As much as I love to relax on a quiet beach in front of a private beach house, sometimes I long for the energetic bustle found at a fun, public beach. One of my favorite spots is the Gulf Shores Public Beach. Lots of activity, shopping and beachside restaurants—a great opportunity for people-watching.

This is how our week’s vacation usually plays out for us: We spend the first couple of days at our rented beach house, enjoying the peacefulness of the beach, playing in the waves, building sandcastles. Then we get a little restless, and we start looking for other things to do. And one of the first things we do is head over to the public beach, where we do things like play volleyball and picnic at the designated picnic areas. Gulf Shores Public Beach also has bathrooms, showers and beach attendants, so it really is a nice experience.

The Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area has many public beach locations. Just go to www.thebeachiscalling.org to start exploring them.

What is it about old mansions that captivates us? Is it the thought of a completely different way of life that took place long ago, whimsical fantasies inspired by a lavish mansion in a beautiful, scenic setting? I think for me, it’s a combination of experiencing a little bit of history and envisioning myself living a romantic lifestyle during a time before computers, Internet, cell phones….

There are a couple old mansions in the Alabama Gulf Coast that can be toured: Bellingrath Gardens and Bon Secour’s Swift-Cole Historic Mansion. We’ve been to Bellingrath Gardens, which is a home as well as some of the most beautiful gardens you’ll ever see (I would definitely visit again!). But we have yet to see the Swift-Cole Mansion, so that one is next on the list.

Information about other history-related tours and sites can be found at www.thebeachiscalling.org.

Weather phenomena amaze me. They really do. Whether it’s rain simply falling from the sky or a full-blown hurricane, I am fascinated by what Mother Nature can do. And the progress science has made in tracking and calculating weather is a wonder all on its own.

Of course I try to instill this curiosity in my own children. So naturally, when I heard about the Wonders of Weather exhibit at the Gulf Shores Museum that is taking place every Wednesday at 2:00 PM during June and July, I added it to our list of things to do in Gulf Shores this summer. The exhibit features videos about weather events like tornadoes and hurricanes, followed by a project based on the video subject matter. My kids are pretty inquisitive, so this combination of video and a hands-on project should be a satisfying experience for them.

Go to www.thebeachiscalling.org for information about this and other summer events.