Dauphin Island Vacation Rentals

Family of Travelers loves Dauphin Island for Family Vacations

david.itmt@gmail.com

We have been lucky to enjoy a good bit of four-star travel over the years, renting villas in St Barth's, Cote d'Azur, Provence, Paris, Rome, Turks and Caicos, Tuscany, Amalfi coast,.. anyway, after our family week on Dauphin Island with our kids and inlaws and especially our golden retiever, I think our high school/college kids will remember our recent week at Island Time II perhaps with the most affection... we love Dauphin Island!

There is NOTHING better than running with the kids and the dog along those deserted beaches, and then enjoying a cold beer and some steamed seafood from Skinner's, or bike over to the Oar House... it's not Destin- no 30A- and we like it that way... Destin and Orange Beach tend to turn the attention outward, towards commercialism and our kids being with other kids.. on Dauphin Island, it's just us- perfectt!

Island Time II is like staying with friends- perfectly equipped, as though it were your own place... right smack on the beach can't hardly SEE other houses! Clean, spacious, casual elegance... it's great the way it works on different levels ... Grandad inside watching sports on TV...Grandmother outside under the shade porch reading, college girls tanning by the pool, our high-school age boys kayaking with the dog on the beach.......heaven!

Seagrass Music Festival to be held March 23-24 at Fort Gaines!

david.itmt@gmail.com

A weekend of Bluegrass music is planned for the weekend of March 23rd at Historic Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, with tickets for sale via area businesses and also through Ticketmaster, More information is available through the event's Facebook page.

Scheduled to appear so far:

Friday March 23-Harold and Ovaline Andrews, Three on a String and Nashville Bluegrass Band

Saturday March 24-The Gum Creek Killers, Delta Reign, David Davis and The Warrior River Boys, Sara Watkins, and Ricky Skaggs.

Mardi Gras Parade Schedule for Dauphin Island

david.itmt@gmail.com

It's Mardi Gras time again on Dauphin Island!

Here's the parade schedule:

The Krewe de la Dauphine (KDLD) parade will be held on January 21, 2012 at at 1:00 p.m. The parade route will begin at the Sea Lab, and continue along Bienville Blvd to the Little Red Schoolhouse.

The Island Mystics will hold their parade on the following Saturday, January 28, at 1 pm, along the same parade route.

See you there!

We're Stuck in the 70's!

david.itmt@gmail.com

The beautiful weather on Dauphin Island continues . . . The weekend weather looks great, with temperatures forecast to be in the upper 60's and lower 70's.

To celebrate, we're offering a 20% discount for last-minute vacations this weekend!

This special applies to the great beach houses and beach condos you see below:

Just click on a picture to find your perfect beach vacation, and then enter coupon code 70S to receive a 20% discount!

A few restrictions apply- this special is for new reservations only, and is not available during Mardi Gras (Feb 19-21). All on-line reservations are subject to the terms listed in our Rental Agreement, and are subject to confirmation by our Reservation Manager.

When making your on-line reservation, remember to enter the following coupon code:

70S

Happy New Year's to All!

david.itmt@gmail.com

The Direct TV blimp flew low along the shoreline yesterday (12/30/11). I'm sure they were pleased to see that all of our properties have either Cable or Satellite TV!

Happy New Year to all of you, and we hope to see you "On the Island" in 2012!

Beautiful Weather is Forecast through New Year's Day and Beyond!

david.itmt@gmail.com

The weather forecast for the next ten days calls for mostly sunny days, with highs ranging from the low 60's on up to 70 degrees on New Year's Day.

If you'd like to come enjoy the beautiful beach weather, we still have some lovely beach homes that are ready and waiting for you.

Here is an easy way to see all of our properties.

Isle Dauphin Golf Course to Re-open Dec 29

david.itmt@gmail.com

The Isle Dauphine Golf Course on Dauphin Island will not be closing afterall, thanks to dozens of volunteers who have pitched in to do maintenance. The Golf Club will re-open on December 29, 2011 for five days per week.

Dauphin Island Property Owners' Assoc. President, Jack Gaines, has set the goal for the volunteers to keep the golf course operating for 90 to 120 days. "Following that period, there may be some financial assistance on the horizon and we can hire a manager and staff" he said.

Plans call for the GulfView Grill to remain open Wednesdays thru Sundays
Operations of the golf course and the GulfView grill will be Wednesdays thru Sundays until further notice. In the spring, the swimming pool and beach will be open to the public.

Isle Dauphine Golf Club to close Dec. 19

david.itmt@gmail.com

DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL - Citing declining revenues, the Dauphin Island Property Owners' Association's Board has voted to close the Isle Dauphine Golf Course, effective Dec. 19, 2011.

