Experience Mobile Bay Ferry
Try something different on your next Gulf Shores vacation and catch a ride on the Gulf Coast’s most scenic drive—the Mobile Bay Ferry. The Mobile Bay Ferry offers services year round in the Mobile Bay area. One of the great things about the ferry is that it allows 
visitors to see and enjoy activities and sightseeing opportunities in and around the Mobile Bay area. The Mobile Bay Ferry departs from Fort Morgan and runs to Dauphin Island. Once there you can explore Fort Gaines or the interactive exhibits at the Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. From the Fort Morgan area, the ferry landing is located at historic Fort Morgan. To reach the fort and ferry landing from Highway 59, turn west on State Road 180 (West Fort Morgan Road) and drive for approximately 25 miles. From Dauphin Island, take State Road 193 to the end at a three-way stop at the water tower. Turn left and drive east approximately two miles to the ferry landing. To reach Dauphin Island from Mobile, follow exit 17 from I-10 to State Road 193 and drive approximately 25 miles to Dauphin Island.
Currently the Mobile Bay Ferry will be running both the Fort Morgan and the Marissa Mae Nicole. Reservations are not accepted and the schedule is subject to change. Frequent floater passes are available for purchase on the ferries or at the Dauphin Island office for the discounted rate. Pass holders are entitled to twenty, one way trips including all passengers in the vehicle. This allows you to enjoy a 25% discount equalling a $70.00 savings. Check out www.mobilebayferry.com for more information and a complete ferry schedule.
Birding on the Gulf Coast
Alabama’s Gulf Coast is a bird lover’s paradise. If you enjoy our fine feathered friends, then look no further than the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail. The birding trail winds 
through more than 50 birding sites in Baldwin and Mobile counties, and is enhanced by directional and interpretive signage. The trails are close enough that you can easily drive from one to another. In between each are plenty of places to eat, sightsee and soak in all the sights, so head out for a walk on the wild side.
In addition to enjoying all the birding trail has to offer, it is essential that great care be given to the birds of our Gulf Coast and their habitat, care for the property owners who host our avian visitors, and care for other birders and to abide by the American Birding Association’s Code of Birding Ethics. A few things to remember: you must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first. Help ensure that feeders, nest structures and other artificial bird environments are safe. If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation from cats or other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards. Respect the interest, rights and skills of fellow birders as well as those of people participating in legitimate outdoor activities. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.
Above all else, grab your binoculars, comfortable shoes and enjoy! Visit http://www.alabamacoastalbirdingtrail.com for more information and trail directions.
40th Annual Art in the Park
This weekend marks the 40th Annual Art in the Park in Foley, just north of the Gulf Shores beaches. Come celebrate Mother’s Day at the beach and then tour the park with over 125 artists from across the southeast. This event is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and is truly a unique cultural experience.
You can view various original art works, from paintings, photography, pottery, glass works, and jewelry as well as crafts. An independent panel of judges will award prizes in several categories. The Tasting Tent will host local wine and beer distributors on Saturday, where you can have the opportunity to taste over 20 varieties of beer and wine for a $20 fee. On Sunday, you can sample several varieties of champagnes and sparkling wines for $10.00. Tickets for the Tasting Tent are available. Admission is free to the public.
Turtles Share Gulf Coast Beaches
In case you weren’t aware, our Gulf Coast Beaches are home to three types of endangered sea turtles that nest on our shores: green sea turtles, kemps ridley sea turtles and loggerhead sea turtles. Each species is unique in its own way and help our local eco-system.
Did you know?
• Sea Turtle Nesting Season is May 1 through October 31.
• Sea Turtles are protected by the Endangered Species Act. It is against the law to disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings, or their nests.
• Sea turtles first appeared about 200 million years ago when dinosaurs still roamed the earth. Sea turtles, the last of the ancient reptiles, are like living fossils.
• Female sea turtles lay an average of 100 leathery, ping-pong-size eggs at a time. Only a few young turtles, however, will make it to adulthood.
• Hatchling sea turtles find their way to the Gulf waters by moonlight or starlight. Building lights along the shore may confuse the baby sea turtles, drawing them away from the water.
• Adult loggerhead sea turtles weigh between 175 and 350 pounds. Baby hatchlings weigh only one to two ounces.
• Sea turtle egg incubation period is 55 to 75 days. Most hatchlings emerge together in an “eruption” of babies from the nest.
