Entire home

Our Happy Place

Photo gallery for Our Happy Place

Exterior
Exterior
Living area
Living area
Private kitchen
Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6105 sq m

Popular amenities

  • PoolPoolPool
  • Hot tubHot tubHot tub
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • Free WiFiFree WiFiFree WiFi
  • WasherWasherWasher

Explore the area

Map
Gulf Shores, AL
  • Popular LocationFort Morgan Beach10 min walk
  • Popular LocationKiva Dunes Golf Course4 min drive
  • Popular LocationFort Morgan12 min drive
  • AirportGulf Shores, AL (GUF-Jack Edwards)26 min drive

Most relevant reviews

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Kids Bedroom

1 Single Bunk Bed

Master Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Second Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Master Bath

Toilet · Shower only

Shared Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Dining Area

About this property

Our Happy Place

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.

Property manager

Vic & Rita Dippenaar
Premier Host
Premier Host
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Amenities

Pool
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Maximum 3 children allowed

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
No clothing or towels shall be hung outside the units or draped over exterior porch railings
No loud music or parties, which disturb the inhabitants of other units, shall be allowed at any time.
The use of all Rookery 1 and 2 amenities are limited to Rookery 1 and 2 owners and guests only.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Gulf Shores

Located in Gulf Shores, this cottage is near the beach. Zooland Mini Golf and Waterville USA are local attractions and those in the mood for shopping can visit The Wharf and Tanger Outlet Center. The Track Family Recreation Center and Pirate's Island Adventure Golf are also worth visiting.
Map
Gulf Shores, AL

What's nearby

  • Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge - 1 min walk
  • Fort Morgan Beach - 10 min walk
  • Kiva Dunes Golf Course - 4 min drive
  • Fort Morgan - 12 min drive
  • Gulf Shores Beach - 29 min drive

Getting around

  • Mobile, AL (BFM-Downtown Airport) - 90 min drive

Restaurants

  • Sassy Bass Market Place - 5 min drive
  • Tacky Jacks - 6 min drive
  • Fort Morgan Pizza - 5 min drive
  • The Village Hideaway - 5 min drive
  • Coast Restaurant - 5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Our Happy Place have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Our Happy Place pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Our Happy Place?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Our Happy Place?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Our Happy Place located?

Situated by the sea, this cottage is within a 10-minute walk of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Morgan Beach. Bon Secour Bay and Kiva Dunes Golf Course are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 25 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 25 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 25 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 25 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 25 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kathy S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
ROOKERY VACAY
Everything was great, just as described. Clean, comfy and well equipped. We cooked a lot of meals there since we were there for a month, but visited Sassy Bass and Tacky Jacks too. Running into town for supplies at Rouses and Walmart was close enough. We were there for spring break time, so a bit busy with groups coming and going. Rita was very friendly and easy to work with. The only complaint i have about the area is no bathroom facilities at the beach access, and there could be more parking available. Highly recommend this cottage!
Stayed 30 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Terry Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
T&T Stay
Clean and quiet. The beach is just across Ft. Morgan Rd. Because we were here in February, we weren't able to take advantage of the onsite pool.
Stayed 29 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mary H., Selmer, TN

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect hosts; perfect home.
Tucked back in the welcoming Rookery I,II enclave, this charming, well-appointed gem will not disappoint. Pride-of-ownership is obvious as is their commitment to providing their guest(s) with a clean and well-maintained vacation environment. The owners are wonderful to work with, communicating well and often. My return visit is already planned. Do not hesitate to book; you will be more than pleased.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sara S., Bloomington

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved our stay
We had a great time in the Fort Morgan area. The house was just as pictured—plenty of space inside, as well as cooking supplies for cooking some basics at “home.” The outside was not even a block from the pool or tennis court. The beach is not far, either—but with the July heat and carrying what we wanted for the day, we opted to drive instead. Parking there was limited after 11AM but we always did find a spot. We liked being a drive from the hustle bustle of Orange Beach. If you want to be in the middle of the action, then this house isn’t for you, but we loved it. Listening to the frogs cute croaking at night and not hearing partying or traffic around us was much appreciated! Would highly recommend. Rita was always quick to respond, though we really didn’t need anything because it was well communicated. Thanks for the lovely stay!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Karlie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We LOVED this place!
Rita was very quick with her responses to my many questions. The property was clean and so cute. The location is great. Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

About the host

Hosted by Vic & Rita Dippenaar

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