Dauphin Island Restaraunts & Shopping

This post is going to be very boring.  There were not that many places to eat and definitely not many places to shop.  I enjoy going into a few souvenir shops to pick up some local stuff, but the few we visited didn't have much.  Groceries were out of the question.  We went to a Wal-Mart 50 miles away before we came onto the island.  We were warned to do this.  Thankfully, we listened.  There was one afternoon when I needed an SD card.  Nobody in town had anything like that and some of the locals looked at me like I was a crazy woman.  Definitely need to come prepared when visiting!  We generally only eat dinner out while on vacation, but this time we ate at the condo because of the lack of places to go.  This was the draw of the island, though.  We wanted fewer people and places. We wanted to have the beach mainly to ourselves.  We got that, so we are happy!  The few places we did go to were pretty decent.  Everything was fresh and tasty! 

The first place we visited was basically just a shack near the condo that didn't really look like much.  The name is Island Rainbow and is located on the main drag on Bienville.  They had snow cones, pizza, and other items for sale.  We ended up just getting snow cones because the kids were hot from the beach.  The syrup was horrible and watered down.  We decided we would not make a return visit.

One evening for dinner, Brad and I walked down to the "Islanders" for a meal.  The slogan was cute and read "Fine Dining in Flip Flops."  We got it to go and we were not disappointed once back at the condo.  We had the best sweet tea ever.  I said to Brad that it tasted just like my Nene used to make.  It took me back a few years and made me miss my Nene.  Brad got a burger with A-1 on the side and I got the shrimp alfredo with Italian bread on the side. 

I apologize for the poor picture quality.  I also scarfed my food down before I even remembered that I didn't get a picture! 

The following day, we headed back for lunch and I got the shrimp basket with sweet potato fries.  Again, the sweet tea was amazing and I didn't take pictures!  The sweet potato fries were probably the best I have ever had.  They didn't even taste fried, which was a huge plus.

During lunch one day we decided to hit up Pirate's Bar & Grill.  The day we were there, they had some sort of kitchen malfunction that was causing the place to fill up with cooking smoke.  No big deal.  We opened up the windows and let in the island breezes.  The food was fresh like it was plucked from the ocean.  They shut it down for repairs and we ended up being the only people dining.  I got the crab cakes with baked beans and cole slaw and Brad got the shrimp basket with baked beans and cole slaw. 

Their margaritas were pretty tasty.  I always get mine on the rocks with sugar instead of salt on the rim.  They used cuervo in mine. 

They had a view to die for. 

So, while on the island, we ate out three times.  Twice at Islander's and once at Pirates.  I suppose we saved quite a bit of cash!

On to shopping.  It was certainly not a shopping destination.  You could barely get the necessities, let alone if you forgot something major.  I'm not sure how long it would take to drive somewhere to get something you just HAD to have.  I mentioned before that we went to a Wal-Mart like 40-50 miles away before we even got on island.  There are a few gas stations and bait shops where you can get a few items, but I noticed the prices were up and there wasn't much to choose from.  I went to the Octopus shop to look for a few souvenirs and ended up getting a Purvida bracelet and some earrings.  I also went into a few other touristy shops but we didn't get much other than a magnet for our fridge and a sand toy for Sophia.  Overall, we mainly enjoyed the beach.  That's basically the only thing to do and you want to make sure you are prepared! 

We did have some cake while on vacation, though!  My Mom, Grandma, Brad, and Sophia conspired at Wal-Mart  to surprise me :)

On the way home, we bought some Alabama peaches. They are AMAZING!!! 

After buying the peaches, we stopped by Sikes & Kohn for some shopping.  I love this place.  They have all sorts of brands and for a decent price.  Brad ended up getting an Under Armour shirt, a Columbia fishing hat, and some Teva sandals for the next vacation (his Nike sandals chewed up his big toe).  Braden got a Guy Harvey shirt.  Sophia got some Choco sandals as well as a Guy Harvey shirt.  I got some Choco shoes that will be put to good use when we go on hikes and for vacations!  While at the outlet store, the kids got a bit hungry.  We ate at the Hamburger King and got scrambled eggs and breakfast sandwiches.  Quite tasty and cheap! 

