Combine Holiday Activities and Soccer in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping deals to kick off the official start of the holiday shopping season, Christmas decorations, festive holiday events, and an exciting women’s soccer event.

Well, the soccer may not be part of the holiday spirit elsewhere, but it is in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. The NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship is scheduled to take place at the Orange Beach Sportsplex from December 1st through the 7^th. And an exciting event it is—throughout the week, 16 college women’s soccer teams from across the country will compete for the national championship title. If you’re in the area, this Orange Beach sports event is definitely worth checking out.

But if you can’t be here for this soccer event, don’t worry—the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship is already set to return to the Gulf December 1^st – 6^th in 2014, and again in 2015 (November 30^th to December 5^th). There’s plenty of time to plan a late-fall Gulf Coast vacation!

Decompress from holiday shopping and come out and watch these talented ladies in action.

Head to the Gulf for Thanksgiving This Year

It’s hard to believe how quickly it has arrived, but arrived it has: one week to go until Thanksgiving. This means that many of you will be making your way to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach soon to spend an unforgettable holiday vacation on the Gulf Coast.

Of course, the sports activity will continue right through the Thanksgiving holiday. November 17th brings a little beach volleyball action with the 2012 Gulf Coast Region USA Volleyball Beach Series—junior and adult volleyball players will compete on Gulf Shores Public Beach. Then on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 24th) is the 2012 Kaiser Realty Coastal Half Marathon, 5K, and 1 Mile Fun Run. Interested in burning off those extra pounds from your big feast? Take your pick of the 1-mile run, 5K run, or half marathon and hit the scenic running trails that will lead you through the Hugh S. Branyon Back Country Trail. (Or just come watch the race for fun!)

And beginning on November 26th is the 2012 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship—16 women’s soccer teams from around the country competing for the championship title. It’s hard to beat that kind of sports excitement!

Between all of this activity and the Thanksgiving holiday, you’ll want to stay somewhere comfortable and memorable. The area offers a variety of options, from national hotel chains to luxury condominiums—like Caribe the Resort in Orange Beach, a sponsor of the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission.

Not only does this Orange Beach resort offer luxurious accommodations, it also features amenities that are ideal for a Thanksgiving getaway, including hot tubs and indoor pools for those cooler days, full kitchens ideal for cooking a big meal, and as an alternative to cooking, a five-star restaurant with a water-front view from every seat.

Check out this and other Gulf accommodations on the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission website, and start planning that Thanksgiving getaway!