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The Allegiant Air flight from MidAmerica to the brand new Gulf Shores International Airport takes just an hour and a half. The airport there is so tiny I was able to get off the plane, get my rental car, grab my checked bag and be out of there in 15 minutes. If you drive straight down the highway to the Hangout (more about it below), you are on the beach in 15 minutes (though parking may take a few extra minutes).

And yes, if you can figure out how to pack super light, Allegiant can be super cheap. Like round trip tickets for about $100 cheap. I checked a bag, so it’s a lesson I still need to learn. I also chose my seat (which also has a fee), so that $100 quickly turned into about $300. Still, not bad for direct access to a beach.

The sugar-white-sand Alabama Beaches — Gulf Shores to the west, the Gulf State Park in the middle and Orange Beach to the east (toward Florida) — have long been a big draw for St. Louisans.

“Oh yeah, St. Louis is one of our biggest markets,� says Easton Colvin, public relations manager for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism.

In an area of about 25,000 residents, the beaches see 6.5 million visitors a year. And yet, the area still retains its small-town charm. “We are not commercial. We still have that Southern hospitality. ... Of about 200 restaurants, only 15 are national chains. We are a tight-knit small town. That’s what I love about it. It’s all authentic.�

Where to stay

The Alabama Beaches website (gulfshores.com) offers a search function for lodging that includes all the different management companies and helps you find a place that’s affordable and comfortable.

For our stay, we found , a beautiful two-bedroom home just across the street from the beach on one side and a few houses down from the Little Lagoon on the other. On that end we had a pool and a dock leading out to the water.

High-rise condos, houses on the beach, state park lodges and hotels abound.

On the water

There is no shortage of things to do and attractions to take in in Gulf Shores. But for those of us from land-locked ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, the beach is the inevitable draw, pulling us in like a shell with the tide.

Judging by the dads walking along the road weighed down by chairs, pulling a cooler or a wagon loaded with beach toys, the preferred way to enjoy the gulf is a trip to the beach. It’s free (all of the 32 miles of beach here are public), but some areas do require you to pay for parking, and the whole family can have a day of fun, catching waves, playing in the sand, searching for seashells. But do note the flag warnings. They were yellow (caution) and purple (dangerous marine life) for most of our visit and indeed two families on our plane reported very painful jellyfish stings.

Other ways to enjoy the water do involve a cost. But $100 at was worth it for the thrills found in an hour spent on a jet ski. You don’t take them into the gulf but on one of the many lakes and waterways that connect it.

We had booked a sailboat sunset cruise for our last night, but a pop-up thunderstorms thwarted that. (Note to self: book the cool stuff early so you can reschedule if needed.)

Dolphin cruises, fishing charters and even kayak rentals are also popular.

Adventures off the water

Sometimes, you just need a little time away from the sun and surf. One early morning, I signed up for a free turtle talk at the Gulf State Park. It was fun to learn about the sea turtle conservation efforts, how the turtles make their nests and what humans can do (no white lights!) to help.

After that, I took advantage of the park’s free bike program and grabbed one to head across a series of boardwalks and onto trails through the park. It was toasty outside, so I didn’t last long, but it’s a great free activity for the family.

The activity my family loved most was Be prepared for about a 40-minute drive north, but it was worth it. For an $18 admission fee, you begin your adventure with a few displays of younger alligators, then a big lake filled with more than 200 as you watch, mesmerized, from a viewing platform. And you can buy chunks of alligator food to feed them. Watching them go after it is worth the $6 bucket. A feeding demonstration and opportunities to hold alligators happen there. A separate part has a zoo-like area with snakes, turtles and lizards. But for me, the highlight was the boardwalk into the swamps. Alligators are everywhere, and it feels like you are seeing them in the wild. Captain Crunch, an 800 pound behemoth, is lurking back there.

Other options for fun away from the beach include the water and amusement park, Waterville; the Gulf Coast Zoo; Fort Morgan, a historic Civil War fort; and Track Family Fun park, where you can find a slick track and a high-rise go-kart track for the thrill seekers in your family.

Where to eat

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the area’s signature drink: the Bushwacker. “It’s like a frosty with seven different kinds of rum,� says Colvin. “Everyone’s is a little bit different.�

We tried our first one at Tacky Jacks, and fell in love, and maybe because it was our first, it was our favorite. We continued to try them at about six different establishments.

Fresh seafood is a reason in itself to visit Alabama’s beaches. one of the oldest restaurants in town, and judging by the wait time a favorite among locals and tourists, will cook what you catch if you bring it in. We loved its fresh trigger fish with a New Orleans’ style etouffee. And you must try the area’s famous Royal Red shrimp. They taste more like lobster.

Here are a few other places we tried:

ByWater In the Gulf State Park on a fishing pier (if we’d had more time we would have rented fishing poles and spent an afternoon there). We liked the views of the gulf in this low-key place.

CoastAL: One of the biggest restaurants in the area, and located on the beach in Orange Beach, CoastAL features a beach bar for more casual fare and a more formal restaurant, where I had what tasted like oysters straight out of the ocean.

The Hang The Hangout is more than just a restaurant (where customers throw napkins at appropriate times and dance on tables) on the beach. There are shops, games, satellite bars and a big stage with live music. Adirondack chairs are set up behind the dance floor.

In a shopping and entertainment district called the Wharf, you’ll find a giant Ferris wheel and a great seafood-Italian fusion restaurant called Villaggio. I had the most amazing sea bass over ravioli in a creamy sauce with spinach and tomatoes. Grab a seat on the patio after dark and watch the palm trees come to life during a light and music show every half-hour.

This place is legendary for good food, drinks and music. Country stars have been known to pop in for a few sets.

On our last night, we had ourselves a little crab boil. We ordered online from Topsail Steamer, picked up our uncooked but seasoned crab, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn in a disposable pot and took it to our rental to cook. On a whim, we took the 6-foot roll of table paper they gave us and had a feast on the dock by our rental home, overlooking the Little Lagoon. Sometimes, those unexpected and unplanned for moments make the best vacation memories.