January and February are the traditional big months for snowbirds to vacation on the gulf coast. Last year's storms and rising gas prices don't appear to have dampened the migration much. With most of the gulf coast vacation rental property back on line and available to vacationers, the 2006 snowbird season is beginning to look like it will be a very good one.
Charles and Dorothy Lettau were expecting heavy snow over the weekend in their hometown of Frankenmuth, Mich.
But they'll be wearing short sleeves.
The Lettaus left 1 foot of snow, drove two days and arrived Thursday in Orange Beach, where high temperatures approached 70 degrees Friday.
It's hard not to take a cynical view of this situation. Just be aware that if you're traveling to Dauphin Island, Orange Beach, or Gulf Shores you might expect to see shrimp boats in places they don't belong. Just think of them as billboards for the excellent steamed seafood you'll have while there.
Long story short: Last season's storms grounded many shrimp boats - no surprise there - and about 23 remain ashore. Following standard storm preparedness procedures, the shrimp boat owners had unloaded their boats' fuel. Now FEMA won't move them because without fuel they aren't a threat to public health. Alabama would gladly pay to have them removed, but the Coast Guard is in charge of salvage operations, and the state cannot legally enter into a contract with the Coast Guard.
The snowbirds are back.
With the prices of keeping your home warm as high as they are and with the growing population of retirees, it's no surprise the gulf coast is seeing unprecedented demand for winter rental properties.
Take a look at the beaches in Gulf Shores and it?s easy to see there are many attractions that keep tourists coming back year after year. Now something else is back on the list of attractions.
"Snowbirds love 'em. Snowbirds love the casino buses,? says Mike Foster of the Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. And, they?re back. The casino charter buses are back in Baldwin County. "For them it's another attraction something they can do or see during the day, It's very, very popular in fact, we got a lot of calls asking whether the casino buses had started running again," according to Foster.
If you're vacation plans include camping in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas be on the lookout for fires. But don't worry, they should be under control.
A series of prescribed burns at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores will begin this month and continue into the spring, according the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' State Parks Division.
These burns will help further reduce the fuel loads in the aftermath of Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.
Controlled burns within the campground and surrounding corridors in 2005 eliminated some heavy fuel loads, but the present fuel load remains high.
Orange Beach will have to wait a bit longer to learn the outcome of a current debate over whether a new condo development project can go forward. Currently and Orange Beach covenant restricts development of nine beach front properties to single-family homes. If the decision is in favor of the development of more beach front condos, the developer plans to move ahead with two water front condominium towers, each of them over 300 feet tall.
From the Associated Press
BAY MINETTE, Ala. - A judge has delayed a ruling on whether two planned Gulf-front condominium towers more than 300 feet tall are blocked by a decades-old covenant restricting the beach property to single-family homes.
Perdido Key is getting back on track to rebuild after recent storms. At issue has been how to maintain protection for key Perdido Key beach mouse habitat. Recently an agreement was reached on funding for habitat conservation and maintenance, as well as housing density. The agreement will ensure our little furry friends are well protected.
This story is not unlike the recent concern for the Alabama beach mouse on Dauphin Island. In the case of Perdido Key, however, local officials and conservationists have moved ahead aggressively to put a plan in place to provide for a well-managed plan in place for both the local tourism economy and the habitat for the Perdido Key beach mouse.