The public course, located on the eastern side of Dauphin Island, first opened in 1960. The Gulfview Grill, a restaurant on golf course property overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, will remain open five days a week for breakfast and lunch.

While the golf course will close, the Dauphin Island Property Owners' Association has plans to reopen the popular pool and adjoining cabana bar in the spring. The Isle Dauphine clubhouse also will remain available to rent for private parties.

There are several Golf Courses in nearby Mobile, Gulf Shores, and the Fairhope, AL area.

Christmas Parade this Weekend on Dauphin Island

david.itmt@gmail.com

DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL - The 23rd Annual Dauphin Island Christmas Parade will be held this Saturday, Dec 3rd. The weather is forecast to be beautiful, with a high around 70 degrees!

The Parade route runs along Bienville Avenue, running east from Cadillac Square to approximately the Public Beach. The parade will likely cause traffic delays onto and off of the Island, so please plan your travels accordingly.

For more information, please consult the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce website.

Dauphin Island Spring Music Festival - Dr. John tickets on sale

david.itmt@gmail.com

DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL -Tickets are on sale now for the Dauphin Island Spring Music Festival. The event will feature New Orleans musician Dr. John, and will be held on May 14.

The concert will be held at the site of the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will also be performing.

The festival is being presented by the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce. Tickets can be purchased at www.frontgatetickets.com. The cost of the concert is $10 plus service charges.

Guests of Dauphin Island Beach Rentals who would like complimentary tickets to the concert can request them by emailing us at tickets@dauphinislandbeachrentals.com or by calling Nancy at (251) 455-1159. Tickets will be made available to our Guests on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

Dauphin Island Sailboat Regatta this Weekend

david.itmt@gmail.com

The 53rd annual Daphin Island Sailboat Regatta sails on April 30. This year's Dauphin Island Race is hosted by the Lake Forest Yacht Club, located on Mobile Bay's Esastern Shore, in the town of Daphne.

According to Commodore and race Chairman Bill Lees, "We already have a lot of registrations off our website (www.lfycinc.org) and we're putting out brochures now. We're shooting for 200 or more boats," said Lees. Last year's host, Buccaneer Yacht Club, had 185 enteries. Favorable weather forecasts for this weekend will likely boost the participation even higher.

The 2010 race was postponed a day and shortened because of the threat of bad weather on race day. Because of the delay, sailors left the start/finish line, sailed around Middle Bay Lighthouse, then went back to the start/finish.

Lees said getting back to the island is important to racers, some of whom look forward to the post-race awards ceremony and party as much as the race, thus the "Return to the Island" theme.

Dauphin Island Gumbo Cook-off March 26th

david.itmt@gmail.com

The Second Annual Dauphin Island Gumbo Cookoff will be held March 26 on the grounds of the Isle Dauphin Golf Club. Guests will include the Food Network's Alton Brown.Tickets are $15 at the gate. Kids 12 and under are free.

You can get more information, and save $5. per ticket by ordering in advance here:

Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce Gumbo Cookoff Information.

Here's a few pictures from last year's Gumbo Cookoff:

We hope to see you there!

Spring comes early to Dauphin Island!

david.itmt@gmail.com

We have had incredibly beautiful weather these past few weeks, sunny skies and highs reaching 80 degrees.

Perfect weather for strolling one of Dauphin Island's pet-friendly beaches.

Some of the more adventurous visitors found the water warm enough for swimming . . .

Are you planning to visit the Island this year? Our reservation calendars are filling up for our Dauphin Island beach houses and beach condos . . . . .

You can see what we have availble by clicking here: See Our Dauphin Island Rentals

Thanks for stopping by . . . . . See you "on the Island".

Mardis Gras schedule for Dauphin Island

david.itmt@gmail.com

2011 Dauphin Island, AL Area Mardi Gras Schedule

Parade schedule dates and times are subject to change.

Saturday, Feb. 5

1 p.m. – Krewe De La Dauphine Parade (Dauphin Island)

Saturday, Feb. 12

1 p.m. – Island Mystics Parade (Dauphin Island)

Need a place to stay for Mardi Gras? Check our great selection of Dauphin Island Vacation Rentals

2011 Mobile, AL Area Mardi Gras Schedule

All downtown Mobile Mardi Gras parades roll on Route A unless otherwise noted.

