Gulf
Shores, AL � June 2005 � Remember the old days, when the entire family
would jump in the car and set off on the summer family road trip? Mom and
Dad would pull out the maps and plot their course. The kids would play
travel games in the car and ask �Are we there yet?� It was a time of family
togetherness and an opportunity to explore special locales and attractions.
What a great and memorable summer vacation.
Why
not create your own family road trip memories this year? There is a perfect
place where you can find all kinds of fun for the whole family�SouthCoastUSA.
SouthCoastUSA
spans four states�Northwest Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Its 14 great destinations are all connected by Interstate 10 and bordered
by the Gulf of Mexico. You will find beautiful beaches, fishing, boating,
a host of outdoor activities, family friendly accommodations and restaurants,
museums and zoos. Come with us for a quick tour.
In
Northwest Florida, the Beaches
of South Walton offer some of the most beautiful beaches and a wide
array of outdoor activities. They also have many opportunities to learn
about and enjoy the area�s natural habitats, including sea-oat covered
beach dunes, fresh and salt water lakes and nature trails. Several resorts,
including the unique WaterColor, offer comprehensive children�s programs.
In
Sandestin, you won�t want to miss the Treasure Cruise, sailing from the
Baytowne Marina five days a week. Your family will sail off with Calico
Jack and his raucous crew on a search for buried treasure.
Restaurants
abound for the hungry family. Try Pickles Beachside Eatery in Seaside for
All-American hot dogs, hamburgers along with its signature dish, fried
pickles. Pompano Joe�s Seafood House is known as the neighborhood beach
place in South Walton and welcomes families.
Just
a short drive away is Pensacola.
Be sure to visit The Zoo in Gulf Breeze, which is home to 700 animals.
The National Museum of Naval Aviation, located on the Pensacola Naval Air
Station, is one of the three largest aviation museums in the world, offering
an IMAX theatre, interactive exhibits and a stunning display of aircrafts
from the early days of naval flight to space travel.
For
just plain fun, spend some time at Sam�s Fun City Amusement Park and Surf
City Water Park (opening in summer 2005).
There
is fun family dining at Flounders Chowder House on Pensacola Beach. Not
only is the food great, but also there is plenty of activity, including
a pirate�s ship playground, an arcade beach volleyball and a whole lot
more.
Many
accommodation properties offer children�s activity programs during the
summer. Try the Hilton Garden Inn or the Hampton Inn on Pensacola Beach.
In
Alabama, you won�t want to miss the wonderful Alabama
Gulf Coast beaches at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. And for something
unique, an hour�s drive brings you to Mobile
and to the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and IMAX theatre, a premier
hands-on, minds-on science and family fun museum. You can also experience
Mardi Gras year round at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
Go
on an adventure the entire family will enjoy at Mobile�s Alligator Alley.
You can feed the gator, meet Captain Crunch and see his world record size
bite! Or visit a real battleship, the USS Alabama.
Just
another hour�s drive brings you to Mississippi�s
Gulf Coast, with its sunny beaches and a wide array of recreational
opportunities. You will want to take the Ship Island Ferry to the Gulf
Islands National Seashore. Or try your hand at shrimping on the Biloxi
Shrimping Trip.
Just
next door, you�ll discover Ocean
Springs, an ideal location for biking, fishing and boating. Kayaking
is a specialty there. In neighboring Hancock
County, visit NASA�s Space Center and explore the beaches and backwaters.
In
just another hour and a half, you can arrive in the exciting city of New
Orleans. Take a riverboat ride or a swamp tour. How about an old-fashioned
streetcar ride?
Family
activities include the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas/IMAX, the Audubon
Zoo, Six Flags New Orleans, the Children�s Museum and Mardi Gras World.
Just
north of Lake Ponchetrain, New
Orleans Northshore offers an affordable, family-friendly getaway. Rent
a bicycle and ride the 31-mile Tammany Trace, an award-winning rails-to
trails conversion that connects five St. Tammany towns.
Or
visit the Honey Island Swamp, an incredibly pristine river estuary swamp
where you will feel transported in time, as if you�re setting foot where
man has never gone before. Amazing landscapes of moss-dripping cypress
trees, birds, wildlife, huge gators and even reputedly a �swamp monster�.
Local companies offer guided boat tours of the area.
The
Insta-Gator Alligator Ranch and Hatchery welcomes visitors to see everything
about Louisiana�s alligator ranching industry. This is the only tour of
its kind and guests can see thousands of gators. To see other types of
creatures, visit the Global Wildlife Center in Folsum, the largest totally
free-roaming wildlife preserve in the country and home to more than 3000
exotic, endangered and threatened animals from all over the world.
Heading
west, stop in Lafayette
to tour the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium. Then head
to Baton Rouge
for both fun and educational experiences. Dixie landing Theme Park and
Blue Bayou Waterpark are just right for families. Get a real look at Louisiana�s
past at the LSU Rural Life Museum and take a spin to BREC�s Baton Rouge
Zoo. Don�t forget to enjoy the games and pizza at Celebration Station.
Houma
is the Heart Of America�s Wetland. You will want to take a swamp tour and
try your hand at fishing, hiking and cycling.
Last
stop on your Family Road Trip is Lake
Charles, where you will find a magnificent fresh water lake, the only
white sand inland beach along the Gulf. Enjoy the great outdoors and take
a ride down the Creole Nature Trail All American Road. And we�re told,
the fishing is great!
Are
you ready to go yet? We know you will find just what you are looking for
in SouthCoast USA. For more information and to plan your trip, visit southcoastusa.com.
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Media
Contacts:
Susan
M. Storey
251-975-1947
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SouthCoastUSA
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| | | Mississippi's
West Coast | Mobile,
AL
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