Fort Morgan Area News

Tara gives the Sunset Properties May 11th 2010 3:15pm beach conditions u...

2010-05-11T19:57:00.000-05:00

Turtle Adventure Part 2

2009-09-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

I thought my part of this turtle adventure was over with being the turtle chauffeur. This was just the beginning. I received another call later asking if I wanted to go out with the Coast Guard and help release the turtles. I jumped at the chance, this was a once in a lifetime sort of thing for me. So the next morning I met the refuge workers, with turtles in tow, at the ferry drop off. I assumed that we were taking the ferry over from Ft. Morgan to Dauphin Island and leaving on the boat from the Coast Guard station there. This was not the case!!! We went to the boat launch. There we met two of the Gentlemen from the Coast Guard at the boat launch. They handed us life vests and helmets. We put on our gear handed the turtles over to them and boarded the Coast Guard Red, zodiac.
The five of us along with two turtles took off toward open water. We had to take the turtles 40 miles out, I was pretty sure we were not taking this boat and that was the case. We were speeding quickly toward a large Coast guard cutter, the Cobia. We got closer to the boat and the our chauffeurs instructed us to keep our hands and arms inside the boat. This was starting to feel a little like a roller coaster ride. I love roller coasters. The next thing I knew we started going faster and drove up into back of the boat. The crew on board caught the boat with a huge rope and then secured us into the larger vessel. We were all helped off and the turtles were handed up on board as well. We were given a tour of the boat, and made to feel at home.
Then off we went toward the sea weed line to let the turtles go. We were able to go along on a regular cruise we this boat patrols the waters keeping our coast line safe.

We wet down the turtles a bit and gave some of the crew members a quick lesson on our flippered friends. We even had an opportunity to steer the boat a bit.
We finally reached our destination and loaded back onto the zodiac. We took the turtles out to the weed line where they have a great chance to grow and feed safely.
Both turtles were anxious to get in the water. I video taped while the two refuge interns let the turtles go. What an amazing experience to be a part of. Both turtles happily swam away right to the weed line, just were they were supposed to be. I wanted to thank the Bon Secour Refuge and the Officers and crew of the Coast Guard cutter Cobia.

Thank you, all for the great adventure.

Extraordinary Sunset Properties Cleaner!!!

2009-09-08T12:04:00.007-05:00

I first met Maria Brown just before summer when she stopped by looking for a position as a cleaner. This beautiful, well spoken young woman explained that she just finished college and was hoping to live and work at the beach for the summer while she searched for a position in her field, which is marketing. We did not have an opening at the time but we soon saw Maria again when she came to work with our co-cleaning company, Ocean Sparkle.
Maria was always on time with a smile on her face. Her cheerful attitude and sweet spirit was contagious here in our office. She always did an outstanding job taking pride in her work. With summer coming to a close, one of her final jobs was to clean a house called Bella Vista. While Maria was cleaning, she found money and jewelry the owner left behind.
At that time, the owner had not realized she was missing these items.
Maria strongly showed such amazing character to return things that no one had reported missing. We work with cleaners daily and look for the cream of the crop people who will take pride in what they do and go above and beyond the call of duty. We found this with Maria!!!! We wish we could keep her on staff permanently but would not want to hold her back from bigger plans that await her beyond the beach. We will certainly miss her and feel truly blessed to have been able to call her part of our staff. The owner of Bella Vista was so impressed she asked us to give Maria $100.00. We personally want to say Thank You to Maria Brown and hope you will come back our way soon. For, you will always have a home with Sunset Properties.

Turtle Adventure Part 1

2009-08-04T14:58:00.012-05:00

This turtle adventure started with a phone call! I received a call from Bon Secour Refuge office telling me that their plans to pick up two turtles that had been rehabilitated in Florida had been changed because of a turtle stranding on the Ft. Morgan Beaches. They asked if I could help!!!! I was absolutely thrilled to help, and drive over to Gulf Breeze and pick up these little guys. So the next afternoon I traded my car for a giant refuge truck and continued driving over the Florida line to pick up the sea turtles that were being released the next morning. I met the ladies from the Gulfarium who had helped these little guys get back in swimming condition. The turtles were packed safely for travel in their containers one was small about the size of your hand he had lost a flipper earlier this year but was doing well now. This turtle swam up to a little girl playing in the water. The other container was a surprise to me I was expecting another hand size turtle and this one was the size of a platter.
This one was also doing well after it was found swimming in circles off of the Florida coast.

Both turtles made the hour drive back to the Bon Secour Refuge Office where the wildlife biologist and one of the wonderful interns, made sure the radio tag was working and they turtles were doing well after the drive. Everyone was doing well and feeling good we got a short turtle biology lesson and they let these guys rest for a bit before their journey out to sea the next day. I was completely honored to be a part of this release effort even if it was just driving a truck.

Take a Breakaway!!!!!!!!

2009-07-17T14:50:00.004-05:00

Breakaway, our newest gulf side home is ready for you to come down and spend some time away from it all at the beach. This family friendly 5 bedroom 3 bath home sleeps up to 12. This home also allows small dogs. This is great for all of our four legged friends, who really want to come to beach with their family. Breakaway has two bedrooms that look toward the beach, you also have a little bit of a view from the kitchen. This is a third tier home, that is less than a 5 minute walk to the water. Breakaway is located in the Dunes Community, the last little hideaway on the island. The Dunes Community sits right next to part of the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge. This means you have 2 miles of beach to explore down to the very end of the island.

Breakaway has 3 bedrooms upstairs, the master with a king bed over looks the Gulf, along with a second bedroom with a queen bed. The third bedroom upstairs has a set of twin beds. The two bedrooms downstairs rooms both have queen beds. This home also has a sleeper sofa for any extra people you may want to bring along. There are two balconies one off of the main level and one off of the master bedroom and main hall upstairs that allow you to relax outdoors overlooking the gulf. This great home is just waiting for you and your family to come down and have fun. Give us a call to book Breakaway today!!!

Turtle Season at the Beach

2009-06-24T15:28:00.011-05:00

It's Turtle Season again and those Mama Turtles have been busy laying nests this year. So far we have 20 nests, just on Ft. Morgan beaches alone. Ft. Morgan Beaches consists of about 13 miles of beach and they are patrolled each morning on an ATV by a refuge worker and 2 volunteers from the Share the Beach program. The patrol is looking for signs of a mother turtle and possible nests. These signs are pretty easy to spot most of the time. A turtles tracks look like a four wheeler, or a tractor drove out of the water, made a loop, and went right back in the water. If there is a nest she leaves tell tale signs of that too!!! The volunteers and the refuge workers are trained to spot these signs quickly, and start looking for eggs. Sometimes the workers and volunteers have to move the eggs back a little further from the water. They do this because the mother turtles laid the eggs in a place that will be covered by water if we get high water and the eggs will drown. The Alabama beaches are very important to the turtle population because it is considered a northern beach to the turtle territory. The gender of a turtle depends on the temperature of the sand they are laid in. Our sand is a bit cooler so we are more likely to produce males. A Mother Loggerhead Turtle can lay up to 190 round white eggs at a time and she can do this up to three times in a year. These eggs look just like ping pong balls except the shells are leathery. I have included a couple of photos donated by Mr. Dave Record a visitor to our area. This is a mother Kemp's Ridley preparing to nest. We have Loggerhead, and Kemp's Ridley Turtles nests primarly on our beaches. Thank you Mr. Record for your help.

You should never touch sea turtle eggs, hatchlings or adult turtles because they are protected animals, and it could be dangerous to your health and theirs. If you come up on a nest or an animal, wait by it and get a friend to call 1-866-SEA TURTLE they will know how to help.
I have been truly blessed to help find two nests this year, I have included a couple of pictures below of the eggs so you can see what they look like. The babies will hatch out about 55 days after they are laid. I know I will be there to see my nests hatch out. I can't wait!!!! Our Ft. Morgan nests start hatching next week, and everyone is very excited. Who knows you may get to see this exciting event on your trip to the beach.
Did you know the less you leave on the beach the easier it is for the mamas to lay eggs and get back to the water before daylight. Because of things on the beach we have had several mothers get lost and go toward streets instead of the water and get trapped behind chairs and under tents. Make room for our turtles on the beach, pull your things away from the water, or take them back completely, give these rare creatures all the space they need.

