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The Crew
You guys... it has been a fun filled with week with friends visiting from out of town. Illinois to be precise. They came right at the beginning of a heat wave here in the South. You know that time of the year when the gulf waters heat up and feel like bath water instead of refreshingly cool? Or when the breeze coming in off the ocean feels like air coming out of a space heater? Yes, THAT hot!! Anyhow, heat aside, we still wanted to have fun with our friends so we hit up the bowling alley, spent some time at the beach, and even decided to brave the heat and take the kids to OWA.
Most Fun Amusement Park for kids in lower Alabama
If you are looking for fun things to do near Orange Beach, AL and Gulf Shores, AL that does not involve the beach, I highly recommend OWA. OWA is an entertainment "village" comprised of a small amusement park, The Park at OWA, and Downtown OWA which has quaint shops, restaurants, a movie theater and a Marriott hotel. It was designed to be an entertainment hub for tourists visiting the beach, due to its close proximity to Orange Beach, Alabama, Gulf Shores and Foley, AL. And its only a little over an hour from Navarre Beach, FL (if you're local and want to check it out). Don't ask me what "OWA" stands for, other than what I know it to be, which is fun for the kids, especially if they are on the younger side. I just thought I'd write a quick little review of how our trip went if you're considering visiting yourself.
We decided to carpool and get there around 2:30 and stay until closing to avoid some of the extreme heat. The heat index was over 100. The kids were so brave and excited and there was very little to no complaining about the heat which was a welcome relief to us parents. We applied sunscreen to everyone in the parking lot and then headed in to get our wristbands. This is my favorite sunscreen for the whole family right now. It does go on whiteish which my oldest always complain about. "Mom!!!... I don't want to look all white and stuff."
Quick tip: If you purchase your tickets online, you can avoid the ticket counter and walk straight to the gate. They scan your passes and issue your wristband. As with all amusement parks, we assumed they didn't want us bringing in our own food and drinks but our bags weren't searched or anything so this may not be true for them. Or we went on a day where it was so hot that they just didn't care. Either way, I always take a hydroflask with ice and water because my oldest has a severe food allergy and most places will let us take our own items to avoid contamination. These flasks work well.
I dressed the kids in their swimsuits because there is a splash pad there that I figured we could use to cool down for a bit and it would be so hot the kids would actually appreciate walking around in wet clothes for a bit. They totally did! I tried to equip myself as much as possible to not be miserable in the heat. I wore this exact straw hat
from amazon. It works perfectly for me and holds up to my rough use. My friend recommended it to me and I purchased earlier this year and love it! I always throw it on around town too to add a little extra to my OOTD. My backpack (this one from amazon)
held the hydroflask, a turkish towel (because they roll up so small), my wallet and a few snacks. Seriously, I love this backpack. I use it for the zoo, park with the kids, even used it for my last Disney trip because my kids don't require as much anymore. It's light weight and so easy to carry. I took one frogg togg for myself because I knew the kids would get to cool down. I know Amanda shared how much she loved the other cooling towels and I've used and love those too but I just love the texture and feel of my frogg togg also. Linking both of them below.
With everyone as prepared and as excited as possible, we started to enjoy the rides. I will say, there were no lines for any of the rides, except for the giant roller coaster (more on that later) but the rides did operate on even and odd hours because of staff shortage. We managed to time it just right that we finished the front section for the little kids before moving on to grab snacks, eat in the chill zone and then head to the splash pad. You do have to reserve your time for the splash pad and they were turning people away who did not reserve a time. I'd recommend you go there first and reserve your time and then continue on with the rides.
We ended up running out of time and didn't get to do it all because we spent too much time in the smaller kid section. The kids still had a blast and there was no whining or complaining. Liam did not get to ride the large roller coaster because they shut down just before he was supposed to get on. He was pretty disappointed but after waiting for fifteen minutes to see if it would restart, he made the very mature decision to move on to the other rides and did not whine about it. I take that as a huge win for the day. IYKYK. We closed the park down and then went to get ice-cream at the Hershey Shop in downtown OWA before strolling around. As we were leaving, they announced the start of one of their nightly shows, Wonder, so we stayed to watch. Again, the kids were so enthralled throughout the whole thing they didn't make a sound! If you're planning on going, I'd recommend checking their page and see if you can plan your visit around one of their shows or events. Overall, at just $19.99 per ticket, I'd say its well worth the visit. We spend more at the local fair, just saying! I appreciate you reading along and I hope you find some inspiration to get out there and find some adventure!
XO,
Janine
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