Another day, another catch-up post. This one is pretty straightforward though because, after all, what can you say about a beach vacation? Other than “fun and relaxing” obviously! In March, Scott (my husband, don’t ya know) and I traveled to sunny Orange Beach, Alabama to spend a week with his parents at the condo they stay in for about a month every winter. His aunt and uncle had their own condo as well, so we got to hang with all four of them throughout the week. He and I (and a friend of ours) took the same trip a few years earlier (different condo, but just a short ways down the road from this one), but I hadn’t been back since then, so it was great to return!

I can already hear some of you scratching your heads, wondering how Alabama could be a beachy place to visit, but it really is! Orange Beach is just a short distance (45-60 minutes) from Pensacola, Florida and is literally right on the Gulf Coast, so we got to wake up to white sandy beach views every morning (we even caught the occasional dolphin sighting from our balcony!). We woke up when we woke up without having to worry about getting anything done or having anywhere to be – a big change for us! On most trips, we may not always be waking up early, but we definitely can’t just be lazy because we need to get going so we can explore whatever fun destination we’re in. Not doing that on this trip was a nice change of pace!

Of course, the fact that we weren’t running around seeing lots of different places means you, dear readers, get to see lots of beach pictures. Enjoy!

A non-beach picture right off the bat though! I don’t usually sit at the window on airplanes, so I took advantage of it by snapping this cool cloud formation on our way to Atlanta.

Landing in Atlanta.

Landing in Pensacola (Scott’s parents picked us up from there as it’s the closest airport).

One of the first things I did on arrival was to snap a photo of the gorgeous view from the balcony. Loved it!

First “feet in the ocean” shot.

The first of many beach walks (we took them daily, in fact).

Under the boardwalk. Well, really a pier, but boardwalk sounds more fun.

Is anyone surprised by a beach selfie? You shouldn’t be!

The back of our condo building as seen from one of our walks.

The weather was actually a little bit cool the first couple of days, but it was still pretty perfect overall.

Waves!

Don’t worry – last selfie!

On some of our walks, we went allllll the way down to this big rock formation.

While climbing off the rocks, my phone slipped out of my hand (don’t worry – no damage) and this picture got taken as it fell. I kind of like it!

I’ve been told seeing jellyfish on the beach is pretty common, but this is the only one I saw the whole time.

The Pink Pony Pub is famous for their nachos. You have to visit if you’re in Orange Beach!

Two orders of nachos for six adults is WAY too much. Sooooo good though!

Excellent sandcastle-building skills! Not mine, of course, but somebody had some great skills

In addition to the one jellyfish, I also saw…whatever this thing is.

On the way to the airport, we stopped by McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola. Another recommended restaurant!

McGuire’s is famous for the (apparently) millions of $1 bills hung all over the place. I sure hope it never burns down!

Of course, Scott and I had to add our own $1 bill as well. #dumptrump

And that’s how we spent a week (just over a week, actually) in Orange Beach. There are tons of condos along the beach, so if you’re looking for a new spot for a warm-weather vacation, consider sunny Alabama. We hope to return soon!