Monday marked the 294th anniversary of the landing of the LeMoyne brothers, French-Canadians who sailed from France and are better known by their titles. Pierre was the Sieur d'Iberville; Jean Baptiste, the Sieur de Bienville. After sidestepping the bones, Jean Baptiste went on to found New Orleans.

Today's wintertime visitors won't find the skeletal remains, but they will find fresh seafood, quiet beaches unmarked by footprints, and a respite from dreary work duties.

Once a center for activity

Though Dauphin Island now functions as a quiet escape, immediately after serving as landfall for the two sieurs it became the jumping-off spot for gulf exploration, a crossroads for adventurers pushing into the wilds of French America. Mobile, 30 miles to the north, was founded from here. At one point the island was the capital of the Louisiana territory.

The island was renamed Dauphin in honor of Marie Adelaide of Savoy, wife of Dauphin Louis, the duke of Burgundy. (Dauphin was the title bestowed on the heir to the French throne.)

Today, the island is occupied by Southeastern sun-worshipers from Mobile and points north in the summer and not much of anyone in the winter. Which is what makes Dauphin Island a cold-weather getaway, just the place for early-morning, just-you-and-the-crabs strolls.

Moderate temperatures

The temperature will be walk-friendly - February temperatures are generally in the 60s and 70s. If you like to be out at daybreak, figure on morning lows in the 45-to-50 range.

There are no high-rise buildings, not even any gulf beachfront hotels. In fact, the westernmost seven miles of the island, just barely above sea level, are unoccupied, adding even more solitude for beach strolling.

The island's business center - and three motels - is on the Mississippi Sound section at the end of the causeway that connects Dauphin to the mainland.

On the eastern end are boat ramps, a free fishing pier and a campground. Fort Gaines, an important Civil War outpost, is also on the eastern side, facing Mobile Bay.

To the west are beach houses aplenty, with available short-term rentals, and two condo complexes where units can be had by the week. Off- season (October to March) prices range from $300 to $800 per week for beach houses; condos are about $475 for a week. Motel rooms are in the $35-a-night range for doubles.

Buy or catch seafood

And there is seafood, with four restaurants and two fresh-caught places for those who like to custom-cook their scamp or crab. If you like to catch your own, the island has two fishing piers. The Dauphin Island Pier, at 850 feet, offers deep-water fishing and also has gear for rent and tackle for sale. It's open 24 hours a day.

Charter boats are also available if it's game-fish action you're after. If you like to find your meals when you walk, you can wade for crab and flounder, specialties of the area.

An 18-hole public golf course offers another kind of strolling. Tennis courts also are available.

For educational walks, hiking trails criss-cross the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, a 160-acre woodland where migratory species stop on their way to Central and South America. The sanctuary adjoins Fort Gaines and a public campground with restrooms and washer-dryer facilities. The fort was started in 1822 but wasn't finished until the 1850s when Jefferson Davis was secretary of war.

"Damn the torpedoes!"

When the Civil War began, the fort was seized by the Alabama militia, along with its larger, across-the-bay counterpart, Fort Morgan. It was on the water between the two that Admiral David Farragut made his famous remark in 1864. "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" he said as he ran the Confederate gauntlet and took Mobile for the North.

For his slippery success, the admiral was hung with the nickname of Old Salamander.

Fort Gaines, complete with the cannon that fired on Old Salamander, is open year-round. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children younger than 12.

As a reminder of the island's even earlier history, you can still explore a shell mound that is believed to have been constructed by prehistoric Native Americans, possibly related to those who left the piles of bones found by the LeMoyne brothers.

Tips for the trip

Information: Dauphin Island Development Network, 205-861-5524.

Getting there: Take Interstate 85 to Montgomery, Ala., where it intersects with I-65. Take I-65 south to Mobile, then Ala. 193 south to Dauphin Island.

Or, from Pensacola, Fla., take Fla. 180 west to Fort Morgan, then the ferry to Dauphin Island. The ferry leaves Fort Morgan every 80 minutes starting at 8:40 a.m., with the last trip at 6 p.m. The trip takes about 30 minutes and costs $12 per car. Telephone 800-634-4027 for information and reservations.

Where to stay: For house rentals: Boardwalk Realty (205-861-3992) or Dauphin Island Realty (205-861-8042). For condo rentals: Sandcastle (205- 861-6691) or Surf Club (205-861-2040). For motel rooms: Bayou Heron (205- 861-5534), Bayside (205-861-4994) or Gulf Breeze (205-861-7344).

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