Located less than a half hour east on Canal Road, you’ll find charming Orange Beach, Alabama. The drive there takes you right by the beautiful Gulf State Park and Canal Road follows the shoreline the entire way, so if you’re looking for a nice sunset drive, you should consider having dinner in Orange Beach. In fact there are tons of great places to eat and fun things to do just down the road in Orange Beach. Here are some suggestions to help you get started.

Hit The Beach! - Enjoy the miles of sugar white sandy beaches in Orange Beach; check out Wolf Bay, Florida Point, Cotton Bayou or Romar Beach.

Tacky Jack’s Bar and Grill – If you’re visiting Orange Beach, this funky landmark has been a must see since 1980. They’ve got the best breakfast around and they’re also open for lunch and dinner. There’s often a little bit of a wait for dinner, but with the live music, a great bar, and fun party atmosphere, it’s totally worth it. Once you arrive you’ll see that the waterfront view is unbeatable and the fresh seafood from the local waters is really something to write home about. This is a pretty much a one stop shop, offering great food, good vibrations, a cool gift shop, fishing charters, boat and jet ski rentals.

Go Parasailing! – There are a few companies in Orange Beach that offer this service and we definitely recommend it. There’s no better way to take in the beauty of the shoreline than from 800 feet up in the air!

Gulf State Park – Located just off Canal Road, between Gulf Shores and Orange beach, you’ll find an amazing beachfront oasis in this 6,150-acre playground. The park has tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, a 900-acre lake for fishing, swimming, and water skiing, nature programs and plenty of scenic picnic areas.  The park also has modern and primitive camping, and miles of trails to explore. Best of all, the park has a brand new beach pavilion with a large concession stand. The pavilion’s air-conditioned bathrooms and hot showers are open throughout the year for beachgoers and picnic tables are also available for use under the beachfront pavilion. 

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo – The Zoo is located on Gulf Shores Parkway about halfway between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach near Gulf State Park. The zoo is just blocks from the beach and is home to more than 290 exotic animals. Lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and macaws are just some of the creatures that call the zoo home, and there's also a petting zoo, reptile house, aviary and daily animal shows in the summer.

Go For A Sail – There are quite a few great operations in Orange beach where you can check out Dolphins in the wild, learn to sail, or just lounge on the deck and relax while the crew navigates the vessel. Orange Beach Sailing Adventures, Gulf Coast Captains, and Blue Dolphin Cruises, are only a few of the great options available to you if you want to get out on the water.