While there is not a shortage of things to enjoy in Baton Rouge with kids, a quick road trip with the famlily is never a bad idea. Our local Baton Rouge writers have plenty of family-friendly road trip suggestions from Baton Rouge, as well as tips on enjoying an adventure in the great outdoors! Another one of our favorite outings with kids in Baton Rouge is hiking, but there’s nothing quite like the beach … and that’s why we say that Dauphin Island is worth the drive.
Worth the Drive :: Dauphin Island
The beach is our favorite place to go as a family (one of the best is Pensacola), so my husband and I spent time brainstorming about a beach close to Baton Rouge we could visit. We heard great things about Dauphin Island from friends, so we decided to try it out a few summers ago. We found a beautiful, reasonably priced condo right on the bay. We were looking for a less crowded but scenic beach for this specific trip. We bought groceries ahead of time since there aren’t as many grocery stores or restaurants on the island as some other beaches. The drive to Dauphin Island is only three hours from Baton Rouge, so we didn’t even need to stop along the way.
Dolphins, Seagulls and Fish … Oh My!
When we got to Dauphin Island, we were amazed at the fish and birds right by the ocean. I’ve gone to the beach almost every summer, and at Dauphin Island, I saw two pods of dolphins swimming closer to us than I ever have before. We watched the dolphins swim from a distance for 15 – 20 minutes! There was also fantastic fishing in the bay right next to our condo. My husband and our boys went night fishing, and we could see the fish jumping out of the water all around us. There were also birds all around. Seagulls and pelicans were plentiful everywhere. It almost felt like we were in a nature preserve.
Although there were people at the beach, it was much less crowded than other beaches that we have visited, which was perfect for this trip. We went to the beach in the morning after breakfast, then went in for lunch, and played in the condo pool in the afternoons. We stayed at the beach, at the pool, and fishing for our time on Dauphin Island, but there is also a Sea Lab where people can see even more fish and birds. The weather was also perfect for flying kites, building sandcastles and playing in the ocean.
Thanks to Dauphin Island, we discovered a beach close enough to Baton Rouge that we can go when we need a short family getaway. Our boys had a blast, and we got our beach fix in as well! We made wonderful memories, and are planning on going back another time soon.
Where there many shells to find?