Condos and Beach Houses Are Perfect for Large Groups

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

I came across the perfect circumstance for recommending Gulf Shores & Orange Beach as a vacation destination the other day. A new acquaintance was looking for a place to hold her family reunion. Her requirements: some place warm (preferably a beach), some place family-friendly that the whole family would enjoy, and some place that would accommodate her large family.

And none of them have ever been to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. It was an obvious recommendation—warm and beachy, of course, and very much family friendly, with lots of attractions and other activities that her whole family will enjoy.

As for space, I suggested either a beach house or a few multi-bedroom condos. Brett/Robinson offers both, each with its own set of benefits. With the condos, they can enjoy various amenities like pools, tennis courts, hot tubs, lazy rivers, and even basketball and racquetball courts, depending on which condominium they pick. If they go with a beach house, they’ll gain some privacy—no sharing walls with strangers. Plus a house offers enough bedrooms and space that the entire family could stay together.

Whatever they choose, they’re sure to have a fun beach vacation and memorable family reunion.

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Spring on the Gulf Brings More Than Nice Weather

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

Less than a week left of March, and then we’re finally to April. This is significant for several reasons. First of all, it’s April—just an all-around better month, in my opinion, than March. When I think of March, I tend to still think of winter; but April calls to mind nothing but spring weather.

It’s also significant because Brett/Robinson is currently offering a pretty fantastic April special: if you book an April vacation in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach (at a Brett/Robinson rental, of course) within three days of when you plan to arrive, you get a 30% discount. If ever there were a reason to justify a last-minute beach vacation, this is it.

Finally, the arrival of April means that we’re almost to May—and May just might be more notable than April. First, the Hangout Music Festival is scheduled for May 17th to 19th—that alone is worth making the trip to the Gulf. And if you stay with Brett/Robinson, you can take advantage of another deal: the Marvelous May Savings special. With this deal, you get a 20% discount on a three night stay if you arrive on May 16th or 17th, or you can get a 25% discount on a four-night stay when you arrive May 15th, 16th, or 17th.

A discounted vacation during Music Fest weekend—need I say more?

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Music Makes the Beach Vacation

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

Good music is an absolute must for any beach vacation. At a minimum, I always make sure that my iPod is fully charged and loaded with my favorite tunes. This is essential for many aspects of the vacation—the drive down, the stroll along the beach, and while relaxing in the sun by the pool.

Even better is being able to enjoy live music during the vacation. And this is one of many reasons why Gulf Shores & Orange Beach is my top vacation destination. Live music events are scheduled nightly at places like LuLu’s and Tacky Jacks.

Some pretty big Orange Beach concerts are scheduled, too: Kenny Chesney is performing on April 11th, followed by Lady Antebellum on May 26th, and then Alabama on July 5th. (All three will take place at the Amphitheater at The Wharf.)

But the biggest Gulf Shores & Orange Beach music event to take place this spring will be the Hangout Music Festival (May 17th – 19th). It’s an entire weekend of continuous live music—so much music that the performances take place on two different stages! Performers include Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Kings of Leon, and many, many more.

Get on down to the Gulf and get your groove on!

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Good Food Is Important for a Good Vacation

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

So we made it to spring. In all honesty, I feel like winter flew by, which likely means spring will fly by too. Summer will be here before we know it, as will summer vacation. And with summer vacation comes a very important issue: food.

Really, dining can make or break my vacation experience. And because my summer vacation is usually my big vacation of the year (a week or longer), I like to ensure I have plenty of options for meals. This is one reason why I love vacationing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach—lots of dining options. There’s a wide variety of Gulf Shores restaurants, and many that serve delicious Gulf seafood—an absolute requirement for a summer beach vacation.

But it isn’t practical to eat out every night, plus sometimes it’s nice to spend a quiet, relaxing evening in. So it’s absolutely necessary that I have access to a kitchen—which is why I always book a Brett/Robinson rental. Whether I stay in a hotel, condo, or beach house, a full kitchen is part of the deal.

Then it’s simply a matter of knowing good meals to prepare. I love cooking and have an arsenal of delicious recipes. Or if I need a fresh idea, I might check some of the recipes on OrangeBeachToday.com.

Good meals are planned; good times are sure to follow.

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It’s Almost Spring, and Almost Time for Spring Vacations!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

One more day until spring. Anyone else get this woohoo-we-made-it feeling when spring finally arrives? Winter is finally past, warm weather and blooming trees and longer daylight hours lie ahead…It’s all great inspiration for a spring beach vacation.

And if white-sand beaches and luxurious Gulf-front condos sound, then you’ll want to plan a spring trip down to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach—you’ll also want to check out Brett/Robinson’s hot deals. You can search for condo savings according to your arrival and departure dates, desired condo, and number of bedrooms. That spring getaway will be that much more enjoyable when you know you’re saving money!

Another way to save money: get one night for free. Yes this is possible, thanks to Brett/Robinson’s free night specials. Get two or three nights for free if you want—stay as long as 10 days and pay for only seven. Now that’s a deal!

