The fundraising fun begins at "SweetWater 4:20 p.m." on Sunday, August 1 at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Support the Save the Gulf program!

Save the Gulf is a program of the Mobile Baykeepers organization, whose mission is to provide citizens a means to protect the beauty, health and heritage of the Mobile Bay Watershed. By attending any of their fund-raising events, your donation will assist with their hands-on activities and their awareness campaigns.

August 1, 2010, is the first day of the Save the Gulf campaign. Through Labor Day, you are encouraged to participate as often as possible in their efforts and to help spread the word about the work they do to keep our waterways clean and ecologically sound.

The first event will be held at The Hangout in Gulf Shores, so plan to have dinner there while enjoying the performances.

For a donation of only $10, you will be treated to the music of Wes Loper, who combines country, rock, folk, beach and blues styles to make his mark on the music world. His appearance alone would be more than worth the small donation, but with a start time of “SweetWater 4:20 p.m.,” that’s just the first part of the event. Following him is Wet Willie with Jimmy Hall and the Hurricane Horns, cranking up their Southern rock sounds with high energy.

Between songs, be sure to tell the folks from SweetWater Brewing Company how much you appreciate their involvement in this and other environmental programs they support.

Stay informed of local activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Weeks Bay Foundation helps visitors to identify and appreciate the local nature and wildlife in Southern Alabama.

Once you reach the Weeks Bay Foundation website, it will be easy to lose yourself in the many links describing their history, their wonderful programs and more. But at some point, you’ll want to steer yourself to the Photo Album link on the left side.

The Weeks Bay Photo Album is divided into well-defined categories, including 18 albums of various types of feathered friends, two albums of insects, five albums of water-related neighbors, and one that includes plants and creatures you will find on their Wintermeyer Boardwalk. The photos are captioned with common names and species, plus varied information on their size, habitats, coloring and more. As you’ll see, these pages are much more than just a simple collection of pictures. What a wealth of information!

I’ll admit that I’m pretty ignorant about what creatures or plants are what around here (don’t tell anyone!). But since stumbling upon this resource, I’m starting to be able to name some of what I see—and soon you will be able to do the same.

To find out more, visit the Weeks Bay Foundation website and start poking around. But don’t pass up your earliest opportunity to visit the Weeks Bay Reserve in person. From Gulf Shores, take Hwy. 59 north, then Hwy. 98 west; you’ll find the Reserve near Hwy. 181, just beyond the bridge over Fish River.

Stay informed of local activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Check out the great lineup of performances along the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast over the next few weeks!

Atlanta Rhythm Section – Southern rock fans will be treated to a show based on 15 albums of outstanding music on Friday, September 3, 2010 at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

John Mayer with Owl City – The Battle Studies World Tour hits The Amphitheater at The Wharf on Monday, September 6, 2010.

Sean Ensign – Pensacola Civic Center comes alive with dance music and steamy love songs on Monday, September 6, 2010.

The B-52s – On Sunday, September 19, 2010, the Mobile Saenger Theatre will be rockin’ with 25 years of dance-rock music by this ever-popular band.

Neil Young – Mobile Saenger Theatre will present this songwriter’s solo acoustic performance on Sunday, September 26, 2010.

Neil Young – Can’t make the Mobile performance September 26? Head to the Pensacola Saenger Theatre to enjoy Young’s show on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

Rain, A Tribute to The Beatles – Relive the Beatles years through their music as well as historical footage on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

Disney Live! Rockin’ Road Show – Laugh and giggle as Mickey Mouse and friends search for talent during two shows on Friday, October 8, 2010 at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Carrie Underwood – Catch this CMA entertainer of the year (twice!) at the Mobile Civic Center on Saturday, October 23, 2010.

Celtic Thunder – Billboard’s Top World Music Artists—comprising five talented Irish & Scottish men—provide an exciting array of vocal styles on Friday, November 19, 2010, at Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

Mannheim Steamroller – Celebrate 25 years with Chip Davis’ amazing musical arrangements and multi-media holiday display at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre on Tuesday, November 23, 2010.

Joe Bonamassa – Wednesday, December 1, 2010, is your date with this former child prodigy, now blues rock star and guitar wizard at Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

Each of these events can be enjoyed even more when you combine them with a beach getaway. With Meyer Real Estate vacation condos and houses from Perdido Key, Florida (just 20 minutes from Pensacola’s Civic Center and Saenger Theatre) to Orange Beach, Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores, Alabama (one hour from Mobile’s Saenger Theater and Civic Center), you have plenty of options. Meyer also offers condos at The Wharf for walking distance to The Amphitheater shows. Stay directly on the beach or backwaters for easy access to those venues as well as many others that feature live music nightly or on the weekends.

