Top places to visit near Gulf Shores, Alabama: National Naval Aviation Museum, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, The Wharf, and Orange Beach Waterfront Park

 

National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida 

When I was planning my wife and myself’s winter road trip to the American South/American Central, we knew we would be making several stops at places we had previously only heard about in popular culture.  Places like the Florida Panhandle with its beautiful beaches, cities like Mobile Alabama, because a colleague of mine at work hailed from there, and the Gulf Coast, again with its beach town vibes, seemed like great places to finally visit after all these years.

As we were mapping out the actual destinations along our 8 week long trip, we used two criteria which helped us choose those destinations: 1) We decided based on its fame, popularity, and/or list of things to do, and 2) we decided based on price, namely, how reasonable the hotels at those destinations were, at the time of our booking.

Using those two criteria, our decision to stay at Gulf Shores Alabama was a great decision, in hindsight.  It had plenty of things to do besides the beautiful beaches, and the hotel price was definitely reasonable.  At around $100 per night with free breakfast and 2 evening receptions (free drinks and light snacks), we felt we chose a great hotel for our 6 night/7 day exploration of the area.

We truly had a great time during our stay and we really kept ourselves busy exploring the many great places in and around the city.  Without further ado, see below for our list of top attractions near Gulf Shores:

• National Naval Aviation Museum 

As a huge fan of aviation growing up, movies like “Top Gun”, was something that really got my blood pumping.  It briefly got me thinking about joining the navy to become a fighter pilot just like Maverick in the movie.  

Of course once I realized I needed to be good at science and mathematics, I gave up quickly, because unlike most Asians I know, I was not very good at either subjects.  But just because I wasn’t cut out to fly the skies like Maverick, it doesn’t mean I lost my love of aviation.  

As one of the premier aviation museums in the United States, I made sure we visit this awesome museum during our trip.  On a beautiful sunny morning of January 4th, we arrived at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola Florida, about 30 miles from our hotel in Gulf Shores.  

We arrived at the parking lot and found it fairly packed for early January.  As we got near the entrance to the museum, we couldn’t help but notice the exact same fighter plane model (F-14 Tomcat) as featured in the movie Top Gun!  So cool…

We walked inside the museum (which does not charge any admission as of early 2024) and met a very friendly front desk staff member who greeted us.  We found out he had served in the Navy and was very proud to be working at the museum to share tidbits of neat information to visitors.

We also found out the “Blue Angels”, the world famous flight demonstration squadron known for precise aerobatic maneuvers, make their home at the same Forrest Sherman Field at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola during the air show season (April-December).  It was awesome to know we were walking the same grounds as Blue Angels!

After our brief conversation with the front desk staff, we took a moment to get a sense of the place.  We liked what we saw!

There was a gigantic projection screen showing a virtual take off and landing of fighter planes aboard an aircraft carrier to our left, there were numerous displays everywhere of planes and more planes, interspersed with exhibitions here and there.  

Entrance to the National Naval Aviation Museum 

A replica of command tower of an aircraft carrier 

The cool virtual display of plane taking off an aircraft carrier 

We couldn’t believe this was a free museum!  Typically, museums that are free tend to be exactly what you’d expect: just ok, nothing special.  This was exceptional.

We walked straight into the center of the museum to check out old planes to see a timeline of naval fighter aircraft, taking note of the years and the battles fought using those same aircraft.  Excellent history lesson for any aircraft lovers!

We took the stairs that go up to the second floor, and we saw the impressive planes used by the “Blue Angels”, decked out in blue paint, and we saw one of our favorite exhibits at the museum, a replica of a small town life circa 1940’s, during the Second World War.  

At the entrance to the exhibit hall, we met up with a friendly docent who explained things like food ration vouchers that were given out to people for purchase of food and/or household items.  We found the exhibit incredibly educational and interesting.

We wrapped up the visit by checking out the space themed exhibits, then walked over to an aircraft hangar next door to see some more cool planes, like these below!

Replica of Marine One, the helicopter that carries the President of the United States 

National Naval Aviation Museum is not to be when visiting the Florida Panhandle.  It is one of the very best aviation themed museums we’ve visited, paid admission or otherwise!

After visiting the museum, our hunger pangs returned, so we decided to eat lunch at one of the restaurants recommended by the museum staff: McGuire’s Irish Pub.  

We’re not much of meat lovers, but we tried some of their burgers which was just ok.  The place was so dark, with red lights the only source of light, that it was actually hard to read the menu.  

