Businesses gear up for spring break

ORANGE BEACH, Alabama (WALA) - Beach driven business owners are hopeful large spring break crowds will help pump up the profit margin. College campuses are clearing out for spring break, and many students will head to the beach for a relaxing week off from tests and papers.

Clear skies, white sandy beaches, and temperatures around 70 degrees. Great weather is here in perfect time for thousands of college students on spring break.

Auburn University, The University of Alabama, USA, and Ole Miss are just a few schools that will be taking a break next week, and many people will be hitting the beaches.

"We have our bikinis on!" one woman said.

"It's awesome cause where we came from it's really cold so this is a great break. I just got a huge tan so I'm having a blast," one man from Iowa said.

Angie Wyckoff said she is hopeful she will be booking more condos for spring breakers at the Caribe in Orange Beach.

"Well, we are seeing an increase of bookings coming in for spring break and we hope that people will continue to book and to come on down for spring break you know it's kind of a slow start at the beginning and then we see as it ramps up and continues on through we are looking and hoping that we can get people to come down and see what all we have to offer," Wyckoff said.

Restaurants, bars, and retailers hope to get in on the money making opportunity too, especially after last summer was plagued with the oil spill.

"Well we have Alabama and Auburn both on spring break at the same time starting today," Mark Ainslie said standing on the pier at the Flora-Bama.

Ainslie said college spring breakers seek out the beach bar icon Flora-Bama every year. This year they counting on the business.

"I think its going to be a bigger and better spring break and summer than ever all the businesses seem to be really picking up and the beach has never been more beautiful," Ainslie said.

"I'm loving it! I'm loving the weather," another beach-goer said.

Whether they are shopping, getting a bite to eat, or just enjoying the beach, all spring breakers are welcomed.

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are not just destinations for people in Alabama. College and high school students from all over the country will converge on the towns in a matter of days.