Friday, Feb. 18

6:30 p.m. – Conde Cavalier Parade

Saturday, Feb. 19

Noon – Bayport Parading Society

7 p.m. – Pharaoh’s Mystic Society Parade

7:30 pm – Conde Explorers Parade

Sunday, Feb. 20

2 p.m. – Krewe de la Kids Mardi Gras Parade (Heron Lakes subdivision, Mobile)

Thursday, Feb. 24

6:30 p.m. – Order of the Polka Dots Parade

Friday, Feb. 25

6:30 p.m. – Order of the Inca Parade

6:45 p.m. – Apollo’s Mystic Ladies Mardi Gras Parade (Daphne)

Saturday, Feb. 26

2 p.m. - Mobile Mystics Parade

3:30 p.m. – Mystic Mutt of Revelry Mardi Gras Parade (Fairhope)

6 p.m. – Long Beach Carnival Association Mardi Gras Parade (Long Beach High School Stadium in Long Beach, Miss.)

6:30 p.m. - Maids of Mirth Parade

7 p.m. – Order of Butterfly Maidens Parade

7 p.m. – Knights of Ecor Rouge Mardi Gras Parade (Fairhope)

7:30 p.m. – Krewe of Marry Mates

Sunday, Feb. 27

6:30 p.m. - Neptune’s Daughters Parade

7 p.m. – Order of Isis Parade

Monday, Feb. 28

6:30 p.m. – Mobile Mystical Ladies Parade

7 p.m. – Order of Venus Parade

Tuesday, March 1

6:30 p.m. – Order of LaShe Parade

Thursday, March 3

6:30 p.m. - Mystic Striper Parade

Friday, March 4

6:30 p.m. - Crewe of Columbus Parade

6:30 p.m. – Maids of Jubilee Mardi Gras Parade (Fairhope)

6:30 p.m. – Mystical Order of Mirams Mardi Gras Parade (Orange Beach)

6:45 p.m. – Mystic Order of Persephone Mardi Gras Parade (Daphne)

Saturday, March 5

Noon - Floral Parade

12:30 p.m. - Knights of Mobile Parade

1 p.m. – Order of Angels Parade

1 p.m. – Town of Chatom Mardi Gras Parade (Chatom)

2 p.m. – Krewe of Mullet Mates Mardi Gras Parade (Mullet Park in Fairhope)

5:30 p.m. – Mystics of Pleasure Mardi Gras Parade (Orange Beach)

6 p.m. – Mystics of Time Parade

6:30 p.m. – Coronation of Queen to King Felix III (Mobile Convention Center)

6:45 p.m. – The Shadow Barons Mardi Gras Parade (Daphne)

Sunday, March 6

2 p.m. – Arrival of King Elexis I (at foot of Government Street)

2 p.m. – Loyal Order of the Fire Truck Mardi Gras Parade (Daphne)

2:30 p.m. - Joe Cain Parade

5 p.m. - Le Krewe de Bienville Parade

5:30 p.m. – Les Femmes Cassettes Parade

8:15 p.m. – Coronation of King Elexis (Mobile Civic Center)

Monday, March 7

11 a.m. – Arrival of King Felix III (at foot of Government Street)

Noon - King’s Parade and Floral Parade

3 p.m. – MLK Business and Civic Organization Parade (rolls on Route D)

3:30 p.m. – MLK Monday Mystics Parade (rolls on Route D)

4 p.m. – Northside Merchants Parade (rolls on Route D)

6:30 pm - Infant Mystics Parade

7 p.m. – Order of Mystic Magnolias Mardi Gras Parade (Fairhope)

Tuesday, March 8 – Fat Tuesday

10 a.m. – Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade (Gulf Shores Public Beach)

10:30 a.m. – Order of Athena Parade

12:30 p.m. – Knights of Revelry Parade

1 p.m. – King Felix Parade

1:30 p.m. – Comic Cowboys Parade

2 p.m. – Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (rolls on Route B)

2 p.m. – Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade (Orange Beach)

6:30 p.m. – Order of Myths Parade (rolls on Route C)

Forecast for Thanksgiving Week- 70's

david.itmt@gmail.com

Dauphin Island, AL- The weather forecast for Thanksgiving Week is out, and it's a winner! The weather is forecast to be mostly beautiful, with highs in the 70's. We're looking foreward to a continued beautiful November this year.

In other news, the schedule has been published for the annual 2010 ALABAMA Battle of Mobile Bay 5K Run/Walk. It will take place at Historic Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 9:00 am.

The run is organized by the Port City Pacers (251-473-7223; info available at www.pcpacers.org

A scenic 5K certified course, the run starts at Fort Gaines and winds through scenic Dauphin Island neighborhoods.

Pre-register by mail (entries should be postmarked by January 30), in person at McCoy Outdoor until noon on February 4, or online at www.Active.com until midnight, February 3. Race day registration at Fort Gaines from 7:30 to 8:30.

