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



Orange Beach Ocean Waves Meredith Folger Amon


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.

“Sometimes the…

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


Orange Beach and Ono Island Elevation Certificates

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.”

On the Gulf Coast, your elevation certificate quietly controls two big things: your flood insurance cost and your peace of mind.

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, 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.”

Meredith Folger Amon

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

Baldwin County Alabama City Council

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.

“City council agendas may look technical, but over time they tell the story of what our coastline is becoming.”

I want to walk you through three recent…

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An Afternoon on Ono Island


Ono Island Homes

This afternoon, I am sitting on Ono Island, feeling overwhelmingly grateful to call this island home. The world feels quiet in the best way, and as I look out over Old River, the view pulls me into one of those rare moments where everything slows down.

The December light is softer this time of year. The sun drifts through the clouds and sends rays from every direction, almost like the sky is putting on a quiet, private show for anyone taking the time to notice. Right in the middle of that light are two pelicans in flight.

On this December afternoon, it feels like the entire island has taken a deep breath and decided to just be still for a little while.

They are flying together so beautifully that it…

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Best Beachfront Hotels in Orange Beach, Alabama


Search The Gulf

When future buyers reach out to me about where to stay in Orange Beach, one of the first questions I hear is, “Which beachfront hotel should we book while we get to know the area?” Over the years, I have watched guests arrive for a long weekend, fall in love with the Gulf, and eventually come back to shop for a condo or a Gulf-front home of their own.

This guide focuses on true beachfront hotels in Orange Beach, with one notable Gulf Shores property that sits so close to the line that it absolutely deserves a mention. Each hotel below offers direct Gulf of Mexico access, with an easy walk from your room, across the dune crossover, and onto the sand.

1. Perdido Beach Resort: Classic Orange…

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West-Facing Beachfront Homes and Condos: Sunsets, Structure, and Smart Maintenance

West Facing Gulf Coast Homes and Condos

I work with many buyers who dream of a west-facing condo or home on the beach – the kind of place where you can watch the sun sink into the Gulf every evening and feel the day slow down. On the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast, especially in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, those sunset views are some of the most coveted we have.

West-facing properties are not “bad” by any stretch. In fact, many of my favorite Gulf-front homes and condos are oriented this way. But they do live a little harder. The combination of intense afternoon sun, salt air, coastal winds, and humidity means that structure, systems, and finishes are working overtime. When you…

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Gulf Coast Sheepshead With Lemon-Caper Butter | Orange Beach, Alabama Recipe


Gulf Coast Sheepshead With Lemon-Caper Butter: Seasonal Cooking From Orange Beach, Alabama



Sheepshead Fish Recipe Gulf Coast Lemon Caper Butter

On the inshore waters of Orange Beach, Alabama, sheepshead might just be one of the most misunderstood fish we catch. Around the docks and cleaning tables, I have heard it all. I have listened to people say, “They are so hard to clean that they cannot be worth it,” and then in the next breath someone else whispers, “Sheepshead is one of the best-tasting fish in the Gulf if you take the time to do it right.”

Recently, a neighbor pulled into the drive after fishing the bridges and pilings near Perdido Pass. He walked up with a small cooler and said, “We did a little…

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How Gulf Shores’ New Pedestrian Bridge Will Shape Local Restaurants and the Real Estate Market



When I stand near the Intracoastal in Gulf Shores, I can already feel the shift coming. Steel is rising, concrete forms are taking shape, and there is a new rhythm to the construction traffic. The City of Gulf Shores Pedestrian Bridge is no longer just a rendering on a board at a council meeting. It is becoming a real structure that will change how people move, dine, and invest around Waterway Village.

As a Gulf Coast real estate advisor who spends a lot of time talking with restaurant owners, investors, and buyers, I see this bridge as more than a safety project. It is a lifestyle connector. It links plates, patios, and property values…

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