Amy Comes Back With Memories from Gulf Shores, Alabama [VIDEO]

My family and I just returned from a much-needed vacation in Ft. Morgan, Alabama! The coast is so beautiful and relaxing. The food, the people, the shopping and the fishing was awesome!

My first question I asked myself on arrival - "Why is the first time I've been here?" My answer to myself - "I don't know dummy!"

The beautiful clean white beaches and terrific surf cannot be beat. The laid back atmosphere was exactly what the doctor ordered. Even though it rained the entire trip down there and two days when we got there, it didn't dampen our spirits or fun. Whenever there was a break in the rain, we ran down to the beach and got in the surf.

We did get some great sun for the last two days of our trip, and man we took full advantage of it. One of my favorite things I love to do at the beach, is hunt for seashells. We walked, what seemed to be miles and miles of beach, finding the most beautiful shells.

If you visit Gulf Shores, keep in mind that the later, the better. You can get great deals when it's the end of the summer season. Plus, the beaches are less crowded. We stayed in a beautiful condominium on a private beach in Fort Morgan, Alabama. So quiet and peaceful. We booked it through VRBO. That's a good site to rent directly with the owner of the condo. You can usually get a better cheaper deal that way.

The Bay fishing can't be beat. My husband and daughter caught some huge Bull Reds and tons of Spanish Mackerel. The captain even fileted our fish as part of his service. His name was Joe and he has charters out of Fort Morgan at the Gulf Shores Yacht Club and Marina. If you go down to the Gulf, don't miss a fishing trip with Joe!

Seafood of course is everywhere. We loved the seafood at Steamers in Gulf Shores. They serve the best crab legs and delicious steamed shrimp called "Royal Reds" that are only available at certain times. Big huge and meaty shrimp that you will make you sick because you can't stop eating them! Steamers was so  good, we ate there twice.

We also feed our bellies at the famous, Lambert's Cafe,  Home of The Throwed Roll! A cafe that served up real down home cookin'. They actually threw, yes threw, these huge home made rolls at us. The servers go around servin' up fried okra, black-eyed peas, apple butter, mac and tomatoes, stewed cabbage and more. That's just for starters. The main dishes were so large, and family of four could eat just one. I ordered the chicken pot pie, and baby it was over.

Lambert's Cafe

We did take the time to visit the Alabama Gulf  Zoo. A small, but fun little zoo. There motto is "The little zoo that could!" This zoo has a preservation program in conjunction with the Marcan Tiger Preserve in Florida. The program offers animal encounters with baby Bengal tiger cubs.

We got to meet and play with Ceylon and Fatima. Two six-week old Bengal cubs. They were so playful and sweet. But they did "nip" a little. Their paws were as big as the palm of my hand, at just six-weeks old. It was an encounter we will never forget.

We are already making our plans for next year. It's a great "laid back" family place. It's perfect for those that want to be active and fish, jet ski, boating, shop and more. But it's also perfect for those who just want to relax and simply do nothing.

We were so relaxed and enjoyed each others company, and that's exactly what my family needed.