Son of a beach

[lilahbean13]

I need a vacation. Really bad. We put back some of our bonus money to be able to take a small non luxurious summer vacation. Cooper keeps asking about the beach so I guess that's what we will do. If you have ever been to a Texas beach like Galveston you will know why we want to go out of state.
So where are your favorite family friendly beach spots? I grew up going to destin but I don't think we can afford it there. Has anyone ever been to Gulf Shores in Alabama?

[britbratjf]

Hum. I'm not much help because we always go to Ft Myers Beach, FL. But I've heard good things about gulf shores! Or you could do the FL panhandle.

[jennmm]

I hear Gulf Shores is nice, although I have never been myself. My GMIL lives near Tampa and they have some really nice beaches in that area that she says don't get as crowded as Destin or PCB.

[cookiesandwine]

We went to Gulf Shores when I was maybe 13. It was really nice though I don't remember many specifics. My mom looked into going there again this year and it seemed nice.

We took Sadie to Panama City Beach last year and my whole family (like 30 of us) are actually taking a spring vacation there again this year. I know it's not too far past the state line. Nice beaches, fun Pier Park area, and Gulf World was really neat.

[aimeefarrahfowler]

Clearwater, FL is my favorite! It's not too far from tampa so you could do a day at Busch Gardens, they have like a whole zoo in there

[lizwinderson]

I went to Gulf Shores in November and it was beautiful. I was really surprised. The beaches were very wide and gorgeous. I will try to post a pic of them!

[jfresh]

I went to Gulf Shores maybe 10 years ago. It was really nice. I was with my parents and they always like to do sight seeing type stuff like museums but I managed to get some beach time in.

[mrsrek10]

We go to Gulf Shores every summer. It is only 3 hours from me. We love it! It is less expensive than PCB, FL but I do like PCB too. It's 4 hours from me. Let me know if you have questions!

[aylafsu1881]

My H's family goes to Panama city beach every year. It is really nice and the beaches are pretty. I would recommend going at a non spring break time because it gets wild there in March/April.

Another option is Mexico Beach. It is further on the panhandle, more near Alabama. A friend goes there all the time and says it is great. It is a bit more relaxed and family friendly.

[pinkluna]

We're only 45 min from Galveston and I agree with you! Although we've rented a condo there for the weekend and it was a nice getaway but not for hanging out on the beach.

Have you considered a cruise? There are plenty options out of Galveston for 5-7 nights. Most are for Mexico or the Caribbean and they're a great value.

[sarahandeddie]

DH and I did spring break a few times at PCB. We loved it. Obviously wouldn't go during spring break time, but the national park area has a beautiful beach. Maybe stay in town to save money instead of staying right on the beach.

[lilahbean13]

Feb 1, 2015 11:34:26 GMT -5 mrsrek10 said:

We go to Gulf Shores every summer. It is only 3 hours from me. We love it! It is less expensive than PCB, FL but I do like PCB too. It's 4 hours from me. Let me know if you have questions!

I thought about PcB but only thing I know about that place is from college friends that Spring Break there so I wasn't sure about the the environment. Gulf Shores is pretty family friendly ?

[lilahbean13]

Feb 1, 2015 13:19:51 GMT -5 pinkluna said:

We're only 45 min from Galveston and I agree with you! Although we've rented a condo there for the weekend and it was a nice getaway but not for hanging out on the beach.

Have you considered a cruise? There are plenty options out of Galveston for 5-7 nights. Most are for Mexico or the Caribbean and they're a great value.

H and I had a blast in Galveston a few years back but I'm wanting to go to a real beach with sand that isn't hard and itchy lol
I will look in to cruises. We are about 5 hours from Galveston so leaving from there wouldn't be a problem

Thank you!!

[mrsrek10]

Feb 2, 2015 8:23:50 GMT -5 lilahbean13 said:

Feb 1, 2015 11:34:26 GMT -5 mrsrek10 said:

We go to Gulf Shores every summer. It is only 3 hours from me. We love it! It is less expensive than PCB, FL but I do like PCB too. It's 4 hours from me. Let me know if you have questions!

I thought about PcB but only thing I know about that place is from college friends that Spring Break there so I wasn't sure about the the environment. Gulf Shores is pretty family friendly ?

Sorry, Monday is my long day so I am behind. Gulf Shores is very family focused. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Perdido are all connected communities that are great for family fun. Plus, the beautiful sandy white beaches.