A Massage at the Beach!!!

2009-06-06T14:29:00.003-05:00

We want to welcome Adam and Rachael Austin to the Sunset Properties Family. Adam and Rachael are massage therapists whose dream was to work on the beach. Rachael recently came down to our office and every member of the staff received a massage from the boss. HAVE I MENTIONED I HAVE THE BEST JOB EVER????
Each of us walked out of our massage completely relaxed and ready to do NO work at all for the rest of the day. Rachael did an amazing job working on each individuals problems and sore spots.
Rachael and Adam specialize in couples massages, and Rachael will be available Tuesday mornings for individual massages on the beach or in the condo. The massages range from $25 for an individual for 15 minutes to $75 for an hour. Couples start at $180.00 for an hour massage. All services are licensed and professional.
The Austin's also do set up meals to go along with the couples massages. There are all sorts of pricing and packages to fit all budgets.
Gwen our housekeeping supervisor said, "having a massage with Rachael would be a necessity to a relaxing vacation!" Brenda said, "it was simply AWESOME!" Becky wants, "have one every week!" I absolutely agree with everything they said and can't wait until Rachael comes back for staff massage day again!!!!!!!!!

Beach Pictures

2009-06-02T16:17:00.009-05:00

I wanted to introduce all of you to a very good friend of mine, Tony Thagard! Tony has done a good portion of our photography on our websites, and is a true artist. He has decide to make his art his full time job this summer. Tony has set up a website www.on3fotos.com to showcase some of his photos and advertise what sort of photos he can do. We wanted to give you a smattering of Tony's talent and the opportunity to get in touch with him if you need beach, event or wedding photos. I cannot say enough good things about Tony and his professional approach to photography. everyone who has used him in the past has been thrilled with the result and the variety of photos to choose from. Enjoy some of Tony's beautiful photos, and be sure to give him a call to capture your sunny beach memories!!!

Beach Vacation or BUST!!!!

2009-04-16T14:22:00.010-05:00

I've mentioned in the past we see some of the most unusual things at the beach!!! I wanted to take this opportunity to remind all of our vacationers to be sure you take back everyone and everything you bring along. Look under beds and in closets, in all those special little hidy holes that little hands like to stick things.
We have noticed that it is not just you and your family that want to come on a BEACH VACATION, your things want a vacation too!!! Your shoes, your I-pods, sunglasses, medication, and even your children's stuffed animals are longing to be at the beach. How do we know this you may ask??? Well we always check all the best hiding places for your things and sometime we find them. Lately I have noticed your left behind stuffed animals and other treasured things having all sorts of adventures around the property.

It seems all your special things needed a vacation too!!!!

The stuffed animals are the wildest on these adventures. They have no fear!!!
Be sure to look for ALL of your family before you go, or your things may just decide to move down here and let you visit!!!
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Slow down, your at the Beach!!!!!!!!

2009-04-16T14:10:00.004-05:00

One of the most important things I have learned since moving to the area is to SLOW down and take in everything around me. I moved here from a very busy place and a very busy life. The beach is busy in its own way but we always try to make things as relaxed and laid back as possible for our guests and ourselves. We have noticed that if you slow down just a little, and look around you get to see the most incredible, beautiful, and unique sights. Having the opportunity to see new things at a slower pace is true here at the beach, but I am sure it is a rule that is good throughout life wherever you are.
Take a closer look at the photo with this post. It is a picture of a dear friend's shoe print in the sand. As you look notice the beautiful sand dollars that are undamaged in his track. Sand dollars are so fragile and rare. It is really amazing that they all are still intact. This was such a fun find and a great memory of a beautiful day.
Take some time and slow down. It's just good for the soul!!!!

A Wedding on the Beach at Ft. Morgan

2009-04-11T13:40:00.007-05:00

We have Weddings on the Dunes Community Beach on almost a weekly basis in the spring and summer. A couple of weeks ago we had the most unusual wedding to date. A family that lives in the community, and very dear friends or theirs had a wedding ceremony for their beloved pet poodles. The Dunes beach at Ft. Morgan is dog friendly and the owners here take that very seriously. You will often see owners letting their dogs romp through the waves or playing fetch with a tennis ball out on the beach.

On this particular occasion you could see owner and pets enjoying the festivities of the happy day. The puppy bride, Lulu is the pet of Elizabeth, and the groom, Murphy, is proudly owned by Callie. The ceremony included both pets dressed to the Nines in their wedding attire. Murphy wore a new wedding collar, and Lulu wore a beautiful white ilett dress. Elizabeth and Callie explained that the two dogs are long time sweethearts and became engaged on Valentines Day. Murphy a "famous" ball player has always been a fan of Lulu who spends her days as a stay at home model, Auburn Cheerleader and gardener / explorer in her free time. Invitations were sent to the dogs and friends in the Dunes Community soon after their engagement. The guests all enjoyed the reception. The humans enjoyed a lovely two layer cake prepared by Lulu and Elizabeth's mother. The dog friends/guests were all given treats that were their choice of peanut butter, or a marshmallow, even a pet friendly chocolate cookie.

The bride and groom gave each other wedding gifts of a beautiful new outfit for the ever stylish Lulu and 4 new balls to play with for Murphy the sportsman. The couple looked lovely in their photos Murphy in his naturally black coat with bow tie, and Lulu always the lady in her beautiful white fur and white dress. A great time was had by all who attended, with a couple of the 4 legged guests participating in a game of catch the sand crab after the reception.

There were no plans for a honeymoon; puppies are not in the plan for this active couple. They do have a special marriage training planned that will take place in a "Tricks Class" coming up really soon.

I recently heard from the owners, that Lulu was already nagging Murphy about playing football every afternoon. We are so glad that this special event was held here at the Dunes Community and Murphy and Lulu can be added to long list of happy couples married at the Dunes Beach. If you are planning a beach wedding soon, give me a call. Helping the brides and families with all the ins and outs of a beach wedding is one of the favorite parts of my job.

Sunset Properties Goes On Vacation!!!

2009-04-10T13:19:00.011-05:00

We are usually the destination for vacations in the Ft. Morgan area. It is unheard of for all of us to take a vacation together. The boss decided that we needed a getaway together, to be waited on and taken care of, just as we take care of our guests. We were given a cruise to Cozumel!!!! Thanks John and Karen!!!! We all boarded a cruise line that leaves from the port of Mobile and began our much needed 4 day getaway. The ship gave us fresh linens and turn down service each night, along with friendly towel animals each night to great us when we came in from our evening activities. We enjoyed live musical shows, comedians, magic shows, Afternoon tea and a huge variety of classes for adults and kids. My favorite part by far was just being out on deck in the sun. We come to work at the beach each day, with the beautiful water and sand just steps away and rarely get down to the shore to enjoy it. We all took advantage of our time in the sun. I came back with a very special tan, that included lines on my face from my sunglasses. It was fun!!!!
Once we arrived at Cozumel the Bobe's headed out for a Coral reef tour on board a Submarine.
It was really fun and very educational. We went down to a depth of 109 feet below the surface, and enjoyed creatures that one usually only sees in aquariums or on TV.
We did a bit of shopping through the city, while John and Karen did a tour of the local bars, trying Karen's favorite drinks. Becky and her sister enjoyed a sailing trip on a private boat and an afternoon on a quiet beach.
We boarded the boat that afternoon with stories to share about our different adventures. That evening we had a dress up dinner where we all had a great meal and were entertained by our wait staff in between stories of our adventures that afternoon.
All around it was a great vacation. We had lots of rest that allowed us to come back all geared up for Spring Break!!! We wanted to Thank Mike and Brenda, who took care of everything while we were gone. Thanks Guys!!!!