The meat was overcooked and it didn’t justify the price tag of near $16.  Frankly, I’d prefer the simple Five Guys burgers or Shake Shack burgers any day.  Oh, well.  Sometimes, local’s recommendation doesn’t work out…

• Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 

I’m a sucker for any place with a boardwalk and a view, and Weeks Bay fit that description perfectly.  We drove out on a clear sunny January morning, a distance of roughly 16 miles from our hotel.  

We noticed Weeks Bay actually had two separate areas to explore once we arrived:  the first was Weeks Bay Reserve Tonsmeier Resource Center, and the other was the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.  

Confused?  Well, don’t be.  They’re just about right next to each other.  You do need to drive into each area separately, as they do not connect via a regular road.  

Because we were closer to the Resource Center, we made a quick stop there to see the sights.  After parking, we walked over to the large building that had observation decks on both the first and the second floor.  We headed straight for those decks!

Seabirds!

View from the lower level observation deck 

View from the second floor deck

Awesome views!

Tour boat during in-season

Nice views everywhere!  It was just the type of scenery that I can look at for hours.  Cool breeze, sound of nature, especially that of seagulls, and that of trees swaying in the wind, made for an awesome experience.  Hey, enjoying nature doesn’t cost a thing.  You should try it sometimes.  It definitely heals the mind…

After several minutes, we decided to check out the research reserve, just down the road.  We parked our car then walked inside the visitor center.  It had the usual amenities: restrooms, and plenty of exhibits of nature found at the research reserve.  

We browsed the displays, then headed out towards the wooden boardwalk to check out the bay.  Although not long, the boardwalk was just what I was hoping for.  Regardless of the length, it still led to some nice views of the bay.

View from the end of the boardwalk 

Lovely bay views and the marshes 

Upon reaching the end of the boardwalk with the shaded sitting area, we marveled at the beauty of the bay: the sea fowls gliding and hovering looking for food, the gentle breeze swaying the tips of tree branches and the cattails, and the small and large fishing boats gently rocking out on the bay.  

It was in short, just a perfect spot to enjoy nature…

• Orange Beach Waterfront Park 

Orange Beach Waterfront Park is one of those beautiful places tucked away from the hustle and bustle of a popular tourist destination.  We might’ve missed this place had we not researched for scenic places near Gulf Shores.

Located on the Wolf Bay within Orange Beach area, we drove about 8 miles from our hotel, and arrived at the hidden gem within 20 minutes.  We liked it at first glance.

A large, beautiful southern colonial building (Coastal Arts Center) all decked out in bright white paint beckoned us to explore the park and its surroundings.  We headed towards the fishing pier first because that was why we were there in the first place.

Walking out to the fishing pier

View from the fishing pier

Coastal Arts Center

The views were magnificent!  The shallow, clear waters of the bay allowed us to see small fish swimming vibrantly under water and we saw plenty of seagulls and herons out at the end of the fishing pier.  

The area had beautiful and expensive looking homes nearby and even on a midweek day, we saw lots of locals enjoying the park.  We started walking around the arts center area with their cool sculptures then sat down on outside wooden chairs to take in that bay view once more.  Nice!

The park is a wonderful place to visit for a picnic or for a stroll.  With that magnificent view of the bay, it is not to be missed!

• The Wharf

The Wharf, located along Canal Road in Orange Beach, is an entertainment/dining/shopping destination easily accessible from Gulf Shores.  At a throwing distance of only about 5 miles from our hotel, we stopped by the Wharf on our way back to our hotel on the same day we visited Orange Beach Waterfront Park. 

The Wharf reminded us of similar venues like “Broadway at the Beach” in Myrtle Beach.  It is nowhere as big as the sprawling, gargantuan venue in Myrtle Beach, but it certainly featured similar offerings, like shops/restaurants/entertainment options.

As soon as we parked our car along Main Street, the main thoroughfare, we noticed the huge Ferris wheel.  We had to stop by to ride it!  We were the only customers that particular time of the day, and it was great.  

The wheel made 3 full turns slowly, and we got to enjoy the surroundings from the always exciting Ferris wheel.  Views were good!

View from the Ferris wheel 

Fun ride!

After the ride was over, we walked around the area, checking out various stores.  There were other fun entertainment spots including an ice rink and a movie theater.  We eventually found ourselves near the beautiful marina with several boats in docks.  

Main Street, the Wharf

Again, nice views with nice weather (into the 70’s).  What’s not to like???  The Wharf is a fun destination to kill few hours while visiting Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area.  

In conclusion:

Gulf Shores was such a pleasant place to explore during our 7 days/6 nights visit.  It had so much to offer: from beautiful beaches, free bike rentals, and scenic parks, with plenty of things to do in the surrounding areas.  

We kept ourselves really busy during our time there, and we think anyone will do the same!  Thank you for reading and happy trails!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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