Or if you have a specific agenda for your vacation—like fishing or golf or a little spa treatment—book a vacation package. Spa packages, golf packages, girl’s getaway packages…the list goes on. It’s your vacation—find the best way to enjoy it.

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Loving the Music of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach!

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

One of my favorite things about Gulf Shores & Orange Beach: music. Who’s with me on this? We have some pretty awesome music events around here.

Like the Orange Beach concerts that take place at the Amphitheater at the Wharf. A couple really cool ones are coming up in the next few months. Kenny Chesney with special guests Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves is coming to the Wharf April 11th. Then on July 5th, it’s Alabama (again at the Wharf).

There are also plenty of events with live music, too—like the BBQ & Blues Cookoff that’s taking place tomorrow (March 16th), and the Perdido Key Wine & Art Fest next weekend (March 22nd and 23rd). And there’s usually some form of live music entertainment on a nightly basis at places like LuLu’s and Tacky Jacks.

But the big music event I’m most looking forward to is the Hangout Music Fest. This is a whole weekend of live music right on the beach—and it’s only two months away!

Music on the Gulf—you gotta love it!

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How Many Courses in a Golf Vacation?

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

So there are nine options for golf courses when booking a Brett/Robinson golf package. All are excellent choices for golf, which of course is a good thing—but can also make it difficult to decide which courses to play during a Gulf Shores & Orange Beach golf vacation.

I was thinking about this while planning my spring golf getaway, and about how cool it would be to play all nine courses in one vacation. I’ve never done this myself, and now I’m thinking of how to best accomplish this.

Vacation time is often an issue for me; usually I can only do a few days at a time. Which would mean doubling up on golf several days during my vacation. Or I could do a whole week, play every day, and only double up a couple of those days.

But, if I can save up enough vacation time, what I’d really like to do is stay for 10 nights. Because even though this would use up more vacation time, it wouldn’t cost more than a seven-night stay, thanks to Brett/Robinson’s free night specials—10 nights for the price of 7. And I could play just one round of golf every day and fit in all nine golf courses during the vacation.

So there’s my latest vacation goal. Time to start working toward it.

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Book That Summer Vacation Now!

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

No, it isn’t too early to book your summer beach vacation now. In fact, it’s almost too late—if you want to save money on a Brett/Robinson rental.

Check out their current 10-day sale and you’ll see that rates for June, July, and August are going up on March 16th. Don’t wait another minute!

And a Gulf Shores & Orange Beach summer vacation with Brett/Robinson is definitely something to consider. A beach vacation on the Gulf Coast is appealing enough in the summer. White-sand beaches and Gulf waters—need I say more? Stay in a Brett/Robinson condo and you have the added benefit of amenities like swimming pools, lazy rivers, waterslides, and tennis courts, to name a few.

No worries if you miss out on the lower rates—you can always check out their latest hot deals and free-night specials.

Don’t miss out on a fantastic summer vacation!

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How Do You Like to Fish on the Gulf Coast?

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

I was just interrogated by a work colleague on my fishing preferences—whether I prefer fishing from land or from a boat, inshore or offshore fishing, with a large or small group, which fishing location I like best….

The only one I can easily answer is location: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. After that, it’s more difficult to state preferences.

Because part of the reason I prefer fishing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach is all the options that are available. I can book a fishing charter for a large or small group; for inshore, offshore, deep sea, or bottom fishing; and for a short four- or six-hour fishing excursion or an overnight trip. Or I can opt for fishing from the Gulf State Park Pier or even from the area’s white-sand beaches.

Which is my favorite? It really just depends on my mood. I’ve tried pretty much every scenario, and I’ve enjoyed each experience.

I do have one specific recommendation: book a Brett/Robinson fishing package. You have the option of a four- or six-hour fishing trip as part of your Gulf vacation. It’s easy to plan and makes for a fun and exciting vacation.

With spring just around the corner, this could be a good time to plan a fishing vacation….

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Catch a Little Sports Action on the Gulf

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Beachin' Bob

Who’s ready for spring baseball? You know when the baseball season starts that spring is finally here, warmer weather is here (or almost here)…plus I just love baseball.

Now if I were spending the next week in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, I could get a little taste of my favorite sport—and I could be at the beach. Several sporting events are on the events calendar beginning this week. Starting this Friday (March 8th) is the NAIA and the University of Mobile, Gulf Coast Invitational—a college softball competition taking place at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. I’ve been to these NAIA events before; it’s exciting stuff.

Then next week are two events: the Gulf Coast Classic I Softball and Baseball Tournaments. These events are scheduled for March 11th through the 14th. Then ending the week is the 2013 Orange Beach Soccer Shootout on Saturday and Sunday (March 16th and 17th). It’s a good week on the Gulf for sports fans.

And it’s a good week to be at the beach—the weather should be nice and mild, perfect for walking the beach, playing a little golf, and exploring some Gulf Coast nature attractions.

So who’s up for a late-winter trip to the Gulf?

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