Dains Traveling Days: Issue #25 -- Dauphin Island

Not until our visit with our long time friend, Nicole Roy, and her husband Rick in Louisiana did we know anything about Dauphin Island, Alabama. What a charming place! If you're looking for a nice location for a vacation home, this may be just what you're looking for. Check it out.

We stayed for a week and had a great time. We got to spend a lot of time with Nicole and Rick. We also did a lot of exploring of the island. We stayed at Dauphin Island RV Resort. Nicole and Rick have a vacation home at the opposite side of the island.

Once we checked in and set up at the RV park we headed to the other side of the island to grab a bite to eat. We met Nicole & Rick at Pirate's Pleasure Bar and Grill. Like everything on the island, it's located right on the beach. In fact if you plan to go to the beach from their location, there is a $3 access fee for that. If you'd rather spend your time at a pool, the bar also has an indoor pool with full bar service. We were there just for the food and we were not disappointed.

After a nice meal, we relaxed at their beach house.

There are two major sites to visit while on the island. One is the Audubon Bird Sanctuary Bird watchers on the island don't just do their bird watching in the Sanctuary, they STOP right in the middle of the main road, to catch a glimpse of whichever bird they happen to be looking for.

We found the sanctuary more than accommodating for our bird watching.

Bat House

A nice place to relax.

Where?

Which way do we go?

There!

No, there!

David's always wondering off!

Historic Fort Gaines:

Fort Gaines is another place that is well worth your time. The fort is within walking distance from the RV campground.
This historic site has guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay for more than 150 years. So, who said "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" That would have been Admiral Farragut.

The fort has it's original cannons, a blacksmith shop, a museum, a gift shop, tunnels and much more. The blacksmith does demonstrations and sells the items as he makes them. You can take a self-guided tour of the grounds or a guided tour by a soldier, dressed in period uniform.

Hello, Hello .

In addition to having a great time with Nicole & Rick, we also
got to meet Miss Norma, Rick's mom. Such a lovely lady.

Who doesn't love old cannons!

Miss Norma, Nicole & David

This blacksmith does great work.
He made this lucky horseshoe while we
watched and now it hangs in
my living room.

Once you're on the island, if you're interested in going to Mobile, Alabama but you don't want to do the long drive around the bay, just take the Mobile Bay Ferry. You drive your vehicle or RV onto the ferry and away you go!