Navarre Beach condos?

[KentuckyWildcat]

Any condo recommendations? Or nice hotel or small house with pool, but condo probably preferred.

Someone said more seashells are to the west?

[Darrell KSR]

There are not very many choices there (which is a good thing).

I can't recall the name of the condo we stayed at a couple of years ago, but I will look it up and post. I think they're all good (but few in number). I think I just used VRBO to find it.

My first experience was a house there that held 32 of us during the week (26 was the high number for any one night). Not all of us are still around that were there that week.

[Darrell KSR]

This is the condo unit we stayed in last year. I can recommend it and the complex, but I think there are a lot of good choices. (EDIT - I mean, there are no bad choices. There aren't a lot of choices for condos, period).

https://www.vrbo.com/855048?haExtern..._term=20190707

[blueboss]

We stayed at Navarre Beach several times. Since it was just Mrs. boss and me, we found a small complex with only six units. The one we usually rented was a one bedroom unit, which are pretty hard to find.

Very nice, clean, easy beach access... no pool. I actually seriously considered buying one if the units that went up for sale just before one of our stays.

Couple of pretty good restaurants in the area too.

[KentuckyWildcat]

(EDIT - I mean, there are no bad choices. There aren't a lot of choices for condos, period).

https://www.vrbo.com/855048?haExtern..._term=20190707

Thanks! Kind of what i thought. Which is part of the reason we want to go and it is one area we have not seen yet. Plus I think my girls are at the age they will enjoy looking for shells.

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[MickintheHam]

This might be helpful.

https://www.al.com/bhammag/2020/05/h...h-florida.html

Article recommends contacting Blue Moon Vacations for rental info.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Ended up booking one at The Pearl. Darrell, yours was not available. I lobbied for a house, but I lost. Either way, we are knocking another beach off of my bucket list. I hope the shells are good for the panhandle. I really think my girls will enjoy looking for shells this time. Our landscape rock is river rock and they love looking through it for shells.

[Darrell KSR]

This is where we stayed 8 years ago. Of course, there were 25 of us at a time (I thought 26, but F-I-L, who paid for it, said 25. He who pays is always right in my book.)

https://pin.it/4sFhJJd

You will have a great time. I think every place there is a great place.

Shells are best in the early morning. I'll see if I can find a picture of our shells that week. Then again, there were a ton of shellers in our house lol. Screenshot_20200519-175052.jpg

[Darrell KSR]

Some of the shells. IMG_20200519_203145__01.jpg

[KentuckyWildcat]

Some of the shells.

Awesome collection Darrell. If they find a fraction of that many they will be ecstatic.lol Some of the panhandle doesn't have any at all, so hopefully we will have fun looking for them.

The best group I have ever found was in Charleston. Isle of Palms actually. Found several nearly the size of my hand, sand dollars (some alive), some ugly conchs, but one that was gorgeous but still living. I found several during the day, but I got out early one morning on the back end of a tropical storm. Great time to find shells but I recommend pants with the wind and sand lol

[KentuckyWildcat]

Couple of pretty good restaurants in the area too.

Any outdoor food recommendations? So we can socially distance.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Also, any parks or any place close to 65 that we can let the girls out to play or walk? We normally stop at Chick-fil-a a time or two to let them play. But we are not willing to do that right now.

[Darrell KSR]

Close to 65 where? I'm not sure I have a suggestion regardless but before I start randomly scratching my head, if you can give an idea if you are talking Huntsville, Cullman, Birmingham, Montgomery, or South of there others might have a better idea.

Might be a good idea to pack sandwiches and a cooler and play outside at a rest stop. The bathrooms might be germ habitats though, I dunno.

[Darrell KSR]

I'm trying to think if one of the Clanton Peach Park places has tables outside. I'm drawing a blank right now, though.

[KentuckyWildcat]

We will stop at Clanton no matter what Likely buy some fruit coming and going. Doubt the girls get out there.