The Fisherman at the Dunes

2009-03-27T10:10:00.006-05:00

When you look from the condo balconies down to the beach it is hard to judge the size of and what exactly things are. Some of my favorite owners Kathy and Gary noticed a fisherman on the beach for several days in a row. He caught their attention because he was in their favorite fishing spot catching all of "their fish"!!!!! She finally decided she need to meet this great angler. So Kathy, went down to the beach on a mission and once she got there she was pleasantly surprised and came back with a great story. Check out the picture below of "The Dunes Fisherman"!!!

We had so much fun with Kathy's story that we all decided to take our picture with the famous angler...

2009-03-24T10:31:00.004-05:00

Sowing Our Wild Oats 2009 was a huge success!!!! Due to the overwhelming generosity of The Dunes Community, The Indies, and The Dunes Condos we were able to purchase just over 2000 plants to help build our sand dunes. Sand dunes are natural protection for our community and habitat for our local wildlife. These dunes protect us from storm surge, which can cause irreparable damage to this beautiful community. This is the third year we have planted sea oats with our winter guests, owners and friends of our community.
It took two days of hard work by these wonderful men and women but we got all of the plants in the ground just before the rain. We laughed a lot and met new friends while we planted each day. On Friday after our planting was complete we gathered for a picnic donated by Gary and Kathy Bergmann for everyone who gave of their time to help us get plants in the sand. Thank you all for your help and generosity. I will keep you updated on the growth and development of our Dunes.

What to Do and See in Ft. Morgan

2009-03-12T21:26:00.000-05:00

Ft. Morgan has become one of my favorite places. I work and live part of the time in Ft. Morgan and cannot think of another place I would rather be. It is unique in the fact that the Dunes Community, where I work, is located very near the end of the Island.
Visitors traveling in from the west can come to Ft. Morgan via the Mobile Bay Ferry. The drive to the ferry is delightfully scenic as you travel over water and across Dauphin Island to catch you boat. Catching the ferry is our regular guest's favorite way to begin their vacation. Once you step foot on the ferry your vacation has begun. This trip is fun too you often get to see dolphin, all sorts of seabirds and even a sea turtle every now and then. Be sure to call ahead and check to see how busy they are and get the schedule. Getting stuck waiting for the ferry is not the way any one's vacation should start..
This nearness to the end of the island allow for adventures, almost daily. We have wildlife watching that will astound you at every turn. You can watch the dolphin feeding and playing just off shore from your condo balcony, or the beach. Sting Ray, Manta Ray, and Skate migrate through in the spring and fall. We also have a by annual bird migration with a banding station less than a mile from the community. If take a walk on the very end of the island you will always find, unique shells just waiting to be found. The Sea Turtle nesting season starts during the summer when the mothers come on shore and lay their nests, these same nests will hatch in the fall. Sea Turtle hatchlings are naturally one of the cutest animals around, and watching them got into the water and swim away is an event not to be missed. Local volunteers keep an eye on them with help of the officers at the Bon Secour Refuge. This area is part of the Bon Secour Refuge and the refuge office is not far. Visitors can stop by the refuge office and learn more about the local wildlife, and they can even track the sea turtle nests on line at the Alabama Sea Turtle website. Wild life is not the only attraction we have in Ft. Morgan. While you are here be sure to stop in and visit the areas namesake Ft. Morgan. A civil war fort put in place to help guard the entrance of Moblie Bay along with Ft. Gains on Dauphin Island. Ft. Morgan has civil war reenactments in the evenings throughout the year which includes period dress and a canon firing and discussions about period food, medicine, and the activities of the soldiers while the fort was active. Ft. Morgan is definitely a place to explore history as well.
If you like to fish Ft. Morgan is the place to for you to visit. We have water on three sides of the area!!! The Gulf Shores Yacht Club and Marina can help you with a deep sea or an inshore charter. They also have the opportunities for walk on fishing trips, and even Dolphin cruises. The marina is within walking distance of the Dunes Community. Be sure to visit Tacky Jacks 2 at the Marina for breakfast before you head out on your trip.
While I am telling you of all the wonderful things about Ft. Morgan, I cannot forget the most striking. Because we are on the end of the Island you cannot help be see the beautiful sunset every day. The sunsets here are beautiful, inspiring, and absolutely romantic.
When you visit Ft. Morgan be sure not to plan so much fun with all of the great adventures available, that you can't take time to have a quiet walk at sunset with someone you love.

Create great beach memories at Indies Condos in Ft. Morgan

2009-03-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take some time and tell you about the properties here at Ft. Morgan that you can enjoy. I have told you about a few in the past but for this post I want to tell you about The Indies. It is the newest of the condos here at Ft. Morgan.
The Indies like the Dunes building is seven floors high. The Indies has an added bonus though, it has an eight floor that is an observation deck. The Indies is a wonderful addition here in the Dunes Community, you can see spectacular views all the way to the end of the Island. Just imagine, watching the sunset with your loved one, favorite beverage in hand, from the top of The Indies. The other option for the roof top terrace is to catch some rays at the lounge chairs set up while you are misted by a cool mist. Be sure to wear your sunscreen!!!! We are so proud to have The Indies as part of the Dunes Community. Take a look at the interiors of the individual condos at www.theindiesonline.com or give us a call if we can answer any questions, about this beautiful property!!!

Snow Bird Activities with Sunset Properties

2009-02-18T09:51:00.002-06:00

We are having a great winter down here at Ft. Morgan. Now that we have a new spacious office we have been able to incorporate some fun activities for our winter guests. So far our guests we have been able to have classes on making Greeting and Valentine cards, and a couple of very creative scrap-booking options. The group had a great time getting to know one another and all went away with new friendships.
We are hoping to hold a few more classes before the season is over, a painting class / wine tasting which will be lots of fun, a basket weaving class, and hopefully a class led by the winter guests on some of there favorite crafts. We will also hold all of our activities for the Sowing Our Wild Oats Celebration. Sowing our Wild Oats is our annual sand dune restoration project. This is an activity that our guests participate in and it makes a huge difference in the health of our beach as a habitat for endangered species. We are excited that we now have the space at Sunset Properties to have our winter guests play a little while they are here!!!!!

Christmas at Ft. Morgan!!!!!!

2008-12-19T16:22:00.004-06:00

Christmas at Ft. Morgan!!!! It is just a few days until Christmas now, and I am on the hunt for that Christmas-y feeling. It has been such an odd year, with storms and crazy economy, not to mention unseasonably warm weather. The Christmas feeling has been sorely missed. This cheery feeling pokes it head out here and there with the visitors who come through, but it is far from the warm fuzzy norm of the Christmas Season. I have been to the Church Christmas Musical, and sung carols on my own, the very worshipful and the very silly ones. I’ve baked a few cookies, watched some Christmas movies and even put up a tree here at the office. When I am with that tree here at the office is when it seems most like Christmas. So, I have a plan to go ahead and put a tree up at home too. I know it’s a little strange not to have one. The one at work is so beautiful I thought it would suffice. So, I’m off to put up my tree at home watch some Christmas Movies and bake cookies. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, or Happy Holiday, whatever you may be celebrating. Please enjoy our Beach Christmas Tree. This tree is decorated with seashells from the beach that washed up after the storms.

Winter at the Beach, home away from home for our Snow Birds!!!!

2008-12-01T12:10:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year again, Winter at the beach. Our winter is full of fun adventures and beautiful sunsets to share. Our winter guests, affectionately known as Snow Birds, begin arriving just before Thanksgiving. They spend the winter with us here at the beach, with our mild climate and Southern Hospitality it is truly a home away from home. We think of our guests as family and try to have events throughout the winter for them to mix and mingle and have a great time.
This winter is no exception, we plan on several classes for painting, jewelry making, a book club, and of course Sowing Our Wild Oats!!! What has become our annual sea oat planting, to help protect our beach and habitats for so many of our endangered species that live right here at Ft. Morgan. It is a fun time for everyone. We have had wonderful results from all of the efforts made by our owners and winter guests. We can't wait until this celebration comes around this year. I'm so glad our family is back for another year and can't wait to have everyone over for our first mixer!!!!

