Alabama vacations and getaways are our specialty. If centuries of history and legendary Southern hospitality aren’t enough to get you to visit Alabama, maybe the Cotton State’s more than 600 miles of tidal coastline will. Featuring sandy white beaches, fresh seafood and a vibrant music scene, everyone can find things to in Alabama with all of its tourist attractions. Families can play together along the shore or charter a fishing excursion into the Gulf of Mexico to battle a marlin. Grown-ups can get in some shopping at a wide variety of boutiques and then stay up late to take in the nightlife. There’s so much that an Alabama Gulf Coast vacation has to offer with our Alabama travel guide.
During the summer months, be sure to visit some of Alabama’s most popular tourist attractions. Take the kids by the McWane Science Center in Birmingham or learn more about the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr in this city too. And travel to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for an out-of-this-world experience, or dive into the world of sea creatures at the Estuarium on Dauphin Island. A canvas of scenic beauty greets you year round in the Lookout Mountain area of northeastern Alabama. This area boasts beautiful bed and breakfasts and renowned outdoor recreation and even skiing. Head to Mobile, AL to tour the USS Alabama or explore the state’s Capitol and visit the Montgomery Zoo. Mobile is also home to many parks and wildlife, including alligators. And best yet, it is home to the Mobile Civic Center, a 400,000 square-foot building that hosts an impressive lineup of trade shows and conventions, sports, performing arts and more, from and ballet to Broadway musicals to rock concerts to grand opera.
Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Region
With 32 miles of soft sand beaches, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are the hidden jewels in the Heart of Dixie. Travelers to this beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast region can bunk up in everything from beach houses to bed and breakfasts, or you can drive on down and set up your RV or tent in one of the area’s family-friendly camping sites. Wildlife lovers can hike through the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge or take the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail to see a wide variety of flora and fauna. If more exotic animals are your thing, then you can always visit the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
Different kinds of adventures await inland where fun awaits in form of waterslide parks, outlet shopping centers and richly green golf courses. Later, exercise your mind by visiting one of the area’s museums, art galleries or historical sites. Then, after a day of excitement, relax in one of the region’s decadent spas or salons. With all that, you can’t say there aren’t things to do in Alabama.
Dauphin Island
Nestled between Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Dauphin Island has everything you’d expect from a barrier island, from dunes and maritime forests to salt marshes and tidal flats. Visitors can reach the island by driving down a two-and-a-half mile causeway and then over a three-mile bridge. But don’t let the island’s distance from shore fool you: there are hotels, motels, condominiums and private homes available for rent year round. And you won’t just be sitting in your room as there are plenty of quaint shops and local seafood restaurants to explore. The culinary adventurer can visit during the town’s gumbo festival, while music lovers can visit during the jazz festival. After hitting up the town, head out on the water for a fishing or kayaking trip. Don’t plan an Alabama Gulf Coast vacation without considering a trip to Dauphin Island.
