BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME:
12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd, Theodore, AL 35582
(800) 247-8420
http://www.bellingrath.org/

Nestled among oaks, Spanish Moss and scenic Fowl River, the 65 acre gardens of Bellingrath boast a bloom every day of the year. Rose Garden, Rookery, Riverfront Walk, Butterfly Garden, Great Lawn, Oriental American Gardens, Mirror Lake, Conservatory, Formal Gardens, and Chapel. Magic Christmas in Lights.

See Bellingrath transformed into a winter wonderland, Thanksgiving through Dec. 31. Open year round.

BIG LAGOON STATE RECREATION AREA:
12301 Gulf Beach Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32507
(850) 492-1595. 
http://www.floridastateparks.org/ - http://www.friendsofbiglagoon.org/ 

Derives its name from a bordering body of water called Big Lagoon. The Park of 678 upland acres was opened in 1978 and beckons visitors with all the recreational opportunities expected at a Florida State Park.

Follow the Cookie Trail, maintained by the Girl Scouts. Natural habitat includes numerous birds and animals - gray foxes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, great blue herons and other waterfowl, in addition to a variety of other birds. 

More than 75 campsites; five picnic areas with shelters, 500-seat amphitheater; boat ramp with dock; boardwalks and nature trails; and observation tower offering a panoramic view of Big Lagoon. 

BIOPHILIA NATURE CENTER, NATIVE NURSERY & BOOKSTORE:
12695 C. R. 95. Elberta, AL 36530
(251) 987-1200. 
www.gulf.net/daedalus 

 This 20-acre ecological restoration project includes a 12-foot alligator, butterfly nursery (all stages), a diverse collection of carnivorous plants, a Black Gum Swamp, wildflower meadows, and forests. Visit this educational center to learn about butterfly gardening, natural history, and conservation. Restoration funded by Sail the Daedalus.

BLACKWATER RIVER STATE PARK:
7720 Deaton Bridge Rd, Holt, FL 32564
(850) 983-5363.

Canoeing is an activity that appeals to just about everyone and Blackwater River State Park provides the perfect opportunity. Blackwater River considered to be one of the purest sand bottom rivers in the world is still in a natural state for most of its length.

Recreational enthusiasts will enjoy camping, picnicking, fishing, nature trails, boating and canoeing. Located 15 miles Northeast of Milton, Off US 90.

BON SECOUR WILDLIFE REFUGE:
Located on Fort Morgan Road, Highway 180, Gulf Shores.
(251) 540-7720

Open year-round during daylight hours for hiking, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, nature study and sun bathing. During fall month's wildflowers light up the peninsula with a spectacular array of colors. Look for scarlet colored red basil and the feathery goldenrod.

Take binoculars and camera, walk the trails and look closely. See fall migrants in addition to the year-round brown and white pelicans, ospreys and a wide variety of wading birds. You may also see bobcats, squirrels, marsh and cottontail rabbits, opossum, raccoons and nine-banded armadillos.

The Jeff Friend Trail is the newest nature trail, featuring a wheelchair accessible one-mile loop. No camping or vehicles allowed. Collection of artifacts and plants is prohibited. Pets must be on a leash at all times.

FORT BARRANCAS:
(850) 934-2604.

Located on Pensacola Naval Air Station. The British built the first Fort on this site in 1763. The Spanish built a second Fort in 1797.  When Florida was added to the country in 1821, Pensacola was selected for a navy yard. To protect that yard four Forts were built: Pickens, McRee, Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt on the mainland.

The work began in 1829 and completed 30 years later. Free to the public. Guided tours each weekend at 2 p.m.

FORT PICKENS:
Located on Santa Rosa Island.
(850) 934-2604.

Fort Pickens was completed in 1834 and used until WWII when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, and a self-guided tour will peel back the layers of history.  There is a 200-site campground with electricity and a campground store.

GULFARIUM:
Located in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.
(850) 244-5169
http://www.gulfarium.com/

Open year-round, see the amazing dolphins performing behaviors requiring split-second timing, and the antics of those natural clowns, the sea lions. Don't forget the tropical penguins, otters, birds, Harbor seals and alligators.

The Living Sea is a natural setting with clear glass windows where you can see and photograph sharks, stingrays, huge sea turtles, moray eels and many other exotic deep-sea species.

