The baby alligators laid on their mother's back as she eyed us. Lefty, as she is known, is used to visitors at Gulf State Park in Alabama, and we were no different, though how we got there was.
We were taking a Segway tour through the park when we happened upon Lefty and her offspring. Though she allowed us to take photos of her and her young, we continued on so as not to disturb her too much.
It was just one of the exciting parts about riding a Segway for the first time, a perfect activity for a family because riders can be as young as 12 or as old as 80. All they need to do is demonstrate they are able to handle the machines, said James Yaskowich, operator with Coastal Segway Adventures.
Yaskowich led us on a tour of the park, stopping at various locations to tell us some of the history and how the Gulf oil spill affected the area.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill instilled fear into the minds of many in tourism, but the Gulf Coast has bounced back. The Hangout Music Festival was started in the aftermath of the spill, drawing acts including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean and Twenty One Pilots.
The white-sand beaches seemed like a perfect location to hold such an event. To keep the sand and water top-notch, an effort began in 2007 to ensure the sustainability of the island. In 2015, a litter program was started to bring awareness to the things left behind on the beach.
Packing up chairs, toys and getting rid of trash and recyclables is part of the program's motto: "Leave Only Footprints."
The Gulf State Park, which already offers boating, camping, fishing, playgrounds and more, is undergoing an expansion, which will include an interpretive center and trail enhancements. In the meantime, don't miss the Gulf State Park Pier. At 1,540 feet, it's the second-longest on the Gulf of Mexico and an ideal place for people-watching.
My trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, sponsored by Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism, started with dinner at LuLu's, a packed, family-friendly venue serving thousands of people each day during the peak summer season.
With a beach vibe at heart, LuLu's (started by Lucy Buffett, younger sister of singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett) has something for everyone, even offering a menu for those with food allergies.
Kids, meanwhile, will be delighted by the multitude of flavors available at Matt's Homemade Alabama Ice Cream, the only homemade ice cream shop in the area. There are two locations.
For other kid-friendly activities, try Sailaway Charters, which features shrimping and nature tours. Kids can look for different types of wildlife as parents laugh along to Captain Skip Beebee's tales of cruising around the world during the tours, which range from one to three hours.
For more information, visit www.gulfshores.com, www.coastalsegwayadventures.com and www.sailorskip.com.