While the area has been hit hard by hurricanes, a massive restoration effort earned the beaches along Gulf Shores and Orange Beach a “Top Restored Beach” award in 2006 by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA). After immense erosion, a beach “renourishment” project excavated more than 7.1 million cubic yards (470,000 dump truck loads) of sand from the Gulf of Mexico and deposited it on the beach. This replenished a protective berm to safeguard inland areas from future storm damage. The project was a success because in early 2008, there were plenty of pristine beaches here awaiting your bare feet.
Although it’s not a big-time metropolis, there is plenty for you to see and do in this rapidly-growing young city, which was founded by boatbuilders and charter fishermen. Orange Beach, encompassing villages like Cotton Bayou and Terry Cove, lays claim to being home to the largest fishing fleet on the northern Gulf Coast.
In addition to dozens of guides and charterboat captains eager to take you on a tour of top fi shing holes, you may wish to participate in one of several tournaments, like the annual Orange Beach Fishing Rodeo held each October and sponsored by the Orange Beach Fishing Association (www. gulffi shing.net). Even if you don’t care to go fishing, make sure you are on hand at day’s end when the boats bring in their prized catch.
If you’d rather eat seafood than catch it, make a path to the Annual National Shrimp Festival held in October along Gulf Shores Public Beach boardwalk. This four-day event showcases more than 200 artists and features shrimp feasts and recipes of every kind.
For a look at the mariners of years past, visit the Gulf Shores Museum (244 W 19th Ave.; 251-968-1473), across the street from the library in Gulf Shores. In addition to a video series depicting the maritime history of Mobile Bay, you’ll get an inside look at villages such as Pilot Town, located near the end of Fort Morgan Peninsula. Here lived bay pilots with their families, including sons who often followed in the footsteps of their fathers, assisting cargo vessels from the Mobile Bay entrance to ports farther up the bay.
Closer to Orange Beach, drop in at the Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum (25850 John M Snook Dr.; 251-981- 8545), set in a former schoolhouse and focused around the area’s Native American and maritime heritage. Among the artifacts exhibited here are items donated by families of early local fi shermen.
In addition to lots of new high-rise condominiums going up on the beach, there is also a giant new facility along Portage Creek near SM 158 called The Wharf (251-224- 1900 or www.thewharfal.com). Here you’ll fi nd, in various states of completion, resort-style shopping with national retailers, boutique-style shops and beach stores, restaurants, a 10,000-seat amphitheater, a 15-screen state-of-the-art movie theater, a fi ve-story Ferris Wheel made in Italy, a half-mile long boardwalk, and, of course, condominium homes.
Restaurants and Provisions
At Orange Beach Marina, try Mangos on the Island (27075 Marina Rd.; 251-981-1416) for casual Caribbean dining, or family-favorite Calypso Joe’s Caribbean Grille (27075 Marina Rd.; 251-981-1415). At this open air bistro, you may hear the conch horn howl—this is a cry for all hands on deck to gather to watch live crab races. Pick a number. If your crab wins, you go home with a prize (but not the crab).
Tacky Jacks (27206 Safe Harbor Dr.; 251-981-4144), located at the eastern end of Cotton Bayou, has been a favorite with the local residents since 1980, and serves all three meals with a waterside view and live music. It’s the perfect setting for their beef and cheese nachos specialty. And you can’t be in a bayou and not patronize a Cajun restaurant— around here try Louisiana Lagniappe (27267 Perdido Beach Blvd.; 251-981-2258) at San Roc Cay Marina.
If you make your way over to The Wharf, you can choose from national chains like Starbucks and Johnny Rockets (251-224-6060) to Ginny Lane Bar & Grill (251-224- 6500), where the Sunday champagne brunch is worth a break in your weekend cruise. Farther along the ICW, don’t pass Lulu's (200 E 25th Ave.; 251-967-5858) at Homeport Marina without stopping in for a cheeseburger in a Jimmy Buffett-style, family-friendly paradise.
Provisions are easy to fi nd in Orange Beach at Winn- Dixie (25405 Perdido Beach Blvd.; 251-981-9451) on Perdido Beach Boulevard. If you need some marine paint, tools or tackle, you should find it at Orange Beach Hardware (27525 Canal Rd.; 251-981-6323).
Charts
Use Maptech Waterproof Chart Book 0860 (Pensacola to Panama City), page 16, and NOAA paper chart 11378 (1:40,000).
From the Gulf of Mexico you can reach Orange Beach via Perdido Pass. It’s easily recognizable when approached from offshore by the bridge spanning its entrance.
This inlet features a fast-moving current, choppy waters and a controlling depth of nine feet mlw. Do not use this pass at night, in low visibility, or when seas are rough. Dredging every few years clears the shoals. This inlet doesn’t have the barge traffi c of others, but it is used daily by dozens of sportfi shing boats that call Orange Beach home.
Perdido Pass is marked by RW “PP” Mo (A) WHIS located 0.6 miles from the jetty entrance. Steer to Q G 17 ft 4M “1” on the west jetty, then follow the markers along the west shore. Do not cut between Q R 17 ft 4M “2” and Florida Point. There’s a submerged jetty there. Stick to the western shore until you run parallel to the 54-foot Perdido Pass Bridge. The highest point is on its east end.
Once you have passed under the bridge, a number of markers may confuse you at a fork in the channel. The private markers to the west lead to Cotton Bayou, where you’ll fi nd restaurants on the south shore, fi shing fl eet facilities on the north shore, and a large, prominent public launching ramp on the tip of the peninsula opposite Robinson Island. On summer days, this is a busy area.
The navigational aids to the north lead about a half-mile to mostly sportfi shing marinas in Terry Cove. Here, Saunders Yachtworks (251-981-3706) is a one-stop destination. In addition to a 60-foot-wide travel lift and onsite service and repair for Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel, Cummins, Onan and Northern Lights engines, you'll also fi nd two restaurants and plenty of activity when tournaments hosted by the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club are underway.
Beyond the Perdido Pass Bridge you can follow the markers to the east leading to Bayou St. John and eventually the Intracoastal Waterway. Past Sapling Point, the ICW runs two miles across the southern end of Wolf Bay and enters Portage Creek near SM 160 at R “92.”
Portage Creek leads to a man-made canal, and this is where you'll fi nd Homeport Marina (251-968-4528 or www. homeportmarina.net), a relatively new facility at SM 155. Tucked in next to Lulu’s and northeast of the Gulf Shores Parkway/Highway 59 twin bridges, the marina can accommodate transient vessels up to 100 feet. Onsite amenities include Valvtect fuel, WiFi, pumpout and a marine store. It also offers very good refuge if a hurricane is lurking in the neighborhood.
If you are in search of a good anchorage, you’ll be spoiled for choices before you reach Portage Creek. Heading west on the ICW past Arnica Bay, the well-marked channel passes through Bay La Launch and into Wolf Bay. To the north of R “72,” Ingram Bayou is one of the most beautiful anchorages on the Gulf Coast ICW.
If you can sneak under the 24-foot fi xed bridge crossing Old River, local knowledge will assist you in anchoring in about five feet of water along the waterway sandwiched between Perdido Key and Ono Island.
Shoreside and Emergency Services
Airport:
—Mobile Regional Airport 251-633-4510
Coast Guard:
—Dauphin Island 251-861-8602 or VHF 16
Customs: Mobile 251-441-5111
Police, Fire, Ambulance: 911
Marine Police:
—Alabama Marine Police 251-981-2673
Taxi:
—A1 Taxi Service 251-981-3900
Tow Service:
—Sea Tow 800-4SEA TOW
—TowBoatU.S. 800-391-4869 ?
