Walk to west side of island

We took a walk one evening to the west side of the island with Josh, Staci and Elijah.

For a reference point, Dauphin Island is south of Mobile.  You cross a bridge to get to it.

Katrina cut the island's west end in half but the State of Alabama worked hard after the oil spill to reconnect the island.  They brought in rocks and boulders.  Sand has washed in to fill it back in.  Now, beachgoers can walk the entire length of Dauphin Island, nearly 17 miles.



Here is an aerial view I found.  Houses go up to this one parking lot and beyond that the only vehicles allowed are the rangers who check things out.  There is a public swimming beach there.  You can continue walking for miles past this point.  We have never been able to walk to the very end.  Maybe we could take a boat sometime.

We walked west on the bay side and returned on the gulf side. 

We came across a washed up stingray.  Looks like something chewed him up!  Perhaps he stung it with his tail as he was dying so it never got finished getting eaten up.

 

I was getting pretty exhausted by the time we were done walking!  But Al didn't want to piggy back me.  Darn. 

 We turned on our head lamps when it turned dark.  Eli was excited chasing crabs!

 The night before we had gone on a walk with Jill's family.  She wanted Josh to take their family pictures.

 He got some good shots!  (spoiler alert for Christmas cards!)

 

 

And Emeri wanted her photo taken too, of course!

A visit to the Estuarium on Dauphin Island

 Following a trip to Fort Gaines, we stopped by the estuarium, located close to the fort.

 The kids could touch the sting rays at the outdoor water tank.

We could touch these octopuses, sharks and other things.  

GROSS.   Cold to the touch.

 

At first, we thought this guy was dead.

But he is a bottom feeder and this is just the way he looks! 

The parents enjoyed a relaxing morning on the beach while we were gone.

A visit to Fort Gaines

We took the grandchildren to Fort Gaines, on the east side of Dauphin Island.

 The bathrooms

 (Eli had busted his eardrum so that is why there is cotton in his ear)

The soldiers were much shorter back in the civil war days!  

It looks like a bed for a kid Eli's age! 

 Papa is ever the teacher - a good one!

 A civil war jacket

 Could not imagine being a light house keeper on this itty, bitty, island!  I think I'd get claustrophobia!   I think I'd have to spend some time swimming around the island at times!

 And of course, everyone got to pick out a souvenir!