
Getting to the Beaches From Louisiana Just Got Faster and Cheaper
Now that Louisiana's week of winter has come and gone we can start to focus our attention on Mardi Gras. Preparations are already underway in New Orleans, Eunice, Kaplan, Lafayette, Church Point, and other Louisiana cities to fire up the fun for the annual mistreatment of our livers in the days leading up to Fat Tuesday.
Following Mardi Gras will come St Patrick's Day and then it will be spring break and summer vacation getaways to the beaches of Lower Alabama and the Florida Panhandle won't be too far behind.
I think if you ask any Louisiana dad who has to drive the family down I-10, past where the new Buc-ee's will be in Mississippi and the Alabama Buc-ee's that's always way too crowded, what the biggest pain about the family vacation to the beach is and they will likely respond with traffic. I think we've all sat for more than a few minutes waiting for traffic to move through the tunnel in Mobile, Alabama, haven't we?
I know I have personally wished for a private plane to be able to fly me and the family from Louisiana over the traffic directly to the beaches of L.A. (Lower Alabama). I guess more than a few of us have made that wish because it now looks as if that dream is coming true.
Okay, it won't be a private plane but in the coming months, you will be able to book airline tickets from Houston to the airport at Gulf Shores, Alabama. This will cut hours of driving off your trip, especially if you live in northern or western Louisiana. And your ticket prices could be as low as $49. You'd pay more in gas just to drive there.
Allegiant Airlines a well-known budget air carrier has announced plans to begin passenger service between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and the cities of Knoxville, Tennessee, Houston, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The carrier also has plans to offer service to Gulf Shore via Northwest Arkansas and Belleville, Illinois.
There is speculation that Allegiant Airlines is posturing to get a flight to Gulf Shores out of Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans but that has not been officially confirmed by the airline. The Gulf Shores Airport will serve passengers out of two gates and plans to have space to accommodate as many as 40,000 to 60,000 passengers.
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Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer & Zack Abrams