If you waited too late to catch a flight deal this holiday season, don’t fret! Some of the best destinations and new memories are just a road trip away.

One of our favorite road trips that my daughter and I took was to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. We went towards the end of fall, last year, and the water was still warm enough to take a swim and nice evening walk alongside the shore.

Most people think beaches are only limited to summer but quiet as kept, the fall and even the winter are still great times to go. I’m also a fan of not picking just one season, try them all and try them all at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

With travel being in such high demand, after slowly making our way out of the pandemic, choosing a less “touristy” destination is always a good move. Orange Beach is about 30 miles long, giving plenty of space for you and your family to enjoy themselves without the feeling of overcrowding. The last time we were there, I had enough space to set up a nice lunch for myself.

If you’re interested in seeing my full beach-lunch setup, click here for my Instagram Reel.

Another plus about going to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores during the holidays is the infinite amount of good ol’ comfort food, the kind that keeps you warm when it’s cold outside. I highly recommend Playa at Orange Beach Marina. I believe I ordered the fried grouper and grits and it was delish! I definitely remember trying the conch fritters as an appetizer and ordering their specialty, the Pink Pineapple Drink. 

To make your vacation planning much easier on yourself, they have a great user-friendly website with a variety of categories; Places to stay, where to eat, things to do and a calendar of events. And guess what? they’ve even added a special category for the holidays, “Holiday Dining with Family and Friends”. I encourage you to check it out for potential reservations, additional pics of the food you might be interested in and hours of operation.

Click here for a full overview of our trip last year with a few updates.