Oh How We Love Dauphin Island AL (March 28 - ?)

The Place 

Dauphin Island is a 14 mile long barrier island in the mouth of Mobile Bay.  You reach it from the West via a long causeway and bridge which brings you to the center of the island.  You leave it to the East on a Ferry.   It bills itself as “The Way Family Vacations Used to Be.”  It is quiet, laid back and unassuming.  There are no tall buildings.  We haven’t seen a hotel yet. 

 

We’ve spent all of our time so far in the eastern quarter of the island.  In addition to the historic/scientific things to do here (which will be future posts because we haven’t done them yet), there are a handful of shops, a combination hardware/grocery/video rental store, a gas station, a seafood store, a bakery, and a campground run by the town.  The main street on the island (Bienville Blvd) is very wide with a median down the middle and a paved bike lane to the side (which we used yesterday).  The Gulf side of the Island is covered by a beautiful white sand beach.  

Most of the people we have met here have over-wintered here for 4, 5 or 6 years.  They really love it here, and we can see why.

The Adventure

We arrived in the middle of a tremendous thunderstorm that lasted about 30 hours and dumped 4 inches of rain across the region.  It started for us during the night in Mississippi and ended for us the next night here in Alabama.  Behind it came a 1 day warm front.  Yesterday, we went to the beach in the morning and again in the afternoon.  What bliss to sit in the sun, hear the waves lap against the sand, and smell the sea breeze!  Tiki and Russ swam.

 In between beach visits we toured our end of the island by bicycle.  We had an ice cream cone at the Marina and got bottled water at the Ship and Shore general store.  Perfect!

The Name

Dauphin is the French term for Prince, and was used to refer to the heir to the throne.  Dauphin Island was named for the Dauphin who would become Louis XV.  Dauphin is also the French term for dolphin, and the dolphin is represented on the coat of arms for the Dauphin.  Interestingly, though it may not have been that way at the time, the island viewed today on a map is kind of shaped like a dolphin.