Falling For the Gulf Coast in October

It's October, the air is cooler, the sky is bluer, and the leaves are beginning to turn in the south. The traditional trip to take this time of year is to the Smoky Mountains or the Ozarks for long drives on winding roads. You may want to rethink that choice in favor of something a bit different. A little known secret is that this is a perfect time to visit the Gulf Coast. While spring break at most beaches isn't exactly a family event, if your kids have a fall break it is possible for them to have entire hotel or condo swimming pools to themselves and for your family to visit restaurants without the hour and a half wait.

I cannot tell you what a luxury it is to walk straight into Lulu's and request a table by the water. Eating outside when the humidity is gone and the temperature is in the 80s is far superior to standing around amid sweltering crowds and having the ice melt in your drink before it gets to the table. It is possible to find deals on hotels and condos, when more of them are empty. If you want something extra to do, or think too much relaxation is a bad thing, then you can plan your visit during Shrimp Fest.

We drove down on a Friday and our condo wasn't going to be ready until the next day so we needed a hotel for one night. We found a gem right on the beach. The Hilton Garden Inn at Orange Beach offers, in addition to all the amenities they are known for, a lovely pool area with an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, pool side bar, and beach access. Robert, at the bar, whips up a mean pina colada. While most hotels are laying out the same old continental breakfast, HGI serves a made to order breakfast that is superb for less than ten bucks. If you run into Austin at breakfast you can get some snarky commentary to go with your coffee. I love that. The staff is friendly and if you have a problem they will work hard to make it right.

While there are enough people on the beach to enjoy people watching (my favorite beach activity) by dinner time it will be nearly empty. This means that you can enjoy taking that requisite family beach photo without your kids being embarrassed by other people watching them. Here's ours. Oh, and the white and khaki thing is over. Color it up!

By far, the nicest thing about traveling to the coast this time of year is the absence of traffic and crowds. Less time getting where you are going for dinner and standing around in long lines under misters means more time at the beach for the kids and a lot less stress for mom and dad. Besides, the leaves are probably turning in your own front yard. And as you can see from this last picture of my daughter and her husband, a little romantic solitude is a very good thing.