I totally agree with this assessment. As a Realtor, I find that many of the folks who buy here were first taking a "road trip". They loved the area so much that they ended up buying a condo or beach house to use as a second home or even an investment. Instead of being too wordy here, I'm going to let Travel Channel do the talking.
Link to the list of the Top 10 Road Trip destinations according to the Travel Channel.
Click on Alabama Gulf Coast to see their full write-up as to why they chose Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to be on the list.
I grew up on the beach on the East Coast, and our area here on the Gulf Coast is by far the best place that we have lived. Apparently, I'm not alone!