...from the mouth of the river.
The Alabama beaches are beautiful, but there is more variety in Florida. You can choose between essentially deserted or quite developed or everything in between.
100% recommended. Beautiful beaches, sparse crowds.
Check out Sandestin.
And definitely - definitey - eat the Royal Reds, the best shrimp in the world, only available on the Gulf Coast (not as far as New Orleans). They taste like litte lobsters.