Just got back from DI

Well we got back from our trip about a week ago and just wanted to say we were very disappointed. We stayed at the Purple Parrot which was nice but had some issues. Also the ';beach'; seemed more like a river and it smelled horrible. On the night we arrived we ';tried'; to eat at Barnicle Bills but waited for almost half an hr to be seated and the employees just walked past us without even acknowledging us. A group at a table near us was saying they had been waiting 2 hrs for their food and one lady over an hr for her drink. We left and tried to find a place open to eat, it was only 9 pm but we had to go way off the island and ran across a chinese restaurant that had just closed, they were very kind and re-opened for us to get some take out. All in all the whole trip was a waste of money for my family and me.

Just got back from DI

So sorry you did not enjoy your stay. I%26#39;m not sure where the Purple Parrot is located. I believe there is one in Perdido, but may be mistaken. Dauphin Island is a quiet, not as touristy as Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. So I%26#39;m not surprised you had a difficult time finding a place to eat after 9:00 p.m.

Just got back from DI

I am so sorry you had a bad time on the island. We usually stay down the beach on the west end of the island. Not sure where the Purple Parrot is located. We have been 3 times and we enjoy each and every time. I always go prepared with food for our beach house to where we don%26#39;t have to deal alot with the restaurants. We love the bakery though! They have fabulous and FRESH homemade danishes and pigs in a blanket. They are awesome. Don%26#39;t give up on the island. Next time maybe try a different area of the island. Have a grest day!

Sorry you didn%26#39;t enjoy your vacation. We were there a few years ago and stayed in Bayside Oasis and loved the house. There was some plumbing issues in one bathroom but a maintainance man came right out and corrected it. Staying on the bayside is not as neat as the gulf side so this time we are staying in Beach Music right on the beach. Both of these houses are on the west end. I%26#39;m anxious for our trip in a couple of weeks and I%26#39;ll report back. This will be the first time there for some of our family so I hope they like it as much as we did. We didn%26#39;t find the ocean to be smelly before but it isn%26#39;t clear water like you%26#39;d find in Florida. That is a drawback. But the quiet and peacefulness makes up for it!

Last year the gulf side was very nice (but lots of jellies in early August), BUT I would never stay on the bay side. It did stink!

We were on the island the week of July 28th and I was very disappointed in our costly vacation. We stayed on the west end - gulf side in a very nice house but I was very disappointed by the beach and ocean water. On my 3-1/2 yr old grandsons 1st time into the ocean, he was stung by a jellyfish and there after 3 people in my family, including me, were stung. Also, due to the dune, the beach area in front of our house was very narrow most of each day we were there. Also, each morning garbage washed up on the beach! I wondered if the people on the oil rigs were throwing their trash over into the water. I%26#39;m sure that wasn%26#39;t the case but... Also, on one day I found a dead fish washed up on shore and a dead crab washed up on shore another day. Maybe this is normal for a place such as this, but if you are on vacation looking forward to a nice beach is was disturbing to have to ';clean-up'; the beach before enjoying it. I will not return to Dauphin Island.

I have lived in various beach areas of Florida for most of my life, and have stayed on the Atlantic, Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Mexico, and the things you are complaining about are to be found at every one of them.

Trash doesn%26#39;t wash up on the beach ';from the offshore rigs';, it is usually left behind by people who don%26#39;t live here . . .

Sorry you were disappointed, but it sounds like your complaint is with Mother Nature, not Island.

Da Island Mon

Well that sounds like 2 that will not be back. I hate that they did not enjoy the island for what it is. Quiet, almost a private feeling. Others will take their place. The Island changes daily, the sand the wind, and the water. 99.999% of the people that visit can`t wait to come back. I woud highly recommened that if you are looking to shop,or be entertained by someone else`s daily planned events,,you need to book your next vacation at a resort,with pool,cabana boy, valet parking......I almost forgot,,,,bring extra money for tips when you go to that resort. Enjoy your next vacation somewhere else. Sorry you had a bad time.

Our first visit to Dauphin Island was in 2005, we left the Saturday before Katrina hit coming home. We fell in love with the laid back atmosphere and the quiet enjoyment of the island. We have been back twice. We have already been this year and celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with our children and grandchild. We could have went to Gulf Shores or some place where the water might be a little cleaner, or it may not. BUT, the peace and serenity we feel on the island I don%26#39;t believe we could find that in Gulf Shores. I can go to the beach on the island and enjoy it. The one day that we did drive to Gulf Shores there were so many people couldn%26#39;t really enjoy the water with people horse playing around my grand son. Water safety is such a big issue with us. We always have a beautiful home to stay in for the week, stop at Wally world on the way in for groceries and then if we happen to need something we drop by the Ship N Shor during the week. We always have to go to the Treasure Trove for souveniors and it is a ritual that the Saturday we leave our breakfast if from the Lighthouse Bakery. We love their pigs in a blanket. Yummy!!!! You know in life you sometimes have to give to receive. What you receive during a week of DOWNTIME ON THE ISLAND after working so hard all year is definitely worth whatever I am giving up by not going to Gulf Shores or another beach area. We will be back next year!

mhappystitch said it all beautifully! There are many more of us that LOVE DI than those who do not enjoy their stay. My family will continue to come to DI for a wonderful family experience. I hope the hurricane doesn%26#39;t do damage this weekend!

Atlantargal14, it sounds like you are describing our vacation.We were on the Island the same week.We had 2 teenagers who had never been to the ocean and did not have a very good first visit. We had 12 people in our group, the first day in the water 2 of the teenagers were stung by jelly fish.The sand was black(from the oil rigs?),there wasn%26#39;t much to the beach because of the berm wall.On the bay side is where the kids wanted to stay because of the jelly fish being so heavily populated on the gulf side.However, you did not want to go to the bay beach area without having protective foot wear on. We picked up glass, big pcs.,as well as other trash everyday before we would put our canopy up for the day. The house we stayed in was great. Plenty of room for everyone, nice location.The places we went on the Island was nice and everyone was friendly.The prices for the simple stuff was outragous.$5.oo for a package of 15 paper plates,$12 for a gallon of vanilla ice -cream,and I think it was something like $9-$10 for a case of water.I know that one should expect to pay more for thing on vacation, but come on.It wasn%26#39;t the relaxing atmosphere we didn%26#39;t like, it was the danger of the beach and the river water.