Gulf Shores – Page 10 – Sunset Properties Blog

August 27, 2012

Hurricane Isaac update Aug.27 1P.M.

Hi everyone! This is the first of our updates for Hurricane Issac. For those of you who are owners. We have picked up, locked up and boarded up as needed. We will be finishing these processes and sending our staff home to take care of their personal property tomorrow. Below is the most current update from the city. There are a few road closures pending at this time.

Gulf Shores, Ala – August 27, 2012 – City of Gulf Shores officials have announced no anticipated road closures or access restrictions to the island throughout the day today.
Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27 the City anticipates closures at Highway 59 and Zoo Road and Highway 135 and Highway 182 at Beach Boulevard. Residents and others with proper credentials will still be given access to these areas until further notice.
City officials do not anticipate any interruption in utilities; however, the potential still remains for disruption as conditions can deteriorate rapidly.

Sunset Properties Beach Update Aug. 27

August 10, 2012

Best Beaches In The U.S.A.

Recently an owner sent an email to us with a report on the cleanest beaches in the United States. We are so thankful that Gulf Shores is considered one of the cleanest places to visit! Take a look below!

Editor’s note: On the list of 5-star beaches, Maryland’s beach was originally incorrectly listed here. It is Ocean City.

Bacterial contamination from stormwater runoff and sewage helped make 2011 one of the worst years in more than two decades for health-related closings and warnings at U.S. beaches, a major environmental group says.

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s annual assessment, released Wednesday, analyzes government data from more than 3,000 testing locations nationwide. It found that water quality at America’s beaches remained largely stable last year, with 8 % of water samples violating public health standards, the same as the previous year.

But there were 23,481 closing and advisory days in 2011, the third-highest level since NRDC began compiling their reports in 1990. That represented a 3% drop from 2010, which marked the second-highest number of closings and advisories since the group started its surveys. (The worst year, according to the NRDC, was 2006 with 25,643 closing or warning days.)

The Great Lakes region had the highest violation rate of beachwater standards – 11% of samples in 2011 – while the Mid-Atlantic’s Delmarva region had the lowest, with 4%. Individual states with the highest violation rates of reported samples were Louisiana (29%), Ohio (22%), and Illinois (12 %). States with the lowest rates of contamination last year – just 1% – were Delaware and New Hampshire.

For the first time this year, the NRDC has mapped more than 6,000 beaches nationwide, providing monitoring, closing and advisory information for more than half of them.

The searchable map includes a dozen beaches that earned the group’s five-star rating for violating health standards less than 5% of the time and for following such best practices as testing more than once a week and posting advisories online as well as at the beach. They include:

California’s Newport, Huntington State and Bolsa Chica
Alabama’s Gulf Shores Public Beach and Gulf State Park Pavilion
Delaware’s Dewey Beach
Maryland’s Ocean City Beach
Minnesota’s Park Point Franklin Park and Lafayette Community Club Beach>
New Hampshire’s Hampton Beach State Park and Wallis Sands
Texas’ South Padre Island

On the flip side, 15 “repeat offenders” stood out for persistent contamination problems over the past five years. They include portions of:

California’s Avalon and Doheny State Beach
Illinois’ Winnetka Elder Park Beach, North Point Marina and North Beach
Louisiana’s Constance, Gulf Breeze, Little Florida, Long and Rutherford
New Jersey’s Beachwood Beach West
New York’s Woodlawn and Ontario
Ohio’s Euclid State Park and Villa Angela State Park
Wisconsin’s South Shore Beach

Beachwater pollution nationwide causes a range of waterborne illnesses in swimmers including stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other health problems. For senior citizens, small children and people with weak immune systems, the results can be fatal.

According to the NRDC, the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed updates to federal water quality standards – due to be finalized this fall – “miss a critical opportunity to better protect beachgoers from the dangers of swimming in polluted waters,” and would put 1 in 28 swimmers at risk of getting a gastrointestinal illness.

August 10, 2012

Lightening Glass! Not what you expect!

We’ve all seen the movie set in this area where the main characters fall in love when struck by lightening as children. The movie shows this beautiful swirling glass sculpture created by the mixture of lightening and sand. In the real world these little lightening creations are called fulgurites. Fulgurites (from the Latin fulgur meaning thunderbolt) are natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, silica, or soil by lightningstrikes. We were actually brought a few of these interesting pieces of glass by a friend of the company and they are not what I expected. They are formed when lightning with a temperature of at least 1,800 °C (3,270 °F) instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together; the fulgurite tube is the cooled product. This process occurs over a period of around one second, and leaves evidence of the lightning path and its dispersion over the surface. Fulgurites can also be produced when a high voltage electrical distribution network breaks and the lines fall onto a conductive surface with sand beneath. They are sometimes referred to as petrified lightning. The glass formed is called lechatelierite which may also be formed by meteorite impact and volcanic explosions. Fulgurites can have deep penetrations, sometimes occurring as far as 15 metres (49 ft) below the surface that was struck.

November 2, 2011

“Dogs Are the Best” Photo Contest 2011

Win a $100.00 gift certificate!

We have an exciting announcement to make! Sunset Properties is holding our first annual “Dogs Are the Best” Photo Contest giveaway, and everyone is invited to enter. So, make sure you spread the word to your friends and family.

Details for the giveaway are simple. Email us at Contest@SunsetProperties.com with your favorite “dog at the beach” picture and a maximum of five sentences describing it. Submissions will be processed within three business days of receiving. Any photo submissions posted on the Sunset Properties Facebook wall will be deleted—your official entry has to be emailed to us.

