Preview: Three miles off the coast of Mobile County’s mainland, Dauphin Island is a cigar-shape, 14-mile-long island that is less than 2 miles across at its widest point. The island has no traffic lights, four churches, several fish markets, a handful of shops, and locals accustomed to buying shrimp and flounder fresh directly from fishing boats. You can reach the island by a causeway from the mainland or by ferry at Fort Morgan Peninsula every 90 minutes from 8 AM to 5 PM. The first European settlement in the Louisiana Territory was established on Dauphin Island by the French in the 1700s. The settlers called it “Massacre” for the large number of skeletons they found here. Fort Gaines, which is on Dauphin Island, and its across-bay sister, Fort Morgan, were seized by Alabama troops at the start of the Civil War and became Confederate strongholds. The Mobile Bay Ferry connects Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan. A $4 million Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab opened in 1998, spotlighting the unique local ecosystems of the Mobile Bay estuary. This chapter helps you plan a getaway in the Gulf Coast region. Inside you'll find information on what to see and do, dining, lodging, and how to get there.
© Copyright Diane Mehta, Editor published by Fodor's Travel Publications all rights reserved.
This travel guide comes from:
Fodor's Gulf Coast Getaways Guide Book
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