Coastal Birds | Great Blue Heron on the Shoreline: A Gulf Coast Moment in Orange Beach, Alabama

Great Blue Heron on the Shoreline: A Gulf Coast Moment in Orange Beach, Alabama

The first time I pulled this image up on my screen, I could almost feel the breeze off the Gulf again. I took this photo on the shoreline in Orange Beach, Alabama, and this elegant bird walked right into the frame as if it had been hired for the day.

For anyone wondering, this beautiful coastal neighbor is a Great Blue Heron—one of the most iconic wading birds along the Gulf Coast. With that long, graceful neck, dagger-straight beak, and those slate-blue feathers that catch every bit of light, it is unmistakable. In my head I started calling this one “Gulfie”—a sweet, slightly curious soul who looked like it had places to go but was willing to share a quiet…

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Southern Coastal Banana Pudding with Crushed Vanilla Wafers

Southern Coastal Banana Pudding with Crushed Vanilla Wafers

Along the Alabama Gulf Coast — from Orange Beach to Ono Island — there’s a coastal rhythm that naturally makes its way into the kitchen. And when it comes to dessert, few things feel as nostalgic and comforting as banana pudding. But down here, I’ve elevated it into something silky, coastal, and unforgettable. A version that feels right at home in a waterfront kitchen with sunlight stretching across marble countertops and the sound of gentle tide movement drifting through open windows.

This recipe leans into luxury: real vanilla bean, high-quality dairy, slow-cooked custard, and — the detail that changes everything — *crushed vanilla wafers*, never whole. Crushing them…

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Slow-Simmered Coastal Collard Greens: A Southern Gulf Coast Favorite

Slow-Simmered Coastal Collard Greens: A Southern Gulf Coast Favorite

On the Southern Gulf Coast, some recipes feel stitched right into the rhythm of everyday life. For me, collard greens are one of those dishes. When a cool breeze slips across the water in Orange Beach or over Old River on Ono Island, there is nothing more comforting than a heavy pot slowly simmering on the stove, filling the house with smoky, savory warmth.

I grew to love the way collard greens transform over a couple of unhurried hours. At the beginning, they’re sturdy, almost stubborn leaves. By the end, they’ve…

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Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach: Condos, Construction Progress, and What Comes Next

Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach: Condos, Construction Progress, and What Comes Next

By Meredith Folger
Licensed in Alabama and Florida

Every time I drive past the Intracoastal Waterway across from The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama, I can feel the energy building. Cranes are in the air, crews are moving with purpose, and the shoreline is slowly transforming into Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach — a destination that will change the way we think about resort living on the Alabama Gulf Coast.

As a Gulf Coast real estate advisor who lives and works right here, I have been watching this project closely, talking with buyers, homeowners, and investors who are already asking how they can be a part of it. The interest is strong, and…

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Skim Coating Vacant Lots Before You Build on Ono Island and in Orange Beach, Alabama

Skim Coating Vacant Lots Before You Build on Ono Island and in Orange Beach, Alabama

When I walk a vacant lot on Ono Island or in Orange Beach, one of the first questions I ask a builder is simple: “How are we going to prep and skim coat this lot before we ever pour a slab?” It is not glamorous, but it is one of those details that quietly determines how solid, dry, and livable your future home will feel.

On the Gulf Coast, we deal with sand, changing water tables, and storm-driven rain. Skim coating a vacant lot is one of the ways good builders and thoughtful owners set the stage for a…

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Orange Beach Ocean and Bird Video | Search The Gulf | Alabama

OCEAN WAVE AND COASTAL BIRD VIDEO WITH MEREDITH

#searchthegulf #meredithfolger #becausewelivehere
 

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December Waves Timelapse in Orange Beach, Alabama | Calming Gulf Coast Video

December Gulf Waves in Motion: A Calming Timelapse from Orange Beach, Alabama

Every season on the Gulf Coast has its own personality, but there is something especially peaceful about December on the beaches of Orange Beach. Recently, I set up my camera in the sand and captured a timelapse of the ocean waves that felt less like a video project and more like a small therapy session with the Gulf of Mexico.

The water that day was a beautiful shade of turquoise, rolling in gentle, steady lines. The sand was as white as snow, almost glowing against the blue of the sky. Frame by frame, the scene unfolded like a living postcard, and I knew this needed to live on my website, www.searchthegulf.com, not just on my camera card.

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Understanding Elevation Certificates on Ono Island & in Orange Beach, Alabama

Understanding Elevation Certificates on Ono Island and in Orange Beach, Alabama

Why I Talk About Elevation Certificates With Gulf Coast Buyers

On Ono Island and throughout Orange Beach, elevation is just as important as square footage or number of bedrooms. Whether I am helping a neighbor buy a new-construction home on the island or listing a canal-front property along the back bays, the conversation always circles back to flood risk, insurance, and something called an “elevation certificate.”

My goal in this article is to take the mystery out of elevation certificates and explain, in plain language,…

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Sassafras on Ono Island: Uses, Filé Powder, and Foraging Tips | Meredith Folger Amon

Sassafras on Ono Island, Alabama: What It Is and Why People Pick It

Sassafras is one of those quietly iconic Southern trees that can stop you in your tracks once you learn to recognize it. Around Ono Island and Orange Beach, I hear people talk about “the mitten-leaf tree” they like to pick from. Most of the time, they mean sassafras.

“Once you know sassafras, you start seeing it everywhere — the mitten-shaped leaves, the unmistakable spicy-citrus scent, and that old-school Southern connection to gumbo.”

What is sassafras

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a native North American tree in the laurel family. It’s known for its aromatic leaves and roots, its vivid fall color, and its famously variable leaf…

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How City Council Decisions Shape Real Estate in Orange Beach, Fairhope, and Gulf Shores

How Recent City Council Decisions Shape Real Estate on the Alabama Gulf Coast

When someone reaches out to me through www.searchthegulf.com, one of the first things I look at behind the scenes is not just listings, but recent city council activity. Zoning changes, annexations, and even tree appeals can subtly shift how our Gulf Coast neighborhoods live, feel, and function. In a recent November 2025 city council summary covering Orange Beach, Fairhope, and Gulf Shores, several decisions stood out to me as a real estate advisor and as a local who cares deeply about how we grow.

I want to walk you through three recent…

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