One of our favorite parts of vacation life is the realization that there is no fat or calories in the food you eat while exploring new places! You can devour those country breakfasts of biscuits and gravy, order that 2nd whisky cocktail, or snack all you want in between meals and never gain a pound! Yeah, we know, we are exaggerating more than a little but the truth is during vacation time we just don’t care. We have dieted to fit into our new swimsuits and denied ourselves all the little treats that make life more bearable, and now that we have arrived at our vacation destination we are trim, toned, and ready to enjoy a taste of the town! Poole & Associates understands your need to feed and we have provided this Gulf Shores dessert guide to the sweetest shops in town, ensuring that every bite you take will have your sweet tooth crying in delight!
Yabba’s Wacky Snack Shack, 301 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores
We all have that one friend whose purse is always filled with gummy bears, candy bars, gum, and other assorted candies meant for themselves, not any children who may be lingering near. The Angies in your life understand that life is short and that dessert should always be enjoyed first and if they have been to Gulf Shores, chances are they are regular at Yabba’s Wacky Snack Shack! Also serving ice cream, burgers, nachos, and more, their candy selection will make you smile at first sight! Whatever your sweet tooth demands, you will find it on the shelves of this colorful store, so be prepared to walk out of Yabba’s with multiple bags of yum!
Lickin’ Good Donuts, 229 E 20th Avenue #14 in Gulf Shores
Not every breakfast has to follow the rules of the recommended daily allowance of fat and calories, some of your best breakfasts in Gulf Shores will be the ones in which you enjoy the sweet taste of your favorite donuts washed down with ice cold milk, coffee, or even sweet tea! Pick up a dozen donuts (or more on your way into town) from Lickin’ Good Donuts and start many of your mornings off in the sweetest of manners!
Kayden’s Candy Factory Donuts and Breakfast, 25241 Perdido Beach Boulevard Unit 107 in Orange Beach
Ok, this may be your only chance to throw all caution to the wind and scarf down a mountain of sweets at Kayden’s Candy Factory Donuts and Breakfast. Offering more than a mouthful of super sweets that will make your day happier, they also sell breakfast sandwiches that will help keep the sugary avalanche in check! If your craving has sugar in it, THIS may be a one-stop shop you will be reluctant to leave and we can personally vouch for nearly every item on its shelves! (Research! It’s all for RESEARCH!)
Matt’s Ice Cream, 701 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores
Peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, and a summer day and ice cream. These are some of the most popular food pairings and as we enter the dog days of summer, you can enjoy your time away from the beaches with an ice cream cone from Matt’s Ice Cream! Offering unique flavors made in small batches (flavors change regularly but our newest obsession is the peanut butter cookies and cream!) every lift of the spoon will bring you closer to your own private nirvana! Also offering sundaes, homemade candies, and a delightful blast from the past, rice krispy treats, Gulf Shores visitors are certain to become regulars during their stay!
Sweet Cone Alabama, 26651 Perdido Beach Boulevard Suite C in Orange Beach
If the name alone doesn’t draw you in, the frosty treats found inside will definitely entice you to step inside the doors of Sweet Cone Alabama. (Can’t get that song out of your head now, can you?) The flavors change on a regular basis and include innovative favorites such as Browned Butter Bourbon Truffle and Lil Blue Panda, and because they also offer a gigantic selection of candy just waiting to be scooped from the bins, your visit to Sweet Cone promises to be the sweetest treat of all!
A Sweet Secret Bakery & Café, 1538 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores
Vacations often double as celebrations for something special and if you have a birthday, an anniversary, or a quiet Wednesday that deserves extra acknowledgment, A Sweet Secret Bakery & Café will offer a sweet way to celebrate! Fill up on cakes, cookies, and pies, and don’t forget to take a peek at their cannolis and tarts and discover how impossible it is to be in a bad mood when your sweet tooth is being pampered!
