Made in the Shade on the Alabama Gulf Coast

Don’t let a gathering rainstorm cloud your beach vacation.

Sure you came for the beach and the outdoor delights that symbolize a coastal vacation. But an occasional rainy day on the Alabama Gulf Coast rewards curious travelers with indoor treasures to pass the time.

Storms in the forecast? Don’t stress over a missed round. Golfers young and old can relax indoors on an 18-hole, air-conditioned miniature golf course, and families can strike up some fun in their spare time and bowl a few games in a state-of-the-art facility. Fitness loyalists can work in a workout at one of the well-equipped sports and fitness facilities in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Swim some indoor laps, join a spin or yoga class, walk or jog an indoor track, or play a game of tennis, badminton, or racquetball. Then reward your healthy dedication with a massage, facial, pedicure or other pampering pleasure at a premier day spa.

A little culture couldn’t hurt, either. And since most local museums and art galleries offer free admission, you can stretch your mind and your vacation budget. Start with a rainy day visit to the Gulf Shores Museum for a sense of the area’s maritime history, along with local fishing artifacts and a hurricane exhibit featuring the history, formation, and structure of the storms, and their devastating impact on local communities. On summer Wednesdays, the museum presents Wonders of Weather, a free program helping middle school students explore how ocean, land, and air currents combine in the atmosphere to create weather.

This stretch of the Gulf Coast is known as a haven for artists, with exceptional galleries, studios, and frame shops offering original works of art for study and for sale. The Orange Beach Art Center is a wonderful place to enjoy watercolors, pottery, paintings, sculpture, glass, and textile art by more than 100 locals, and its current Visiting Artist Series features talent from across the nation.

Next, stop by the Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum for a taste of the area’s Native American heritage and the local fishing industry’s challenges and achievements. Then turn north toward Baldwin County and its share of indoor attractions, beginning with the American Sport Art Museum and Archives on the campus of the United States Sports Academy in Daphne. A must for sports fans, this institution is dedicated to preserving sports history, art, and literature. The nearby L&N Train Depot and Miniature Train Display in Foley is a worthwhile railroad museum, and the Baldwin County Heritage Museum is a don’t-miss opportunity to understand the agricultural heritage of Southeast Alabama.