Orange Beach, Alabama :: The Perfect Kid-Friendly Weekend Getaway
The beach with kids is truly magical.
I’m a beach girl through and through, but toddlers at the beach is another level of wild.
Now, Alabama beaches? That’s the best kept Southern secret.
With just a four hour drive from Baton Rouge, we landed on the pristine stretch of Orange Beach. The sand is white, not orange like the name implies.
Apparently Orange Beach was named after locals who attempted to grow oranges and other citrus on the shores.
We stayed at a condo, Shoalwater 104 but there seemed to be several condo options in the area.
Our Location Perks
Being on the ground floor was a must for young kids. Right outside our sliding back door was a gate to the pool and kiddie pool and a step beyond that was the path that led straight to the beach.
Getting kids out of the house in general isn’t easy; getting them out with chairs and beach bags is even more tricky.
So being close and walkable with our baby and toddler made this feel doable.
We even let our baby nap inside and had the monitor at the pool with us right outside our door. Everyone was happy.
The kiddie pool was a game changer. I felt like I could actually relax while the toddlers played and it was shallow enough they could bring toys in.
The condo this time of year wasn’t crowded at all so we pretty much had the pools to ourselves.
One slight setback, you aren’t allowed to set up your own sun shade close to the water, beyond a certain point.
Largely because the beach had rows of sun shades out for rent.
We decided to go ahead and use our sunshade to save some money and set it up a little further back.
We could take our chairs to the water when needed though. A little extra running back and forth with the kids wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Must-bring Beach Toys
- Kite: it was windy enough that every day was an opportune kite day
- Bucket, shovels, sand molds
- Mini watering can: this was perfect for washing off our sandy shells
- Water wheel: I found this in the dollar section at Target. You pour the water and it makes three little wheels turn. Endless entertainment.
- Little surfer dude: a fun way for kids to engage with the waves (you can find one on Amazon)
- Net and flashlight: for crabbing
Food
We planned to cook, assuming there wasn’t many food options but we found plenty for our short stay. We had grocery stores and restaurants close so we could easily cook and easily pickup food.
Final Review
Soft sand, warm water and little-to-no crowds made this an absolute yes for our family. Orange Beach felt family friendly in all aspects and we will definitely be going back to make more beachside memories.
