Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show Near Gulf Shores

Once when I was on vacation in Nashville the Blue Angels were performing there and actually staying at the same hotel where my family stayed. I was thrilled to see these talented airmen in the elevator. I am very spoiled to have the privilege of seeing them practice over the Gulf waters in Gulf Shores often, or watching their free practice sessions at their Pensacola home base which happens weekly during the show season.

By far the biggest and best show of the Blue Angels season is the annual homecoming event at the Pensacola Naval Air Station which will occur this year on November 13th & 14th. Admission is free, gates open at 8 a.m., the show starts at 9:30 a.m. and the Blue Angels are scheduled to fly at approximately 2 p.m.












My recommendation for a resort destination during the Blue Angels Air Show weekend is Meyer Real Estate's luxurious condos on beautiful Perdido Key, Florida located near the Naval Air Station. You're in luck since there is still a 50% discount on condo rentals during the Blue Angels Homecoming weekend (4-night minimum). Even if you can't spend four nights on the coast you can always use one of the free nights to either arrive early or stay later. See you at the show.

Gulf Shores' Golf Course Named in Top 75 Resorts

Our area is so blessed to have 300 holes of championship golf within a short drive from the beach. We are excited to report that one of those excellent courses, Kiva Dunes Golf Club in Gulf Shores, has once again achieved a very special designation. Kiva Dunes is listed on the 2009 Golf Digest's "75 Best Golf Resorts in North America."

The Golf Digest list begins with famous Pebble Beach Resort and includes world-class resorts in Hawaii, the Carolinas, Florida and even Canada and the Bahamas. Ranked number 60 Kiva Dunes is the only Alabama resort to make the list. Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde states "Regardless of where on the list a resort ranks, each one offers a combination of fine golf, lodging, food and service."

Experience the excellence of Kiva Dunes Golf Course when you choose one of Meyer Real Estate's beautiful Kiva Dunes Subdivision houses adjacent to BOTH the golf course and the gulf beaches.

Enter Your Photo for a Chance to Win a Beach Vacation

Only a couple of weeks remain for you to enter your photos of the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast in Meyer Real Estate's "Focus on the Coast" Photo Contest. Enter up to five favorite photos until noon on November 16th.

As you review your visit to the coast for possible photo contest entries think not only about the sugar-white sands and beautiful gulf waters but also think beyond the beach. Did you visit the Zoo or Fort Morgan? Maybe you played a round of golf or went deep-sea or pier fishing. Perhaps the family spent time playing mini-golf, riding the Ferris wheel or roller coaster or racing one another on go-carts. Or did you capture images of the plants and animals of the coast? Although your posed family portraits are very special as a snapshot in time of your beach trip some of the most precious images can be the candid, unposed shots. Just be sure to list the time of year and location when you submit your treasured photos.

So look back through your vacation photos and submit your top choices soon for a chance to win a 3-night return trip to the beach in the spring.

Songwriter's Perform on Alabama & Florida's Gulf Coast

Hundreds of talented songwriters will converge on the Gulf Coast for a 10-day celebration of their musical prowess next month. Their songs are made famous by the musical artists who record them but you've probably never stopped to consider the ability of successful songwriters to perform their own creations.

The 25th annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival runs from November 12 through November 22 at a wide variety of venues that are spread across the Florida and Alabama's coast from Pensacola and Perdido Key to Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan. The festival showcases successful songwriters of country music, southern rock, folk, bluegrass, gospel, Americana, pop, top 40 and alternative music genres.

Make your plans to attend the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival for one of the two weekends or all 10 days and celebrate savings with a Meyer Real Estate super sale (25-50% discounts).

Halloween Fun on Alabama's Gulf Coast

Haunted houses, costume contests, spooky trails, ghosts, ghouls and more make the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast a great destination for Halloween fun for the whole family.

The Wharf (4550 Main St.; Orange Beach) - Scream for the Arts Haunted House and Halloween celebrations are open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday for all ages and a special hair-raising experience from 8 to 10 p.m. is not recommended for younger children. Cost: $4 (proceeds benefit Gulf Shores High School Fine Arts program). Details: (251) 224-1015



LuLu's at Homeport Marina (200 E. 25th Ave., Gulf Shores) - 3rd annual BooLu's Haunted House from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Older children and adults wander through a spooky maze and younger children can play Halloween games. Cost: $5 donation to benefit arts programs in local schools. Details: (251) 967-5858.

City of Gulf Shores (David L. Bodenhamer Center, 310 W. 19th Ave., Gulf Shores) - Halloween Family Fun Day from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Carnival games for less than $1, costume contest, a cake walk and "Panic in the Park Haunted Trail" at Kid's Park. Details: (251) 968-1424 or (251) 968-4420.

City of Foley (Downtown Foley, Hwy. 59 & Hwy. 98) - Uptown Foley Halloween Party from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Costume contest for all ages, a cake walk, bounce houses, a ticket drawing for free prizes from Stacey's Ole Tyme Soda Fountain, games, free treats, face painting and much more. Concessions on site will benefit the Boy Scouts. Details: (251) 943-1200.

Vacation prices are not frightening since Meyer offers a 50% discount on your Halloween condo rentals and a 25% discount on house rentals (4-night minimum).

Glass Classes & Live Glass Blowing in Orange Beach, AL

Make your next trip to the coast a learning experience. The newly opened Hot Shop at the Orange Beach Art Center offers the opportunity to make your own glass ornament ($20) or paperweight ($35) every Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm. Or if you wish to learn more there are beginner and intermediate glass classes available to begin your career as a glass artist or jump start your hobby.

For an added treat when you see the "live glass-blowing" signs stop in to see noted Seattle Glass Artist Robert Jones in action blowing glass.

The Hot Shop is located in Orange Beach, AL at 26389 Canal Road, 3/10 mile east of the Hwy. 161 and Canal Road (Hwy. 180) intersection. Great bargains are available at Meyer Real Estate's HOT Deals for your trip to the Hot Shop.

Gulf Shores Area Declared a National Scenic Byway

Stop and smell the magnolias!

Take the time to enhance your appreciation of the Alabama coast when you take the Alabama Coastal Connection, recently named a National Scenic Byway, which is essentially on big loop off Interstate 10. Whether traveling east or west on I-10 when you choose this scenic detour your life will no doubt be enriched.

Among the historic landmarks along the route you'll find both Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan just a ferry across Mobile Bay apart. The Dauphin Island Audubon Sanctuary, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, and Gulf State Park are also possible stops for you which total 12,000 acres of protected lands. At the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve you can view native plants, migratory birds and indigenous wildlife.

This 130 mile route lends itself to a couple of nights on the beach in a coastal condo or beach house as you explore the wonders of the coast. Check Meyer's HOT DEALS for a great rate.

"Focus on the Coast" Photo Contest Begins

Your special memories of a 2009 visit to the Alabama/Florida coast captured in photographs can potentially be your ticket to win a return trip next spring. Simply enter Meyer Real Estate's "Focus on the Coast" photo contest and you'll be in the running for a 3-night spring vacation in a 2-bedroom gulf-front condo (valid dates 3/1/10-5/10/10; subject to availability, excluding holidays).

Show the world the focal point of your vacation by choosing your best photos and enter the contest before the deadline of November 16th. Click here for all the contest details.