Summertime Glow

Often we find a bottled solution to a summertime glow if we can't make it to the beach for a tan. However, Meyer Real Estate has made the possibility of a beach vacation in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, Alabama and Perdido Key, Florida very attractive this summer with a wide variety of specials.

Even if you did not plan ahead, we have last-minute 25% off specials for vacationers arriving within 12 days and staying from 4 days to a week. Web surfers can save $50 - $100 by reserving their vacation online. Later in the summer, during the "Thunder on the Gulf" Powerboat Races(August 17-20), there is a special rate for the weekend - 3rd night FREE in condominiums and 4th night FREE in beach houses.

During June (May 25 - June 23) we have designed a "Fun with Father" package with entertainment for the entire family. Activities range from go-cart rides at The Track, waterslide fun at Waterville, viewing the newest tiger cubs at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo to historic Fort Morgan and mini-golf at Pirate's Island. No doubt Dad would love this family beach getaway a whole lot more than a tie for Father's Day. Prices for a two-bedroom gulf front condo for a family of four start at $1064 for three nights including entertainment. Call 800.964.4683 if interested in this "Fun with Father" package or any custom package.

Another Father's Day idea is visiting our coast and attending the 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley, Alabama during the dates of June 16 - 18. In fact that weekend provides a different kind of summertime glow when the 50+ Hot Air Balloons light up the sky in their evening glow spectacular. I'm looking forward to seeing this beautiful sight since I was in attendance last year and found this portion of the Festival my second favorite event. My favorite time was watching the balloons land at the Festival site on Saturday during one of their Rally races. The grace and beauty of these awesome balloons is breathtaking.

So, come on down to the coast and start glowing.

More Sand for One and All

The sugary white sand of the Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama and Perdido Key, Florida area has delighted beachgoers for years. However, over time the elements and occasional storms take their toll on the width of the beach lying between the structures and the waterline. A much needed beach restoration was performed beginnin in 2005 from Perdido Pass Bridge in Orange Beach to the end of West Beach in Gulf Shores, for a total of approximately 16 miles of coastal frontage. The process of pumping the sand from a harvest site just offshore with compatible sand the size, shape and color of existing sand was amazing. Over the 18 months of the project 7.1 million cubic yards of sand was deposited on shore which is equivalent to 470,000 truck loads of this precious material.

Sand fence is still being installed and native grasses (sea oats and panic grass) are being planted to build back the dune system.

The results of this expensive project are incredible and have resulted in very wide, much improved beaches. The project was designed with future erosion in mind, assuring a much bigger beach for years to come.

National recognition was recently bestowed on our beaches by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, when we were named one of six "Top Restored Beaches in America for 2006." The other beaches receiving the 2006 award are Assateague Island National Seashore, MD; Captive Island, FL; Pinellas County Beaches, FL; Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, DE; and Sea Bright to Manasquan Beach, NJ.

As long as I can remember I've loved to feel the clean, soft, white sand under my bare feet and hear the squeak this unusual sand makes as I make my way to the water's edge. I usually sit for long periods of time gazing at the waves, watching the many birds and sand crabs and just sifting the sand through my fingers. If possible I stay for the brilliant sunset because it reminds me of the grandeur and beauty of our world.