Our Beach Before & After Gustav

2008-09-02T12:43:00.007-05:00

First, just to put your mind at ease all is well!!! We have all of our houses and condos, in perfect shape. The worst things that happened are some minor sand erosion, dirty windows and standing water that makes everything a little fishy smelling. We wanted to post a few before and after pictures for you to see how it looks now.

We are so pleased that all of the hard work planting Sea oats and other Dune Plants seems to have kept back the water and left the majority of the sand in place. We did well but we still have a few problems as you can see!!!!

Thank you to all of you who donated time and funds to keep our beach looking great. As you can see we have some work to do cleaning up but over all we are pleased. We fared much better than some of our neighbors. Keep Louisiana in your prayers they have lots of damage across the state to recover from.

The Baby Sea Turtles and The Tourists at Fort Morgan

2008-08-16T09:24:00.010-05:00

This week has been such a different one for us and our visitors at Sunset Properties. It has been a very rainy week which cut down on their Sunny Beach Vacation. All the wind and rain allowed for some unique experiences for our visitors. Many who live and work here in the Dunes Community and across the Alabama Coast volunteer with the Share The Beach Program. This program monitors Alabama beaches for Sea Turtle nests and also monitors those nests for hatching babies later in the season. We are still finding nests in this record year of 45 found on Ft. Morgan Beaches alone. It is also time for hatch baby turtles. This is always a fun time for us and any visitors to the area who may have a chance to see these amazing little creatures. I met a couple who had just this experience this week.
A group of Volunteers were monitoring a nest for several nights. In fact is was a false crawl which is where we mark what seems to be a nest but we never actually found the eggs after they were laid. Of course during monitoring if a storm begins to come up we are told to always leave the beach especially if we hear thunder or see lightening. At the beginning of the week we would sit until about 8:30 or so waiting on turtles and a storm would roll in each night chasing us off of the beach. Some of our visitors are braver than all of our seasoned volunteers.
A sweet couple who have visited with us several times and were so curious about the turtles were out on the beach just before the storm. They had the stopped by faithfully each night to see what was going on and if we had any activity. They had lots of great questions and were so excited. As we were heading off of the beach because of the up coming storm the were heading out to the beach. We must have crossed paths and not even realized it. When the got down to the nest they found baby turtles everywhere. They jumped immediately to action and guided the turtles with a flashlight to the water, one after another. They helped about 50 turtles to the water.
Not knowing that we don't really use flash to take pictures of the turtles, they were able to get some great pictures as you can see. Once they got to the board walk to head back to their condo they actually found a few more turtles that had been confused by the lights on the beach houses. They helped these little turtles to the water too.
This couple Lindsey Gore and Ryan Polk are my hero's. They set aside their personal safety to help these baby Logger Head Turtles for all of the volunteers. 120 baby turtles made it to the water out of this nest due in big part to Lindsey and Ryan. Thanks so much guys. Can't wait to see you next year..

Sea Turtle Obstacles at Gulf Shores

2008-06-30T15:37:00.005-05:00

This amazing photo was taken recently on a Gulf Shores Beach by a member of the "Share the Beach Program." The "Share the Beach" program is a group of volunteers that monitor the beaches each morning looking for signs of Sea Turtle nests. So far just on Ft Morgan beaches there are 15 Sea Turtle nests.

This particular photo is of a mama Sea Turtle looking for a place to that is safe to dig and lay her eggs. It is difficulty for Sea Turtles to crawl up on the beach. They have to drag several hundered pounds on to the sand and then to have to maneuver between chairs, umbrellas and other items that beach goers leave. This Blog is to ask you our guests to pick up after yourselves.

It takes 20 years for a Sea Turtle to be old enough to lay eggs and then the turtles only lay every 3 to 5 years. So the fewer things on the beach the more likely she is to lay her eggs.

This mama turtle started two different nests but something wasn't right either time. So she dragged herself back to the ocean and found another more perfect spot for her hundred or so eggs. So in a month and a half or so we will see lots of baby turtles on Ft. Morgan beaches.

A Fun New Golf Cart Shuttle a Sunset Properties

2008-06-20T10:06:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite memories as a child is watching the old surfer movies with the big Woodie Cars piled high with surf boards and every now and then the entire cast of the movie would break in to song and dance. So fun!!!!!!!
We recently turned our golf cart shuttle into a Woodie. With all the hard work of our friends and family here in the neighborhood it turned out beautiful. So please take advantage of our Golf Cart Shuttle for the Guests of Sunset Properties. This shuttel will get you down to the beautiful Ft. Morgan beaches. I can't promise the driver will break into song and dance. But you never know for a big enough tip they just might. Give it a try!!!!!

Oh, and check out our new office in te background, we will move in soon! Look for a blog about that soon.

Begin your Beach trip on the Dauphin Island Ferry!!!!

2008-06-03T09:53:00.003-05:00

What if you could start your trip with a boat ride and enjoy the local wildlife all around you, and beautiful gulf views even before you check in? You can, just take the Dauphin Island Ferry. While it does not particularly save time it will save gas, and you get a nice restful start to your vacation. While on the Ferry you can check out lots of local birds, Dolphin, and you get beautiful views of the Gulf. Take deep breaths of salty air and relax you are almost there!!!! Know when it gets close to check in time that the Ferry fills quickly and you may have to wait an hour and a half for the next one. The trip is a lot of fun because you get to walk around the deck and take a look at everything for the 45 minutes. Once the ferry docks it is only a couple of minutes down the road to Sunset Properties and check in for your beach vacation. Take the ferry if you are coming from the West. It is a great start to a memorable vacation.

The Best Cheese in Gulf Shores!!!!

2008-05-24T14:27:00.002-05:00

Ok, so this is a little different as far as Blogs go especially those about the beach. I wanted to tell you about the best cheese and Cheesecake in Gulf Shores, so you won't miss out while you are here. Let's start with the cheese!!!!
You wouldn't think of Gulf Shores, or even Alabama when you think of a Dairy food. We have some of the best Cheese ever tasted. It is made by Sweet Home Farm, that is located in Elberta it is about 40 minutes from Sunset Properties. The fresh cheese created by the owner/ operators of this family run business is the stuff of dreams. You have cheese that ranges from sweet and creamy desert like "Cheese Fudge" to The spicy Italian Pepato Asigo and all different flavors in between. They are all our favorites, be sure to take a little detour, or take a short day trip over Friday or Saturday from 10 to 5. The folks at sweet home farm and there AMAZING CHEESE is one of those hidden stops in the Gulf Shores area that you don't need to miss. For more information and directions to the farm stop by the Sunset Properties office while you are here and we will be happy to get you the information you need.

Now on to, cheesecake!!!!YUMMmmmmmm!!! Ok there are two place of note in the Gulf Shores area. The first is the Origianl Oyster House. Yes they specialize in seafood and always do a great job, but beware of the long wait because everyone wants to go have dinner there. They also make an out of this world Praline cheesecake in house. Even if you don't want to wait in the line for dinner, which is worth the wait. Grab a piece of cheesecake to go and take to the beach and enjoy the sunset or the moon rise. You won't regret it.

Finally, last but most certainly not least is Hope's Cheesecake. Hope's has cheese cakes of all different flavors and even sell by the slice. They have seasonal specialities and a flavor for every member of you family. Instead of that stop for ice cream while you are out playing at the amusement parks swing by Hopes for sweet creamy goodness in the form of Cheesecake!!! Let us know your favorite!!!

Hatchling Sea Turtle photo at Ft. Morgan

2008-05-23T15:41:00.007-05:00

It is turtle season again and just to gear you up for all those babies that are heading our way here is a photo of one of our turtles from last year. Thanks to John and all the Sunset Properties Family for contributing their turtle photos. Enjoy friends, and hope for lots of new babies this year at Ft. Morgan...

