Dauphin Island
 

Looking for suggestions for restaurants and things to do on Dauphin Island in July with a 10 year old and a 15 year old. Any advice would be appreciated.

AL?

Yes, Dauphin Island, Alabama (near Mobile).

You might want to look at the boards on Tripadvisor.com. On the Alabama board, there are often discussions about Dauphin Island and several locals post on there, as do others who vacation there. Good luck!

PScott: Dauphin Island was great & had huge sand dunes many many years ago. After Hurricane Frederick washed away most of the beach, it was left quite a shambles.

There has been some renovations & newer buildings, but the beach & water are not the most desired in the Mobile area - most drive to Gulf shores/Orange Beach/Perdido for the nicer beaches & water.

Decades ago my mother-in-law loved Dauphin Island and she and her family went every summer. At the time, there were hotels, restaurants, etc.

My husband couldn't really remember much about it, so a few years ago (and a couple of months before Katrina) we drove over from Mobile to have a look. Basically, it was nothing but beach houses. I don't even remember seeing a restaurant. We were shocked at how uninviting it looked. When I'm on vacation, the last thing in the world I want to do is spend time in a kitchen, but I didn't see many (if any) alternatives.

I'm afraid your children will be bored to death. I agree that Orange Beach would be a MUCH better choice.

Thanks to all who sent messages. We've already booked the condo so are going to give it a shot. Have spent many years vacationing in Ft. Morgan, Gulf Shores, Destin, and more recently Watercolor and Seaside. However, with all the building that has gone on in WC and Seaside in the last few years, we decided to try someplace that was not quite as busy. The owner of the place we have rented has told us where to pick up our groceries and some good restaurants nearby. We're planning on bringing lots of reading materials and just hanging out with our kids. Sometimes, you've just got to try something different.... Will post a report when we return.

It will certainly be less busy.

Please do write a trip report when you get back, good or bad. There are few who request info about AL on this board. Of the ones who do, the trip reports are about nil (even though certain ones have promised me they would).

You can enjoy yourself there, if quiet & somewhat remote is what you desire. I hope you do have a relaxing, fun time!

Have a great time PScott. It sounds like you've done your research. I agree with the other posters that since Hurricane Frederick, there's not much going on at Dauphin Island, but to me that's part of the charm. If you've been turned off by all of the building going on in/near Seaside/WaterColor/Destin, etc., Dauphin Island will be a nice, quiet change. Just make sure you stop for groceries before you cross the bridge. The store on the island doesn't carry much. Have a great time, and please do post a report when you return.