"Holiday Art Fest in the Park" on Dauphin Island Nov 20, 2010

david.itmt@gmail.com

Artists from across the upper Gulf Coast will converge on scenic Dauphin Island for the first ever “Holiday Art Fest in the Park” this November 20th.

At least forty artists are scheduled to show at the juried event, which will be held at Cadillac Square Park. Local island artists Dena McKee and Lawrence Trotter will be among those to show their works, along with others such as New Orleans artist Martin Welch and Joe Sheffield of Daphne. Artwork categories include painting, pottery, jewelry, photography, sculpture, graphics and drawings.

Santa will also be viewing the art throughout the day, so bring the kids for a holiday meet and greet with the Jolly Old Elf himself.

Sponsored by the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce, the “Holiday Art Fest in the Park” will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at historic Cadillac Square Park on Saturday, November 20.

Need a place to stay? Check our Dauphin Island rentals

View Larger Map

Warm sunny skies and cool, clear evenings!

david.itmt@gmail.com

As many of you know, October is one of the two best months on Dauphin Island! The weather is absolutely perfect, with daytime highs around 80F and evenings in the 60's, but there are some other things that make this a special time of the year.

The sunsets are fabulous . . . the rose-colored sun descends into the water so fast you can actually see it moving, and then the orange glow and pastel water continues to radiate for another full hour.

The Gulf water is a particularly clear shade of green this time of year, and often, in this clear water, you can spot schools of large cow-nosed rays gliding by in formation. Just offshore, schools of bonita literally jump out of the water, as seagulls circle them excitedly!

Looking for a beach house or beach condo rental on Dauphin Island?

Here's a list of our Dauphin Island rentals

October is one of the best months of the year on Dauphin Island!

david.itmt@gmail.com

Dauphin Island, AL- October is right around the corner, bringing some of the best weather of the year to enjoy Dauphin Island! With daytime highs around 80F and cooler evenings in the 60's, it's a great time to spend a long weekend on Dauphin Island.

You can see all of our great Dauphin Island rentals here.

Announcing a Red Snapper Season for October and November!

david.itmt@gmail.com

Dauphin Island, AL - Federal fisheries managers today approved a weekend recreational red snapper season for the Gulf of Mexico in October and November.

The fall season will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 through 12:01 a.m. Nov. 22. The daily bag limit remains two fish per person, with a 16-inch minimum.

In addition to our Gulf of Mexico beach house rentals, Dauphin Island Beach Rentals also has a number of great vacation rental homes with private docks.

Check out "Water's Edge" and "Pitcher Perfect" (coming soon)

Labor Day Weekend Update (Sorry, no vacancy this weekend)

david.itmt@gmail.com

We're looking forward to a beautiful Labor Day weekend on Dauphin Island. The weather is forecast to be beautiful all weekend long, with no rain in the forecast and just partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80's.

In other good news- all waters in and around Dauphin Island are open for fishing, including both Federal and State waters!

See you "down on the Island"!

Dauphin Island returns to normal

david.itmt@gmail.com

Well, folks, it's been a strange summer, but things are returning to normal. The beaches are beautiful and clean, the water is a spectacular blue-green, and there are no signs of the summer's offshore disater.

After weeks of afternoon rainshowers and strong sea breezes, the sand that was piled up on the shoreline has now settled into a rounded dune shape.

There are even less people than usual, so if you are planning on joining us soon, you can expect a quiet and beautiful time on the Island.

Dauphin Island Beaches are Clean and Beautiful!

david.itmt@gmail.com

This is more like it!

Our unofficial survey of beach-walkers today could not find a single person who had encountered any tar or oil on our Gulf of Mexico beaches . . . . Yay, Whoo-Hoo, Yipee!

Dauphin Island is not even in the "ring of uncertainty" any more, thankfully, which means NOAA is not forecasting us to have any oil or tar reaching our beautiful sandy beaches. You can see the good news for yourself by clicking here:

NOAA Oil forecast

No Oil in sight for Dauphin Island this weekend

david.itmt@gmail.com

Continued good news for Dauphin Island- according to local boaters and published newspaper reports today, no oil has been seen in the Gulf waters south of the Island.

The latest NOAA forecast map

Tar Patties wash up in high wave action on the West End

david.itmt@gmail.com

The past few days have had high wave action, with the waves running 4-6 feet. These high waves have brought tar patties and tar balls to the west end beaches, unfortunately, and also some minor flooding on the far west end.

The clean-up crews managed to clean up the area behind our affected properties today, and there is no more tar, but the waves continue to be higher than normal, which seem bring in more debris than usual.

The good news is that the NOAA chart shows the oil drifting further south and away from Dauphin Island in the next 72 hours. They also do not show any "shore contact" of the oil on Dauphin Island, thankfully. Here is the most recent NOAA map.

