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Dauphin Island, Alabama

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 13 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #195 in Travel, #8118 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

A great place to visit or live!

 

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We recently returned from a wonderful vacation on Dauphin Island and just had to share this special place with everyone!

Beach Houses Galore!

Dauphin Island 

Dauphin Island is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, located on a barrier island also named Dauphin Island. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,371. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area. It was named after Louis XIV's great-grandson and heir, the Dauphin.

The Gulf of Mexico is to the south of the island; the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay are to the north. The island's eastern end helps to define the mouth of Mobile Bay. The eastern, wider portion of the island is shaded by thick stands of pine trees, but the narrow, western part of the island features scrub growth and few trees.

Dauphin Island, Alabama is the name of the incorporated community situated on the island. The island has a permanent population of about 1,200. It is home to Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, The Estuarium public aquarium, several restaurants, an airport, boat ramps, a large public pier, new condominium developments, historics sites, and numerous private homes. Beaches attract tourism, and fishing is a popular activity in the waters around the island. The island is connected to the mainland by the Gordon Persons Bridge.

Although the island has several bird sanctuaries, the main one is the 164 acre (66.37 ha) Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Dauphin Island is the first landfall encountered by many birds as they migrate north from South America, and as a consequence many species can be found resting there before continuing their journey.

What is a dauphin? 

The Dauphin of France ()?strictly, Dauphin of Viennois (Dauphin de Viennois)?was the title given to the heir apparent of the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830.

Guy VIII, Count of Vienne, had a dolphin on his coat of arms and had been nicknamed le Dauphin (French for dolphin). The title of Dauphin de Viennois descended in his family the LeVieux Princes of Ivetot until 1349, when Humbert II sold his seigneurie, called the Dauphiné, to King Philippe VI on condition that the heir of France assumed the title of le Dauphin. The wife of the Dauphin was known as la Dauphine.

The first French prince called le Dauphin was Charles V. The title was roughly equivalent to the English title Prince of Wales, the Scottish title Duke of Rothesay, or the Spanish title Prince of Asturias. The official style of a Dauphin of France, prior to 1461, was par la grâce de Dieu, dauphin de Viennois, comte de Valentinois et de Diois ("By the Grace of God, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois"). A Dauphin of France would unite the coat of arms of the Dauphiné, which featured Dolphins, with the French fleurs-de-lys, and might where appropriate further unite that with other arms (e.g. François, son and Dauphin of Francis I, was ruling Duke of Brittany, so united the coat of arms of that province with the typical arms of a Dauphin of France; Francis II, whilst Dauphin, was also King of Scots by marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, and so added the arms of the Kingdom of Scotland to those of the Dauphin of France).

Originally, the Dauphin was personally responsible for the rule of the Dauphiné, which was legally part of the Holy Roman Empire, and which the Emperors, in gifting the rule of the province to the French heirs, had stipulated must never be united with France. Because of this, the Dauphiné suffered from anarchy in the 14th and 15th centuries (since the Dauphins of France were frequently minors, or concerned with other matters).

The province was united with France by Louis XI. During his period as Dauphin, Louis defied his father, Charles VII, by remaining in the province longer than the King had permitted and by engaging in personal politics more beneficial to the Dauphiné than to France. For example, Louis married Charlotte of Savoy against his father's wishes. Savoy was a traditional ally of the Dauphiné, and Louis wished to reaffirm that alliance, so as to stamp out rebels and robbers in the province. Louis was driven out of the Dauphiné by Charles VII's soldiers in 1456, leaving the region to fall back into disorder. After his succession in 1461, Louis united the Dauphiné with France, bringing it permanently under royal control.

The title of Dauphin was automatically conferred upon the next heir apparent to the French throne in the direct line upon birth, accession of the parent to the throne, or death of the previous Dauphin, unlike the English title Prince of Wales; which was (and is) granted at the will of the monarch, rather than as an automatic right at birth as was the case with the Dauphin.

The title was abolished by the Constitution of 1791, which made France a constitutional monarchy. Under the constitution, the heir to the throne (Dauphin Louis-Charles at that time) was restyled as Prince Royal (a Prince of the Blood would be retitled as prince français), taking effect from the inception of the Legislative Assembly on 1 October 1791. The title was restored in potentia under the Bourbon Restoration of Louis XVIII; there was not, however, another Dauphin until his death. With the accession of his brother Charles X, Charles' son and heir, Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, automatically became Dauphin.