You can help the turtles along our Gulf Shores beaches by:
• Avoiding use of flashlights or flash photography on the beach at night.
• Turning off outside patio lights and shielding indoor lights from shining onto the beach at night.
• Not disturbing sea turtle nests.
• Leaving sea turtle tracks undisturbed.
• Not leaving trash on the beach.
• Volunteering and adopting a sea turtle nest.
Visit http://www.alabamaseaturtles.com for more information about these sea creatures.
Summer Rentals in Gulf Shores
Summer is almost here and that means more time to enjoy the beach! If you haven’t made your summer reservations, Reed Real Estate can help you find the perfect place to sink your toes into our Gulf Coast sand. Whether it is just a weekend retreat or a full-blown family get-a-way, we can help you find the best place to suit your needs. As a family owned and operated business, we know what it means to spend time with the ones you love and not want to worry about vacation details.
We feature many beach homes directly on the Gulf of Mexico, others with gorgeous Gulf 
views and some nestled in secluded beach-side neighborhoods, offering private beach access. Our beach homes range in size from 2-bedrooms to a 6-bedroom home that sleeps 24. Amenities in our homes range from fully equipped kitchens, master suites with master baths and whirlpool tubs to spacious patios and open decks.
We also offer many beach homes that are pet-friendly so you don’t have to leave your pets at home. Since our beaches are located out of the city jurisdiction, we are able to offer one of the few pet friendly beaches along the Alabama Gulf Coast. You can view all of our pet friendly homes on our website or call a reservationist for a listing of our pet-friendly homes. (Pet weight restrictions vary per pet friendly home.)
We focus on personal, friendly service. Whether you need information on attractions and dining, home delivery of your groceries before you arrive, or you want to surprise a special someone — we can handle all the details. So, pack your bags and leave the rest to us.
Fishing along the Gulf Coast
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are known for some of the best fishing around and we have the best captains you will find anywhere. This area is home to one of the largest charter 
fishing fleets on the Gulf Coast and has more than 100 experienced captains ready to help you try out your sea legs and land the “big one.”
You can take a 4 to 6 hour charter and try your hand at some serious fishing. Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, triggerfish and snapper are just some of the varieties waiting to be hooked. We have flounder swimming around the jetties and rocks that line the shores at Fort Morgan, in addition to the piles of ballast stone dumped overboard by sailing ships many years ago. The speckled trout and white trout have started moving into the artificial reefs inside Mobile Bay near Fort Morgan and bream has been spotted in the coastal rivers that flow into Mobile Bay.
Exterminator Charters specializes in family fishing and boat rides and can help you schedule an adventure you will never forget. Call Lee Wilson at 251.540.7348.
Mullet Man Triathlon in Gulf Shores
This weekend is the Annual Mullet Man Triathlon. This Triathlon has proven to be a definite addition to the Annual Interstate Mullet Toss and Great Gulf Coast Beach Party. The Mullet Man Triathlon, a high quality event, promises a great course, super volunteers, awards 3 deep and a post-race party with fabulous food and fun. A portion of the proceeds will go to local youth charities in Florida and Alabama. All activities begin and end at the World Famous Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster Bar. Package pick-up is on Friday, April 20 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 – 7:00 a.m. the day of the event at the Flora-Bama Lounge. A post race celebration will take place shortly after the race (this is the real reason people do the Triathlon). Great food and drinks will be provided. The swim will be a ¼ mile in the Gulf of Mexico. The bike segment of 17 miles will be on paved four-lane highway (Alabama Hwy 182) heading west 8.5 miles and return to the Flora-Bama Lounge. Bike helmets are required. The 4-mile run will begin at the Flora-Bama Lounge, heading west under the Perdido Pass Bridge and back. Visit http://www.active.com for more information, registration and restrictions.
Golf on the Gulf Coast
It’s always tee time along Alabama’s Gulf Coast! We have some of the best championship-caliber golf on some of the best golf courses in Alabama. Creatively designed and strategically placed, our courses have been designed by some of the greatest names in golf—Arnold Palmer, Bruce Devlin, Jerry Pate, Robert Von Hagge and Earl Stone—and are among the very best golf courses in Alabama. With more than 200 holes to play, our area has the best game on the coast and the best in Alabama. From Scottish—style links to beachside greens, we promise to meet and challenge every level of skill.
