This Alabama Island Is Made for Summer

Called the “birdhouses,” these buildings near the marina serve as camps for fishermen who need an early start. The cheery structures capture the spirit of life on this island — they’re celebratory but not luxurious. They’re just enough.

Eating out is all about the seafood. We stuff ourselves with the local catch, which includes royal red shrimp, a deepwater species we buy from the family-run Skinner’s Seafood.

On Dauphin, home of the 137-acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary, herons are as numerous as Central Park pigeons. Some hunt in the shallows, while others linger next to fishermen, whose bait will potentially attract a meal.

Andrea captured a rare quiet moment at the public pool in the entertainment complex on Orleans Drive, the center of what little nightlife there is on Dauphin.

One of my favorite spots is this calm crescent of beach on the western end, next to the public pier. It’s popular with families because the water is as still as a pool, and warm as a bath come summertime.

The island has many vacation homes to rent, like this one, which is propped on stilts and ringed by saw palmettos. A homeowner who recently hosted us said that she’s had visitors come from as far away as the Pacific Northwest and Europe.

On our first trip, we asked locals for breakfast recommendations, and they all had the same suggestion: the Lighthouse Bakery, one of the few year-round restaurants on Dauphin. We have a morning ritual of eating a cinnamon roll on the shop’s breezy porch. The co-owner, Mary Scarcliff, starts mixing dough at midnight during the peak tourist season.