Local Community Events this Month

I can’t believe it’s already December and 2011 is almost here!!  Let’s make the most of it and attend some of the great holiday events that our community has planned for us!  If you haven’t already planned your vacation to Fort Morgan this winter, now might be the time!  Listed below are just a few of the many activities in our area.  For a complete list, feel free to contact us at the office.

December 4- Gulf Shores Public Beach Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade.  Parade begins at 2 p.m. and the tree lighting at 5 p.m.

December 10- 3rd Annual Chocolate Affair.  Located at the Robertsdale PZK Hall from 7 to 10 p.m.  All proceeds benefit the Family Promise of Baldwin County.  Tickets $25.

December 11- 25th Annual Nautical Night of Lights Boat Parade.  Parade will begin at 5 p.m. from LuLu’s at Homeport Marina.  On lookers may view the parade from any public area along Canal Road.

December 11- Civil War Christmas.  This event is in our own backyard at the Historic Fort Morgan.  Event is from 4-7 p.m.  Admission is $3-$5. 

December 11- Summerdale Christmas Parade.  2 p.m. Parade will proceed downtown.

December 18- “The Nutcracker” performed by The Gulf Coast Ballet.  Foley Civic Center. 3 p.m.  Admission $5-$10.

December 31- New Year’s Eve “Block Party Blowout”.  The Wharf.  Events begin at 11 a.m.  Admission is free.

December 31- New Year’s Party at LuLu’s.  Doors open at 10 a.m.

January 1- Polar Bear Dip.  Flora Bama.  Noon.  Take a plunge in the Gulf to bring in the new year! 

We hope to see you soon!

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:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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)

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…

    1. 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.
    1. 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).
    1. 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.
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Fort Morgan, where history comes alive!

About a mile from our office stands Fort Morgan, a fort that was actively used off and on from its construction in 1834 until it was finally decommissioned in 1946 and turned over to the wonderful state of Alabama.  This beautifully designed fort served to protect the bay of Mobile and the Alabama coast while it was in use.

As you can see the Fort was designed to be  beautiful and function as a military fort.  Today Fort Morgan is a living history lesson to all who visit.  With it’s romantic air and interesting stories about battles and the thousands of people who lived there through the years, Fort Morgan is a don’t miss on your list of to-dos while vacationing in Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan Alabama.  The entry fee is minimal and discounts are offered for seniors and children.

You get a sense of the history associated with the fort even before you go inside with all of its outlying structures from different time periods and  beautiful stonework.  Fort Morgan is currently cared for by the state and national park system. At different times throughout the year you can see civil war reenactments and take candlelight tours.  All of the events are fun to attend and can offer your family a great history lesson.  Because it is such a beautiful setting over looking the bay people often have destination weddings at Fort Morgan.  Carve out an afternoon to take a tour of Ft. Morgan while you are here, it will  be a memory making experience!

What to pack for your Beach Vacation!!!

If  you are like me, you always over pack no matter where you are going, and the things you pack are not exactly what you need.  Tara and I took some time to make a video about what you need for your beach vacation.  What you need is a surprisingly short list.  Be sure to check out this video so you don’t bring needless items, and don’t forget the most important things! 

   What to pack for your Beach Vacation

Snapper Season Open each weekend until Nov. 22nd

Time to break out your fishing polls and put on some sunscreen, it is Snapper Season each weekend until November 22nd.  I’m not sure who came up with the idea but they were brilliant!!! Instead a few weeks earlier in the year,  Now it is Snapper Season every weekend in the fall.  Almost every man I know in the area is busy every weekend fishing for the fun and great tasting fish.

So now is the time folks, book your condo, bring your boat down or schedule a charter and get ready to have some fun!!!  The snapper are huge, and available every weekend.  Oh, and don’t forget about the ladies in your life, if they are not interested in fishing themselves, there are beautiful white sand beaches and world class shopping for them to enjoy in the area.  The fall is the beast time of year to come to the beach with its small crowds and perfect weather and low rates, who could ask for more???  Give us a call for specials.  See you soon!!!!

Shrimp Festival Weekend Beach Update

Yay for the weekend!!  Everyone down here is gearing up for a fun couple days at the Shrimp Festival at the public beach in Gulf Shores tonight through Sunday.  I went down to the beach earlier today and the weather was just perfect. It wasn’t too terribly hot, there was a nice south breeze, and the water was very clear.   The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky.  A PERFECT beach day!!

Check out today’s beach update:

Ft. Morgan Beach Update for Shrimp Festival Weekend

Hope to see you guys soon!!!

Events You Do Not Want to Miss!!!

The month of October is one of the best times to visit the Alabama Gulf Coast and stay with Sunset Properties!  Free concerts.  GREAT food.  Live entertainment.  Fun festivals.  Fishing.  Whatever you fancy, Gulf Shores has it.

10/7/10-  39th Annual National Shrimp Festival.  Experience seafood fresh from the Gulf, hundreds of vendors, and 2 music stages featuring major and local artists. Plenty of activities for the kiddos as well!  This is an event you don’t want to miss!

10/12/10-  8th Annual Thunder on the Gulf.  This four day, exciting event takes place on the Gulf of Mexico in Orange Beach and is filled with 2 days of boat races, parties, and a poker run. Visit the website for more details. www.thunderonthegulf.com.

10/15/10-  Bon Jovi Free Concert on the beach.

10/17/10-  Brad Paisley Free Concert on the beach.

For our fans who love to fish, Snapper Season starts in 2 days!  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only until November 22.  We will blog more about this soon and post some pictures from some friends!

Book a condo for any of these events starting as low as $299 TOTAL for 2 nights.  For larger groups, we also have some awesome rates on our beautiful beach houses.  If you have any questions at all, feel free to call us at 251-543-1370 or visit our website at www.sunsetproperties.com.

We hope to see you in OCTOBER!!

39th Annual Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival Oct. 7-10

Fall is officially here!!!!! We have some great happenings at the beach this fall, including the 39th Annual National Shrimp Festival.  This year it is the weekend of October 7th thru Sunday the 10th.  If you have never been here for the Shrimp Festival, it is certainly an event not to miss.  Great food, that ranges from seafood to typical fair food, that brings back memories of those childhood visits to the state fair. 

 The food is not the only reason to attend however, there are great vendors and you can purchase beach inspired clothes, jewelery, and artwork of any scale!  Some of my favorite pieces are the giant metal sculptures of life size sea creatures, and the resin cartoonish ones that bring a smile to everyone’s face.  Don’t forget about the musical performances each day you have choices of two different stages to listen to music continously through out the festival.  The kids are not left out at shrimp festival.  There is a family friendly sand sculpture contest, and a Children Activity Village, for your little ones to create their own masterpiece!  A Chef’s Challenge is something you don’t want to miss as the top five finalists consists of some of the best chef’s in our area showcasing their talents in the kitchen to create new dining delights for visitors to our area. 

We have some great specials for you come for a couple of days or a long weekend to enjoy the fun and events of Shrimp Festival, and then the piece and quiet of Ft. Morgan, only 20 minutes from the festival shuttles!  Prices start as low as $199.00 for 2 nights!  Give us a call today!!!!