Reed Real Estate, located in Fort Morgan, is close to two of the these—Kiva Dunes and Peninsula. Kiva Dunes was designed by former U.S. Open Champion Jerry Pate and is 
Alabama’s only beachfront golf resort and consistently ranks among the top golf courses along the entire Gulf Coast. The course length is: gold: 7,092 yards; blue 6,464 yards; white 5,849 yards; red 5,006 yards. www.kivadunes.com
Peninsula, a coastal golf courses created by Earl Stone, may be the most unique. This 27-hole layout is nothing short of spectacular as it boasts over 7,000 yards from the championship tees. The course length is: gold 7,026 yards; blue 6,494 yards; white 5,799 yards; red 5,072 yards. www.peninsulagolfclub.com
Whatever your skill, come on down and play a few rounds at some of the area’s best courses.
Serene Vacation on Gulf Shores Beaches
Reed Real Estate is located just a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach where you can relax in a total beach setting on Fort Morgan Peninsula. Families enjoy our pristine beaches and sparkling waters amid the various nature trails and birding sanctuaries.
Construction of Fort Morgan began in 1819 and in 1833, as the work neared completion, the new structure was named after General Daniel Morgan, a hero of the American Revolution. Open daily, Historic Fort Morgan is located at the western tip of Mobile Point. The Fort also offers Candlelight Tours every Tuesday evening during the months of June and July. These feature living history interpreters in Civil War period dress who tell the story of Fort Morgan’s Civil War service through historic vignettes based on actual events.
The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to enjoy nature and walk the various trails and habitats of surrounding wildlife. There are approximately 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. The refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.
Neighboring amusements like Waterville USA, The Track Amusement Park and Adventure Island provide all sorts of entertainment for families of all ages. They have everything from water slides and go-kart rides to mini-golf and arcade games.
Whatever you enjoy, we have it all on Alabama’s Gulf Coast and can provide just what you are looking for for your next vacation beach rental.
How Sweet It Is! The Blackberry Tradition.
Blackberries at the Beach
Who would have thought blackberries could be so sweet? Not just the taste of the delicious berry filling your mouth with it’s natural sweetness, but all of the wonderful memories being made during the whole “blackberry experience”. Growing up in the middle of nowhere (the 2 mile marker of the Ft. Morgan Peninsula in the early 80s), I was able to experience childhood in a more, let’s say…sheltered and natural environment. No cable on TV, no kids in the neighborhood to play with, no trees to climb in the backyard- it was really just my big brother Frankie and me, Mom and Dad.
- Jill Reed Manning-aka “The Pointer”
Oh how I remember getting so excited when I would start to see those blackberry vines bunching up around our house with tons of those red berries beginning to grow. I knew it was that time of year again- time to begin our blackberry picking tradition.
My family would get out there, right in the middle of those prickly bushes and stickers, and just be picking away. It became a yearly tradition for us. My phony Aunt Pat & Uncle Mike would come on weekends to stay at their beach house one street over so they were a huge part of the blackberry picking. Mom, Dad, Uncle Mike and Aunt Pat would categorize Frankie and I into one of 3 categories- a picker, pointer or grinner. The picker of course does all the work, the pointer (which was me) would direct the picker into the best direction, and the grinner (which would be Frankie) just smiled and grinned at anyone who possibly would go by. We would stay out there for hours picking those berries in the beating sun and biting bugs, just having the best time-laughing and carrying on- really just enjoying our time together.
- Frankie & Jill- 1980 Ft. Morgan, Al.
Once all of those vines were wiped clean, it was time to head into the kitchen to cook a delicious blackberry cobbler. The smell of the cooking berries filled the whole house, even seeping onto the front deck, where we all sat waiting anxiously- mouths watering and all. Finally, you would here the buzzer go off and it was time! Time to enjoy all of our hard work for the day.
I was able to enjoy picking blackberries with my own family Sunday. There I was again, high stepping through those thick bushes alongside Ft. Morgan Road, scoping out the best spots with the most berries, pricking my fingers and scratching up my legs, and still having the best time laughing and enjoying time with my husband and 3 kids. My husband Ryan and I even designated our own kids with their blackberry titles- Karli (13) was the picker, Carson (3) was the pointer, and Bayli (8) was the grinner.
Just a side note…we didn’t pick them all. There are still tons of blackberries left. I will even share the hot spots with you if you ask. Come on down to Ft. Morgan with your own family and begin your very own blackberry picking tradition. I promise you, it will be one of the best times in your life!
These juicy berries are growing behind the Reed office.
