I don’t think Alabama necessarily intends to keep their best-kept beach getaway a secret, but somehow, it’s quiet, hidden under the shuffle. In fact, it’s so calm and perfect there that I almost didn’t want to share it. After all, if I spill the beans and let you know about my favorite beach vacation, what’s to keep you all from rushing there? But then I realized that a good beach vacation spot is just too good not to share.

For being a secret, Dauphin Island really isn’t too much of a secret at all. After all, it recently ranked in the top 8 Southern Islands You Should Be Visiting This Summer by Huffington Post and that isn’t it’s first time receiving a similar nod. But somehow, tucked away between Florida beaches and the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area that everyone’s familiar with, Dauphin Island is the perfect quiet getaway, especially for families.

After nearly a decade of summer vacations spent at Dauphin Island, I’ve made a list of the absolute most important things to do, see, and enjoy on the Island, as well as a few reminders that the best part of the island is the fact that you can just sit and relax.

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