way!

So in all of your sunny, warm dreams have you considered Fort Morgan, Alabama?  Let me paint you a picture of why you should be planning to head this way for your Spring Break getaway!

Picture this, white sandy beaches with clear water, sunny skies and the sound of shore birds flying over head.  As you make your way over the small rise in the board walk leading over the prettiest sand dunes you have ever seen. The sand dunes cover the entire length of the private beach.  These dunes have hundreds of sea oats waiving in the breeze.  It is usually just a constant warm breeze that blows just strong enough to always keep a kite in the air.

Back to the beaches, the sand is warm sometimes almost hot to your feet.  As you take those first few steps on the beach you notice that it kinda squeaks under your feet.  Almost like a little celebration for you in every step, yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

You notice that the people on the beach, that is surprisingly uncrowded, are a lot like you and your family.   That’s right I said family on the beach with other families splashing in the water and building sand castles.   These beaches aren’t overrun with college students behaving badly.  We just don’t let them do that in Fort Morgan.

So you have enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach with your family and watched a stunning sunset.  Now it is time to head back to your beach house and enjoy a great family cooked meal.  Get the kids started cleaning up from the beach day while the grown ups start getting dinner ready.  So now your kids are clean and kind of tuckered out from their day of fun in the sun.  After you all enjoy a yummy meal together the kids can relax in front of the TV and the grown-ups can enjoy a cool evening on the back deck listening to the waves.

Now that it is time to enjoy relaxing night in your beautiful beach house.  There is a comfy bed and a warm shower waiting for you and the next day you will wake up a to an amazing view from your beach house.   Now we have taken brief walk through your first day of Spring Break you need to go on line and pick out hour beach house.  It is time to go to www.sunsetproperties.com and choose the Beach Houses tab.  Or simply give us a call at 251-543-1370 we are happy to help!

 

Sitting bundled under blankets with puppies piled on top of me I am wondering how long this Snowpocalypse is going to continue. That’s right Snowpocalypse is our creative Southern way of saying it is too cold for us in general and it snowed a little. Living only ten miles from
the beach and going to work there most days for years and snow and ice are the very last things I thought I would be writing about here at the end of January 2014. We have had at or below freezing temperatures for a little over 48 hours now and tomorrow is now going to be much better. This is the time of year we are preparing for Mardi Gras and entertaining our winter guest in our mild winters at the beach. Well not this year. This year will go down in infamy at least with or winter guests as the year it froze 3 times at the beach before the end of January and even snowed a little! Snowpocalypse or winter storm Leon managed to shutdown all of Alabama practically. In our area schools were out for 2 days and roads and bridges were closed for almost as long. I am sure this is humorous to those of you up north who
experience months of snow and ice day in and day out. We saw frozen yards and iced streets beaches and roof tops. We are simply not prepared for this freeze out even for a few days. In all seriousness Leon was dangerous in many ways for many folks. Mostly in the form of icy car crashes and snowed or iced in cars with people stuck in them a few hours north of the beach. We ask our northern country men to show us some grace as we talk for a few more days or weeks about this winter mix that put a halt to our laid back beach life.
The cold has completely thrown our sunny groove off. We have had to find long pants, closed toe shoes, sweaters scarves and even jackets. So much clothing simply smothers us and some of us have really forgotten that most of the country really lives and functions in this and much worse for months. Please enjoy the opportunity to poke fun at our shortcomings and lack of preparation. We will laugh with you in a polite southern way and welcome you back to our friendly shores as always. Stay warm friends as we try our best to as well. We look forward to sunny days with all our brave friends who live north of our beautiful beach.

Mardi Gras, is a celebration similar to carnival in South America.  The party starts at Epiphany and continues on until Ash Wednesday before the Lenten season of sacrifice.  This season of celebration, balls, dances, parades, and rich food comes to a culmination on Fat Tuesday where the final parades and feasts are enjoyed.  Locally, in Gulf Shores we enjoy parades, with throws, and treats as well as the kids get a day off from school, and we enjoy special events including dances.  Our winter guests are in on all the fun as the season always hits while they are in town.  So, Gulf shores in the mid-winter is always a great place for a party.  We even get into the festivities here at Sunset Properties with our Mardi Gras Tree.  Give us a call to hear about our Mardi Gras Specials!

