From New Orleans, we drove 240 miles to Gulf Shores, Alabama. We have never been here before and my experience with the Gulf has been the dirty waters off of Texas, or the pristine beaches of Clearwater Florida. The coast of Alabama is very close to that of Clearwater. 
This place has big wide sugar sand beaches and clear(ish) water. The temps have been in the 60s to 70s. I can see why everyone keeps calling this a hidden gem.
We are located four blocks from the beach and right next to a state park with miles of trails and elevated paths over the intercoastal waters. Each afternoon we take a ride through the park. 
On Saturday, we drove 20 miles to check out Fort Morgan. 
It is one of the forts that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. The fort saw a lot of action in the Civil War and was active up until the end of WWII. So even though the original fort was the Brick and mortar style, There are many additions that show how coastal fortifications were built and armed through the years.
On Sunday we finally got brave (the water isn’t the warmest) and got the PaddleBoards out. 
We picked up a new 12v air pump that makes inflating and deflating easier and faster. There was fog but the water was calm and gave us a chance to see the rays, jellyfish, and crabs swimming around below us. We will be using the SUPs a bit more this week. This place is a spring break destination and we’ve had a chance to blend in with the tourists and take in the area’s attractions.
We still have another week in the area, so stay tuned…