As innkeepers at Jubilee Suites in Fairhope, AL, we are always on the lookout for the best-of-the-best local activities, food, and cultural experiences to recommend to our guests. While many people come to rest and relax right on our beachfront property, quite a few of our guests also come to experience Fairhope and all that our area has to offer.
In the last few months, we’ve been fortunate to try each of the following activities and can confidently recommend them as uniquely local, super-fun and even extraordinary. What makes each one of these extraordinary is they allow our guests to fully experience some unique aspect of our local culture along with luxurious Southern hospitality. This list is for locals and vacationers alike though. Let us know what you think about each one of our picks. Jubilee Suites guests, if you’d like us to help you book one of these activities for you, give us a call.
America’s Amazon Day Trip with Ben Raines
https://www.americasamazonadventures.com/
We recently had the opportunity to spend a day with Ben Raines in his small but mighty boat exploring the gorgeous Lower Delta area of Mobile Bay. To say this trip was life-changing is an understatement. We did not want to come home! The extravagant numbers of species of flowers, trees, fish, birds, and all forms of life we saw that day along with Ben’s narration on everything we saw and his enthusiasm to keep showing us more, was the highlight of the trip. Several of our recent guests have also taken this trip and agree. We had never known before just how important the Mobile Bay delta is to the ecosystem of our area and to our entire way of life. We absolutely loved seeing the biodiversity in the Mobile Bay delta. This is eco-tourism at its best!
Jubilee Suites is located high on a bluff directly on Mobile Bay with about 200 feet of beachfront. We look out over the busy sparkling waters of the Bay every day and enjoy the incredible sunsets every evening. But to think that pollution and upstream development could render our Bay lifeless was something that was sobering indeed. We have copies of Ben Raines book, Saving America’s Amazon, at Jubilee Suites for our guests to read or purchase. This beautifully-produced book is full of Ben’s photographs and stories and a compelling argument for saving America’s most biodiverse river system. If you get a chance, contact Ben at his website and schedule one of his tours. And prepare to be amazed. ($600 for a party of up to six for a 6+ hour tour.)
A Picnic to Remember
https://www.southerncharmpicnicco.com/
If you’re looking for a unique and over-the-top experience for a special occasion such as an anniversary celebration, a bridal luncheon, a birthday or even a small baby shower, check out the Southern Charm Picnic Company. Monica has thought of absolutely everything your heart could desire for the most luxurious picnic of your life. From set up to clean up she handles the entire affair. Choose your decorating style from one of three, your location and guest list, your props, games, and all the optional add-ons you can imagine. You can even schedule a private photo session or yoga class with your picnic! Monica came to Jubilee Suites and orchestrated a complete picnic for us and we were simply amazed. We were concerned about the iffy weather that day and that a picnic in the grass had a good chance of getting rained out, but Monica pivoted expertly and set up on our covered porch instead. And we loved it! Even with lots of options, Monica loves to personalize each picnic for its celebrants and there’s no request too big for this talented team. See all the details, options and glorious pictures at their website. (Pricing for the first two guests is $300+ tax. Each additional guest is $40+tax. Extra add-ons available.)
Private Sunset Sail
https://sailtime.com/alabama/
Living on the water as we do, we’re always looking for opportunities for our Jubilee Suites guests to get out onto Mobile Bay for fishing, sightseeing and simply getting a taste of local boating life in Fairhope, Alabama. One of the most exciting new guest adventures we’ve discovered lately is to book a sailing trip with Chris who owns SailTime Alabama, a sailboat-sharing business new to this area. If you’re local, check into their membership boat-sharing program and learn to sail with professional sailing lessons. But for our guests and everyone else, Chris offers a wonderful daily option to book a half day or a full day sailing trip for up to 6 people. You choose the length of the sail you’re interested in and set it up on one of Chris’s brand new 36’ luxury sailboats. Your sailing day comes with a local, certified, and experienced Captain and Deckhand, all safety equipment and life jackets. You can also bring food and beverages of your choice for the journey. This trip was SO fun and relaxing and we enjoyed every minute of it. Don’t forget your bathing suit, your sunscreen, and your camera! You’ll want to capture all the memories as you enjoy adventuring out on our delightful Mobile Bay for the day. (Price for the full experience starts at $350 for a four-hour morning sail, $400 for a four-hour afternoon sail or $750 for a full day sail.)
The Fairhope Foodie Tour
https://tastefairhope.com/
If you’re foodies like we are, you’ll want to check out the Fairhope Foodie Tour. We recently booked this group walking tour for some guests and they had so much fun, we decided to try it. And we had a ball! This food lover’s adventure involved tasting our way through Fairhope and trying a special drink and/or a local favorite dish at 6 restaurants, while our guide told us remarkable stories about the culture and history of Fairhope at each stop. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! We were impressed that our tour included all levels of downtown restaurants, from fine dining to a cafe to an ice cream/coffee shop and lots of local foods found only in Fairhope. And she really knew how to pace us. Traveling on foot to each of the restaurants was great both for admiring the always-stunning flowers along the streets and for walking off the last treat and getting ready for the next one. We were curious about why we had never heard of the Fairhope Foodie Tour before now. Turns out this is the same company that has been offering Bienville Bites walking food tours in Mobile for several years. They recently began working in Fairhope and in addition to this tour will also conduct private tours for groups upon request. We wish them well in their new venture and will continue to recommend them as one of our favorite extraordinary activities found only in Fairhope. (All ages are welcome. Children $35, adults $69, adults cocktail package $80 per person.)
Chartered Kayak or Stand-up Paddleboard Tour
Carol Furman, Naturalist- 251-680-8619
When guests stay with us at Jubilee Suites they have full and free use of our available kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on Mobile Bay. And we also offer guided kayak and paddleboard tours of Mobile Bay with Caitlyn, our Beach Manager, who grew up on the water and loves to show our guests some of the hidden gems on the Bay around our property. But for a longer adventure, you’ll want to schedule a half-day chartered kayak or stand-up paddleboard tour with our friend and Naturalist, Carol Furman. One beautiful day Carol met us over at the Fish River and brought along her kayaks and paddleboards for each member of our group. We had so much fun that day! It’s always fantastic to get out on the water and when you go with a naturalist guide you see and hear so much more than you would on your own. Carol was full of stories about everything that we saw. It was a fascinating trip with views of beautiful river homes, lots of native birds, fish, and trees. Carol says you can paddleboard or kayak at a different place around Fairhope every day for a year. We’ll definitely go again! After a wonderful morning we all had lunch at Big Daddy’s Grill, a casual outdoor seafood restaurant right on the Fish River. We highly recommend that if you get a chance, go with Carol and learn more about the amazing natural life in the waters around us. If you’d like more information or to book, call Carol directly. ($120 per person includes all equipment and the tour. Lunch is extra.)
We delight in offering 5-star Southern hospitality to each one of our guests. To see more about our Suites and to check availability or to book your stay, please see our Suites page. To learn more about our unique Signature Experiences and to see our latest Guest Vacation packages, please click on those pages. If you have questions, or need help making your reservation, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
