Girls Getaway – Setting Sail to the Gulf

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Who doesn’t love a road trip for a fun-filled girls getaway? For me this meant grabbing my mom and sister and the timing couldn’t be more perfect to set sail to the Gulf! My sister is a month away from getting married and with the suggestion of a vacation to the beach over Mother’s Day weekend my mom was all in favor. Actually I believe her exact words were “Shoot Yeah” and if you know my mom it sounds just like her.

Having always been to Destin, Florida this was a change for them but they were very optimistic about all the new adventures we were going to have, especially with this being an all girls getaway (sorry guys!) The first question they asked me was, “What is there to do there?” I have nothing but great memories in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, so along with a few new experiences thrown into the mix I knew they didn’t need to worry about finding enough ‘fun in the sun’!

girls getaway gulf shores and orange beach

Where Did We Stay?

Turquoise Place, Orange Beach

Welcome to Turquoise Place by Spectrum Resorts, located in Orange Beach! Hands down the best, yes I said BEST, resort I have ever stayed at! Lets talk about the amenities…Gourmet kitchen, wet bar with wine cooler and ice maker, gas fireplace, lazy river, sauna and steam room, wi-fi, and so much more.

turqouise place girls getaway

Did I forget to mention that each of these luxury suites has a jacuzzi and a grill on the balcony! Are you sold yet? You should be!

turquoise place kitchen

We had everything that we needed right in front of us, plus the added incentive of private beach access along with the sauna and pools was just an added bonus. Being able to wake up and hear and see the ocean is a great way to start the morning. Who can complain about that right?

turquoise place orange beach

Turquoise Place stands apart from all their competitors through these great amenities but that isn’t enough, they have really added to their competitive advantage by introducing the Clean Bed Guarantee not only at this location, but across all Spectrum Resort accommodations. Spectrum Resorts now have a policy in place to ensure that you have all clean linens and comforter for each stay.

spectrum resorts clean bed guarantee

Trust me when I tell you that this really does make a difference and you will notice it!

turquoise place lazy river orange beach

What Did We Eat?

Latitude 30 – Perdido Beach Resort 

Waking up bright and early, of course leaving Turquoise Place was inevitably difficult but we decided to hop across the street down to Perdido Beach Resort to have breakfast in their restaurant, Latitude 30. The resort has been around since the 1980s and has recently gone through extensive renovations to modernize the overall look.

Once inside Latitude 30 you are faced with a breakfast buffet and for $9.99 you get a wide variety including fresh fruit, bacon or sausage, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs among other options.

perdido beach resort latitude 30

Amazing food but there is also something a little extra special about this breakfast experience. Her name is Glinda and she is the chef at Latitude 30. For breakfast she makes custom order omelettes for her guests. The kicker is not just the jalapeños Glinda adds to her amazing omelettes, but she is always smiling and happy to start her day, good or bad she makes an impact on peoples lives with her stories and positive outlook.

perdido beach resort orange beach

I asked her what her secret was and she said:

To treat everyone like family, you want to make the best for your family.

What an amazing inspiration for travelers’ coming to the area for a vacation and ending up with more family than they came with!

latitude 30 girls getaway breakfast

Cayman Grill

Dinner on our first night saw us pay a visit to the Cayman Grill, also located in Orange Beach. Walking into this beautiful restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the friendly staff and the massive stingray tank located in the heart of the restaurant. We instantly knew this was going to be a cool experience!

cayman grill chargrilled oysters

Chargrilled oysters to start the meal, followed by an array of fish from yellowfin tuna to black grouper with lemon risotto and oven-roasted vegetables.

cayman grill orange beach alabama

Does the sound of this make you hungry? Our waiter recommended the key lime pie for dessert and it will come as no surprise when I tell you just how amazing this was!

key lime pie cayman grill

Are you ready for the recipe for all these delectable delights? Sorry folks, you will just have to head on down to Cayman Grill and sample this fine cuisine for yourselves, it’s well worth the trip.

cayman grill girls getaway

Food in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach is unique and provides a real sense of individuality in every restaurant you visit. Whether it’s the atmosphere or cuisine, local restaurants have great pride in customer service as well as the presentation of each dish.

cayman grill orange beach girls getaway

I love how when you walk in the door you are treated like family. This social interaction is definitely a concept that Cayman Grill thrives on and not something you experience in traditional chain restaurants!