We drove for quite awhile and when the kids were hungry again, we stopped at Milo's.  They had burgers and such and had some kind of special sauce.  The burgers were awesome and the tea was amazing!  What is it with the south and their tea?!? 

XOXO...Becky

Dauphin Island Turtles

When we got on the beach the morning after we checked in, we noticed that there was a small area blocked off by boards, caution tape and a note.  When we got close enough to investigate, we found that it was a turtle nest.  Later on in the week, my Grandparents were taking a stroll on the beach before any of us were out of bed and they ran into a gal who was standing guard over a pile of sand.  When they questioned her, they found out that she was a local who walks a two mile stretch of beach every day during nesting season to find turtle nests before they were destroyed by beachgoers unknowingly.  Soon after, the DNR got there and put up their protective stuff.  It is a federal offense to mess with the nests and from what we gather, they take it quite seriously.  The local told my Grandparents that they missed a nest last year and some teens had an egg fight.  It made me sick to my stomach to hear.  There is a Facebook page you can like that shows the turtle nest findings on Dauphin Island.  I would recommend checking it out!  Get on Facebook and look up Share the Beach- Dauphin Island.  They post lots of pictures of the nests they find and their efforts of helping the turtles. 

Protected turtle nest

Just don't mess with them!

 Turtle eggs

The tracks a turtle makes getting on land to dig a nest

We should all try to do our part to help protect our sea creatures.  I know many of us are landlocked, but we can still recycle, try to cut down on our waste, and help by getting the word out. 

On a side note, I found one of these weird looking black things on the beach but didn't touch it.  I am always a bit unsure of what is safe and what is not when I'm on the beach and in the ocean.  When we went to the sea lab, I found that it is a perfectly harmless "mermaid's purse" which is an egg from a stingray.  So when my mom found this one, I had to get a picture!  We threw it back in, of course.

XOXO...Becky

Fort Gaines & Crabbing

Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island

Fort Gaines is pretty interesting and definitely worth checking out. It is a self guided tour and the cost is $8 for adults and $4 for children.  You will get a brochure that lists everything you can see by number.  The number correlates with the item once outside.  We did our own thing and just started walking and checking stuff out.  The kids enjoyed all of the secret passageways and the stairs.  This Fort is where the famous saying "Damn the torpedoes.  Full speed ahead" comes from.  This would be a great excursion for the history buffs because it does have some historical items on display inside the Fort museum.   

Fort Gaines from "The Duke"

The entrance

One of the many passageways

Braden and Sophia

 The cannon on top of the Fort

Help!  We are trapped!

Hull from a boat found after a hurricane washed it on shore.  Supposedly it's from a ship wreck that was dated to the 17-1800's

Crabbing

Every single time we have a vacation near an ocean, we HAVE to take the kids crabbing.  Last year, Sophia wouldn't even hold the bucket of crabs she was so terrified of them, but this year she was catching them just like the boys were! The crabs we are after generally make their appearance at night, but can also be seen during the day as well.  The crabs are white sand crabs and they are everywhere!  We each take a flashlight and go searching.  I usually hold the bucket and take pictures.  The kids have a blast doing it and I highly recommend it for anyone!  You can't beat the price==FREE!!    All you hear on the beach is kids giggling and squealing and you see dozens of flashlights.  If you get near the ocean, you can find the big blue crabs that you can eat, but good luck catching those bad boys!  Brad caught one by accident while fishing, and he only got it because it was trying to steal his bait and got its claw wrapped up in the line. 

 

All three kiddos on the boardwalk for some crabbing fun

Crab bucket

They found one!