It's a Happy Fourth of July on Dauphin Island!

david.itmt@gmail.com

Folks, it's a beautiful sunny day on Dauphin Island, there is a strong east breeze, nice waves, and I haven't seen, heard or smelled a thing other than sea, sand and surf.

Of course, it's been unusally quiet here, with so many cancellations due to the uncertainty of the Oil Spill. The good news is that we haven't really had much actual impact from the oil spill, it's been more about the precautions, and of course, the non-stop news coverage. I'm pleased to report that we have been, for the most part, spared so far. One more thing to be thankful for.

Here's an interesting article attesting to the clean but empty beaches on Dauphin Island over the holiday weekend Mobile Press Register Blog

Good Morning America crew broadcasting from the "Key Wester" on D.I. today!

david.itmt@gmail.com

The crew of ABC's "Good Morning America" show are broadcasting live this morning from one of our Dauphin Island beach houses, the "Key Wester" a pet-friendly beach house right on the Gulf of Mexico beach. Tune in and check it out!

We're expecting great weather for the 4th of July weekend; we hope to have clean beaches as well!

Tar Patties on eastern end of Dauphin Island yesterday

david.itmt@gmail.com

Unfortunately, some "tar patties" have arrived on the east- end beach on Dauphin Island, particularly in the De Soto Landings neighborhood. Tar patties are pieces of weathered oil that are larger than the small tar balls we have typically been seeing.

I will try to post some pictures of them today. Here is an article that says tar patties were found on the far West End beach of Dauphin Island, although we have not seen any tar behind our West End beach houses recently.

Lots of Surfers, no Oil

david.itmt@gmail.com

Dauphin Island, AL- It was another beautiful weekend on Dauphin Island. With hardly any clouds overhead, we were thankful for the steady seabreeze. There were a lot of surfers out, since the waves were running higher than usual, due to the strong breeze and full moon.

I was in the "Ship 'n' Shore" on Sunday, which is the general store here on the Island, and as I was standing in the check-out line, I overheard an amusing conversation; it seems the couple ahead of me in line were actually trying to find some oil or tarballs to take pictures of, and they were frustrated because they couldn't find any. I'm not surprised; I've been staying in one of our beachhouses that has been vacant due to cancellations for two months now, and I have only seen a handful of tarballs during that time.

Funny thing- on the same day the above conversation took place, the Birmingham, AL newspaper was reporting that a large qualtity of oil had been removed from the west end of the Island! This is directly contradicted by the folks I know who were actually out there working on the West End Beach- they told me that they found nothing but seaweed all weekend.

I believe the newspaper may have been talking about the uninhabited part of the Island that was cut off from the rest of Dauphin Island by hurricane Katrina in 2005. That part of the Island is about 6 miles long, and is separated from Dauphin Island by a mile-wide cut, which is referred to as the "Katrina Cut". They have found oil/tar there in the past, perhaps it is back again. I can definitely report that we have had nothing but tar balls so far on Dauphin Island, at least the inhabited part!

Here is the latest NOAA Oil Spill chart. They are still showing Dauphin Island on the on the edge of the "light oil" but we have not seen any real oil, just tarnalls, so far.

Swimming Advisory issued again, as oil moves closer to Dauphin Island

david.itmt@gmail.com

Starting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday night, a Swimming Advisory will be reinstated. The previous one had been lifted over the weekend, but the likeliness of oil coming ashore over the weekend has prompted the new advisory. You can read about it here.

The most recent NOAA oil spill forecast shows Dauphin Island may finally see some oil arrive over the weekend, with oil and/or tarballs likely to arrive by Sunday.

We have seen charts similar to this 3 times now, without actually having anything more than scattered tarballs, but, of course, this time could be different. Hopefully, we'll be lucky again.

Here is the latest NOAA chart

If you are staying this week and we are impacted, if you decide to check out early, we will refund any/all unused days.

As always, thank you all for your understanding and support!

Tickets available this Wednesday for free Jimmy Buffet beach concert

david.itmt@gmail.com

Mobile native Jimmy Buffet will be performing a free concert at the beach in nearby Gulf Shores, AL on July 1st, along with the Zac Brown band, Kenny Chesney, Allen Toussaint, and others. Tickets are free, but must be obtained through Ticketmaster or CMT.com. The tickets become available starting at 10:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday, June 23. The show will also air live on CMT Television, and via satellite radio on Air Margaritaville.

UPDATE- Tickets sold out within the first ten minutes, unfortunately. If you are one of the luck ones who got the tickets, congratulations.

