White sand beaches on AL's Coastal Connection Scenic Byway

Learn all about the wildlife in this part of Alabama at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, an institution that fosters marine science education, research, and public engagement. While a lot of it is actually research facility operated by Auburn University, the Lab also has an Estuarium. That’s an aquarium that features the four main habitats of Southern Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands, and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. With 31 aquariums totaling over 30,000 gallons featuring more than 100 species, there's a lot of Alabama aquatic life to see! Be sure to stop by the stingray touch tank and the Living Marsh Boardwalk. Expect to meet jellyfish, turtles, alligators, and loads of other creatures!

You can’t take a trip to the beach without stopping to enjoy fresh seafood! Gulf Shores is home to an Acme Oyster House, a New Orleans-based eatery that serves delicious fare with a Cajun twist. Of course, the restaurant specializes in Louisiana oysters, served raw with cocktail sauce; chargrilled with cheese and swimming in luscious oyster butter; or as a shooter with vodka and cocktail sauce. After your oyster appetizers, enjoy N’awlins specialties like seafood etoufee, remoulade, gumbo, crawfish tail po’ boys, crab cakes and more. There are plenty of non-seafood options, and you’ll definitely want to save room for bread pudding and bananas foster cheesecake for dessert!

Just blocks off the beach is one of the country’s most impressive little zoos. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo may be known as “The Little Zoo That Could,” but it’s home to more than 500 exotic animals. Tigers, monkeys, lions, toucans, bears, snakes, turtles, and more call the zoo home, and the zoo itself does a lot of work on wildlife conservation and education. For a truly special experience, check out the schedule of sloth, lemur, and kangaroo encounters, among others. You can feel the passion that the zoo’s employees have for the animals here, which make a visit extra memorable.

You can also find beach beauty at Gulf State Park. With several miles of shore for swimming and shelling, the second largest fishing pier on the Gulf of Mexico, the 27-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail featuring plenty of gorgeous landscapes, a great nature center, and activities ranging from kayak and paddleboard rentals to Segway and parasailing tours, the park is a great one-stop destination for outdoor adventure in Gulf Shores. Add in a huge campground, cozy cabin and cottage rentals, and the pool, and you could easily spend a weekend enjoying yourself here.

Take a moment to enjoy the history and culture of Alabama's Gulf Coast at the Indian & Sea Museum in Orange Beach. Located in a historic schoolhouse (the building is seriously adorable), the museum displays artifacts from the region’s Native American and fishing history. Exhibits on the schoolhouse, boating, farming, and more also provide insight. The fog bell and Native American feathers are especially interesting. It’s free to visit and is located right down the road from lots of restaurants and other attractions in Orange Beach.

You won’t find a more classic attraction than The Wharf's Ferris Wheel in Orange Beach. It’s the tallest on the Gulf Coast, and is the icon for the town’s wharf. The Wheel has that awesome vintage vibe and rides are only $5 for adults. Ride it at sunset to make the most of the view! The Wharf offers tons of other stuff to see and do, like mini golf, ziplining, a free nightly sound-and-light show called Spectra, a farm market, and plenty of bars and restaurants. The Wharf has everything you want from a beach vacation, and you could easily spend a day enjoying the fun here.