Their bucket got pretty full after this and the crabs started to try and climb out

We released them into Sophia's sandcastle

Next time you go on a vacation on the Gulf, go crabbing!  It's a load of fun for ALL!

XOXO...Becky

Sharks, The Duke and a Lighthouse, Oh My

The water on Dauphin Island was very murky the week we visited.  The captain of the Duke told us that they never get very clear water down there but that week was exceptionally bad, and was related to the crazy tides they were having.  This brought on the conversation of sharks. I get a bit scared when I can't see my feet in the water.  I will swim in creeks, ponds, and lakes with murky water back home where I am sure there are no alligators or sharks, but NOT oceans.

What is it?  Shark or Dolphin???!!!  We had seen so many dolphins while swimming, beachcombing, and enjoying the beach; however, none of them acted like this. 

"The Duke"

Wishing us farewell as we leave the Marina

 These two are enjoying the ride

 
While we were on the boat, we visited the lighthouse.  He informed us that the water is around 26 feet deep around the lighthouse and only 8-10 feet in depth in the bay. Near the lighthouse, the Captain told us that it is a major hangout for bull, tiger, and black tip sharks.  He also said that it is an excellent place for fishing.  I was amazed at the current.  We were told it was about 10 knots.  It looked very dangerous.  The lighthouse was built in 1838, was rebuilt in 1873 and then taken out of usage in 1933.  The lighthouse used to have a sand walkway to get there but Hurricane Katrina wiped it out.  Now it stands alone.  It is a federal offense to step foot on the rocks because the town does not want it vandalized. 

 You can see the current around the lighthouse.  It was pretty strong!

Up close view.  Too bad this lighthouse is no longer lit.  I would imagine it would be a beautiful sight.

We had a ton of fun on The Duke.  After talking about sharks and seeing the lighthouse, it was time to put out some shrimp nets.  After the nets were put out, they were drug for about 15 minutes.  The nets were taken out and dumped onto a touch table.  All dangerous creatures were removed and all passengers were able to look at and even touch the catch.  There were so many starfish that we each came home with one to dry out and keep for ourselves.  There were plenty of small fish which the kids got to throw to the birds and dolphins.  There were some squid that inked all over the place and some hermit crabs.  Overall, it was a blast and the kids learned a ton about ocean life. 

 

My family with my brother and his girlfriend on the tour

 The birds were hanging around to catch some of our catch from the shrimp nets

 Lots of interesting finds in the nets

 Squid!

 Our Starfish

 Sea anemone

 Dolphins were hanging around waiting on the kids to throw over some of our catch

Overall, I highly recommend this tour.  If we would have done it earlier in the week, I would have booked the fishing tour and the sunset tours with them as well.  Overall, they had excellent customer service.  One thing I would have liked is if they had waters and snacks for sale.  We had to bring our own.  To reach them for pricing and booking, go to www.actionoutdoors.org 

XOXO...Becky

Sea Lab and Bird Sanctuary

Dauphin Island is home to the Sea Lab and a Bird Sanctuary.  Both were a fun time and I would recommend them if any of you ever visit the island. There isn't much for kids to do on the island other than the beach and one putt putt place.  The Sea Lab and the Sanctuary are something to do when the kids get a bit worn out from the beach.

The sanctuary is off of Bienville road and it is recommended to have something to drink and I wouldn't go in the hottest part of the day.  This is a physical activity and not for those in a wheelchair.  There is not cost for entering the park and parking is limited.  We didn't see any birds but we could hear them.  We aren't avid bird watchers, by any means.  We found an eagle's nest (we think). We ran into a couple that were finding Geo Cache.  They found one under a log and just had to put their name down.  The highlight of the park was Gaillard Lake.  It was home to many fish, turtles, and an alligator.  The kids LOVED seeing the alligator and it was very active the day we went.  We saw it eating things, chomping with is big mouth, and going under the water and putting on a bubble show.  After we saw the gator, we left.  There were quite a few trails but we opted to head back to the condo. 

