Thunder on the Gulf, Orange Beach, AlabamaOctober 13-17, 2010

By Kristin Destin, ResortQuest Northwest Florida

Orange Beach is getting ready for the races!  Thunder on the Gulf will take place this year October 13-17 at the Gulf State Park Pavilion on the beach.  Spectators can check out the massive race boats, racers, festivities and official race merchandise, while enjoying spectacular views of our beautiful coast. 

The Dry Pits will be open to the public from Wednesday through Sunday, 8am to 10pm.  They will also be splashing race boats at the Wet Pits at the Caribe Resort, which you can view from Cobalt Restaurant.  There will be racing in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday and Sunday so come and see these powerboats in motion!

The kick-off party at Florabama starts the fun the night of October 13th.  On the 14th, Happy Harbor will feature a race party.  And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of partying, come on down to Live Bait II on the 16th for another race party, following the Pleasure Island Poker Run which will be open to the public. 

Also in town during the event will be Bon Jovi on Friday night and Brad Paisley on Sunday evening!  These concerts are free but are ticketed events and ResortQuest has just a few tickets left.  Please visit our website for information on how you can get these tickets when you book one of our gorgeous condominiums!

Kid-Friendly Activities for the Younger Set, Part I - Gulf Shores, Alabama

By Kristin Destin, ResortQuest Northwest Florida

You’re all ready and packed for the beach, and there’s only one problem – how to find activities to entertain the smallest members of your family? As the mother of a toddler, I have great news for you: there are wonderful attractions in our areas that are perfect for the little ones! Here are some notable kid-friendly attractions in the Gulf Shores, Alabama area:

• Waterville USA, 906 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL – This is a fun water park just a mile off the beach. It has an entire kids’ area called WaWa World for children under 48” tall. It features the Frog, Pelican and Duck slides, and also has an abundance of other colorful attractions. Life jackets are free upon request; and the best part is that kids 2 and under are FREE. For information call (251) 948-2106 or visit www.watervilleusa.com.

• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, 1204 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL – Who doesn’t love the zoo? The kids will love to interact with more than 300 animals including lions, bears, and monkeys. Take advantage of the petting zoo, reptile house, and daily animal shows. Children 2 and under are also FREE at the Zoo! For more information call (251) 968-5732 or visit www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.com.

• The Track Family Recreation Center, 3200 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL – The Track is fun for the entire family featuring lots of go-kart tracks and various other rides. The Kids Country is geared towards children under 8, and offers rides such as the Rio Grande Train, the carousel, Spin Tops, swings, a ferris wheel and two different go-kart tracks: Kiddie Karts (height requirement 3’6”) and Rookie Karts (minimum 4’2” height). Ticket prices begin at $2.48 per ticket, and they offer great value pack prices. For more information call (251) 968-8111 or visit www.gulfshorestrack.com.

Now that you have plenty of options for everyone in your family, we invite you to come on down to Gulf Shores, Alabama and experience the vacation of a lifetime!