It's amazing the facts you can pick up when you're reading about spring break and which beaches are open... Alabama expects the number of vacation condos and hotels within five miles of the beach to double in the next five years.
All but 3 Baldwin County beaches open
All but three of south Baldwin County's 15 primary public beach access points are open for this week's spring-break crowds.
The closed areas are undergoing renovations that were planned well before Hurricane Ivan struck here in September 2004. Those areas will likely be ready for use before the peak summer season.
Gulf Shores' main public beach at the end of Alabama 59 is called Gulf Place. It's open and drawing crowds. A 13-mile beach renourishment project has been completed, repairing shoreline storm erosion.
The Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area accounts for $2 billion - or 27 to 30 percent of the total spending on overnight travel in the state, according to state tourism officials.
State Tourism Director Lee Sentell said the number of accommodations within five miles of the coast is expected to double in the next five years from 13,500 guest rooms to about 27,000.