Gulf Shores is accessible from Dauphin Island via the Mobile Bay Ferry but, unfortunately, the concert will finish after the last ferry returns to Dauphin Island.

If you are interested in finding a vacation rental beach house or beach condo in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, try Best Southeast Rentals.com

What are you waiting for?

david.itmt@gmail.com

If you've been watching our blog to see what's been happening on Dauphin Island, then you probably already know that the early forecasts were wrong, and that Dauphin Island has been spared from the kind of oil that came ashore in other areas, both east and west of us.

We have had great beach weather all summer, and other than some scattered tarballs, our beautiful beaches have been free of oil altogether!

Little by little, people are starting to gather on the beaches and enjoy the beauty of our Island. Here's a picture of some folks enjoying themselves today near the Public Beach.

Yes, that line in the water is a section of boom, which is pretty rare to see on the Gulf side of the Island. There wasn't much boom placed on the Gulf side, since the waves are pretty tough on the floating boom. The good news is that so far, the booms haven't been needed.

Dauphin Island Beaches Open for Swimming! Updated June 19

david.itmt@gmail.com

Great News! The State of Alabama has officially lifted the swimming advisory for Dauphin Island beaches! The oil continues to stay south of us, and they are probably going to open the area to shrimping in the next few weeks, according to today's newspaper.

Here is a link to the most recent NOAA oil forecast, which shows no oil forecast for the Dauphin Island area through the beginning of next week.

No one seems to know for certain why the oil hasn't come closer to Dauphin Island, but some local fishermen seem to believe that the outflow from our six rivers that flow into Mobile Bay may produce enough current to keep the oil south of us. Whatever the reason, we are grateful for it!

Helicopter flyover shows no oil near Dauphin Island!

david.itmt@gmail.com

According to a report on www.AL.com (the Mobile Press-Register's website), a helicopter flyover today showed that there was no oil in the area around Dauphin Island, Ft Morgan, or Gulf Shores.

This confirms the latest NOAA charts, which also show the oil staying south of Dauphin Island as it drifts northeastward.

Fishing Rodeo Canceled

david.itmt@gmail.com

Unfortunately, the 2010 Dauphin Island Fishing Rodeo has been canceled, due to the Gulf waters being closed for fishing.

More details as they become available.

Pictures from Dauphin Island beach weekend

david.itmt@gmail.com

Despite not being directly impacted by the oil spill, we've had a lot of cancellations due to concerns and uncertainty.

As a result, we've been able to spend some quality time at the beach with our family. Here are some pictures taken over the past few weeks. There are some great bird shots . . . I'll keep adding as I have time, so stop back!

Lauren (9) Steven (10) and Sarah (7)

A brown pelican in flight

No wonder they call Dauphin Island "America's Birdiest City"!

Still no oil in the forecast for Dauphin Island- Updated 6-14

david.itmt@gmail.com

The latest forecast from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) shows the oil steering clear of Dauphin Island as it drifts northeastward . . . (We're the Island south of Mobile without any red "X's" on it).

Unfortunately, oil has come ashore at Orange Beach yesterday morning (as the NOAA chart had predicted).

Thankfully, we have still not had any oil on Dauphin Island.

Here is a view looking east. Note the new berm along the shoreline that will hopefully help re-establish a natural "dune field" (there are areas to crossover).

No Oil on Dauphin Island, but lots and lots of sand (June 10)

david.itmt@gmail.com

Well, folks, we continue to be fortunate . ... We are not experiencing any oil on our beaches, with the exception of scattered occurances of small tar balls.

The man-made sand dunes going up have made it a little more difficult to get to the water in some places, but they will be worthwhile if the oil actually does come our way; much better to scoop up some sand and take it away for cleaning, than to have a large area to clean up.

This sand will "bleach out" within just a few weeks' time, and will be as white as the rest of our famous sand.

Dauphin Island has been losing sand for many years, and most of the sand dunes on the west end have been stripped away by back-to-back hurricanes and tropical storms . . . . this sand, once it settles and spreads, may form the basis of restoring a dune system to our Island, which would be a very good thing.

On some streets that end at the Gulf, however, the Town has been stockpiling sand, and the effect is pretty dramatic- a mountain of sand, or perhaps, a giant's sandcastle project!

Dauphin Island Beach Report- Updated

david.itmt@gmail.com

Well, folks, I posted the following video clip this morning from "Island Time II"

However, around 1:00 p.m., I got a call from one of our staff that there were some tarballs washing up on the west end, about 2 miles away. Sure enough, there they were:

This was the first time I myself had actually seen any effect from the distaster reach the beach here. It has been more of a scattered phenomenon; whole days go by with nothing, then one area is affected, and the others aren't. It's certainly nothing like the stuff they are showing on TV, that's for sure.

