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mamaslearning
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| Posted: May 26 2012 at 10:59am | IP Logged
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It's decided, we will be visiting Gulf Shores, AL this year for vacation. Now, how about some tips on those *must see* sites?
Here's what I have so far:
The Beach and Lagoon near our condo
Ft. Morgan
Explorium in Mobile
Train Museum (just north of Gulf Shores)
My other question is, would there be enough to do if we stayed for a month? Or, would staying in the Ft. Morgan area be too far to enjoy as a home base?
What about Birmingham? Family fun? I know nothing about Alabama and I'm excited to visit this state!
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Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
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Dana
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| Posted: May 26 2012 at 11:32am | IP Logged
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Oh, that sounds like fun!'
Off the top of my head would be Dauphin Island and National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. There's the Huntsville Space and Rocket Museum if you want to stop going out or in, if it's on your way. Don't know that I'd make a special trip with the littles. The Oak Mountain State Park just outside of Birmingham (petting farm and Alabama Wildlife Rehab Center). The McWane Science Center also in Birmingham, but that and the zoo can be pricey depending on your budget. Also, the Southern Museum of Flight looks neat and we hope to go soon. There's Aldridge Gardens in Hoover that would be a nice place to stretch your legs and have a picnic.
There's the Gulf Coast Exploreum that I've never been to but we plan to check out if we make it down this year since it's free with our McWane membership.
Clanton, AL would be a good place to stop if you could for some of the produce.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. CrunchyMom and JenMack can help me out here!!
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Dana
wife to Andre and mother to dd (06/07), ds (12/08), dd (7/10), and ds (6/12)
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SallyT
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 4:05pm | IP Logged
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On Dauphin Island there are an Estuarium, a fort, and a bird sanctuary which is nice to visit/hike. That could be a nice day expedition from Gulf Shores. The beaches on the island are lovely, too. There's a really nice public beach at the far end (away from the Estuarium, etc), which does cost something but has a playground and other amenities, as well as a lifeguard (though I'm not sure about the off-season). There's a lot of bird life to see all over the island, and I think there are protected nesting areas at that end -- not that they'd be nesting in the fall, but it's still a good place to birdwatch.
There's the USS Alabama in Mobile Bay -- my kids loved touring that last year.
You might also investigate Ocean Springs, MS, which is home to the Walter Anderson museum. Anderson was an amazing, eccentric artist who drew heavily on the local flora and fauna in his watercolors, drawings, prints, etc. I have two framed Anderson prints in the room I'm sitting in right now, and more around our house -- my dad, who was kind of a secret artist, adored his work. Your littlest children might be too young for the museum, but your 7yo might well enjoy it, and Ocean Springs is a fun little Gulf-Coast town, and it's not that far away from where you'll be.
That's all I can think of right now. We're actually going to be on Dauphin Island next week, so if I come across something else fun to do, I'll let you know.
Sally
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: May 30 2012 at 7:11am | IP Logged
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Thanks! And thanks to the PM's I received!
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Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
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Rebeccca
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| Posted: June 09 2012 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I don't know if you've already gone or not but I HIGHLY recommend the trip out to Ship Island. We had an excellent ranger/docent for the trip out and the tour of the fort. He was so knowledgeable and really seemd interested in his subject himself.
On the ride out the dolphins swam along with the boat and surfed and breached over the wake. When we were swimming/wading a dolphin came w/in . . .oh . . . 30 feet or so of us. Not 50 feet for sure.
If you go, I recommend taking an ice chest of food and drink. Even if you just go to Subway and get a few sandwiches and bottles of water you'd be better off.
I don't really recommend Beauvoir. Our docent seemed only moderately knowledgeable. She seemed to know what she got in training and nothing more and she rather seemed to have the attitude that our visit was an imposition. And she blasphemed and made disparaging remarks re the needlework and those really irked me! I'm a budding hand-embroiderer and the handiwork made by one of the women was i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e! I mentioned it and she said, "(Our Lord's Name in vain), I am *so* glad I have better things to do with my time! Can we hear it for the invention of the television?" My daughter said, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord" and the lady laughed.
I really don't recommend it.
Our family prefers to patronize locally owned/mom-and-pop type places. We found that there were almost NONE on the waterfront (lost during K. and unable to return) but there are more mom-and-pop things once you leave the beach.
HTH!
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: Oct 17 2012 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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We had a wonderful time! The train museum in Foley was perfect for my little guys, and they had a ride-on train (make out of a tractor and several pull cars) that took us around the town park.
We visited Weeks Bay and walked on the boardwalk. The Aviation museum was a hit as was the putt-putt and arcade games we stopped at in Orange Beach. Beach was not as big of a hit as I thought it would be, the kids much preferred the indoor pool where they could swim. One kid hated all the sand.
Ft. Morgan was neat, but dangerous for the littlest ones. It just meant we had to carry one and make the 4 year old hold our hand more often than usual.
I took one look at the ferry for Dauphin Island and say no way. I'm a bit scared of all the water since our kids are not swimmers and it was kind of choppy for several days.
Overall a wonderful trip!
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Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Gulf Shores, AL
