It's January. That means it's officially snowbird season on the Gulf Shores beaches. Snowbirds, of course, are those retirees from cooler northern climates who vacation on the Gulf Shores beaches during the cold winter months of January and February and March.
Winter 2007 has all the appearances of a banner year for snowbirds. All along the Alabama gulf coast hotels and condos are filling up. Many are fully rented for the entire winter season.
Although estimates vary, Alabama tourism officials believe the number of snowbirds vacationing here will total about 16,000 this year.