Hit the road from the Midwest to Gulf Shores, Alabama with this 9-day family road trip itinerary. Whether you’re traveling with small kids, tweens or teens, Gulf Shores is the ultimate family vacation destination with something for everyone.
A Gulf Shores Family Vacation
You know the feeling of just needing to skip town? The sudden urge to pack a bag, jump in the car, and drive until you reach an exotic, new-to-you location? Chasing the high that comes with being some-what spontaneous with no real agenda?
I wouldn’t know. But I’m sure it’s fantastic!
Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel and I’m constantly looking forward to the next trip on our calendar. At this stage of life with three small kids, though, family vacations take a little extra effort to plan to ensure everyone actually enjoys themselves – and I don’t lose my sanity.
Road Trip Itinerary
We took our first big family road trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama in May 2019. At the time, our kiddos were 6, 4 and just under two years old.
Now being gone from home for 9 days and driving 900+ miles over 14 hours with three young kids sounds psychotic, I know. I am pleased (relieved?) to say it ended up going off without a hitch thanks to some thoughtful planning. The million hours of screen time and even more snacks definitely helped, too.
Here’s the travel itinerary we followed – with lots of wiggle room – that made for an unforgettable trip.
Day 1 – Drive Time
We chose to rip the band-aid and log a long day of driving on Day 1. Kansas City is our homebase which means the beach is a good 14 hours away – without stops. Knowing the kids would require more frequent potty breaks and diaper changes, we left around 8 AM and had a goal to make it to Memphis, TN to stay the night.
We had plenty of snacks and minimal stops before needing to break for lunch. I’d normally forego a restaurant with no official website with picky kids in tow, but we found the cutest little pizza place in West Plains, MO and had a delicious meal. Be sure to hit up Ozark Pizza Co. if you’re ever driving through the middle of southern Missouri!
Our kids are pretty accustomed to regular 6-hour car trips to visit family in Sioux Falls, SD so we figured the almost 9-hour drive to Memphis would be pretty easy. We were right – the kids crushed it, no problem.
Not knowing the area, we picked the Comfort Inn near the airport a quick overnight stay.
Day 2 – (More) Drive Time
We snagged breakfast at the hotel before packing up and hitting the road again. We had another 6-ish hour drive ahead of us and were feeling good!
Check-in time for our Airbnb condo was around 4 PM so we planned our day around lunch time, knowing we had to stop again to eat. We found a questionable Sonic drive through near Macon, MS and ate at the picnic tables they had available.
The kids had another great day in the car and by afternoon, we had made it! We checked in and got settled, and did THE most important thing – walk the boardwalk at sunset on our way to dinner at Sassy Bass.
Day 3 – Beach Day
After exploring the condo grounds a bit after dinner, we got the kids down for bed knowing we’d have a full day in the sun for Day 3.
We spent the day on the beach right in front of our condo. The girls played in the sand, rode the waves, and dug for shells. Our youngest napped in the stroller (praise!). My husband and I sipped on cocktails. It truly was magical.
We brought a beach blanket and a pop-up shade tent so the girls could grab a snack in between playing as well.
With a beach set up in such close proximity to our rental, it was super easy to head back to grab extra snacks and drinks or take a break from the sun. We eventually got cleaned up and headed into town for a late afternoon/early evening outing.
Pink Pony Pub (not Chappell Roan’s version) is the quintessential beachside bar – 10/10 recommend if you’re in the area!
Day 4 – Dolphin Cruise
This trip, we decided to really only schedule one or two things and play most of it by ear. We weren’t sure how the kids would all do with different schedules, extra sun, etc. and we didn’t want to push it. (Normally, my personality on a trip is to push it and cram as much in as we can so it was hard for me to chill at times, ha!)
One of the things we did end up scheduling was a dolphin cruise. We booked it online the day before via TripShock. It was a simple 1.5 hour tour on a nice-sized boat. Perfect for little kids – we wore our youngest in a carrier while the older two wore lifejackets.
And bonus! We actually saw dolphins!
After the cruise, we grabbed lunch near the marina at Yoho Rum & Tacos before heading back to swim and relax for the afternoon. We grilled burgers at the condo for dinner.
Day 5 – Beach/Pool and The Wharf
Breakfast at the condo – we did breakfast and lunch here most days – and then to the pool! The condo resort was wonderful – several pools and play areas, boardwalks to the beach, lots of lounge chairs, etc.
