Orange Beach, Alabama

     A great place to consider for a family vacation is the state of Alabama.  It is not often considered to be a beautiful destination for a family trip, but there is a real jewel to find here.  It is also not very expensive for a family destination, but it is full of places to explore.  

     Our family visited Orange Beach, Alabama.  That is on the shores of the gorgeous Gulf Coast and only a short drive to Mobile, Alabama or Pensacola, Florida.  We found an Air BnB in a little fishing area for around $100/ night.  

     The views from the place were spectacular, and the pool was right outside our door.  We had room to sleep 6, a full kitchen, and 2 bathrooms in our condo.

     To cut down our food expense, I pre-cooked meals at home and froze them.  We brought them with us in a cooler, still frozen.  Each night I popped one in the oven, and I did not have to worry about cooking.  We even grilled out and froze the meat ahead of time.  For lunch we ate a lot of sandwiches, and breakfast was frozen items from the grocery store that we popped in the oven.  We only bought a few items from the grocery store.  The only times we ate out on this trip was for ice cream and a very special restaurant.

    We had another trick up our sleeve for this trip.  I saved some Visa gift cards that I had received as gifts.  We used these for our adventures.  The biggest adventure we wanted to take was a trip to explore the battleship in Mobile, AL.  

     The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park is a national treasure.  This ship served in combat in World War II.  It is pretty massive.  You can explore the entire ship from top to bottom in three different self guided tours.  It is a pretty strenous tour.  Be prepared to climb ladders and do a lot of walking.  

     There are more than ships to see at this park.  There are also military airplanes and a submarine on site for tours.

     Tickets to the park are around $6 for children and $15 for adults.  It is not expensive at all and the veteran volunteers on site are very knowledgable and friendly.  For more information check out https://www.ussalabama.com/.  

     We always like to have a surprise for the kids on trips.  Our first surprise was the restaurant we went to.  It is a restaurant call Lamberts in Foley, Alabama.  They are truly unique.  You can expect to eat a lot of great southern food and make a big mess all over your table.  They are famous for having throwed rolls.  They have folks who walk around and ask if you want a roll.  If you do, be prepared to catch it.  If you want fried okra, be prepared to have it spread out on a napkin on the table.  It's fantastic!  You have to experience the fun.  Their website is https://throwedrolls.com/lamberts-cafe-iii/.  

    We also had an adventurous day at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.  This was a big surprise we kept from the kids, because at this zoo, you can pay extra to encounter some of the animals.  This is where I used the biggest portion of my Visa gift cards, and it was worth every extra expense.  We chose to pet the kangaroos and sloths.

    For information about the zoo their website is https://www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.com/

    I can't forget the biggest thing that you can do on a vacation in the gulf shores of Alabama.  That is to visit the gulf itself.  It is stunningly beautiful and completely free to visit.  The sand is powder white and the water is crystal clear.  

     Our total cost for this whole trip was a little over $700 including our stay and gas.   The largest portion of our savings came from bringing our own meals, and saving our gift cards to use on this trip.  Any little tricks like these that you can do for you next trip will cut your costs down, and allow you to enjoy big adventures together.

*We are not sponsored, nor afiliated with any of the business/links we have shared.