(Luxury cruises) Family Attractions in the Gulf Shores, AL
By Roberto Garabell
Gulf Shores, Alabama is one of America’s favorite vacation destinations. This quiet and celebrated town is the perfect getaway spot for families, friend and couples. There is a plethora of activities to see and do here so there is never a dull moment on a vacation. The warm summer months are the best time to travel to the Gulf Shores. The beaches are pristine and the ocean is cool and crisp. There are literally miles of white sands that provide the vacationer with all of the beach attractions they could want.
Water Fun at the Gulf Shores
The waves in the Gulf are usually very calm which makes for perfect days of swimming, snorkeling, parasailing, fishing, diving and much more. The beaches are accommodating to all age groups. They are great places to spend time with the entire family and not have any of the worries of strong currents and huge waves. You can take a long relaxing walk along the beach, stop and collect some colorful sea shells, or simply relax under the warm sun and perfect your tan.
Many people that come to the Gulf Shores for a vacation really enjoy the fishing experiences available. You can choose to make an entire day of it and charter a boat into the open waters for some great fishing. There are also overnight trips that are offered as well. The boats are fully equipped for your fishing needs with all of the latest marine technology and any type of tackle you require. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced fisherman, they can accommodate you. Experience the thrill of reeling in some snapper, trigger fish, amberjack and many more species from these waters.
If the ocean is not really your thing and you prefer dry land activities, then you have many things to choose from as well. You can plan a day of shopping at one of the largest factory outlets in America or take a trip to Gulf State Park. This park is located on Highway 135 and home to over 6,000 acres of land and two-and-a-half miles of sandy beaches. You can hike, bike or simply stroll along the beaches for some relaxing fun. Near Lake Shelby is another popular attraction for visitors where you can enjoy some waterskiing, jet skiing, boating, swimming and more. The lake is 900 acres of fresh water and surrounded by nature trails and heavily wooded areas that many species of animal life call home. This is a great way to teach the kids a bit about nature and the wildlife of the area.
Other Attractions
The Gulf Shores are home to several theme parks and playgrounds. Waterville USA has over 20 acres of water amusement park fun. You can bounce around the wave pool in your inner tube or whisk down the 55-foot free-fall waterslide called the Kamikaze. There is also a golf course at the park where you can play a round in a golf fantasyland near Pirate’s Island. Imagine being surrounded by pirates as you putt. It’s a great time for the entire family.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is a great way to top off the perfect Gulf Coast vacation. This zoo is far from the ordinary zoo. It is actually one of the cleanest and well-maintained zoos in the country and offers a chance for the family to get up close and personal with many of the animals. There are over 300 species of animals to see, from bears and monkeys to lions, tigers, lizards, birds and plenty more. The zoo is special because of all the volunteers that help to make it a great place to visit. The little zoo survived a hit from Hurricane Ivan and was rebuilt as an even better establishment for its animals. There are plenty of family-friendly walking trails leading to all of the animal habitats as well as a fully stocked gift shop and a variety of restaurants to choose from. It’s a great way to end an Alabama Gulf Shores vacation. Alabama is the place for fun, family and extraordinary attractions so plan your getaway to the Gulf Shores today!
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Why are the Thais celebrating New Year three times?
By Shama Kern
What if I told you that I live in an area where the year is 2553? No, I am not schizophrenic, I did not watch one too many science fiction movies, and I do not live on another planet. Such a place does exist, it is called Thailand, and here they use a different calendar which puts us in the year 2553.
Our western calendar starts at the birth of Jesus, 2010 years ago. Not surprisingly, the Buddhist calendar begins at the time when Buddha was born, 2553 years ago. The dates in Thailand generally use the Buddhist year which can be rather confusing for anyone not familiar with this system. Buddha was born 543 years before Jesus, so if you add this number to the year 2010 you will arrive at 2553 of the Buddhist calendar.
The celebration of the Buddhist New Year takes place in mid-April, the hottest and dryest season of the year. This New Year’s celebration is for the most part a water throwing event where everyone comes out and soaks whoever is in range with lots of water. Where I live, in Chiang Mai, the water throwing goes on for a solid seven days.
Although the Thais celebrate their New Year in April, they start counting it as of January 1. To confuse things even more, written dates in Thailand mostly combine the days and months of the Christian calendar with the Buddhist year.
The true Buddhist calendar is quite complex and is mostly used to calculate dates for religious events and big festivals. The calendar is more of a timing tool for determining the ideal dates for important events or decisions in life rather than a time keeping system. The Buddhist calendar is not just a time keeping system but a method to calculate the importance of each day for our activities. The younger Thais nowadays dont know how to calculate and use the Buddhist calendar anymore. The tradition is being kept alive by monks and the older generation.
Believe it or not, there is a third New Year in Thailand, and that is celebrated by the six million Chinese that are part of the ethnic mix here. They have their own calendar again and their own colorful and noisy New Years celebration in late January or early February. The tell tale sign of a Chinese party is the machine gun like sound of small firecrackers. These are small firecrackers strung up one after another, and they explode in rapid-fire fashion. Another unique Chinese tradition is the lion dance where two men slip into the same colorful costume and together perform sometimes incredibly acrobatic dances that truly look like a gigantic animal is moving about.
Most international business in the world uses the Gregorian Christian calendar, and the Thais do that as well. They use both calendars, and the western New Year is a public holiday in Thailand also with fireworks and celebrations just like in the West. In Thailand any excuse is good enough for a party, and the Thais have an impressive collection of them: Flower festivals, food festivals, New Year (all three of them), Buddha days, temple festivals, the king’s birthday and quite a few more. Some festivals last several days and include huge parades, lavish festivities with spectacular floats, colorful parades, performances of singing, dancing, and of course eating. Festival dates change every year since most of them are calculated with the Buddhist calendar.
Now it is 2010 in Thailand and it is also 2553. And yes, we have three New Years celebrations every year, and if you are confused about what date it is on which calendar, dont worry about it and just join the party! The Thais have a saying that expresses the Thai view of life: “maipenrai” - meaning “don’t worry”, “it doesn’t matter”, “no big deal”, “it’s okay”, “forget about it”, “let it go”. This is a useful word to know when you visit Thailand since it reflects the Thai attitude about life beautifully.
I give you some examples how to use it: January 1 New Year is not really part of our tradition, but maipenrai, its a great opportunity to have a fantastic party, so lets celebrate it. Or: Christmas has nothing to do with Buddhism, but maipenrai, its another reason to have a party, so lets celebrate it anyway.
Thais would never think that non-Buddhist festivals like Christmas have no place in their country or might even conflict with Buddhist beliefs. Now can you imagine the USA or any western country putting on a national festival for a Buddhist holiday just for the fun of it? No chance! But the Thais are highly tolerant, fun loving and non judgmental when it comes to other religions. Thais are fun loving people, and there is always one festival or another happening wherever you are. This is one of the great pleasures of living here.
For more information about living and traveling in Thailand please visit http://www.shamakern.com
The author is an expat who lives permanently in Thailand. He writes entertaining and informative stories about a fascinating country.
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