What Did We Do?

Waves of Wine Festival 

Every second Saturday in May the community comes together to raise money for the lifeguards in the area through the amazing Waves of Wine festival. With variations of local craft beers and wines to choose from, you will not be short of things to experience.

craft beer gulf shores and orange beach

After checking in, you are given a gift bag that contains a list of all the vendors products that are available for purchase. You are also given your own wine glass for sampling as many of these local wines and craft beers as you wish.

Just a quick heads up, if you want to purchase anything I would recommend buying early because you run the chance of your favorite product being sold out.

waves of wine festival gulf shores and orange beach

The festival also features some of the finest local restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Samples of the restaurants famous appetizers are available to pair with the wine or beer of your choice. During the festival hours there are also boat rides around the bay area while you sip your favorite concoction.

waves of wine festival

This is usually a sold out festival, which means mingling and getting to know your neighbor is easy and a great environment for us to spend the afternoon.

waves of wine festival girls getaway

We all enjoyed sampling Gulf Shores finest wine selections and although none of us are wine connoisseurs, this was our chance to improve our skills and enjoy an entertaining atmosphere.

Sail Wild Hearts 

Sailing is not normally something that I actively participate in, primarily because I always seem to get sick at the drop of a hat due to the confined space and movement out at sea. However, I heard from several people that an evening cruise with Sail Wild Hearts is an amazing cruise and not to be missed!

sail wild hearts cruise

We opted for the sunset cruise at 5:30pm and since we arrived early, we were able to take in the beautiful scenery by the dock before setting sail into the Gulf.

Once we boarded the 53-foot catamaran, our captain went over a few essential safety items and other important information before we headed out into the Gulf. It was a little rough at first but then I quickly got the hang of how awesome sailing was and the environment matched perfectly.

sail wild hearts girls getaway

Snacks and refreshments were provided and once we got about 2-3 miles into the ocean we started to fish and watch for dolphins. This alone is worth taking the cruise, especially if you are fortunate enough to see dolphins!

sail wild hearts girls getaway gulf shores

A little background music provided a perfect atmosphere and really captivated the true sailing experience while the sun was setting in the background.

sail wild hearts sunset

The staff of Sail Wild Hearts was always helpful and personable, especially when the hula-hoop competition broke out. I think it was pretty obvious that the captain was an expert in this field and we can award him the hula master title!

As The Sun Sets…

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach is the perfect location for a girls getaway to relax and soak up the sun. Whether you are heading to the Gulf to simply relax on the pristine private beaches while staying at the gorgeous Turquoise Place, or perhaps you want to be a little more adventurous with a cool sunset cruise with Sail Wild Hearts, there is plenty to keep you entertained.

girls getaway gulf shores and orange beach

The only negative aspect of this trip was having to leave! Who wouldn’t want to stay in luxury for longer? When it comes to hospitality, amazing cuisine and a friendly atmosphere, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has it all! I challenge you and your girlfriends to head to this part of Alabama and set sail to the Gulf!

If you would like to see more pictures from our amazing trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, along with previous adventures there, check out our photo gallery here: Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Disclaimer – We would like to thank Turqouise Place by Spectrum Resorts and Gulf Shores and Orange Beach for hosting us on this trip. These are solely our personal opinions/experiences and we were not financially compensated for this post. 

Weekend Wanderlust


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Heather Boothmanhttp://www.abritandasoutherner.com
Heather Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born and in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Heather has always been a fond traveler but was only able to start fulfilling her dreams of traveling the world when she met her husband, Chris in 2008. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Heather at [email protected]

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