FOLEY, Ala. — Travel writer Cindy Ross and her entourage left the Hotel Magnolia recently, continuing day five of a bicycle tour of Alabama’s Coastal Connection Scenic Byway.

Ross and her family spent the night at the Hotel Magnolia in downtown Foley, after spending the day biking from Gulf State Park, to Elberta to see the Baldwin County Heritage Museum, then to Graham Creek Park Nature Preserve for a two-mile kayak paddle to Wolf Bay, before stopping for the day in Foley. The group has pedaled about 25 miles each day of the trip.

While in Foley, Ross toured the Foley Railroad Depot Museum, the Model Train exhibit, walked a section of the Heritage Rose Trail, visited the Performing Arts Center and had ice cream at Stacy’s Old Tyme Ice Cream Parlor.

For dinner, the group enjoyed seafood dishes at Foley’s Magnolia Court Restaurant. Members of the group were impressed with the beautiful chandeliers in every room at the Hotel Magnolia.

Ross has traveled the world, and written several travel books. Follow her travels on her blog: http://cindyrosstraveler.com/.

The scenic byway is a loop from I-10 near Mobile to Dauphin Island, across to the Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Elberta, Foley, Fairhope and back to I-10 at Spanish Fort. America’s byways are a collection of America’s roads that create a “unique travel experience” and provide a look into the local quality of life.