We saw a little bit of The Wharf the day before during our dolphin cruise and wanted to spend some more time there so we headed back later this afternoon.
We grabbed dinner (although I don’t remember where!), walked along the shops, rode the giant ferris wheel and took in the music and light show before heading back!
Day 6 – (More) Beach!
This was our last full day – and arguments can be made as to whether we stayed one day too long, ha! I think by now the kids had seen enough beach and eaten enough sand to last a lifetime. But, we made the most of it!
We also made the mistake of saving a nice dinner out until the last night – it was the most expensive meal and by the time we got a table to eat, everyone was just DONE and didn’t fully appreciate Original Oyster House. We’ll have to make it a point to get back some day!
Day 7 – Fort Morgan Ferry & New Orleans
We took a different route out of town and used the Fort Morgan Ferry to get across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island. This was so neat and the kids loved it! You drive your car onto the ferry and it takes 45 minutes or so to get across the bay.
From there, we headed to New Orleans which is about a 3-hour drive. We had planned to take the scenic route that followed closer to the coast but quickly decided to just use the highway. We wanted to hit New Orleans around lunch time.
Now, who doesn’t stroll the French Quarter with their three young children in 100 degree heat?! Again, not our brightest idea, but I really wanted to stop and see the city – and of course grab beignets.
We had a great lunch at Oceana, walked past some neat bars with live music, and eventually made our way to the iconic Cafe du Monde for dessert.
That was the extent of the New Orleans leg of the trip. We left town mid-afternoon since we had about 5 more hours to go before staying the night in Shreveport.
Day 8 – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Should we have just driven from Shreveport to home the next day? Yes. Did we? No.
Gluttons for punishment, what can I say?!
We had always planned to stop overnight in Fayetteville on the way home. My husband’s friend from high school owned and operated a restaurant there in town. It was a quick stop for dinner and good conversation with an old buddy.
His restaurant has since closed at the Fayetteville location but if you’re ever in Eureka Springs, be sure to check out Sauced!
Day 9 – Home!
Fayetteville to home is just over 3 hours so this made for a very welcomed short drive for our final day!
We pulled into the driveway shortly before lunch which meant we had the entire afternoon to unpack, shake the sand out of everything we own, and start laundry.
Final Thoughts
Most of my core memories growing up revolve around our family vacations. We took a trip almost every summer, mostly driving, a few flights, but always to somewhere new and exciting. It’s always been a dream to be able to do the same with my own family.
And like I said before, I know it’s a little cuckoo to be on the road for 9 days with little ones but it really ended up being a great way to start a (hopefully) yearly tradition!
The kids were absolute champions in the car and proved they could handle longer days here and there. Things will only continue to get easier as they grow up and I can’t wait to get back to the beach with them again someday soon.
Things To Do in Gulf Shores
We spent most of our days in Gulf Shores lounging on the beach. The sand was white, soft and clean. The water was warm and the weather was delightful.
If you’re looking for more action, or if your kids are a bit older, here are a few other things to do in the area.
Activities
- Gulf State Park has paved trails, fishing, bike rentals, and more
- Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
- The Track Recreation Center with go-karts, bumper cars, and skycoaster
- The Factory indoor trampoline park
- Putt-putt at Shrimpy’s
- Additional water excursions
Restaurants & Bars
- The Gulf
- Luna’s Eat & Drink
- Coastal Orange Beach
- The Hangout
- Lulu’s
- Big Fish Restaurant & Bar
- Big Beach Brewing Company
Road Trip Tips
Here are a few lessons learned and/or tips gleaned from our 2,000+ mile trek I’d incorporate into our next long family road trip:
- In addition to snacks, pack quick and easy lunches to eat in the car to cut down on stop time.
- If possible, book one-night stays with hotels that offer a free, hot breakfast to make mornings easy.
- Renting an Airbnb or VRBO with a full kitchen is the move! Place a grocery order on your way and pick it up as you roll into town – it saves so much time and you have everything ready to go upon check in.
- Groceries also cut down on costs – we ate almost every breakfast and lunch at the condo which meant we were only eating out once a day. This always helps keep us in budget.
- Remain flexible – routes may have to change, activities might need be nixed but in the end, it all works out.
- Pack a separate “go bag” for single overnight stays so you’re not having to unload 4,839 things every day. I usually pack a small suitcase with stuff for all 5 of us and replace things throughout the trip so we only have to bring a few pieces of luggage at each stop.
Where to next?! Stay tuned to find out.