Sand Island Light house at Fort Morgan

2008-04-28T11:35:00.006-05:00

I love light houses, and we are so lucky to have one right out our back door here at Fort Morgan. When I think of a light house the first thought that comes to mind is a movie from my childhood where a little boy who sees an imaginary dragon is adopted by a Lighthouse keeper and his adult daughter. In the end everyone is a big happy family and he has no need for his imaginary friend any longer. It is a sweet story of Family and love and is probably the main fuel for my love of lighthouses now. To me they are romantic and hold all sorts of fun adventures just waiting to happen.
Of course the life of a lighthouse keeper and his family if he had one was far from romantic. They often lived hard, lonely lives spending weeks and months alone.
The light house out our back door is called the Sand Island light house. It was built in the 1800's originally and destroyed. It was rebuilt to exactly the same light house and was actually on a part of the peninsula at one time. It is hard to imagine the land going all the way out to the light house! Now the light house sits on only its ballast rocks that were placed at its base to protect it from storms. It is no longer in commission but it is a popular attraction for the vacationers who are sight seeing by boat. It is also a great fishing spot. We are glad to have this beautiful historical monument as our neighbor at Fort Morgan keeping a watchful eye over us. Or maybe it is our turn to keep a watchful eye over it in it's old age.

Sand Dollars by the Thousands at Fort Morgan

2008-04-09T12:07:00.003-05:00

We recently had an unusual experience here at Fort Morgan. I have decided after two years that unusual is the norm around here though. Our winter guests were getting ready to leave and the Spring Breakers were coming in and we had a couple of large storms come through and it stirred up everything out in the gulf. We were finding ancient lumber, possibly off of an old wreck in the gulf, polished smooth like a river stone. Guests found sea anemones washed up on the beach and all closed up like a package protecting the delicate creature on the inside. We set those free back in the gulf.
All of the other finds were fun and new for us, but my favorite was the Sand Dollars. One of our winter guests had a habit of taking walks each morning to catch the sunrise. They came back and told us about what they found. This particular morning they brought back pictures. We started looking at the pictures but we were unsure what it was we were looking at. When we zoomed the photo in the treasure was revealed. It was thousands of tiny sand dollars. They ranged from the size of your thumb nail to smaller that the eraser of a pencil.
Later that evening we took a family trip down to the beach to check out this wonder for ourselves. We collected about a hundred and it would not even fill up a water bottle half way. It was a great adventure for our family and something my Dad who has been on the beach most of his life has never seen. I wanted to share a photo with you. A special thanks to Don and Sue Carrier for this great photo.

Spring Bird Banding at Fort Morgan!!!

2008-04-08T10:19:00.005-05:00

Bird banding here at Fort Morgan in the Spring is the time for Humming Birds!!!! You can see them all around the condos checking out the landscaped flowers and the natural ones we have growing here. We try to take turns as a staff and go down with the kids or our family and have an amazing experience learning about the birds that come through our area. We are so blessed to be in a place with an over abundance of natural beauty and then we get all sorts of creatures that migrate through our area at least once if not twice a year.
The bird banding is going on for another week here and we have already had some great adventures and learned lots about our feathered friends. We have met Hooded Warblers (the small yellow and black bird in the photo)and Hummers. Savannah had the neatest experience so far she got to let a humming bird go you can see her photo also. Yes that little thing in her hand is a Humming Bird!!!!!! We are so grateful to Bob Sargent and the rest of the Bird Banding group who allow us to participate even in a little in this important research. If you are here or get a chance to come in the Spring and Fall do not miss Bird Banding.

Charter Fishing at Fort Morgan!!!

2008-03-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

In an old post I told you about fishing off of the beach, which is still one of my favorite ways to fish but I may have found a new favorite. This past summer we had to the opportunity to go fishing with our favorite Captain Dejaun Tedder from Gulf Adventures.
I have only been charter fishing one other time and while it was fun, I was very young and did not know that taking something to avoid getting seasick is a good plan before you head out. This time was much more fun. We headed out from the Gulf Shores Marina that is right across the street from where we live, work and play. We headed through the bay and out just past the point where Fort Morgan is located. John, Donnie, Becky and I, along with Captain DeJuan set out for a fishing adventure in search of Red Fish. We were out about 4 hours and fished over old wrecks, and reefs in that area. Then we started catching Red fish they ranged from 15 to 30 pounds. We kept the ones in the right size range, 1 for each of us. We actually ended up catching 13 of them total and let the majority of the go. It was a lot of fun fighting with these beautiful animals and being out on the water with friends and family. If you get a chance go on a fishing Cruise with Dejuan, it is guaranteed to be a memory making adventure at the beach. Take a look at our great catch!!!!

Water Spouts at the Beach!!!!

2008-03-26T17:36:00.002-05:00

When you think of the beach often you only think of fun sunny days. The beach is so dynamic in not only it's weather but how the beach itself changes. For example, one day the beach will be completely flat and really easy walk on. Other days you have to climb up or down cliffs to get to the water.
The Fort Morgan area where we are located is on a peninsula so we often see amazing weather on one side or the other of us. This particular day was a little rainy off and on all day but we still managed to see some really awesome weather. This is a great picture of a water spout. Yes a water spout is a tornado, the big difference is they are not particularly dangerous because most of the time they break apart when they come on land. They only last a matter of minutes so if we hear of one you will see a mass exodus from the office to see it and catch some really great photos like this one.

You see the oddest things at the beach!!!

2008-03-04T18:23:00.004-06:00

I had a guest come in the Sunset Properties office this afternoon in a bit of a panic. She was very upset at what she saw on a neighbors balcony just below her. It seems she was enjoying the great views from her balcony and looked down to see who was at the pool. She noticed a few floors below hers (the 5th floor) there was something you really don't see much of at the beach and certaily not on the 5th floor of a condo that has no direct access to the ground but through the condo itself. She saw a rat standing on the edge of the balcony rail.
Ok, this in itself was enough to make me suspicious. First how would it get up there without a guest seeing it, and how does a rat balance on a metal balcony rail? Then I asked her which condo as it at because, "I need to do more investigating!" She then proceeded to tell me where it was. I looked up who was in that unit. AH HA!!!! This explains a bunch. My very dear friends Ed and Jo Ann are in that condo, they are jokesters if ever I knew one.
I proceeded to catch up with Jo Ann and I asked her, "Jo Ann, did you have something unusal, you know small and furry on your balcony recently?" She said, "Nooooo, Oh wait we did tape a rat to our balcony to try to get the owl to come back. You know we had that big owl land on our balcony, and we told our kids about it and one of the girls sent us this toy rat to see if we could get a picture of the owl."
So here is Mr. Jingles trying to attract the owl at Fort Morgan.

Picnic With Our Winter Guests

2008-03-04T18:08:00.004-06:00

Along with all of our sea oat planting events here at the Dunes Community we also had a pot luck Bar-B-Q, picnic. We all met at the horseshoe pit and enjoyed sampling the creative dishes made by friends and vegetables grown in the warmth of our southern sun, by our winter guests. We shared stories and plans for the next few weeks. This event was a like a family reunion, and your dear friends all gathered together for a little fun in the sun. The food ranged from apple salad with candy bar pieces,to venison sausage. We sat out and soaked up the warmth of the sun, it was 70 degrees that day. We had such a fun day our winter guests asked us to have another cookout again before they left. I can't wait until the next cook out, hopefully it will be a chance to make a few more friends and a lot more memories. Donnie Our maintenance man extraordinaire did our grilling for the day and did a spectacular job. Overall it was a great day in the sun with our Sunset Properties Winter Family....

