Our beach cottage is located at the Rookery. The Rookery is a coastal cottage community located on the Fort Morgan peninsula. It was designed to be a natural and quiet resort and is located adjacent to the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
Fort Morgan is a hidden gem, and less crowded than the bigger beach towns in the area. We absolutely love the secluded and relaxed location. If you prefer the hustle and bustle of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, if you want to be close to stores and entertainment, this property is probably not for you.
Our cottage is 1 of 6 standalone units at the Rookery (the others are doubles units). It has a south facing porch and is the only cottage with two additional windows added on the north side during the original build. The windows on the north side have gorgeous views of the wetland area. We love the abundance of wildlife that live there, and those that come to visit, including a mama alligator!
For years and years we dreamed about owning a place at the beach. When we saw the cottage, we fell in love and bought it unfurnished. We spent more than a year (weekends & vacations) painting, creating, building furniture, installing shiplap, and making décor. With a lot of elbow grease and a ton of love our dream slowly came alive. We go as often as we can, and when we are there, it's really hard to leave.
The Rookery has a really nice zero entry community pool, hot tub and tennis courts. At night, we love to spend hours playing cards and board games on the large dining table.
Something not to miss is a sunset on an Alabama beach! It's breathtakingly beautiful. You can also rent a kayak to explore the waterways. Pick up a trail map at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and Interpretive Center - so you can see where to go. The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail is great for birdwatching and photography.
There are also walking trails, the ferry to Dauphin Island, the Fort Morgan State Historical site, and the Fort Morgan Fishing Pier. It's open after 8 years of remodeling! You can visit the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and visit the historic Fort Gaines. Our favorite restaurants on the Fort Morgan peninsula are Sassy Bass and Tacky Jacks.
On the Alabama coast you can take a dolphin cruise, charter a boat for fishing further offshore, or rent bikes and ride on the biking trails. They are awesome!
We do not use a property management company to rent our cottage. For us, it is not just a business. It is our home. When you rent our cottage, we are opening the doors of our home to you. We hope you will love it and care for it as much as we do.
Non-negotiable at our cottage:
Six guest maximum.
No pets allowed. (Not just our rule, also a COA rule. No renters are allowed to have pets at the Rookery.)
No smoking in or around the unit.