And with a variety of specials and specific-property hot deals to save you 10%, 15%, 25%, and even up to 50%, you can save more than enough money to pay for your favorite concert. Check out all the possibilities with Meyer Real Estate, and join us at the beach for incomparable entertainment!

Perform or listen—or both!—at the Festival of Musicians event July 8–12 along the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast.

But this is more than a series of simultaneous concerts. It’s also a contest! Participating musicians will perform on a series of stages, collecting “kudos” for their performances. The acts collecting the most kudos will be invited to perform on the biggest stages. Folks from the music business world (promoters, producers, etc.) will be there, taking note of crowd favorites. The networking possibilities are endless.

All musicians are invited to take part in this event, whether instrumentalist or vocalist, professional or just getting started, solo or group. Even karaoke singers are welcome! Just bring all equipment necessary for you to do what you do. And merchandise vendors can also take part by renting space to sell their wares.

“Five Days of Peace, Love & Music” can be experienced July 8–12, 2010, along the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast. See all the details on how to participate as an audience member, performer or vendor by visiting the Festival of Musicians website. You’ll also find a list of performers who have already committed to make this inaugural event a success.

Oh—about those free tickets. When you check in for your stay with Meyer Real Estate, 5-day and 1-day passes are free for the asking, while supplies last. Just let the front desk personnel know how many passes you’d like to have!

Stay informed of local activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

The beach offers an escape from the everyday life, even if only for a few days.

What if we offered you a chance to get a free night in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan, Alabama, or Perdido Key, Florida? Meyer Real Estate always gives you the seventh night free. (Actually, you can get your sixth and seventh nights free if you stay by May 26 – click here to get the scoop.)

Are time constraints keeping you from enjoying an entire week at the beach?

No problem! Stay just three nights or four. If you choose a condo, your third night is free. Opt for a house and you’ll get your fourth night free.

Your schedule will only allow two or three nights? Just use your free night as an extended check-out. Sleep in on that last morning, spend the afternoon at the beach, and maybe hang around for dinner before heading home again.

Not once, but TWICE in the next four weeks you’ll find a commemorative day paired with a special offer of third or fourth night free:

* Celebrate Mother Earth when you opt for the Earth Day special and stay between April 20 and 26, 2010. Enjoy nature-related activities such as hiking, biking or birding.

* Celebrate family ties when you opt for the Mother’s Day special and stay between May 5 and 11, 2010. Let Mom choose to shop, dine out or admire items at an arts & crafts fair.

Let Meyer Real Estate’s specials and extra-large variety of vacation properties make it easier to reward yourself with a much-needed beach escape!

Stay informed of local activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Enjoy the beautiful Easter weekend by participating in fun events at the beach!

* An Easter Bonnet Dog Parade will be held at The Wharf (Orange Beach) on Saturday morning, April 3. Arrive by 10 if you wish to peruse the vendor booths, then view the costume contest and photo-taking at 11. The parade starts at noon, led by the contest winner. Other activities included are raffles, intuitive pet readings, pet/owner lookalike contest and more. The event is free, but also encourages donations that will be distributed among local animal rescue societies. For more information, call 251-224-1012 or visit The Wharf’s event calendar.

* The Bear Point (Orange Beach) Annual Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 3, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Enjoy a hamburger/hot dog cookout lunch and bake sale before the 1:00 egg hunt. The child who finds the most eggs in each age group wins a prize. For more information, call 251-610-8063 or visit the Bear Point website.

* Easter Sunday beachside services will be held at 6:30 a.m. at Gulf State Park (non-denominational), 7 & 8 a.m. behind The Hangout (Methodist), and 7:30 a.m. behind Romar Beach Baptist Church.

* The Hangout (Gulf Shores) will be serving Easter brunch following the 8 a.m. service (see above); adults $22, children ages 7–10 $12, children 3 and under $6. An Easter egg hunt for age groupings will be held at scheduled times between 11 and 3. A best baby bunny contest winner will receive a large Easter basket. Winner of the best bunny dad contest will receive a $500 VIP pass to The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival in May. For more information, call 251-948-3030 or visit The Hangout website.

* LuLu’s at Homeport Marina (Gulf Shores) is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 4. Also available will be pictures with the Easter Bunny. For details, call 251-967-5858 or visit LuLu’s website.

* The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (“The Little Zoo That Could”) is holding a fundraiser at Island Outfitters (468 W. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores) from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Enjoy the guitar group Roman Street as they perform their own blend of jazz, Latin, fusion and more. Visit with a kangaroo and a parrot, and purchase raffle tickets. The event is free but donations are encouraged. To learn more about the zoo, call 251-968-5732 or visit their website.

We wish you a wonderful Easter weekend, no matter how you choose to spend it!

Stay informed of local activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.