I’d heard stories about the gorgeous white sand beaches along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. It was one of those destinations that had been on my list for years, but somehow I just never got around to visiting. Last month, I finally got my chance. Following a disastrous summer tourist season due to negative publicity about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the towns of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama needed to get the message out that the cleanup of their beaches had been successful and they were once again open for business. When the towns invited me to visit as part of their first ever press trip, I jumped at the chance.

View down the main public beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama, from Phoenix All-Suites West Hotel

I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that no matter what, I’d tell the truth about what I found. I checked into my Gulf-front hotel and gazed down at mile after mile of the whitest sand I’d ever seen, lapped by crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Quickly changing into a bathing suit, I hurried down for a closer view. Stepping onto the beach for the first time, I sighed in contentment; not only was this the whitest sand, it was also the softest. I used to live in Sarasota, Florida, where Siesta Key claims to have the whitest sand in the world, but it is also hard pack sand. I much preferred the main public beach in Gulf Shores, where my toes sank into delicious, deep, powder fine sand.

Gorgeous, powder fine white sand and crystal clear waters make this a favorite Gulf coast beach destination

At the shoreline, I looked carefully for any sign of oil contamination but found only crystal clear turquoise water. Day after day I walked the beach. Here and there I saw cleanup equipment standing at the ready for any needed cleanup efforts, and occasionally an active cleanup vehicle would motor down the beach. No gooey messy pile of gunk oil was anywhere to be seen. The only evidence I saw of the oil spill were a few tiny tarballs on the beach one morning that had washed up the night before. They were not what I expected: just small round black balls that dd not mingle with the water or the sand and were easily cleaned up. Gulf Shores’ main public beach is as gorgeous as ever and open for business, and right now the resorts are offering some incredible deals to lure people back into the water.

Photo Credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel of Cultural Travel with Hole In The Donut