Sea Oat Planting 2008

2008-02-15T16:20:00.004-06:00

The Winter of 06/07 we were inspired to rebuild our sand dunes,after all we are the Dunes Community with the help of our winter guests, owners, staff, and locals. The hurricanes not only damage, homes and property but, damage natural environments. After the storms our beach for all intensive purposes was flat and almost without plants. All of our sand dunes were pushed under the houses, in the subdivision pool, and in filling in parts of the natural marsh area.
With all of the help mentioned above we were able to plant almost 400 plants last year. We all received a class from naturalist in the area on how to properly plant the sea oats, the we set off planting. The winter guests and owners had such a wonderful time and we saw a huge change in the beach in just one year's time that we decided to do another planting this year.
This winter our goal was to plant 1000 plants on our dunes. Through the continued generosity of our winter guests, homeowners, and employees we were able to do make this goal a reality. Not only were we able to plant 1000 plants. We were also able with special permission to plant about 3000 sea oat seeds. All of this planting resulted in sore muscles, and sun tans for our winter guests who gave up their days helping us plant. Hopefully it will produce a bumper crop of sea oats in the next few years and build our Dunes to heights unseen in the past.

Winter Fun on the Beach

2008-02-15T14:51:00.004-06:00

I know winter and fun on the beach do not seem to go together! This past week at the beach we have had more fun then we do most summers. We had what has become our annual Sowing Our Wild Oats Week of planting and celebration. These events center around rebuilding our Sand Dunes after they were destroyed during the hurricanes. This is a long slow process in nature but, people can help it along, a little.
Last winter about 6 monthes after I began working for Sunset Properties, we began to discuss how we can rebuild our sand dunes. The beach at the time was completely flat and almost entirely void of plants. The plants and dunes themselves are benificial to the wild life in area.
Last winter the staff, owners, and winter guests donated time, money, and lots of energy, raising money, cleaning the beach, and planting sea oats, and other plants. We had so much fun last year that we decided to make this a week long event this year. That includes not only sea oat planting, but beach clean up, Beach Golf, a Bar-B-Q, a Sea Oat King and Queen, and lots of fun... Look for updates on the week's activities, everything we did with our Wonderful Winter Guests.

East Meets West, Beach House at Fort Morgan

2008-01-24T12:57:00.004-06:00

Picture warm days lying on the beach listening to the waves. Imagine you are staying in a house right on that beach, where you can listen to the waves and enjoy a homemade dinner with your entire family, as you rest and make memories together. East Meets West is the house of your dreams! This amazing 6 bedroom 6 bath home is situated on the beach at Fort. Morgan, it is a shining jewel of the Dunes Community.
East Meets West was made for your family vacation, with a great dining area for every one to eat together while you enjoy a great view of the beach. This dining area is located right next to the amazing Kitchen that is equip to cook for a big crowd. Oh, and don't over look the bedrooms, all are beautifully appointed and each has it's own bath. The Bathrooms alone are a reason to rent this home. The owner spared no expense in making this house the beach house you dream about coming too.
In the Summer you can count on a nightly fireworks show by the guest of the Dunes Community. Spend your days lazing on the beach catching some rays, or adventure with one of our Nature walks, or a tour through Fort Morgan, The Dauphin Island Sea Lab, or take a fishing trip. Here in the Dunes Community we are surrounded by wild life and you have access to two miles of Sugar White sand. This is an amazing place and the perfect Home for your vacation.

Snow In Gulf Shores

2008-01-22T09:35:00.000-06:00

I know everyone thinks I'm kidding, but really last Saturday we had snow at the beach in Fort Morgan. It has been cold enough to freeze here several times this month already. Some of the houses in the community were not prepared and had pipe damage. I had a report from one of our winter guests at Sunset Properties that the had snow on their balcony this past Saturday. I thought they were teasing me because they do tease me quite a bit, I tend to be gullible. Then I heard it form another winter guest in a different building. All of our winter guests were surprised they had never seen snow this far South. Not only are we as far South as you can go in Alabama, but we sit a foot ball field off the beach. Wouldn't it be fun if the Sugar White sand was a dusting of Snow just once?

On Site Service with Sunset Properties

2008-01-15T11:11:00.001-06:00

One of the things that makes Sunset Properties unique is that we are on site in the area we rent. At this time our office is located in the base of the Dunes Building. Soon we will be moving to a centrally located office, still in the community, just not in the base of the building. We are excited about our new office and I am sure I will be tell you more about it in the future. The possibilities for having special events and meetings and dinners are endless. We cannot wait to spread out and welcome our guest into the area in the way they deserve. Now we will be able to make them feel like family as we always felt they were. Look for up coming details about our new office in the Dunes Community. We can't wait to welcome you home to The Dunes Community...

Bama Breeze Fort Morgan

2008-01-11T13:56:00.000-06:00

Besides a great song by Jimmy Buffet, the Bama Breeze is a beach house at Fort Morgan, on the Alabma Gulf Coast. This beautiful five bedroom three and half bath Beach house has spectacular views of the Sunrise, Sunset and the beach. Bama Breeze is equipped for a big crowd. It sleeps 19! The three back balconies graduate to a smaller size as you go up to the top floor. The top floor is a large loft area that would be great for a young couple or the kids... The first floor deck is great for a quiet breakfast, or a dinner with the whole family. The well equip, newly remodeled kitchen is situated in a way that allows even those cooking to be a part of the family activities. When staying in this lovely home you are steps from the pools or the beach. We here at Sunset Properties are proud to have this as one of our newest rental in the Dunes Community.

Sunset Properties Mascot

2008-01-11T11:57:00.001-06:00

The Boss recently got a new, and I would say his all time favorite Christmas gift. He got a Beagle Puppy. The Puppy's name is Skyler... He comes to stay in the Sunset Properties Office with us until the Boss gets home from school. Skyler, helps in all sorts of activities, cleaning up crumbs, cleaning out the last bit of your yogurt cup, helping up to remember to take regular visit out doors, retrieving the mail, entertaining the guests, sniffing out the Boss, and being a small but very fun guard dog.
Fort Morgan's Beach welcomes dogs of all shapes and sizes, so Skyler has lots of pals to play with. The only problem is all the other dogs are twice as big or more than Skyler. He holds his own with those razor sharp puppy teeth though. Most of the dogs in the area are just looking for a wrestling, running buddy, but Skyler wants someone he can chew on a bit too.
This sweet little dog has added lots of fun to a job that is already a complete joy to come to each day. Come see us at the beach and bring your four legged friend, for a rest, The beach is lots of fun for dogs too!!!!

Newest Bird Sitings at the Beach

2008-01-03T09:11:00.000-06:00

We have Birds around us all the time in the Ft. Morgan area. Usually they are Shore birds, Pelicans, Herons, Cranes that sort of traditional beach bird. We also have your normal smaller birds Cardinals, Finches, Sparrows, Swallows. In general a beautiful collection of fine feathered friends. We have had more than our share of adventures with them as well.
Last winter was a sort of Pelican rescue, when we found an injured Pelican blowing in the wind around the parking lot. My Dad and I managed to throw a blanket over it and secure it's beak. Then we bundled it into my car for the 40 minute drive to the vet. You get all sorts of interesting looks driving down the road with a pelican in your back seat!
The most recent adventure happened to one of our winter guests. Mr. Tom, he and his wife were enjoying an afternoon indoors, because it was windy, and kinda cool outside. They looked out their sixth floor balcony window and saw something extraordinary. A hawk was resting after fighting the strong winds. It landed on the balcony railing outside their condo. After some stealthy photo taking from behind a sofa, they ventured out from behind the cover and walkedright to the window, and continued to snap photos.
Come and have an adventure of your own at Ft. Morgan, where the wild life shows off, and the sunsets are amazing.

Christmas at the Beach!!!!!!

2007-12-22T13:48:00.000-06:00

The most wonderful time of the year! Sleigh bells, Hot Chocolate, Snow, stockings hung over the fire place, all of these traditional ideas don't look the same here at the Ft. Morgan, beach. Instead of snow we have beautiful white sand. The sound of sleighbells is not heard, but you can hear the waves at on the beach, and friends laughing and singing. It doesn't get cold enough just yet for hot chocolate, and we hardly ever light a fire here. You can find tropical drinks, and people cooking on grills just about any time of the year. We do love Chirstmas here, our christmas carols often have a tropical sound, You will see all sort of trees with lights in them even palm trees. It is not traditional but we certaionly remember the reason for the holiday! YOu should try a Christmas at the beach sometime, you never know you might just get to have a pool party if you can join us. Merry Christmas All!!!!

