Gulf Coast Vacation, Fort Morgan, AL

Ahh… that serene, peaceful feeling I get from being at the beach, I can’t quite explain it.  I’ve always loved water, always.  When I was a kid I thought living on a houseboat or on a stranded island like “Swiss Family Robinson” sounded like the life for me.  Now married and seven kids later, the houseboat is pretty much out and sounds less appealing to me now, but some days the island still sounds tempting.  This spring we ventured on another Gulf Coast Vacation and decided to explore the Fort Morgan area. It did not disappoint.

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We usually go to the coast in the fall (the best time to be at the beach), but we couldn’t wait this time.  So when planning, I found out that the second best time to go is around April.  Privacy is always a priority for me, so when I found this place in the midst of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, I thought it fit the bill. 

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Our Stay

We were a decent 15- 20 minute drive to the center of Gulf Shores. The drive was worth it to me to be in the midst of so much wildlife and not a lot of people.  So if you want to be close to a lot of nightlife (besides crab hunting and night surfing), this may not be the place for you.  We loved it, I hesitate to share that, you’ll probably hate it!  Not a good idea, just go ahead and go somewhere else. 

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This is one of the trails in our gated neighborhood I found while taking an early morning walk. There’s something amazing about being at the beach at sunrise. We could hear the waves from the house. I just walked out and followed that wonderful sound. When you’re at the refuge, you’re basically staying in a swamp. It’s not for everyone, I’m sure, but we found it to be a unique and enjoyable experience. There is a certain alertness you have though knowing that you’re living among alligators. Warning signs are everywhere. My husband and I saw our first gator from our bedroom balcony overlooking the water.

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Things to do: Hiking/Fishing

This area of the Gulf Coast is not short on things to do. Considering you like the outdoors that is. One of our favorite things to do is hiking, something we don’t normally do on a Gulf Coast vacation. However, since we went in April, the weather wasn’t too hot. We found a trail down the highway a little ways that took us to “Little Lagoon”. Contrary to it’s name, it’s not so little. It is beautiful though, and full of wildlife. The “Jeff Friend Trail” is a relatively easy one mile hike. Once at the lagoon, you can spot stingrays, jellyfish, crabs, birds, etc… It turned out to be a great spot to fish, though you will have to haul your things a ways. However, even with a baby in tow, I thought it was worth it.

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Of course, although I love fishing, my fishing these days usually consist of taking pictures and trying to keep my baby from eating too much sand. Occasionally, I help a struggling young one with their bait, or tangled up fishing rod. Of course I also bring the water and snacks etc… I’m in full mom mode and I love it.

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My husband gets a little fishing in himself, but quickly finds himself running back and forth assisting the boys, but hey that’s life with little’s. We try to enjoy it while we can, they grow fast. He did manage to get out several times with some older boys and even on his own a little. If you love fishing, the Fort Morgan/Gulf Shores area is known to have some of the best fishing anywhere. We like to visit the Gulf State Park Pier. You can pay a small fee to go out on the long pier and fish, watch others fish, or just enjoy the view. They are rebuilding some of it after the hurricane a couple of years ago took out a section. You can still walk most of it.

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Hit the Beach

Of course, if you don’t like to fish or hike, no Gulf Coast vacation would be complete without a trip to the beach for a swim I don’t know if this is a “spring” thing, but the rip currents were very strong during our stay. I had the feeling that this end of the panhandle can be a little rougher than some of the other areas on average, but for some reason this spring was a little rougher everywhere. So we had to be a little more careful with the smaller children. There were several tide pools to play in, so that was a definite plus for the younger children.

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Fort Morgan has a kayak rental nearby, and they will deliver to your door, making it super convenient. We love kayaking, the waves got pretty intense (compared to what we are used to), so it did give us a bit of a challenge. The water is beautiful though and even though a bit chilly in April for my taste, you get used to it. My husband thought it was perfect, so depends on what you like. There is a nearby kayak launch off one of the trails in the refuge, but we didn’t make it there.

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Crab Hunting

We’ve visited the Gulf Coast several times, and have never taken the kids crab hunting, so I was determined to get them out there with their nets in hand. My kids love critters! Me, not so much, but hey it’s for the children. The first night I actually stayed back at the house with some of the others, but I joined them later in the week and it was quite the adventure.

Being out on the beach at dark with very little light pollution, just us, our nets (in my case, my camera), the stars and waves, it was pretty cool. Oh, don’t forget the flashlights! The kids loved it and the crabs were plenty! I really recommend this activity, even though I did shriek a bit when they came towards me! We didn’t eat any, just had fun seeing who could catch the biggest ones. In our family, everything becomes a competition.

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Fort Morgan

At the tip of Fort Morgan, you can visit and tour the actual Fort for which the whole place is named. We went down to it, but for times sake we didn’t do the tour. It’s definitely worth the trip though, especially if you like history (and we do). Lots of cool history here and photo ops. You can make a picnic and stay awhile and even fish (that was my tentative plan). For hours and prices you can visit the link below. https://ahc.alabama.gov/properties/ftmorgan/ftmorgan.aspx

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You can also take a ferry ride across Mobile Bay to nearby Dauphin Island. The trip takes about 40 minutes, so I opted not to do it this time with the young ones, but another time for sure. For the schedule and pricing you can visit the link below. https://mobilebayferry.com/

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So, if you’re looking for a trip to the beach with low density crowds, plenty of nature and even some history, this could be the place for your next Gulf Coast Vacation.

That’s all for now. Happy traveling!!