Sweet and Comfortable with Our Gulf Shores dessert guide
Bring home the sugar to our sweetly comfortable condos and homes and enjoy ambrosial adventures with the sweetest of views! Reserve your favorite Poole & Associates escape today! Contact us online, or give us a call to get started!
As you begin planning your Gulf Shores Alabama vacation escape, chances are your itinerary will never grow very big, not because there isn’t a lot to do in our coastal village on the shores of the Gulf, but because you have penciled in LOTS of time at the beach! Even your dining experiences, when not enjoyed at home in our comfortable and charming Poole & Associates vacation sanctuaries, will tend to be spent at beachside restaurants where you don’t have to take your eyes off the pristine white sand beaches and the turquoise waters that frame it for one second! This vacation is one designed for sea, sun, sand, and relaxation, and you are all in for the week! There is one exception, however, one very specific and very enjoyable activity that you have probably placed right under beach time and seafood dinners on your bucket list of Alabama activities and that is, of course, shopping! Whether you are stocking the pantry of your abode, seeking souvenirs, or are just curious about the wares and products offered on the Gulf Coast (as opposed to your desert hometown in Arizona!) you have more than likely slated a good bit of time for shopping and our guide to the best places to do so will help you cut to the chase and get back to the beach as quickly as you desire! Check out our top picks for the Best Places To Shop at The Alabama Gulf Coast.
At Home in Gulf Shores
The first shopping expedition of your Gulf Shores getaway will probably be to the grocery store to ensure that you have snacks and at least a couple of meal-fixing ingredients to tide you over between seafood restaurant visits. While not glamorous, groceries are necessary and you have a choice of chain stores to visit, including Publix or Rouses Market, but if you really want a taste of Alabama charm, we suggest you stop by Pier 33, a quaint general store filled with charm. Located right on the main strip at 900 W Beach Boulevard #6302, Pier 33 offers a great selection of groceries, souvenirs, or beach gear, and also sells beer and wine!
Souvenirs for Days
As you might expect from a beach town you can’t walk far without finding a shop in which you can purchase memorabilia from your time in paradise, but there are a few that we think you will especially love! Souvenir City, located at 217 Gulf Shores Parkway is about the size of a small city and is jammed to the rafters with everything Gulf Shores, including tees, mugs, magnets, and so much more! Walk into the shark’s mouth that just happens to be the entrance (after stopping for a picture or two, of course!) and be prepared to lose yourself in the colorful wares they sell within. LA (Lower Alabama) Gifts, 3800 Gulf Shores Parkway #330, is another popular gift shop in the area, offering gifts, beach gear, and souvenirs that are a little more expensive than the ones you will find in Souvenir City all of which can be found in a much more compact sized store! But if you were to hold our hands to the fire and demand which is our personal favorite gift store in Gulf Shores, it would have to be the Royal Standard, located at 3769 Gulf Shores Parkway. It is definitely a gift store in every sense of the word, featuring a huge selection of wares for everyone on your shopping list and even provides a very strong section for men which makes us wonder. Why can’t EVERY store be like the Royal Standard and provide a men’s section as well?
Boutiques That Will Wow
The boutiques of the world should all hope to be as fun and wonderful as some of our local ones, including Geez Louise Boutique, found at 701 Gulf Shores Parkway! Offering colorful clothing for women, all the accessories to complete any outfit, and a selection of gifts, we simply can’t stay away and have a feeling you will be the same way! The Beach House Boutique, 3800 Gulf Shores Parkway #320, ensures that you will be the best-dressed beachgoer in town, and Glitter & Dirt, 3800 Gulf Shores Parkway Suite 325 is proud to offer women’s and children’s wear that are high quality and so very cute!
Enjoy Best Places To Shop at The Alabama Gulf Coast
After meandering in and out of stores and lugging large bags of goodies with you everywhere you go, coming home to our Gulf Shores sanctuaries will be a treat you will look forward to every day! Drop your bags in the extra room, slip into that new romper you purchased at Glitter & Dirt, and head to the balcony for a little sea therapy! Every minute spent in our Poole & Associates homes away from home will be the best one; reserve your favorite today!