Alabama’s Gulf Coast: Where Kids Drive the Fun Home

Some of the best family memories are made on a beach vacation. Ditching your regular routine and setting out for Alabama’s 32 miles of sandy seashore welcomes a bit of magic into your lives. The special times aren’t simply limited to the beaches though. The entire coastal region – the wetlands, rivers, and bays – is a rich playground full of a variety of adventures.

Until your teens or tots sink their toes in the sand, you haven’t really arrived at the beach. So, make haste down Gulf Shores Parkway to land’s edge where you can slather on the sunscreen and catch a wave. All of the major resorts in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach maintain beach services with lounge chairs and umbrellas and even kayaks or catamarans that visitors can rent.

Look beyond the high-rises to discover less-crowded strands, where you’ll feel as if the entire beach belongs to your family. At these tranquil spots, you’ll need to bring your own blankets, chairs and umbrellas for comfort (don’t forget a cooler with cold drinks, snacks and wet cloths to wash hands and faces). One of the best sites along AL Highway 182 is Gulf State Park. The 3.5 miles of sugary sands separate Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The park features the second-longest fishing pier (1,540 feet) anywhere along the Gulf of Mexico.

When you’re ready for a break from the beach, make tracks for Mobile Bay. As the fourth-largest estuary in the U.S., the bay is home to dolphins and seabirds as well as two 19th-century forts. Drive out Fort Morgan Road (AL Highway 180). As the peninsula narrows, the bay laps against the north shore of the road, and the Gulf on the south. At road’s end (just over 20 miles), spend a morning climbing over the 1834 star-shaped fortifications at Fort Morgan. Exhibits describe the events of the War of 1812 as well as the Civil War. Afterward, wander into Fort Gaines, which was built to protect the western entrance to the Mobile Bay. Completed during the Civil War, Fort Gaines also played host to soldiers on U-boat watch during World War II.

Add an extra day to your bayside travels and scoot the 30 miles north into Mobile to the Battleship USS Alabama. The 680-foot behemoth served in both the Atlantic and Pacific arenas during World War II. Families may explore the brigs, walk the decks and man the gun turrets. The region is home to a zoo that wants you to touch the animals. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo has many young creatures among their 300-plus wild residents. They have an interaction program that lets you hold a kangaroo, pet a lemur or even romp with white Bengal tiger cubs.

And finally, a visit to Bellingrath Gardens is a must. Bellingrath is a 65-acre estate garden with a 15-room museum home and bayou boardwalk. Enjoy great shopping in the gift shop and plan to stay for lunch in the cafe. We recommend visiting in March where you can Enjoy the blooms of more than 250,000 vibrant azaleas in an explosion of color throughout the 65 acres of Bellingrath Gardens. For precise times of the azalea blooms, please check Azalea Watch on our website.

Media Contacts
Graham Roderick, [email protected]
334-353-1907
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