Gulf Shores Busy Holiday Weekend

Gulf Shores Food Some businesses report a strong 4th of July weekend.

by Chad Petri

Published: Sun, July 05, 2009 - 8:34 pm CST Last Updated: Sun, July 05, 2009 - 8:38 pm CST

LaSonja Ferguson takes pictures of her kids on the beach. They’re to remember a trip the little ones planned.

“They have been saving all the little spare change that they have in a big old jar so they chose to come to the beach,” says the Mississippi mother. This family is one of hundreds hitting the beach this weekend. Many of those families are helping rental outlets like GulfSands.

“I'd say this is the best fourth we've seen in about 5 to 6 years,” says owner and broker Jim Tierney. Some rental offices say they've benefited from the down economy because people are looking for quick trips.

“I would think a lot of people who were going to go to Europe or to the mountains have decided to stay closer to home and go to Gulf Shores,” says Tierney. He says his business started to pick up dramatically at the start of the summer season. Tierney says they're seeing a lot of last minute bookings.

“People calling in for next week or even tonight we had a walk in today and we usually don't get a lot of walk ins business and they're looking for something tonight,” says Tierney. Another busy spot in Gulf Shores is Lulu's restaurant. The popular eatery has seen a steady stream of customers this weekend.

“Just a holiday weekend everybody likes getting out and enjoying the festivities and everything and everybody likes something to eat,” says manager Nina Gonzalez.

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