It may not be a true horse-drawn sleigh as in days of yore, but a real sleigh would require snow—something we don’t see much of here along the Gulf Coast. I don’t know about you, but I’ll opt for a modern, makeshift sleigh rather than the snow!

Take a modern sleigh ride through the Christmas-themed Hugh Branyon BackCountry Trail, for free on Friday, December 10.

Oh—you may not know what I’m talking about. Let me fill you in:

Tonight in Orange Beach, Alabama, a gift of nostalgia is being offered. When you arrive at City Hall between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m., you will be given a ticket for a sleigh ride. Okay, it may feel more like a hay ride, as you’ll be sitting on benches attached to an open-air trailer pulled by a truck. But when your group is called and you step on the vehicle, let your imagination conjure up a one-horse open sleigh (name that song!), decorated just as you like.

As your sleigh follows the Hugh S. Branyon BackCountry Trail, you’ll discover carolers singing songs of the season, Santa’s workshop in high gear (are you on Santa’s list this year, good or bad?), a lovely Nativity scene and more. A number of schools, churches and businesses are involved to make this a special evening for everyone.

Before and after your excursion through Christmasland, stay warm with hot chocolate and cookies provided by Shipp’s Harbour Grill as you chat with friends old and new.

Your admission fee is simply a nonperishable food item or cash donation for the Christian Service Center. The donations will be put to immediate use to assist those in our communities who are struggling this holiday season and beyond.

So bundle up and bring your family for a taste of an old-fashioned winter gathering. And tell everyone you know to come enjoy the perfect ending to a perfect day (name that song!) during this sure-to-be-popular community event. Need more information? Call City Hall at 251-981-6979 or visit the Orange Beach Community Website.

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.

Escape the cold this winter! Unbundle the snowbird in you and say “ahhh” to the warmer winter temperatures of the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast.

Avoid having your car buried in the snow this winter. Join us on the Gulf Shores island, where the only white stuff on the ground is sand!

Snowbird immigration is a common phenomenon here in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan (AL) and Perdido Key (FL). Join us for a month or more during the winter and you, too, will be an official snowbird!

We are especially excited to welcome our winter visitors this year by offering amazing specials of up to 50% off some of our monthly beach house and condo rentals.

In addition, when you become a Meyer Real Estate snowbird, you gain access to our exclusive Winter Guest Activities. You can choose to participate in golf and mini-golf tournaments, casino trips, history exploration and much more – the events are free or require just a nominal fee.

This is the year to leave your parka and snow scraper in storage and head to the beach. We will love having you here, and you’ll be glad you made the decision to enjoy a mild winter in our beautiful location.