The last hint of Summer!

2007-12-08T13:10:00.001-06:00

It is an unusually warm day today. The temperatures will reach near 80 degrees and everyone is enjoying this last bit of Summer in December at Ft. Morgan. The toads and snails are coming out of their burrowed homes to have a few final buggy meals before their long winter hibernation. Birds are happily chirping and soring through the unusually warm sky's. Even the few human winter residents are enjoying the day in the sun down on the beach. They will come in this evening with pink cheeks just like the got when they were young, not just young at heart, out enjoying the beautiful days of childhood.
The gifts we receive here at the beach are always abundant and full of surprise. Who would have expected a Summer day in December. What an amazing life we lead here at Ft. Morgan. Come share it with us soon.

Dolphin Watching!!!!

2007-12-05T14:20:00.000-06:00

As i have said many times before we live and work in an amazing place, Ft. Morgan! It is wonderful for many reasons but the one I want to talk about today is Dolphin. Just step out on your balcony or take a walk down to the beach and you are practically guaranteed to spot one if not a whole pod playing, fishing or just swimming by. We have great views from our condos and houses so you can definitely sit at peak times, in the morning and evening, when all manner of fish and sea life are out feeding, and enjoy the dolphin. You can enjoy a view of them in the gulf from your balcony or in the bay from the front of the buildings or on a boat. Their are many local charter captains who will take you for an adventure with these amazing creatures. Be sure to take time to stop and watch the dolphin while you are here!!!

Our Wonderful Wonderful Winter Guests!!!!

2007-12-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

It is time for our winter guests to begin arriving. It is always an exciting time for us because it seems like part of our family is returning home. For me personally it is kind of like having 60 pairs of grandparents come see me. They are some of the sweetest, most encouraging, kind hearted people I have ever met. They come in and visit each day invite us for dinner, bring us lunch and help us make our beach and condo look wonderful.
Last year I was so impressed at how they really treat this place like their home. Not only did they clean up the beach and help us buy and plant sea oats for the beach. They started a road side clean up plan for keeping the road to us clean. Basically, they are wonderful and we wish they could stay all year.
The only thing that we have to get used to is that they think our winter is warm weather. I come in bundled up in a coat and scarf, and pass them outside in shorts and a t-shirts playing games outside. I am always amazed at how we have such different views of the weather.

Sea Turtles!!!

2007-11-28T15:55:00.000-06:00

This past Fall and Summer all of the staff of Sunset Properties volunteered with the Share the Beach Program. This program gives local volunteers the opportunity to help protect one of our most amazing protected animals. Sea Turtles! We set out each summer morning at 6am in search of tracks from mother turtles. If we find them we take measurements and stake them off for protection. We keep watch over these nests for several months until the babies are ready are to hatch. It is an amazing experience and we always have vacationers who come out and watch. I am sure I will be telling you more about the Sea Turtles at Ft. Morgan. Come see us soon to participate in a wildlife adventure of your own.

Amazing Views!!!!!!

2007-11-27T16:17:00.000-06:00

I feel especially blessed each morning, I arrive at work! Everywhere I look I am surrounded by amazing beauty. Not only do I get to hear the waves and smell the salt air, I have a beautiful blue sky and the Gulf each morning. The sea birds with their different chirps and squawks greet me as I come in to the office. The Pelicans sore and swallows preform their dramatic aerial acrobatics in front of the building.
As the day warms it only gets more magnificent. It takes every bit of self discipline to keep me in the office working. I want to be outside in the sun, exploring, and playing. I want to see the animals that live here and swim. I want to get a tan and fish. Or maybe just take a nap in the warm breeze during the warmth of the day.
As the day turns in to dusk again the birds come out for their second show of the day. The sky lights with colors to amaze and awe at. It looks like a child was set free with his crayons to make a beautiful picture, the only rules were to use every color in the box.
I hope you can see this beautiful view at Ft. Morgan soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

2007-11-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

We are a family out here at Ft. Morgan. I don't just mean my family that I work with I mean the community as a whole. Not that we are an exclusive closed community. We all live, work, and play in the same amazing place. We feel truly blessed to be able to live and work here. We also love to include all of the visitors to our area in this family idea. We want this to feel like your second home a place to getaway, relax and be yourself, with the people around you.
We want to leave you with some of our family photos, and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We hope to include you in some of these photos soon!

Blue Angels, Fly Over...

2007-11-20T10:24:00.000-06:00

It is beginning to be winter, although you would not know it from the weather. It is going to be in the 70's today! Winter means many things to us here at Sunset Properties, and to the Ft. Morgan area in general. I am sure I will talk more about this over the next few months. For now I would like to tell you about our exciting repeat visitors.
We as you know are located in Gulf Shores, Alabama which is right next to Pensacola, the Winter home of the Blue Angels and the Cradle of Navel Aviation, NAS Pensacola. Everyday, we get to be awakened by or drive in watching the Blue Angels practice. It is so exciting to watch them do their spectacular maneuvers. They fly in these intricate formations, and mock fire fights. We are so excited to see these amazing representatives of our country this time of year.
In case you need one more reason to come down, this is it. Just imagine, having your morning coffee on the balcony and watching your own personal air show each day. Come enjoy the beach the breath taking scenery, and the Blue Angels.

Dogs on the Beach..

2007-11-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

I have a great job!!!! I get to come to the beach to work! I also have the added perks of working with my family who keep me laughing and who I have adventures with all the time. Another added perk of the job is that I work at one of the few beaches in the area that allows dogs on the beach, and in some of the houses, and condos. It is always fun to see our fuzzy four legged friends having adventures on the beach with their owners. I have seen dogs so excited to be at the beach they couldn't keep still the closest comparison is a really excited 3 year old. Their whole bodies wag not just the tail. Most of the dogs like the sand and the water. They have plenty of room to run and there is always something to investigate on the beach, weather it is a piece of drift wood to carry, or a crab to do battle with, adventures abound. Last winter was my first one here with our winter guests and many of them with their dogs. I would have daily visits from my four legged buddies coming by for a treat. Sometimes there were more dogs in the office than people which is always fun. I will be sure to post more pictures of my doggy friends as soon as they get here this winter. For now I have one daily doggy visitor Charley, he belongs to Robert and Ruth Vaughan, they live in the Dunes Community. Robert, Charley's dad is a best selling author that hosts writers thought out the winter in their beach home.

Fishing at Ft. Morgan

2007-11-13T13:52:00.000-06:00

We have all heard "Fish Stories" about the giant fish that someone caught on their vacation last summer, or with their grandpa over Spring Break. The fish stories at Ft. Morgan are real. I have seen some of the largest and most unusual fish caught off of the point less than a mile away or from a boat on an inshore four hour trip. I have had adventures in a boat and fishing off of the beach here which is completely legal here as long as you have your licence.

My adventure at the beach involved my best friend and and two fishing poles and lot of patience. We set out one sunny morning. It was a Sunday we were taking it easy on the beach so we thought!!! We started out catching small trash fish which is handy for bait purposes. Soon we started catching things that took more effort. My friend fought and fought something that was really strong but not big. It ended up being a baby shark... They are so tough, and the silly thing ate her hook and weights. This is where the story turns humorous! We decided we should try to take this hook and weight out we could see it in the little sharks mouth and managed to get our hands cut to ribbons by tiny shark teeth. Some fisherwomen we are the catch did more damage to us then we did to him.

That was the first adventure of the day we proceeded to catch a Remora which is one of the coolest fish I have ever seen. A Remora attaches to a larger fish with type of suction cup on the top of it's head. It was fun sticking him to things like our hands and the ice chest before we let him go. The boat story will have to wait until next time it was just as fun with much bigger fish.