The lastest NOAA forecast seems to show a big shift to the east and away from Dauphin Island. We are still in the "ring of uncertainty", but the trend seems to be keeping mostly south of us as it tracks east.

Update from Dauphin Island

david.itmt@gmail.com

Yesterday, as most of you have heard, there were tar balls on parts of Dauphin Island, and there were also scattered areas where there was oil. We had a few reports from guests of seeing oil.

Today, oddly enough, we have seen no real signs of oil. None visible, no smell, nothing. In fact, Nancy even let Mia, a white Akita, go swimming!

Anyway, as crazy as things have been here, we are now officially taking things "day by day".

We certainly understand that many of you are worried about the uncertainty this Summer has brought. We are processing June cancellations now, so if you have a June reservation, and you want to cancel, please let us know via email. If you want to "wait and see" or if you want to "come down and take a look", you can do that, too. If your stay is affected, and you want to check out anytime, we'll pro-rate your stay. We will work with you any way you would like.

Thanks for your patience in these challenging times, we do appreciate it.

David and Nancy

Oil arrives on Dauphin Island beach ahead of NOAA forecast

david.itmt@gmail.com

Unfortunately, some oil has arrived on our Dauphin Island beaches, even though the NOAA charts hadn't predicted any oil through Thursday.

As of right now, the beaches are open, but there is a "swimming advisory" in place. For more infomation, here is a news release from the State of Alabama.

There is also good information on the AL.com site, maintained by the local newspaper:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/gulf_spill_oil_hits_alabama_mi.html

We will put out more information as it comes in.

David and Nancy Meyer Dauphin Island Beach Rentals, LLC

Oil moving closer to Mobile Bay area

david.itmt@gmail.com

The latest NOAA chartpredicts the oil "sheen" to be just south of Mobile Bay by Thursday, June 4th, with Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores both remaining outside the outer edges of the spill.

This is somewhat better than yesterday's chart, which had forecast Gulf Shores would be impacted by Wednesday, so it has moved a little further south, but we may be impacted this time around, it is too early to tell. There has been an intermittent smell in the air, presumably from the oil, it smells sort of like melted candle wax.

We know our Guests have varying "comfort levels" with the current uncertainty down here. As such, we have relaxed our normal cancellation policy as follows:

If you have a reservation beginning anytime in June 2010 and wish to cancel, we will issue a full refund.

or,

If you decide to come to the Island and check in, you can leave at any point during your stay, and receive a "pro-rated" refund for the days you did not stay.

If you are interested in staying in another beach location in the Southeast USA, including the Florida Panhandle, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN and Orlando/Disney area, please visit our other website at BestSoutheastRentals.com/

Memorial Day Weekend Update

david.itmt@gmail.com

Memorial Day weekend is here! We are grateful to be experiencing beautiful weather, and no effects from the Gulf oil spill.

Every beach house and condo in our rental program is full this weekend, so if you're looking for last-minute accomodations, you might want to consider staying in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. Please check our Best Southeast Rentals site for beach houses and condos in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and along the Florida Panhandle beaches.

Those of you monitoring the movement of the oil spill in the Gulf have probably noticed that the NOAA map showed the western (uninhabited) part of Dauphin Island to be in the "ring of uncertainty". This map was prepared on Thursday, and for some reason they haven't updated it since then. This is not the first time their chart showed part of Dauphin Island in the "ring", the last time, the oil never reached us, and instead drifted about 60-80 miles further away from us. Hopefully, we'll be lucky again.

We have found another forecasting chart to be more accurate, it is the one provided by the University of South Florida's College of Marine Sciences, and you can see it here.

Thank you all, and a special thanks to those who have served our country's military, and their families.

More beautiful weather on the Island, oil drifts further away

nancy.itmt@gmail.com

It is an absolutely gorgeous day on Dauphin Island, the water is very clear, and the white sandy beaches look great. The oil spill continues to mover further away.

Here is a short video clip I took today from the deck of "Island Time", a beach house on Dauphin Island's Gulf of Mexico beach.

The latest forecast from NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) show the oil spill continues to move further from us and is now 60 miles or more to the southwest of Dauphin Island.

Here is a link to see the latest projection NOAA Oil Map

Dauphin Island beaches remain pristine and oil moves further away

nancy.itmt@gmail.com

We are very happy to report that we have NOT had any sort of oil or any real effects on our beaches, and the oil itself has moved even further away!

Two weeks ago, the predictions indicated that the oil leaking from the Louisiana Deepwater Horizon rig explosion would reach our area. Thankfully, it got about 20 miles from us, and has been moving south and west ever since.