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE/JOHNSON BEACH:
Located on the eastern end of Perdido Key.
Front Gate (850) 492-7278. 
www.nps.gov/guis

 It is open from 8 am to sunset. Picnic shelters, restrooms, showers, seasonal lifeguards and snack store. Fort McRee is located at the eastern tip of Johnson Beach and is accessible by boat or foot only. Sound side Nature Trail is a self guided nature trail that winds past a salt marsh and through a maritime forest.

The Johnson Beach Road is an enjoyable place to walk, jog, bike and view beautiful sunsets. There is a park fee of $6.00 per car, which is good for 7 days and gets you into Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island and the Naval Live Oaks located in Gulf Breeze.

GULF STATE PARK:
Highway 182, Gulf Shores
(251) 948-7275

Campgrounds, nature center, hiking trails, lakes, lake store, and picnic areas off Highway 182, Gulf Shores. Look for wildlife and tracks among the thickets, marshes and sandy areas on the trails of Gulf State Park: Hurricane Ridge Trail, Bear Creek Trail, Bobcat Branch Trail and Middle Lake Trail. Visit the Nature Center in the park.

HISTORIC PENSACOLA VILLAGE:
205 East Zaragoza St, Pensacola, FL 32576
(850) 595-5985
http://www.historicpensacola.org/

Experience West Florida's rich heritage through the museums, furnished houses, and Colonial Archaeological Trail of historic Pensacola Village. Located in the heart of one of the oldest National Register historic districts in the Southeast.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NAVAL AVIATION:
NAS Museum: (850) 452-3604.
IMAX Theater (850) 453-2024
 http://www.naval-air.org/ 

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is one of the largest and most beautiful air and space museums in the world. See over 150 restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. Kids of all ages enjoy strapping into the many cockpit trainers for pretend test flights.

The Magic of Flight plays daily at the IMAX Theater located inside the museum. The Magic of Flight narrated by Tom Selleck features the Blue Angels. 

PERDIDO KEY STATE RECREATION AREA:
Picnic shelters are between the Gulf and the Old River,
which bounds Perdido Key on the north.
(850) 492-1595  
http://www.floridastateparks.org/perdidokey/default.cfm

Encompasses 247 acres on a barrier island, which buffers the mainland from winds and threatening tides. Provides habitat for shore birds and other coastal animals. Saltwater fishing licenses required. Occupied shells are alive and should be left alone.

The wide white sand beaches and the rolling dunes covered with sea oats make this a pristine oasis along the rapidly developing panhandle.

THE ESTUARIUM:
101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528
(334) 861-7500
Mobile Bay Ferry (850) 4347345 (251) 540-7787
http://www.disl.org/ 

Sea Life up close. The Estuarium is the public aquarium of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama's marine education and research center. Visitors explore the four key ecosystems of coastal Alabama: the Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands, and the Gulf of Mexico.

THE ZOO - GULF BREEZE:
5701 Gulf Breeze Pkwy (10 miles east of Gulf Breeze)
(850) 932-2229
http://the-zoo.com/

Spend a day in the wild. Up close. It's how you'll experience The Zoo in Gulf Breeze. More than 700 animals including rare and endangered species.

VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARK & THE WALL SOUTH:
Bay Front Parkway at 9th, next to Gulf Power Building.

Veterans Memorial Park is 51/2 acres of land over-looking Pensacola Bay. It is the only memorial park to honor the veterans who fought in all of the American wars. The Wall South lists all of the 58,217 men and women veterans' names whom lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

WILDLIFE SANCTUARY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA:
105 North S St., Pensacola, FL
(850)-433-9453

A sanctuary for injured or orphaned indigenous wildlife. Providing care to foster, rehabilitate, and release. Provides educational outreach to the local community through tours, exhibits and specialized programming. 
 

ALABAMA GULF COAST ZOO:
Highway 59, Gulf Shores (just north of Waterville)
(251) 968-5731
http://www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.com/

Visit this year's newborns at the Petting Zoo. View exotic animals added during the past year. Elevated decks allow viewing of everything from alligators to zebras - lions, tigers, bears and giraffes. Open daily 9 a.m.