a day / 127 miles / 4 hours 14 minutes
Alabama's southern tip is a place where even first-time visitors find a connection. Here, you can experience the links between the traditions of the Deep South and a more laid-back island lifestyle, between the wildlife of thousands of acres of preserved lands and a beachfront vacation, and between the gunships of past naval battles and the countless recreational opportunities of the present. Make your own connection from the moment you take in one of the area's exceptional sights. As you journey on the route, see the sun sinking into the warm Gulf of Mexico, the weathered halls of a 150-year-old brick fort, the flutter of a colorful neo-tropical migrant bird, or a fishing boat easing from the dock at sunrise.
Day 1
9:00 - 17.8 miles / 35 minutes - 9:35
The Eastern Shore Trail is a 32-mile, multi-purpose trail that runs along the communities of Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope, and Point Clear. The trail offer travelers an up-close experience, strolling or biking along the creeks and wooded areas. The Baldwin County Trailblazers, a non-profit corporation, oversees this trail and has plans for extending the trail to additional communities.
9:35 - 40.3 miles / an hour 20 minutes - 10:56
This Gulf Coast gem boasts 6,500 acres of varied scenery with 2.5 miles of beach, fresh water lakes, nature trails, and beach pavilions. The park also has modern and primitive camping, cottages, tennis, group pavilions, an 18-hole golf course, nature programs, and picnic areas. A 1,512-foot-long fishing pier, the longest on the Gulf of Mexico, will open in early 2009 providing an amazing visual image as it juts over the Gulf waters.
10:56 - 7.4 miles / 14 minutes - 11:11
Renowned for its breathtaking scenery, throughout the year this 65-acre Garden Estate is in full bloom with camellias in the winter, azaleas in the spring, roses in the summer, chrysanthemums in autumn and “Magic Christmas in Lights” during the holiday season.
In addition to touring the Gardens, visitors can tour the Bellingrath Museum Home and the scenic Fowl River aboard the Southern Belle River Cruise.11:11 - 61.8 miles / 2 hours 3 minutes - 13:14