Oysters, Music & Beer—A Winning Combo
Teams will compete in the Oyster Cook-off at The Hangout for $10,000 in cash and prizes in three categories: Oysters Rockefeller, Cajun Oysters and Create-Your-Own Raw. Food experts will be on hand to judge the teams based on creativity, presentation and flavor. You can join the judging, too, because there will be an award for Crowd Favorite. You don’t really need an excuse to head down to the beach for good times, but now you have one that includes great oysters, great beer and great music.
Another winning combo is our Oyster Cook-off special where you pick the number of nights you want to stay and get one or more FREE nights.
Off the Beaten Path—Bike Rentals
Check out these daily and weekly bike rental options listed below:
Beach Bike Rentals (located where the State Park’s Rosemary Trail begins at Beach Highway)
Gulf Shores Beach Rentals
And then check out the well-maintained bike path extending from the Fort Morgan peninsula through Gulf Shores and into Orange Beach. Take your choice—ride west to east or ride into the sunset.
The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Orange Beach is a must-visit with its 7.8 miles of paved and 1.75 miles of unpaved pathway, butterfly garden, picnic pavilion, bathroom facilities and benches along the route. A few of the animals you might spot along your ride include deer, wild hogs, wolves, coyotes, gopher tortoises, bobcats, snakes and foxes.
High Flyin’ & Song Singin’ On Your Coast
November is a great time to visit for Gulf Coast fun. Bring the entire family for the aerial acrobatics of the famous Blue Angels who thrill audiences all over the country during the year and return November 11 and 12 for their homecoming performance at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. You can even catch a sneak peek when they practice on November 8. You might even see them from the balcony of your beach retreat house or condo, flyin’ high over the gulf waters.
The songs you know and love to hear often had their beginning not with the singer who popularized it, but with a songwriter who poured his or her heart and soul into the lyrics and melody before hoping someone famous would perform it. For 11 days and nights at venues up and down the Gulf Coast, dozens of songwriters will sing their songs to you. This unique, entertaining music celebration, the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, is the original and the best of its kind.
Get a FREE night during our winter special when you head to the coast to see the Blue Angels, Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival or maybe one of the many happenings listed below:
October
15–31 Kangaroo Kraze at Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, Mobile
29 The Original German Sausage Festival, Elberta
November
1–30 Kangaroo Kraze at Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, Mobile
3–5 Angel Ride at Oak Hollow, Fairhope
5 Oyster Cook-off at The Hangout, Gulf Shores
5–6 Heritage Harbor Days, Foley
8 Blue Angels Practice at NAS, Pensacola
10–20 Frank Brown Songwriters Festival, numerous venues along the coast
11–12 Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS, Pensacola
12 Kid Rock at the Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
25–30 Bellingrath Garden’s Magic Christmas in Lights, Mobile
December
1–31 Bellingrath Garden’s Magic Christmas in Lights, Mobile (closed 12/25/11)
1–31 Kangaroo Kraze at Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, Mobile
1 Christmas Open House at City of Gulf Shores
Keeping you up to date on entertainment options is our mission, so check both our Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Calendar of Events and our Gulf Shores Concerts & Music Calendar before you arrive and while you are here at the beautiful white sands and clear blue/green waters of your ideal beach.
There’s still time to enter our Facebook photo contest by submitting your coastal photo for a chance to win a spring vacation. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite photo.