Where on 65? Anywhere lol. We will be on 65 from Nashville on. Probably more of an issue coming home. But any suggestions and we may plan our stops there. We hope to leave super early going. Let them sleep some on the way then a nap after lunch. Coming home is more challenging.

My wife will go in the grass before using a public restroom right now haha

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[Darrell KSR]

ok....let me think about that. Depending on how far off I-65 you want to get, some thoughts around the Birmingham area.

At Exit 246 (Cahaba Valley Road/Hwy 119), heading North coming back, you can turn right, and go about...oh, 3 miles and Heardmont Park will be on your left. I ran there yesterday.

Nice park to take a stroll through, some soccer fields as you go in likely not being used that are wide open if you want to bring a ball to kick around with them.

There are 3 "entrances" to it (it's not that big; that makes it sound big, but it's not). The first one is near tennis courts and pickleball carts, and continuing along the path you'll find soccer fields and baseball fields.

The "main" entrance brings you to the middle where you'll see baseball field to your left, softball field to your right, and there are some playground equipment things in the middle, but I'd probably stroll past those right now. Going past those walking on the path you'll go past other soccer fields, crossing bridges and the creek that runs through it. Odds are great that the soccer fields won't be used (there MIGHT be one field being used), and good place to frolic and play in the grass.

The last entrance is just past the football stadium, where you come in.

***
If you go past that exit to one more exit (249?), it is Valleydale Road. Again, dropping off and taking a right, you'd go maybe 4 miles to Veteran's Park. It's very nice and would be my first choice just to get out and play. Just before you get to it, you'll see a Zaxby's and a McDonald's on your left, and then go maybe 3/4 mile and Veterans Park will be on your left, on Jaguar Drive. That will take you to Spain Park High School if you go past Veterans Park, home of Bunchy Stallings, but you won't need to go that far, just turn onto Jaguar Drive, and then a quick right into the park. Huge grassy areas, nice wide dirt/gravel path likely to find people strolling on, lake with some fish in it, etc.

Full disclosure--that 4 miles or so from the interstate has a number of stoplights. Speed limit is still 40-45 or so, but it might take a bit to get there. If you need groceries, behind the McDonald's is a Publix, and the other side of the street is a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Exit 252 if you're hungry and just want to eat outside--and I'll doublecheck this later--has a Back Yard Burger just off the Interstate. Again, going North, you take a right and go maybe 1/2 mile and it's on your left. They have an outdoor table or two with an umbrella. No place to play, and small children warning, you pass a Chuck E Cheese on the right before you get there, although it's set off the road a bit and might be easy to miss.

I'll doublecheck that one, because somebody some time ago told me they were thinking about closing it. There's another one down the other direction on Montgomery Hwy/Hwy 31 (same street), in a more active area. It's fairly close to an office I work out of, so I'll be by there in the next day or two anyway.

I'm really drawing a blank on other spots. Oh--Exit 246 will bring you to Oak Mountain State Park if you wanted, and you're really close to one entrance off the exit, but it's still not the kind of place you'd stop in and spend 45 minutes. I dunno--Mick may have different thoughts on that.

Oh, there is a Mexican restaurant, now that I think of it, off Exit 246 (turning left) that has some outdoor seating. Two Pesos? I don't remember. There are a couple of Mexican restaurants there, one on each side of the road. There are several fast food restaurants in that stretch near the exit.

[Darrell KSR]

Around Montgomery, I should remember better, but I just don't. But I'd be tempted to take I-85 East, then Exit 1 (or maybe another exit before that) that takes you downtown. I don't remember the names, but I lived there for 2 years with a colic-y baby and drove around at odd hours with her in the car to get her to sleep, so I can get anywhere there now. Just don't remember the names.

Anyway, I'd be tempted to go downtown toward the river. There's a train depot there that's fun to walk around in (I've done it in the last few years), and you can go down to the river and sit and just look at the water. There's where I'd be tempted to bring a small cooler and sandwiches.

I'm drawing a blank elsewhere. Cullman has several places to eat right off their main exit, but I can't recall outdoor seating or any areas to really stretch your legs.

