Exploring Fort Gaines and Dauphin Island in Alabama
Sometimes when traveling we pick a destination because its next to a National Park or a State Park, but in this case we wanted to go exploring Fort Gaines and Dauphin Island because it looked cool. That and we really wanted to check out the Gulf of Mexico for the first time during our travels.
FORT GAINES
The first stop of our Dauphin Island adventure was Fort Gaines. When getting there on a weekend in February we didn’t really have to fight any crowds whatsoever. The entry fee was $8 per adult, $4 per kid, and ages 4 and under get into Fort Gaines for free!
This wasn’t our first adventure at a fort, we saw a few while exploring Mackinac Island in Michigan, but this was special. Not only did this involve a fort, but also a well constructed bunker underneath!
Not only was this fort used during the American Civil War, but it (along with it’s neighbor For Morgan) were used during both World War I and II. I definitely recommend checking this place out if you are into history or just want to see a glimpse into the past.
EPIC BUNKERS
While exploring Fort Gaines we came across old tunnel ways, cannons, and buildings fortified to withstand quite a siege. In our video at the top of the blog post we explore many of the buildings on site in a bit more detail if you are interested.
Needless to say, it appears folks back then either weren’t nearly as tall as me or they were always in back pain bending over in and out of some of these entryways.
In the bunkers themselves they also had a living quarters as well, which I imagine would be quite packed as they weren’t tremendously large. I’m guessing the soldiers had to take shifts throughout the day in order to have enough room for people to get some rest.
PUBLIC BEACH ON DAUPHIN ISLAND
After having a blast at Fort Gaines and learning a bunch of history, we decided to have a little fun in the sun along the public beach towards the south central part of the island.
As you can see from the photos above, we were quite spoiled on this beautiful day with warm weather and partly cloudy skies. We got to this beach in February (as mentioned before) but we still were expecting some sort of fee to get out on the beach. With no one manning the gate upon arrival, we got in for free and enjoyed our stroll along the gulf!
This was the first time we were actually able to see/touch the Gulf of Mexico during our travels. All of the time in Florida we were separated by vegetation that was beautiful, but blocked the view of the beautiful waters.
SUNSET
Not only did we head to Dauphin Island once while visiting southern Alabama, but we decided we needed to at least see the sunset along the ocean once during our travels! This time Blaze came along with us, so if you are wondering, yes the beaches around here are in fact dog friendly.
Although it ended up being a bit more cloudy than we had hoped, the sunset was still incredibly beautiful along the gulf shores and we really enjoyed our stay near Dauphin Island. I imagine this place must be pretty crazy busy during the spring and summer months!
OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES
ALFRED B. MACLAY GARDENS STATE PARK
ONE DAY TO EXPLORE NEW ORLEANS
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
