DAUPHIN ISLAND

DAUPHIN ISLAND -- It's a place where majestic brown pelicans swoop through the sky, searching for dinner or a new place to perch. It's a place where traffic lights don't clutter the scenery, where you can ride a bike for miles or sample fresh-from-the-Gulf seafood at a handful of local eateries.

While Hurricane Katrina redistributed much of the west end's sand and property nearly two years ago, there are still homes, condos and hotel rooms available for rent here.

There's also plenty to do to keep a family busy. There's historic Fort Gaines to explore, sea life to discover at the Estuarium, homegrown produce to sample at a Saturday farmer's market at Cadillac Square, fish to catch at Cedar Point or kites to fly at the public beach.

Besides hosting one of the country's top fishing rodeos and the world's longest one-day sailboat race, Dauphin Island remains a mostly quiet strip of sand and tall pines about three miles off the coast of south Alabama. It's located about 35 miles south of Mobile.

Once the capital of the Louisiana Territory, it was first known to French explorers as Massacre Island in the early 1700s because of large piles of human bones found there. About a decade later, the name was changed to Dauphine.

The island was accessible only by boat or aircraft until 1955, when a bridge was built, linking the spot to the Fowl River community and the rest of southern Mobile County. In 1979, that span was destroyed when Hurricane Frederic blasted the isle into three parts, toppling dunes and homes. Its newest bridge was completed in 1982.

With habitats ranging from freshwater lakes to maritime forests, Dauphin Island has been praised in national publications including Coastal Living magazine for its importance as a birding site for spring migration. Brown and white signs dot the island, letting birders know the best places to see all manner of fowl.

Some upcoming events scheduled for this summer include fireworks after sunset on the Fourth of July. The 75th annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo is slated for July 20-22 with more than $400,000 in cash and prizes available. Check out the Web site www.adsfr.com for more details.

The Estuarium is the public aquarium of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama's marine education and research center. Visitors can explore four key ecosystems of coastal Alabama -- the Delta, Mobile Bay, barrier islands and the Gulf of Mexico -- through interactive exhibits, films, and well-trained docents. Those who happen to be there at feeding time can even watch tiny sea horses dine on even smaller bits of frozen shrimp.

The Estuarium, which features a well-stocked gift shop, is open daily, except for some winter and spring holidays. For up-to-date hours of operation and admission prices, visit the Web site: www.estuarium.disl.org or call 1-866-403-4409.

For current weather and fishing reports, visit the island's official Web site: www.townofdauphinisland.org.