 

8th Annual Frank Calma Memorial Welcome Back Snowbirds Mardi Gras Dance

The 8th Annual K of C Frank Calma Memorial Welcome Back Snowbirds Dance will be held Friday, January 24 from 7-10 p.m. at Our Lady of the Gulf Parish Hall, 308 22nd Avenue, Gulf Shores. John, Jim, and Jerry will provide the music. Tickets are $15 per person. BYOB, set up and light snacks will be furnished. Casual dress. For ticket information, please call 251-752-7422.

 

Mystical Order of Mirams Parade

Feb 28, 2014   6:30 PM

Location

Begins at Wintzell’s and ends at Hwy 161, Orange Beach

24131 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 36561

Admission

Free to public.

Event Info

Watch and enjoy as revelers throw sweets, trinkets, beads and toys

 

 

Mystics of Pleasure Mardi Gras Parade

Dates & Times

Mar 1, 2014   5:30 PM

Location

Begins at Wintzell’s and ends at Perdido Dunes, Orange Beach

24281 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Event Info

See the Mystics of Pleasure after the Orange Beach Parade!!! Watch and enjoy as revellers throw sweets, trinkets, beads and toys.

 

Foley Mardi Gras Parade

Dates & Times

Mar 1, 2014   11:00 AM

Location

Starts on Roosevelt Street going east, north on Alston, west on 98 and south on Oak.

Roosevelt Ave, Foley, AL

Admission

Free to public.

Event Info

The Krewe of Les Beau Geste Parade –  Annual Foley Mardi Gras Parade. Held in downtown Foley beginning at noon. Lineup begins at 11am beside Griffin Park on the corner of Roosevelt Ave and Alston St. The proposed route will turn left on Alston St. to Laurel Ave, left on Laurel Ave to Oak St. and left on Oak St. to Roosevelt Ave. ending at the starting point.

 

Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade

Dates & Times

Mar 4, 2014   10:00 AM

Location

Begins at Hwy 59 at Clubhouse Drive and ends at Main Beach Gulf Shores.

Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Admission

Free to public.

Event Info

Laissez les bons temp roulet! (Let the good times roll!) Get ready to shout, “Hey, Mister! Throw me a Moon Pie!” Future Mardi Gras Dates: Future Mardi Gras Day Dates:March 4, 2014 and February 17, 2015.

Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade

Dates & Times

Mar 4, 2014   1:30 PM

Location

Begins at Wintzell’s and ends at Hwy 161, Orange Beach

24131 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 36561

Admission

Free to public.

Event Info

Laissez les bons temp roulet! (Let the good times roll!) Parade will end at Hwy. 161. Get ready to shout, “Hey, Mister! Throw me a Moon Pie!” Future Mardi Gras Day Dates:March 4, 2014 and February 17, 2015.

Christmas is just around the corner and we find ourselves being extra crafty with all of our treasurers we found at the beach throughout the year. What do I mean by treasurers? Drift wood, Sea Shells, and the occasional sea star. Our hope is to give you some great ideas of crafty things to do with those treasures you brought home from the beach. This year we made some beautiful center pieces and a Christmas tree this year. We look forward to showing you the crafts. Check out the video at the end of this post that will walk you through making the Christmas tree.