Sand Squeaks and the Sky Glows at the beach

2007-11-08T12:27:00.001-06:00

I grew up on the beach. We went every chance we got growing up and most of the time looked like Coppertone babies... You know tan every where but where our swim suit covered. I have the funnest memories of going to the beach with my family as a child. My Dad teaching me how to fish and mom always keeping us slathered with sunscreen and always missing one weird streak on an arm or leg. We had adventures, with wildlife, fish, and exploring through the Fort in the area we grew up. I watched my older brother learn to surf and catch a baby shark. I could name my favorite seashells, and learned all about the fish, birds and plants at the beach. My younger brother was forever wanting to explore the Fort, or dig in the sand to see what creatures would come out or to simply build a mote around his giant sand castle. They were such happy times and the foundation for my curious nature.
As I grew up somehow I put these memories to the back of my mind. Filed them away in some childhood corner that warmed my heart on the cold days away from the beach but were not part of my normal memories. It was almost as if I forgot, I never remembered that the beautiful white sand squeaks under my feet, or that the sky glows and the sand too for that matter when the sun sets.
My hope, now that I have returned to the area is that my family and friends and visitors to our beautiful area too, that they make amazing memories at the beach. Memories that stick and fill their soul, that guide their dreams as they grow into adults. Memories that are beautiful and warm and full of adventure. Come see us soon, in the Fort Morgan area of Gulf Shores. It is a place like no other!!!!!!

Romantic getaway or Family Vacation ???

2007-10-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

I work in one of the most beautiful places in the country, at least in my opinion... If you didn't live here I would certainly be visiting. It is a wonderful place for both Family Vacations and Romantic Getaways, and for many of the same reasons.

In both situations you are looking for time together, adventures around each corner to expereince with one another, a place that is family friendly, and quiet, but with enough to entertain everyone. We sit right next to a wild life preserve near Ft. Morgan in Gulf Shores. We have 2 miles of White Sugar Sand Beaches, to enjoy and explore all the way to the point. But that is just the beginning of the fun. Amazing stars at night in the clearest skys. Wild life at every turn, yesterday I saw a Bobcat on the preserve, don't worry they are afraid of people. In fact this summer I have seen birds of all kinds, colors, and sizes just flying and at the Bird Banding, that takes place twice a year, less than a mile away. Dolphin, Migrating Sting and Manta Rays, jumping out of the water are a daily occurance in the summer. Baby Sea turtles, are also trooping to the water in droves during the Summer and Fall after incubating in the sand for a while.
This beautiful place was made for adventures with your family. Take a look at some of our photos on our website www.sunsetproperties.com and come and visit us soon. We would love to have you join our family in all of our adventures. Or let us help you plan some of your own!!!

Butterfly Migration!!!!!

2007-10-26T13:58:00.000-05:00

I work as far south in Alabama as you can go basically near the civil war fort of Fort Morgan. Our building sits on a tiny little piece of land not even a mile across and right next to a Federal wild life preserve. Jealous yet? I am surrounded by beauty daily. I am so just completely overwhelmed how often i get to interact with the nature around me. I am truly blessed. I told you about my most recent bird banding adventure. It was entertaining and educational, wanted to have everyone i knew there with me to experience this adventure. It was not to be but i did and still do have the opportunity to share these experiences with them and all of you. I wanted to tell you a bit about the Butter fly migration that is taking place at the same time. Have you ever gone outside and seen butterflies everywhere. Not in plague since, but on every bush and throughout the air, flying in friendly little groups around your head. That is what has been happening here lately. Butterflies of every color fill the sky and plants eating their last meals before they head south for the winter. I have been astounded by the blue, greens, yellow and purple butterflies. You rarely see more than orange and black of the familiar Monarch butterflies in this part of the world. Each morning when I step out I experience a new color or shape butterfly that i have not experienced before. The lightest pail yellow and wings so thin and very rounded you can see through them as they float along. Then there are the high speed butterflies, that flit and fly almost like a different kind of bug. The shape and color of their wings makes them look like grasshoppers when folded in a closed resting position. The one that lingers in my head had blue circles on it's wing, appearing to be almost like two great blue eyes looking up at me. Butterflies and the beach don't seem to be a fitting combination, but they make for an unforgettable experience in the warm days and cool nights of fall. I hope you get to have this experience sometime soon. Fort Morgan is the place to have it among all of the beauties of creation, and much more. We have found that all of this beauty inspires much creativity, and relaxation. So, if inspiration is what you seek hop in the car and head south, stop when you get to Ft. Morgan. Hope to see you soon

Damage Fees!!!! How to avoid them!

2007-10-24T10:24:00.000-05:00

Damage Fees!!!! How to avoid them!
Damage Fees!!!! How to avoid them!

It's pretty basic knowledge but let me give you a few helpful hints on how not to be charged damage fees while on vacation. Just a few things I have learned over the past couple of years working for owners and an amazing rental company at the beach.

10. Put breakables up high, out of the reach or bumps of little children. Just don't forget to put things back the way you found them so you will not be charged for items housekeeping believes are missing.

9. If you don't know how to use something ( like an elevator or appliance ) Ask!!!!! It costs nothing to ask how to use something and a lot to fix or replace it.

8. It is true honesty is the best policy. If you happen to damage or break something, be honest about it!!!! Just tell the owner or rental agency, they expect some things to be damaged throughout the year and appreciate your honesty. They may not even charge you if you come clean and admit you accidentaly broke it.

7. Look through your room when you arrive! Document anything damaged or broken and let the owner or rental company know immediately. They will not charge you for damage that you find when you immediately arrive. However, they may if you don't tell them, so be sure to do walk through.

6. Instant tanner, and tanning lotion Tans everything!!!!!!! Including sheet, and towels. Just get a tan while you are on vacation, or put this on before you come on vacation. This also goes for HAIR DYE!

5. Don't try to fix it yourself! No matter if it is a stuck disposal, broken blinds, or a remote that is not working . Call the person who rented you the unit & they will have a maintenance person to fix that problem.

4. Don't take things from the condo out to the beach. Sand, salt air, and suntan oil damages everything from fabrics to metal items. Bring your own beach towels, and leave the owner ' s things in the condo.

3. If you bring your pet, make sure they are allowed. A pet fee is much cheaper than a damage fee, and sometimes they are refundable.

2. Elevators and beds are not trampolines! Jumping on a bed or in an elevator can cause serious damage - sometimes even thousands of dollars worth of damage. Just a note, most elevators have hidden cameras too, so be on your best behavior!

1. The most important suggestion I can give is treat your vacation property like your own or better. If you do this the rental company will love you and may even make special deals for you to come back every year, because you were such a great renter!!

Have fun on vacation!!!!!!

Fall in Ft. Morgan

2007-10-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

Fall is full of beginnings and ends here at Ft. Morgan. It is the end of the major tourist season, which makes me sad for the tourists because it is one of the most enjoyable times here at the beach. It is the beginning of the winter migrations of birds and butterflies to this area and South America. The temperatures are wonderful not to hot or cold and you are surrounded by beautiful wildlife, everywhere you turn.
I had the opportunity to participate in the biannual bird banding just inside the Ft. Morgan gates. For all of you early risers, jump up throw on a few layers, and some bug spray, grab your coffee, a chair, and your camera. As the sun comes up the birds start landing on their trips from the north. Wood hatches, Warblers, and hundreds of other little feathered miracles are caught and banded by a dedicated group of conservationists. This all volunteer group arrives before the sun each day for two weeks in the Spring and Fall, to take measurements, band, and get statistics on the many different birds that come through the area.
We spectators get to watch all this go on while getting a free lecture about each bird and it's habits. Then each bird's status turns into that of a super model, at least in the eyes of the spectators, who are snapping thousands of pictures of their little subjects. They can even choose to adopt a bird and keep track of it as it moves across the world through banding stations. Then the ultimate high in the bird of the adventure happens. Mr. Sargent, the gentleman in charge of the program chooses a spectator to let the bird go. There is a bit of a tricky hand off, a few more quick pictures. The lucky person opens his or her hand and for just a second these beautiful little birds sit still on your hand. Just as quickly they get reoriented and fly away again new jewelery and all.
For an adventure that you can talk about for a lifetime plan a trip to Ft. Morgan, Alabama, where wildlife abounds and sunsets inspire.