The most recent NOAA forecast, issued Thursday, May 13, indicates the oil will continue to move further from Dauphin Island. Here is a link to the NOAA chart.

Update on Dauphin Island Beaches

david.itmt@gmail.com

We had an absolutely gorgeous weekend on Dauphin Island. Although CNN has been breathlessly reporting that a half-dozen tarballs were found in one area, nothing else was found anywhere on the 7 mile-long island's white sandy beaches.

The most recent charts show the oil in the Gulf much farther from Dauphin Island, and drifting west into Louisiana, and Dauphin Island is not forecast to receive any effects anytime soon.

Oil spill drifts further from Dauphin Island

nancy.itmt@gmail.com

May 7, 2010

It is another beautiful day on Dauphin Island, and, thankfully, the oil spill in the Gulf continues to drift away from our shoreline, with the

most recent deptiction

show it has moved further south and east then last week.

It appears that this mess will continue to drift and we do not expect to have have any effect on our beautiful Island through the weekend.

Thanks to all of you for your kind messages of support, we do appreciate it!

picture taken 5/5

Update on Gulf oil spill

nancy.itmt@gmail.com

At the present time, we have been fortunate, it has not reached us, and the spill has drifted further to the south, so we may avoid it for the time being. In time, though, we should probably expect to be affected, we just don't know how much or for how long. The situation is changing day-to-day, and we are getting updates in real-time.

Given the uncertainty of the current situation, we have decided to relax our cancellation policy, in order to give you the flexibility to make the best plans for your family.

If you have a reservation beginning anytime before May 28th, and you wish to cancel your stay, you may do so at any time, without penalty.

This means you can choose any of the following:

You can decide to cancel now
You can decide to "wait and see" and make your decision later, when more is known
You can check in, and if you wish to depart early, we will pro-rate your stay and refund the rest

For stays beginning after May 28th, we ask that you please be patient as we gather more information about the situation. By the end of the week, we should have a much clearer picture of what we can expect, and will put out another update at that time.

If in the meantime, you need to contact us, we would appreciate it if you would do so via email, this will allow us to keep our phone lines open to communicate. Just click here to send us a message.

If you are considering staying in another area, please visit our Southeast USA rentals website, where you can find vacation rentals in Florida, South Carolina, Gatlinburg TN and also Orlando!

www.Best Southeast Rentals.com

May- one of the best months of the year on Dauphin Island!

david.itmt@gmail.com

Here's a little-known secret:

May and October are two of the best months on Dauphin Island, and for four good reasons:

The Weather! Blue skies, low humidity, daytime highs around 80 and evening lows in the 60's . . . Perfect beach weather!

Spring Rates and Rules! Since Peak Summer rental rates don't start until late in the month, the rates are lower, and we do not require a full week stay.

Beat the crowds! Although Dauphin Island beaches are never crowded, there are even less folks down here during Spring . . . it's a great, (and quiet!) time on the Island.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, we're offering a 20% discount for last minute stays during the first few weeks of May !When booking, enter code MAY2010 to receive a 20% discount (new reservations only).

Owners- Here is the link to access your Calendars!

david.itmt@gmail.com

Welcome to our new website! This is by far the most advanced website ever created for Dauphin Island vacation rentals, and uploading all of the information, pictures and content takes a while to implement, so please be patient with us as we complete the pages dedicated to each of your properties.

The link to access OwnerLink remains the same:

Click HERE to Access OwnerLink

Once you reach the OwnerLink Log-in page, please bookmark it for future use.

Regards,

David and Nancy

Dauphin Island Beach Rentals, LLC

Are you visiting this season?

sam@bookt.com

This coming season makes a great time to visit Dauphin Island. With the climate just right for your visit, there is no better time to come stay with us in professionally managed rental. We have units for groups of any size, and on any budget. Inquiry with us today and let us help you plan your perfect vacation!

Dauphin Island is a great place to visit!

sam@bookt.com

There are so many reasons to visit Dauphin Island from the shopping and recreation, the beautiful climate and relaxation. Take a step back, and then take a step forward in booking your next vacation with us. We provide all the tools for you to reserve your rental online and also over a wide range of concierge services. If you have any questions at all, just pick up the phone and calls us or shoot us and email and we will be happy to help you start planning your vacation.

Why Rent With Us?

sam@bookt.com

Dauphin Island Beach Rentals has quickly became one of the leading Vacation Rental companies on Dauphin Island.

All of our properties are professionally managed so you can be sure the quality of your stay is superior to any hotel in the area. We also provide a wide range of services to make your vacation is easy and enjoyable. If you have any questions make sure you inquiry and let us help start planning your vacation today!