Clanton--Peach Park. South of Montgomery is Greenville, with the Bates House of Turkey, but I can't recall anything there--maybe some rocking chairs like Cracker Barrel or benches or something.

Oh, I forgot Cracker Barrel...they are right off Exit 246 too in Birmingham. But don't think that's the place to go right now either. I mean, it is for some, and if that's you, fine, but if you're looking more for outdoorsy stuff, that's probably not it.

[Darrell KSR]

Clanton Peach Park outdoor dining area. This is the one with the playground.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Lots of good info Darrell. Thank you. Forgot about Peach Park having a playground.

[Darrell KSR]

Lots of good info Darrell. Thank you. Forgot about Peach Park having a playground.

I doubt my comments will be that useful to you, but it's all I have. Mick is at the beach currently. He always has the best tips for stuff like this. Hopefully he'll see this and can chime in. Or there just may not be that much, I dunno.

[KentuckyWildcat]

I doubt my comments will be that useful to you, but it's all I have. Mick is at the beach currently. He always has the best tips for stuff like this. Hopefully he'll see this and can chime in. Or there just may not be that much, I dunno.

No, that is good stuff. Obviously, you never how traveling is going to go. Especially with 2 young ones. But I could see Heardmont Park being a good stopping place coming or going.

[KentuckyWildcat]

If the trip is anything like this morning's work from home experience...We may not make it to Nashville. Much less Navarre.

[Darrell KSR]

Strike the suggestion of Backyard Burger on exit 252. Just drove past there and they are out of business. But I have another suggestion, which is Bruster's Ice Cream off the same exit. It is about four tenths of a mile off the exit, same direction, just past Milo's restaurant. They have outdoor seating and a bunch of good ice cream.

[Darrell KSR]

By the way, the Veterans Park exit number is 247, not 249. Otherwise known as Valleydale Road. It is just one mile past 246.

[Darrell KSR]

As I sit at the traffic light at the bottom of exit 246, I'm looking around and I see Chick-fil-A, in case you change your mind, KFC, McDonald's, Captain D's, Wendy's, and other fast food establishments. I am headed south, so that is to my right but if you were headed north, it would obviously be to your left. I can't see the Mexican restaurants I referred to earlier, but they are there.

Just dictating this to my phone as I am driving, so forgive typos. If there's something confusing, I will clean it up later. 1159, 82.4 on my trip odometer one traffic light at Indian Springs school and a shell convenience store and gas station. That's eight tenths of a mile from the interstate. Speed limit is generally 45. Most usually go 50 or so. Second traffic light is at another Shell station convenience store 85.2 and just to the right is Our Lady of the Valley Catholic church and school. Speed limit then increases to 55. The first heardmont entrance is at 85.8 on your left. Took me 4 minutes to get there from the interstate. Main entrance is at 86.1. You can see the football stadium in baseball fields very easily.

[MickintheHam]

We will stop at Clanton no matter what Likely buy some fruit coming and going. Doubt the girls get out there.

Where on 65? Anywhere lol. We will be on 65 from Nashville on. Probably more of an issue coming home. But any suggestions and we may plan our stops there. We hope to leave super early going. Let them sleep some on the way then a nap after lunch. Coming home is more challenging.

My wife will go in the grass before using a public restroom right now haha

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Oak Mtn State Park Exit 246 in AL. You can do as little or as much as you wish. Great place to stretch your legs. Short hike on White trail to Maggie’s Glen would be good for kids. Alternatively drive to top of mountain and hike over to Peavine Falls. If you pack a sandwich you can take in the view at the side of the road on the way up.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Thanks guys! We leave out in the morning. Hopefully before dark.

[dan_bgblue]

I sure hope you arrived and had a safe and uneventful trip. How is da water???

[KentuckyWildcat]

I sure hope you arrived and had a safe and uneventful trip. How is da water???

We made it. Trip down went well. Girls did great with the drive. Would have been early but I wanted to stop at Heardmont park but it was raining. I was getting tired at that point. But thankfully made it to Clanton and the rain was gone.

Water is good. Clear and fairly warm.

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