Sometimes you want to do more on your vacation then be a beach bum and vacuum sand out of your car. There are lots of great ways to have fun in Gulf Shores Alabama with your family that we would love to share with you. Not only are the beaches in Gulf Shores beautiful there are some fun places that we visited that had my kids smiling the whole time. Not to mention lots of fresh air to induce long naps and sleeping in. Here are some of our favorite things to do in the area. 
The Track Gulf Shores –
The Track is a great place to start if you’re looking for some thrills on the race track. The Wild Woody track will have your kids and probably yourself cheering. It’s a three-story wooden go-kart track that you can race with the other drivers. 5 different go-kart tracks altogether. They also have mini-golf, bumper boats, arcade and a kids country for the little ones to ride all kinds of rides by themselves. We had a blast here!
You may also want to visit Pensacola, Florida!
LuLu’s Ropes Course –
Lulus is a restaurant owned by Lucy Buffett and sits right on the Intracoastal waterway. You can sit on the deck and watch dolphins swim by while you eat. They have a huge ropes course out front called the Mountain of Youth three-story climbing apparatus for kids of ALL ages. Harnessed in, you can experience the thrill of tightrope walking and climbing, and see LuLu’s from a totally different perspective! 
National Museum of Naval Aviation
– The National Naval Aviation Museum is a short drive down the coast and is a must-see if you are in this area. It features nearly 375,000 square feet of displays and boasts more than 190 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation. Inside you’ll find an indoor kids playground, cafe, IMAX theater, flight simulators, and a Blue Angels experience and autograph signing. You can see the Blue Angels practicing over the Museum most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from March to November. Practices typically begin at 11:30 a.m.(Central Time), and last about an hour. Museum admission is free. Monday – Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 
Sail Wild Hearts Dolphin Cruise –
If you live in a landlocked area, taking kids on a boat is a fantastic experience. They get to smell the sea salt air and experience the wind, waves and hopefully the wildlife. Take a cruise with Sail Wild Hearts to see if you can sail with the dolphins. They have a huge 53-foot catamaran with plenty of seats and a net that kids can hang out on and watch the water flow underneath them. Of course, seeing a dolphin may not happen but I promise your family will have fun regardless of just sailing up and down the Gulf Coast. 
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo –
This is a fantastic little zoo. It’s actually The Little Zoo that Could from Animal Planet! My favorite part about this zoo is all of the animal interactions they have available. We got to play with and hold the sweet baby kangaroos. They also have reptiles and lemurs you can play with. Animals you can feed on your hand as well. Around every corner was a new animal. I was surprised at how many animals this little zoo had. Some other honorable mentions: Pirates Island Waterville USA The Adventure Center at Gulf State Park – Hummingbird Ziplines
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center & IMAX® Dome Theater
We were invited to visit Gulf Shores, all opinions are 100% our own. This post first appeared on Yeah, Let’s Go and reposted with permission.
