The Mobile Bay Ferry links Dauphin with the larger Pleasure Island , five miles away (round-trip $3, cars $25; tel 334/434-7345). The real gem here, and indeed on the entire Alabama Gulf Coast, lies twenty miles east, in the shape of GULF SHORES , a stunning beach where ultramarine waters sweep gently over blinding snow-white sands, just beyond the junction of Hwy-59 and Hwy-182. Although it never gets overcrowded, the beach is particularly busy on a Sunday, when young people from all over LA - as Lower Alabama is known locally - choose the resort over those of the more expensive Florida Panhandle. A smattering of lively cafés specialize in freshly caught shrimp , particularly the lurid and popular Pink Pony Pub (tel 334/948-6371).
Tourism is Gulf Shores' only trade; if you get bored with the beach and the bars, there's not a lot else to do. Accommodation is pricey and often booked up at summer weekends, though the Holiday Inn White Sands Resort , a mile or so west at 365 E Beach Blvd (tel 334/948-6191, fax 251/948-8240, ; $50-75), is good value and has its own stretch of sand. Otherwise expect to pay in excess of $80 for a double, or camp three miles further east at the Gulf State Park Resort (tel 334/948-7275), where tentsites are $13. The Gulf Coast visitor center (tel 334/968-7511 or 1-800/745-SAND), on Hwy-59 near Gulf Shores, provides comprehensive information.
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