Items Needed: Your Beach Treasures (Drift wood, and sea shells), Scissors, clear mono-filament fishing line, small inexpensive ornaments in your choice of color a hot glue gun and hot glue sticks.
To begin you need to clean your treasures. Drift wood is usually sandy and often smells and sometimes shells have creatures in them and usually sand as well. The easiest way to fix this is a simple bath. I suggest cleaning them with a hose on concrete. You do not need a powerful spray on your hose. You are simply wanting to clean not take apart your treasures. A powerful spray will damage the wood and could break your shells. If you find out you have an animal in your shells a container with bleach for 24 hours will remove this creature. Just be sure to rinse it well in clean water.
Once your all of your items are clean they need to be completely dry. This may take as much as a week depending on the humidity of your area. I suggest letting it dry outdoors in the sun. This will get rid of any smell your wood may have.
Once your wood is dry it is time to start. You need a hard surface like hard a kitchen counter or table but be sure to put something over it to protect it from hot glue and being scratched by the shells and wood. To save yourself some time I would organize your wood and shells into size smallest to largest. Also, I would cut lengths of fishing line into foot long pieces. Cut two times the number of driftwood pieces you have.
Now it is time to start tying. You can use the knot that you would think would work best for you. We tied a simple loop and then a double knot on top. However, if you like another type of knot use it by all means. You need to tie a piece of fishing line on each end of each piece of driftwood. Be sure to leave a long tail on each one. This long tail will be tied to the next smallest piece of driftwood above later in this project. Tie each end of each piece of drift wood. Finish off the knot with a dollop of hot glue. Once each piece of hot glue is dry go ahead and repeat the tying by connecting the long tails to the next smallest piece. The smallest tail can be your hanger or you can actually hang it from the smallest piece of driftwood. Once all of the tails are connected finis those knots off with a hot glue as well. This will lock your knots in place and keep the line from slipping.
We put seashells on our driftwood trees as ornaments along with small inexpensive plastic ornaments. I have seen it made with antique ornaments which is just as beautiful. Just keep in mind the shells can be heavy so those knots you tie with your fishing line on the driftwood need to be really good, and sealed with hot glue.

Now you need to tie fishing line to the ornaments and glue it to the shells be sure to have a pencil or a tool to use to push your fishing line into the glue. Leave a tail on the ornaments as well, you can always trim off any excess later. The glue will be very hot and can burn you. Once your ornaments are dry you can glue them to the
Once you have all your driftwood tied and glued and all your shells tied and glue you can glue everything together. I turned my driftwood tree upside down. So you can see the messy glued side. I spaced the ornaments out how I liked them on each branch. Now you are ready to glue. Be sure to not leave the strings too long the goal is to have them hang. Put a dollop of glue down and use your pencil to push your fishing line or ribbon into the glue. Do everything on one branch. And let it dry for a few minutes. Once they are dry you can cut off the excess line. Then go to the next limb down and so on. I suggest doing one at a time to avoid burning yourself with the hot glue and to avoid cutting the wrong line when trimming excess hang over fishing line.

You are almost done. You need to find a place to hang it! I would not suggest a door. Just because it could damage your door or break your creation. We used one of the removable adhesive hangers that don’t leave a mark on the wall. I used a second one just the adhesive part to put the starfish above it. You can find starfish at your local craft or big box store. Send us your pictures of your creations. We really want to see your ideas of what to do with you beach treasurers.

Each year we have tons of visitors come down and learn the history of our area. We had no idea it is also memorialized in Washington, D.C.! Our owners here at Sunset Properties are avid travelers and recently made a trip to D.C. to see the sights. They came upon this memorial to the Battle of Mobile Bay.

The battle went down as follows. According to letters stored in the Navies official records. “Under the early light of dawn, Union Adm. David Farragut began his attack on Mobile Bay, Alabama. Aware of the danger near Fort Morgan, Farragut ordered his captains to stay to the “eastward of the easternmost buoy” because it was “understood that there are torpedoes and other obstructions between the buoys.”¹ Unfortunately, the lead ironclad, the USS Tecumseh, unable to avoid the danger, struck a mine and sank into the oceans depths. Yet, against all odds, the seasoned admiral ordered his flagship, the Hartford, and his fleet to press forward through the underwater minefield and into Mobile Bay.

Although Farragut was a champion of the “wooden navy,” he agreed to include four new ironclad ships modeled after the USS Monitor in his attack fleet. It was widely believed that these warships were unsinkable. But the Tecumseh indeed sank that summer morning, August 5, 1864, unexpectedly killing the majority of its crew and demonstrating the deadly effects of advances in technology such as the torpedo. For in the words of one Confederate soldier reminiscing on the ill-fated ship, “She careens, her bottom appears! Down, Down, Down she goes to the bottom of the channel, carrying 150 of her crew, confined within her ribs, to a watery grave.”¹
¹Official Records. Navies, vol. 21, 398.
²”Fort Morgan in the Confederacy: Letter by Hurieosco Austill.” Alabama Historical Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 2, (Summer 1945), 256.

Visitors can explore the grounds of historic Fort Morgan. Several time a year guides and actors will explain how the Spanish used Fort Morgan in the 1500’s, then rebuilt it in the early 1800’s as protection against Native Americans. While standing atop the fort with a view of the once-embattled bay, visitors can imagine the summer of 1864 when Confederate and Union naval forces fought for control of the harbor entrance. You may even hear the echo of Admiral David Farragut’s immortal words, “Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead!”