The winning entry will receive a $100.00 gift certificate towards a stay with Sunset Properties PLUS their pet fee waived. There is also a 2nd prize gift certificate of $75.00 and a 3rd prize gift certificate of $50.00 and each of their pet fees waived as well. Pictures don’t necessarily need to be posed. We want GREAT pictures and GREAT stories. If you want to know how we define GREAT keep reading. There is a two picture entry limit per person, per email address so make sure you pick the best pictures you have. Here are examples of GREAT picture ideas/themes:
This is a DOGS AND THE BEACH themed contest!!! Dogs at the beach, playing, sunning, or getting ready for a beach adventure with the family, all make for a great entry. So send us your doggy photos!!!!

Please no other cities or photos that do not obviously show you are at the beach or at a Gulf Shores land mark or hot spot.

A funny picture of your dog playing at the beach.
A beautiful sunset with you and your dog 🙂
Your family and dog enjoying the beach or getting ready to head to the beach.
Anything that’s cute, fun or pretty of your pet at the beach. The best photos will be the ones that make us laugh, cry, sigh, move us, or make us want to bring our dog to the Beach.

Are you convinced you should win? We’ll be posting entries in an album on our Facebook Fanpage entitled “2011 Dogs Are the Best.” Please encourage your friends and family to “Like” their favorite picture. In order for a photo to be in the contest it must be submitted to us via email so we can place it in our contest photo album on our Facebook page. The amount of “likes” will be considered in our decision making for the winners. So participants should spread the word to friends and family and ask them to “like” their pictures. Ultimately, our office staff will choose the final winners.

The contest starts on November 2, 2011 and ends on December 4, 2011 @ 11:59 pm. Winners will be announced via Facebook on December 5, 2011. We’re excited to see the entries!

Click here for Official Rules!

August 11, 2011

2011 Sunset Properties Photo Contest Winners

We wanted to say a special Congratulations to our Winners and Honorable Mentions for our 2011 Photo Contest. We appriciate your time an efforts in entering this contest and sharing your beautiful memories and great talent! Enjoy these great photos below.

1st Place: Jessica Mooney ” Baby Jake”

2nd Place: Jennifer Hill – ” Crab Hunting”

3rd Place: Angela Allred – “Fishing Lesson”

Honorable Mentions in no particular order

Amanda Snipes- “Family Beach Photo”

Christie Arthur – “Mr. GQ”

Kevin Ware – ” Sunset from Pier”

Toni Fahler – ” Lucy buried in the sand”

August 2, 2011

147th Commeration of the Battle of Mobile Bay

The 147th Commemoration of the Battle of Mobile Bay will be held at Saturday, August 6 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the park at the end of Fort Morgan Road (AL Hwy. 180). Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for ages 6-18 and free for children under 6. (Active duty military and families also admitted free.)

To read more about the history of this event, see our feature article: No “Petty” Battle

The Commemoration: Lots of Reasons to Attend!

Michael Bailey, cultural resource coordinator at Fort Morgan, said events at the park are growing in significance leading up to the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Mobile Bay in 2014. So far this year the fort has marked other Civil War-era events such as the peaceful seizure of Fort Morgan from the federal government by Alabama troops in January.

Bailey said the schedule for Aug. 6 is as follows:

· 8:30 a.m. – Raising of colors (the Confederate Second National Flag, which flew in August 1864)

· 10:30 a.m. to noon – Drilling and firing artillery (32-pounder and 6-pounder)

· 9:30 to noon – Rifle firing by reactors

· 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. – Second round of artillery firing

· 3:30 to 4 p.m. – Second round of rifle firing

· 4:30 p.m. – Lowering of flag

Throughout the day will be living history exhibits of soldiers and laundresses, along with two non-firing artillery pieces. Also, guides will give oral histories of the Battle of Mobile Bay.

The Mobile Bay Ferry will operate all day between Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island. A concession stand will sell hot dogs, snacks and drinks throughout the day.

For more information, call the Fort Morgan Museum at 540-7127.

To get there:

From Mobile (or take ferry — https://www.mobilebayferry.com/— from Dauphin Island)

– Take I-10 E toward Pensacola – go 16.5 mi

– Take exit #44/LOXLEY/BAY MINETTE onto N HICKORY ST(AL-59 S) toward Gulf – go 28.6 mi

– Turn Right on HWY 180 – go 19.9 mi

– Arrive at the center of FORT MORGAN, AL

From Pensacola

– Take FL 292 W to Alabama line – go 19.8 mi

– FL 292 W becomes AL 292 W – go 10.6 mi

– Turn Right on Gulf Shore Parkway (AL-59) – go 1.1 mi

– Turn Right on HWY 180 – go 19.9 mi

– Arrive at the center of FORT MORGAN, AL

Thanks Coast360.com for the info on this fun event!

July 21, 2011

Ft. Morgan Beach Update July 21st

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day on the beach. Today the water is the clearest I’ve seen it in years. You can see everything on the bottom from seashells to fish swimming by. It is so great to see families enjoying the beach and water this summer. Today the water is great! The temperature is great! Everyone is having fun! Where are you???? Give us a call to book today? Check out our Beach update 7/21/11 See you soon!

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

Ft. Morgan Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles are our favorite local wildlife. This time of year the Loggerhead Sea Turtles are in nesting mode. Currently we have 27 nests in Ft. Morgan alone. different government organizations have been stopping mother sea turtles this year and affixing tracking devices to their backs. You can see the Sea Turtle Tracking on line. Unfortunately it is not real time there is a 10 day lag time to when it is posted online. That is not the only exciting news with Sea Turtles this year we have had several live releases of injured turtles this year as well.

In 55 Days after the nest is laid in the sand the babies start to emerge. Baby Turtles making their way to the water is a site not to be missed! Our first nest in Ft. Morgan will be hatching out in the next week and then we should have at least one a week until October. Check with us at the office and we can let you know where the next nest open to the public will be! See you soon!

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!!!