There were so many turtles! 

 I wish my camera lens would zoom a bit more.  We still

aren't certain if this is an Eagle nest or not. 

This guy was pretty hungry and gave us a show!

 Of course we had to get a family selfie!!!

The Sea Lab was very interesting and we learned a lot about the local sea life.  I loved that it had some hands on activities for the kids.  I was disappointed at how small it was.  I expected it to have much more to see than it did.  The girl at the counter taking our money was not rude to us, but was not very personable.  The cost for adults was $11 and children, seniors and students were $6. The price wasn't bad at all.  We walked around and saw all we could see.  The kids loved it and they especially loved the touch tank.  There was a sting ray, a conch, and some hermits that they could pick up and explore.  Outside there was a touch tank with some more sting rays and a manta ray.  The rays felt like rubber when we touched them.  It was a neat feeling.

They had some Lion Fish so that the children could be

educated about some of the invasive species in our oceans.

All three kiddos were getting a kick out of touching the rays

 We didn't know what to think of this creature.

XOXO...Becky 

Dauphin Island Sea Glass

So, my Husband really got into sea glass while on Vieques.  He is a hunter and is a bit competitive, so I'm positive that he got into it because of those qualities.  While on vacation in Dauphin Island, he was bound and determined to find some sea glass.  I just wanted to sit my bum in the sand, but he wouldn't let up.  I had told him before we left that one of my sea glass books mentioned the island as a place for sea glass.  As soon as we got there I had already blown it off because of the white soft sand.  I assumed we wouldn't find much.  You know what they say about assuming things.  He searched and scoured the internet until he found a blog.  The blog is www.christianson5.wordpress.com and she talked about finding sea glass on the island.  Brad came to me ecstatic and said we had to go check it out right then.  So up I got out of my comfortable beach chair and we made our way to the condo.  My brother and his girlfriend decided to tag along because they had never heard of it before, and they were intrigued.  The spot the blogger spoke about is the east side of the island across from Fort Gaines, and it mentioned lots of creepy crawlies on the rocks.  When we got there, all I saw was numerous fishermen and huge boulders lining the beach. Once I got close enough, I could see the bugs crawling.  I was very hesitant.  After only a minute or two, Brad yelled that he found a piece.  The rest is history and I threw caution to the wind and decided a few creepy crawlies wouldn't stop me from finding some sea glass. I found many pieces in various stages of tumbling.  We had to teach my brother and his gal how to tell if glass has been tumbled enough and what to look for.  It didn't take them long at all to start finding some awesome pieces!  We searched for about 45 minutes and decided to try it again the following morning.  As we were leaving, Brad happened to run into a fisherman who asked what we were doing on the rocks and what we were searching for.  Brad explained that we were looking for sea glass and the fisherman told us about a beach as you are leaving the island to the right of the fisherman's pier.  Well it was game on, then!  I was getting excited and the thoughts of sitting on my bum disappeared rapidly.  The following day, we left to find more sea glass.  We started on the bridge and found the pier.  We looked to the right and all we noticed were private property signs.  Brad went to the pier office and asked where we could go along the beach for some beachcombing.  The cashier explained that we needed to drive just a few hundred feet past the signs and that we could park along the road and look for glass to our heart's content.  We found a lot of great pieces along this stretch of beach as well!  We had to dig through some shells and search in more rocks, but it was well worth it.  I wasn't ready to go back because we were doing so well, but the NO-SEE-UMS got to us and we quickly decided we had enough.   

   I didn't take the best of pictures, but some of my finds include a crab leg, a star fish, some shells, driftwood, some tile and lots of sea glass.  The blue glass you see in the picture is not tumbled enough.  It is still somewhat sharp and shiny.  Blue is so rare that I couldn't bring myself to throw it back! 

This is the picture I took after Brad found the first few pieces at the beach across from Fort Gaines

XOXO...Becky