Barony of the Osprey

The Coastal Barony of the Kingdom of Meridies

What’s Nearby

If you are making a longer weekend of your visit to the Gulf Coast, note that many businesses/restaurants on Dauphin Island are closed on Monday and/or Tuesday as that is their “weekend.”

Restaurants

There are only a few restaurants on the island (and no Starbucks). Most are located at or near the intersection of Hwy 193 and Bienville Blvd at the middle of the island. Note that some are takeout-only.

  • For lunch: Skinner’s Seafood – really tasty steamed seafood to go (call ahead recommended); open Fri/Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 8pm-2pm. They also have a well-stocked freezer with locally made crab cakes, gumbo, crawfish pies, etc. and will pack fresh seafood for travel so you can take some Gulf deliciousness home with you.

  • Another good breakfast or lunch option is Lighthouse Bakery – sandwiches, pastries, and great coffee; open Fri 6am-3pm, Sat 6am-4pm, Sun 6am-3pm.

  • A good to-go lunch option is Miguel’s Beach n’ Baja – takeout tacos and burritos.

  • If you need a fast-food fix, Subway is your only option. It’s in the Circle K just off 193 before you turn on Bienville.

There are also a couple of restaurants along Hwy 193 on the way to the Island, and some in Bayou la Batre, a 30-minute drive.

Groceries, etc.

Your best option on the island is Ship & Shore near the intersection of Hwy 193 and Bienville. It is a convenience store, hardware store, liquor store, and small grocery store. However, you will pay a premium for the convenience of not having to drive back to the mainland (it’s only 8 minutes from the fort).

You will pass a Greer’s Old Bay Market on your way down at Hwy 193 and Fowl River Rd – it’s your last full service grocery store along the way. They have all the usual groceries and a pharmacy (and a surprisingly good cheese selection). Open 6am-9pm daily, though the attached liquor store is only open 8am-8pm (12pm-8pm on Sunday, of course). It’s about a 25 minute drive from the fort. There is also a Greer’s CashSaver in Bayou la Batre, about 30 minutes away.

(Now’s a good time to remind you that Alabama blue laws forbid the sale of wine, beer, or liquor before noon on Sundays, in case you run out of champagne before your Sunday morning mimosas).

The intersection of I-10 and Hwy 193 boasts a Walmart; there are also Winn-Dixie and Rouses supermarkets nearby. There is also a Lowes across from Walmart on Rangeline Rd/193 if you need to fix your tent or patch up your armor. (There are lots of stores/chain restaurants/fast-food restaurants/etc near that intersection, if you find yourself craving modern civilization. But still no Starbucks.)

Healthcare

There are no emergency rooms or urgent care clinics on the island. The closest urgent care clinic is American Family Care (open 8am-6pm 7 days a week) at the intersection of Hwy 193 and I-10 in Tillman’s Corner, AL, a 40 minute drive away. The closest 24-hour emergency room is Springhill Medical Center, a 45-50 minute drive away. For emergencies that cannot wait, dial 911 to reach Dauphin Island firemedics. Occasionally, the proximity to Mobile Bay will route cellular calls over the bay to Fairhope or Point Clear, so be sure to tell the operator that you are on Dauphin (pronounced like “dolphin”) Island to be transferred to the island’s emergency services.

The closest pharmacy is Conwell’s, located in the Greer’s Old Bay Market mentioned above (25 mins away). However, it’s only open 9am-6pm on Friday, 9am-2pm on Saturday, and is closed Sunday. There is a CVS in Bayou la Batre about 30 minutes from the fort, which is open 8am-9pm every day. The closest 24-hour pharmacy is Walgreens at 2050 Government Street in Mobile, a 45-minute drive.

Veterinarian

The closest vet is Oasis Veterinary Hospital in Theodore, a 25-30 minute drive away. Note that they are closed on Sundays and are only open until noon on Saturdays. There are several vets also available in Tillman’s Corner with similar hours. 24-hour emergency vet service is available at MedVet Mobile, a 45-minute drive from the fort, and at Rehm Animal Clinic (used and recommended by your webmistress), a 50-minute drive.

Beaches and Birding

Dauphin Island has a lovely public beach, open 8am-6pm. The island also has excellent birding opportunities and is recognized as an Audubon Bird Sanctuary. You might even see an osprey 😉

Other Attractions

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium (open Fri/Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm) is a small educational aquarium which focuses on the the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The Sea Lab is a short walk from the fort.

Shell Mound Park preserves an important archaeological site of the Mississippian Native Americans circa 1100 C.E.

The Mobile Bay Ferry operates a vehicle and passenger ferry over to Fort Morgan every 1.5 hours between 8am (first departure from Dauphin Island) and 7:15pm (last departure from Fort Morgan). You can check out Fort Gaines’ “sister fort” across the water or just enjoy the ride there and back.

Bellingrath Gardens (on the way back to the interstate) is a beautiful 65-acre Southern estate garden.

In Mobile, there are a variety of educational and/or entertaining options, such as the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, GulfQuest (the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico), or exploring the various museums and historic structures in downtown. Again, please note that some may be closed on Monday.