When the rain gives you puddles, make them into showers of blessings by treating your family to some indoor favorites along the Alabama Coastal Connection Scenic Byway.
Start Day 1 of your Rainy Day Itinerary with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium. The fun and interactive exhibits are good for children and adults alike. More than 100 species are on display at this educational aquarium that showcases the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the barrier islands and the northern Gulf of Mexico. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Admission is charged.
Next is a stop at the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. Get back on Interstate 10 East and take Exit 26A (Canal Street) on the right. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Water Street and go two blocks. The entrance to GulfQuest is on the right, adjacent to the Alabama Cruise Terminal. Exhibits at the GulfQuest Maritime Museum include America’s Sea, Navigation Game, Setting Sail, The Sextant, and three theaters that put you smack dab in the middle of all things nautical. Admission is charged; various group events are available, including overnight camp-ins. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Spin a story.
Day 2 of your Rainy Day Itinerary begins in Baldwin County, where a variety of museums awaits you. On the Eastern Shore, there’s the Old Methodist Church Museum in Daphne that houses art and artifacts from Baldwin County’s earliest days and the adjacent cemetery that has graves from 1847. Free admission.
Farther down U.S. Highway 98 is the Fairhope Museum of History housed in Fairhope’s 1928 Spanish Mission-style City Hall. The museum includes the original jail, mayor’s office, town council chamber and fire station with an original 1935 firetruck. Located at 24 N. Section Street, the museum’s hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.
More free museums are on your Rainy Day Itinerary, meaning there’s room in the budget for an ice cream treat later in the day! Continue down U.S. Highway 98 East, part of Alabama’s Coastal Connection, as you journey to South Baldwin County.
Choo-choo your way over to the City of Foley Railroad Museum Archives and Model Train Exhibit. Much of the history of South Baldwin County and the effect of the railroad on its growth is contained within the exhibit. Don’t miss the “O” gauge model train railroad layout donated to the city of Foley in 2004. The model train exhibit has a quarter-mile of track representing the 1950s era. Free admission. Hours for the museum are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Model Railroad exhibit is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Two more museums can round out your Rainy Day Itinerary: the Baldwin County Heritage Museum and the Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum. The Baldwin County Heritage Museum in Elberta is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its collection represents much of the county’s early history, with collections of antiques and photographs on loan from area families.
The Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum celebrates our Native American and fishing heritage with many artifacts donated by local families. It’s open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and group tours may be booked for other times. Admission is free to both museums.
It’s the end of another great day. Take the kids home and give your feet a rest as you talk about your favorite stops along the Alabama Coastal Connection.
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