Now that you've decided to take your next vacation to enjoy the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama it's important to bring the necessities. Sure, you can just go to Walmart or Dollar General for whatever you need once you get here, but what's the fun in that?
Here are some of the necessities that you need to pack before you head out on the road to Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan; or really any beach.
Beach Towels - It's entirely possible to buy a beach towel and a gallon of milk at the same place once you get down here, but a beach towel is something we recommend bringing with you. Packing for your beach vacation is a great way to "get in the mood." Find a beach towel that feels great and reflects your personality. Turkish beach towels are definitely worth checking out for their super-absorbent and quick-drying qualities. No matter how long you are staying in Gulf Shores, we recommend bringing at least two beach towels. Note that most beach rental houses frown on you bringing the towels from the house to the beach or community pool. You probably also want to bring a beach mat so you don't have to lay your towel down on the sand.
Recommendations: ECCOSOPHY microfiber beach towels made from recycled plastic bottles. WETCAT Turkish beach towel.
Sunscreen/Suntan Lotion - Ask ten people about their beach vacation experience and at least 8 of them will likely have a story about thinking they'd be okay without sun tan lotion or sunscreen and deeply regretting it. The other two are probably trying to be cool and lying.
Recommendations: I'll definitely be slathering on this Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen on my next time out. It's the SPF 50+ for me.
Swimsuits - Having to run to the store for a swimsuit is a rite of passage if you travel with kids or frequently travel to the beach. Don't forget to pack your own swim suit as well as your child's. If you're spending a week with us in Gulf Shores at Aurora Del Mar, we suggest bringing more than one suit each. Sure we have a washer and dryer in our beach rental house, but it's much easier to have another suit on-hand to avoid having to put on a wet one or wait for a dry cycle to finish. Trust us. Another thing we've learned in our extensive beach-going experience? Try the suit on first and get it wet, Been there, done that.
Recommendations: There are lots of swimsuit options out there and the choice is entirely up to you. Unless you are literally coming to the beach for a swimsuit competition or a photoshoot, it's not a fashion contest or competition. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. Guys, you need some suggestions, check out these trunks from The Normal Brand in St. Louis. Ladies, check out these sustainable swimsuits and bikinis from Amini Swim. For the kids we suggest checking out the suits from Sweet Honey.
Beach Toys - Don't be those parents that tell your kids to "enjoy the beach" and think they don't need something to do while they're playing in the sand. You may have seen Create A Castle on a 2022 episode of Shark Tank. You could buy your kids a cheap shovel and a bucket from any gas station on your way to town but those will most definitely break before you head home. Pick up this Starter Tower Kit that you can use to build some epic sand art. For older kids and adults, see the next entry on our list.
Recommendations: In addition to the Create A Castle sets, pick up a decent sand shovel like this one from Walmart. Don't be "those people" that dig a huge hole and neglect to fill it in, but the shovel will help you gather the sand for the sand castles as well as set up your lounge area.
Pickleball Set - This one could go under beach toys, but it deserves its own category. If you're staying a Aurora Del Mar, pickleball courts are only a short walk away. This slightly-less-athletic-version-of-tennis is taking the country by storm and it's definitely an activity you need to partake in while you are vacationing in the Gulf Shores, Alabama area. Even if you plan on playing tennis while you are here, try some pickleball too.
Recommendations: This Franklin Sports Pickleball Set from Target is definitely worth the money. You could also buy a beach paddle ball set or you could just buy some of these replacement beach paddle balls and use your Pickleball paddles on the beach too. We recommend these over using the pickle balls on the beach.
Rafts - Don't think of this as raft or float that you are going to lounge in in the pool. Although Morgantown does have two great community pools that you are invited to use when you stay at Aurora Del Mar, we're talking about rafts suitable for taking on the Gulf of Mexico waves. Years of experience have taught us that you want to bring a durable raft with you on your beach vacation.
Recommendations: The Holy Grail in this category are the canvas beach rafts that seemed to be everywhere "back in my day" but are no where to be found these days. Even on Amazon! Here's a listing for an Intex canvas raft, but I doubt it'll be in stock any time soon. Keep your eyes peeled and grab one if you can. You'll thank us if you can find one.
Drinks and Snacks - These probably aren't something you'll forget, but they're important enough that we felt it necessary to include them here. When you get up in the morning, you won't want to run out to the store before you put on sunscreen and head out to the sand. If you plan on drinking alcohol on the beach remember that glass containers are not allowed on the beach. Also, pack something other than alcohol to consume.
Recommendations: You are going to need to pack water. A good amount of water. Basic sandwiches have always been a family favorite of ours. We recommend coming into town with a couple loaves of white or wheat bread, deli meat and condiments. Even if you don't remember to pack the sandwiches before you head out to the beach for the day, it's easy to run back up to your vacation rental, make some sandwiches and head back down to the beach without missing too many good waves.
Beach Chairs and an Umbrella - Planning on hitting the beach and just using your towel to sit on is like going camping not bringing an air mattress to sleep on. You COULD do it, but why in the world would you want to? If you have a camping or tailgating chair you like, I don't see a problem in packing that and sticking it in the sand. That's what I've done. Just know that when you pull that chair out in September for the first college football game of the season sand will come out and people will wonder. In fact, once you bring a chair to the beach you are never going to really get it sand-free. We also recommend having an umbrella to give you some shade. Just be sure to anchor it down securely. Like, figure out how much anchoring you THINK you need to do and multiply that by 5. Your really don't want to be chasing it down the beach.
Recommendations: I'm a big fan of these Ozarks Outdoors chairs that you can pick up from Walmart. $19.88 and a 400-pound weight capacity. While you are at Walmart, pick up this Caribbean Joe beach umbrella too. Some people prefer a beach chair that's a little closer to the sand. For those folks, we suggest this Sunnyfeel beach and camping chair that you can pick up at Target.
Thanks for reading this blog post about what you need to pack for your beach vacation. We hope you found it helpful. This blog is brought you by Aurora Del Mar, a newly-constructed vacation beach house for rent in Fort Morgan/Gulf Shores, Alabama. With six bedrooms and six bathrooms, this beach rental home is perfect for your next family vacation. Located steps from the sandy Gulf of Mexico beaches in the Morgantown community with a community pool, lighted tennis and pickleball courts.
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