However, with the removal of the Bourbons, the title fell once again into disuse (the heirs of Louis-Philippe being titled as Prince Royal). After the death of Henri, comte de Chambord, Carlos, Duke of Madrid, the heir of the legitimist claimant, Juan, Count of Montizón, made use of the title in pretense, as have the Spanish legitimist claimants since.

Are there dolphins? 

You bet there are!

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 metres (4 ft) and 40 kilograms (88 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and ten tonnes (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.

Alabama 

Alabama (formally, the State of Alabama; ) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks 23rd in population with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006.

From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern States, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on agriculture. White rural interests dominated the state legislature until the 1960s, while urban interests were underrepresented.George Mason University, United States Election Project: Alabama Redistricting Summary, accessed March 10, 2008 In the years following World War II, Alabama experienced significant recovery as the economy of the state transitioned from agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and high technology, as well as the establishment or expansion of multiple military installations, primarily those of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Today, the state is heavily invested in aerospace, education, health care, and banking, and various heavy industries including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production and fabrication.

Alabama is unofficially nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, which is also the name of the state bird. Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie". The state tree is the Longleaf Pine, the state flower is the Camellia. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, and the largest city by population is Birmingham. The largest city by total land area is Huntsville. The oldest city is Mobile.

Step back in time

Dauphin Island Highlights 

Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabamas Marine Science Institution
Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabamas Marine Science Institution
Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries Coastal Birding
Dauphin Island , Alabama is one of the top birding spots in the Southeast.
Historic Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island
Historic Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, AlabamaWhere History Spans Three Centuries
Dauphin Island and Mobile Bay were mapped as early as 1519 by Alonzo Pineda. In 1699, the French explorer,
Pierre Le Moyne de'Iberville named it "Massacre" because of a large pile of human skeletons he discovered. De
Dauphin Island Ferry Schedule
DAUPHIN ISLAND FERRY SCHEDULE The Dauphin
Ferry departs for Ft. Morgan Peninsula every hour and a half beginning at
8AM daily. 8:00AM 9:30AM 11:00AM 12:30PM
2:00PM 3:30PM 5:00PM 6:30PM * 6:30PM departure
runs daily except November thru February. During these months the last
departure time is 5:00P
LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE ON DAUPHIN ISLAND
LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSEDAUPHIN ISLAND, ALABAMA
How often do teachers in Mobile county wake up to a
bright, sunny morning in the middle of the week and dream
of a relaxed drive to Dauphin Island instead of going to
school? Most dreams include a day spent enjoying the sea
breeze, listening to the

Learn about the sea

Learn more about Dauphin Island 

Town of Dauphin Island, Alabama
Town of Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island
Original page for the town of Dauphin Island, AL
Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce
Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce, Information albama gulf coast, daupinislandcoc
Dauphin Island, Alabama Park and Beach Board
Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board operates the Island's Campground, Fort Gaines, Fishing pier and an area of public beach for this resort Island.

Build a sandcastle

What do you think about Dauphin Island? 

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Enjoy the beach

What do you like about Dauphin Island? 

VIK3

Hi Friend,

Got your request to join in my group..

Did View your lens and was satisfied by your info.
As n Well about me,

Any Travel and accommodation related queries, dont forget to drop inn by...

See You..

Posted September 04, 2008

isabella

Thanks for joining the World's Best Island Guide!
Submit your ideas to make this group better! And check out also its new lenses!
5*

Posted August 24, 2008

gods_grace_notes

Ooooo... you have reminded me of how much I love the beach. Beautiful!
Connie
: )

Posted August 17, 2008

Cumberland

I enjoyed the lens. My family and I vacationed on the island several years ago. The thing we most appreciated then was the unspoiled natural beaches. I was told it was the Gulf shore the way it was fifty to seventy five years ago.

A great place to vacation and relax. 5 Stars.

Posted August 10, 2008

annetteghallowell

I lived in Mobile and Fairhope Alabama in the 80s and still have a lot of friends there. Thanks for the great lens that reminds me it is time to get back for a visit.

Posted July 30, 2008

 
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