This summer, my family was looking for an easy beach vacation. And by easy, I mean it had to be easy to get to, easy to plan fun things to do with teens, and easy to get around. We settled on the Gulf coast of Alabama. And it was the best – and easiest – vacation for us!

Disclosure: Our visit was hosted by Alabama Beaches. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Getting there

Getting to Alabama was the easiest part of the trip. Allegiant Air started offering a non-stop flight from Omaha to Gulf Shores in the summer of 2026, so our trip was quick (compared to the year we drove down to Alabama!). We arrived in Gulf Shores and, I kid you not, we deboarded the plane and got into our rental car in less than 20 minutes. Allegiant is the only commercial airline operating out of the Gulf Shores International Airport and so we were the only flight arriving at the time. 

Flying home was even easier! 

We’ve been to the coast of Alabama one time before and we drove to get there. It was a long drive with kids, and let me tell you, I’ll never drive that route again now that we can fly!

Note: Allegiant Air only flies out of Omaha twice a week, on Sunday and Thursday, and it is currently only offered seasonally. We flew out on Sunday and returned on Thursday and that was a perfect length of stay. I think having one fewer night in Alabama (had we flown out on Thursday and returned on Sunday), would’ve felt a little short on time. My hope is that the flights start being year-round soon because I’d love a quick flight down to the beach in January or February.

Teen-approved activities

We were staying right on the beach at a Lucky Bird Vacations’ rental (more on that below), so one of the top priorities of my daughter’s was to swim in the Gulf. We could walk to the beach in under 5 minutes. That kid could’ve spent the entire trip on the beach, but the rest of us wanted to do more things. 

My favorite activity as a family was the afternoon cruise with Hammock Time Tiki Tour. It’s like a floating tiki bar with hammocks, so it’s a good name for it. We really enjoyed chatting with Captain Glenn and his wife. He let us decide the itinerary, so we stopped once to pick up icy drinks at a waterfront restaurant and we stopped again to swim and bury our toes in the sand. 

Contrast that relaxing afternoon with the afternoon of adrenaline rushes at Tropic Falls Indoor Water Park. The kids tried out most of the water slides and the surf simulator while I lounged around, occasionally grabbing a tube to float around the wave pool. The kid also did a few of the thrill rides at the theme park connected to the indoor water park.

We also spent a few hours at The Track, which had several different go-kart tracks and a Skycoaster. My kids braved the Skycoaster and loved it! But, I think it was the Super Track that was their favorite activity there. They rode those go-karts more than once. 

Tip: If you’re looking for a more low-key ride experience, check out the Ferris Wheel at The Wharf. You can get a bit of shopping done, while you’re there.

We took a short drive to Foley, Ala., for Alligator Alley, which ended up being both teens’ favorite outing overall. They loved feeding the alligators in the swamp. I wasn’t too impressed with the alligator enclosures at the front of the park, but once we got back to the elevated walkway through the swamp, I changed my mind. It was a pretty cool place to walk through! 

Looking back at some of the activities we did on our first visit, I’d add the ones I think my kids would still like now even though they’re older. 

• Animal encounters at Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Heck, as an adult, I loved getting up close to the animals there, especially the lemurs.
• Learning to build epic sand castles with Sand Castle University. 

I asked my family what their favorite restaurant of the trip was and the clear winner Cobalt, The Restaurant. It had the winning combo of delicious seafood and a great view. We sat outside and got to listen to the acoustic band play, too. Unfortunately, you can’t make a reservation there, so expect a wait. (It’s worth it.)

Coming from the Midwest, I cannot get enough of waterfront restaurants. So, in addition to Cobalt, I highly recommend Tacky Jack’s, The Gulf and Lulu’s. They’re the kind of places that you want to linger long after the food is finished. They’re fun places with games, photo ops and plenty of outdoor seating! These three also have seafood on the menu.

The one restaurant we went to on both trips was Sunliner Diner. It’s a retro diner with a staff dressed in 50s gear and nostalgic music playing. We went there for breakfast and it was hearty and filling. And as a bonus, it’s within walking distance of where we were staying with Lucky Bird Vacations.

Our favorite breakfast spot, though, was Happy Pappy Coffeehouse. It seemed like we were dining where the locals dined. Expect a wait because it’s so popular, but it’s worth it. The coffee was great and the breakfast sandwiches were top-notch. If you want some quick breakfast recommendations, we liked the homemade pastries and coffee at Buzzcatz Coffee & Sweets (though they may have a line, too!) and the donuts at City Donut.

And I can’t leave out the desserts we had on our trip. What’s a trip with teens without ice cream? One of the most popular places we went to was the Mythic Beach Banana Bar, and they had a line outside the door. We also stopped one night at Kayden’s Ice Cream & Candies. They’re more known for their candies, but it had been a hot day and we wanted ice cream. 

Where to stay

We stayed at Gulf Place 503 with Lucky Bird Vacations, and I’d highly recommend it if you’re seeking one of these things: 

• Lots of space
• Proximity to a lot of activities
• Proximity to the beach

The particular unit we stayed in had a full kitchen, living room/dining room, and three king-sized bedrooms with bathrooms (plus an extra interior room for kids). So, each kid got their own room! Plus, each room had access to the balcony. We loved all that space. Our other favorite part of where we stayed was that it had a rooftop pool and a ping pong table.

The location is hard to beat; it’s right at the crossroads of Gulf Shores Parkway and Beach Boulevard. Like I said earlier, it was a breeze to get to the beach. Besides the beach, it was within walking distance of fun places like The Hangout as well as tons of souvenir shops. 

The downside is that because it’s so centrally-located, it sits on a busy street. And it’s right across the street from The Hangout, which has nightly outdoor concerts.

The noise did not bother us, though, unless we were out on the balcony. So while I would’ve loved sitting out on the balcony in the evening, between the music and the engine revving, it just wasn’t as relaxing as I’d have liked. And for what it’s worth, the noise did not noticeably reach up to the rooftop pool.

Now that it’s easier than ever to fly down to Alabama for a beach vacation, you can bet we’ll be back sometime soon!