A living history program is conducted daily during the summer. Candlelight fort tours are held Tuesday evenings in the summer. Children’s Day Camps offered various time during the summer.
Eight miles across the bay on Dauphin Island, more history was written at Fort Gaines, which also battled – and was overtaken by – Union forces. A ferry shuttles across the bay during the day, linking the two fortresses once joined in a common cause.

Museum open 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily
Fort open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily and 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in June and July (weather permitting)
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Admission: $7 for adults, $5 seniors (65 and older) and students, $4 for children 6 – 12, Free for active duty, veterans and children under 6. Family Pass: $18 for 2 adults/2 children. Call for group rates.
Information in this blog was gathered from The National Parks Services web site and The Gulf Shores.com website.

We hope You can join us soon to enjoy this beautiful historical treasure in Fort Morgan, Alabama. Give us a call for a great special!

Did you know that Sunset Properties has a ski condo in Park City, Utah.  This beautiful condo is a 3 Bedroom, 4 bath ski in, ski out property.  The ski lift is 20 yards from the back door of the condo.  You can see more about the ski condo here!  This condo is located at the Silver Star Resort in Park City.  No matter the season This resort has beautiful view at every turn. Just a few steps from the back door is Silver Star Ski & Sport where Todd, Tallulah and Vidalia will get you ready for all the fun Park City has to offer.

The Silver Star Development is a unique place, almost hidden, but well worth it once you’re here.  About a mile from the main base area of Park City Mountain Resort, the main entrance is off of Three Kings Drive behind the 10th green of Park City Golf Club.  Silver Star Ski & Sport is located within the Silver Star Development,  located in the plaza area of the Silver Star Development right next to the Silver Star chairlift and at base of the  Spiro and Armstrong trail heads.  For those of you that are familiar with Park City.  Here is a map that will point you in the right direction to Silver Star Ski & Sport.

Silver Star Ski & Sport bring the fun to all outdoor activities you want to try!!! Todd and his girls Tallulah and Vidalia come into the shop each day ready to outfit any one who walks through the door for an adventure.
Todd can fit you in skis and any ski gear you need from the basic beginner to the technical and advanced skier. His wide variety of skis, poles, snowboards, helmets and gear will keep you safe, warm and ready for your favorite winter activity. The fun doesn’t end for Todd and the puppies when the snow goes away.

The disappearance of snow just means new gear comes out! Todd can have you ready to do everything from trail riding to just biking leisurely through the city. He can even customize your bike for your fuzzy four legged friends to join in on the fun.  Or fix up your old beat up bike and make it new again! Silver Star Ski & Sport loves to help everyone get active from kids to the young at heart Todd and his team can find the perfect equipment for you to explore Park City and the surrounding mountains and trails in comfort.  Safety is key for Todd and his staff.  They will be sure you have the perfect gear, helmets, padding and clothes to stay warm dry and make sure you are in one piece after the fantastic adventure of your choosing.

Silver Star Ski & Sport sponsors sporting events that range from Biking and Skiing event to even rodeos and triathlons.  Todd is ready to support and help anyone to get active and healthy.  If you ask him he’ll tell you he is just all bout the fun!  Anyone who brings their dogs to work daily has to be about the fun, right!!!  Wen need to share some more of the pictures of those sweet girls.

These pups are ready for any adventure and we look forward to seeing their new adventure photos on Facebook.  Check out Todd the girls and even more fun here at the Silver Star Ski & Sport Face Book page. 

Did I mention the fun does not stop with bikes and ski gear?  As you can see the girls are all about water sports too.  Silver Star Ski & Sport have a great selection of Paddle boards for you to enjoy on the lakes or if you are brave maybe even a river in the area.  He has rentals or can sell you paddle boards, a paddle, a wet suit, and even tie downs for your car.

If you are looking for fun in Park City, Utah you need to go see Todd, Tallulah, and Vidalia at Park City Ski & Sport!  They bring the fun no matter the activity.  Be sure to ask about Team Onion Gear and pet the girls for me!
Happy Thanks giving to everyone out there we here at Sunset Properties have a wonderful, restful, day full of blessings, great food and fun.  See y’all soon!