Foley, Alabama, is a popular side trip from Gulf Shores, just 11.7 miles north on Alabama State Route 59. You also go through the town if you drive Alabama’s Coastal Connection Scenic Byway, even though it’s twelve miles east of the coast. There’s a lot to do in Foley, from shopping and museums to an amusement park and nature preserve. On the day we visited the town, we went to two museums and a soda shop.