You
know you're in for one sweltering day when you're outside and sweating by nine
in the morning.
Hot
days are a given in the South, especially in a Gulf Coast city like Mobile, Alabama.
Locals could easily amuse themselves by watching Yankees visitors shift around
uncomfortably in the dense humidity, the half-hearted attempts at fanning themselves
completely fruitless. But the citizens of Mobile, for the most part, are entirely
too nice to do such a thing.
Instead,
they'll politely nod along while Northerners make completely obvious weather-related
comments such as, "It's soooo hot..." or "It's not like this back
home."
Mind
you, it's not always hot in Mobile. In January, highs hover just above 60 degrees.
However, I was not in Mobile in January. I was there in the middle of a mid-May
heatwave, which meant 90 degrees plus humidity. It was bearable, though, especially
with a pleasant breeze coming off Mobile Bay. And as silly as it sounds, the heat
was nice in that Southern "just give in and wear a floaty sundress"
kind of way.
Wearing
a sundress, however, is not recommended for touring one of Mobile's top attractions,
the Mobile Battleship Park. The Park is home to USS Alabama, which saw action
in WWII and was nicknamed "Lucky A" because it never lost any lives
to enemy fire. Having never seen a battleship before, I was blown away by the
size of USS Alabama. It towered above us, its immense guns (though of course no
longer in use) still holding a generous intimidation factor.
There
are three different self-guided tours available to visitors, although if you are
opposed to tours, you can explore at your leisure. Feeling a bit adventurous,
a friend and I decided to take the tour which would eventually lead us to the
top of the ship.
Our
hands slid over the metal railings as we climbed
stairs...and more stairs. And guess what? Even more
stairs. This is where I feel obligated to remind
you not to wear a skirt -- or at least not one that
falls above the knee. I have a feeling there was
a distinct reason an older gentleman was keen on
following me up the numerous ladders. Which such
a prime view, who needs to look out at Mobile Bay?
I guess it was his lucky day.
While laboring up the ladders was exhilarating, it also served as a reminder of exactly how fit the servicemen had to be in order to scale them in a combat situation when speed is paramount. Music from the 1940s filtered down through speakers aboard the ship, helping recreate a feeling for the time period in which the ship was active.
Reaching the top of the battleship was worth the endless climbing -- the view of the city skyline was stunning, the gusts of wind were comforting, and completing the experience was a pair of WWII vets who were reminiscing about their time spent serving our country. Their conversation helped put everything in context: the USS Alabama is more than a tourist attraction; it is a tangible part of a harrowing and frightening time for our country...and for the men who bravely defended it.
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Aboard the USS Drum submarine (top), looking up at USS Alabama (bottom left), inside looking out of the battleship (bottom right). |
Striking a chord of fear (and awe) in my heart was the USS Drum, a WWII-era submarine also on site. It boggled my mind to see the dark, cramped quarters shared by over 70 men. Suffice it to say that claustrophobia would've been a major issue preventing me from ever living aboard a submarine. That said, exploring the sub was fascinating, especially seeing the tiny, narrow beds and sinks the size of soup bowls. Numerous levers, dials and buttons used for operating the large vessel also proved to be a point of interest...and confusion. How the men knew which levers (among hundreds) to pull in order to properly operate the sub, I'll never know.
After touring the rest of the Battleship Park (the fighter planes and helicopters are also must-sees), we headed back to town to get our fill of history...and Mobile has over 300 years of it to share. The historic homes in the de Tonti Square district are really something to see. Although some of the iron lacework is reminiscent of New Orleans, the houses have a different feel, one that's belongs solely to Mobile.
A stroll down Dauphin Street took us into the heart of the city's entertainment district. Bars and restaurants (which we'll discuss a bit later) line the avenue, which becomes a neon-enhanced hotspot after dark.
Also downtown is the Gulf Coast Exploreum of Science, one of Mobile's newest attractions. Although perfect for kids (the hands-on exhibits are quite fun), solo adults might want to skip it in favor of the Mobile Museum of Art. Located in West Mobile, the art museum is situated on a picturesque lake and it is really quite impressive, not to mention entirely free.
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Bellingrath Home Courtyard |
If gardens are your thing, you shouldn't pass up Bellingrath Gardens - a true delight for the senses. The sixty-five meticulously landscaped acres proved to elicit whispers of admiration from visitors, male and female alike.
Back in 1917, Coca-Cola bottler Walter Duncan Bellingrath purchased the land for use as a fishing camp. Then his wife got her hands on it, hired an architect...and spent the rest of her life - and an enormous sum of money - improving it.
Bellingrath once wryly remarked: "Look what a wife could do to a perfectly good fishing camp."
And the people of Mobile are eternally grateful for that fortunate turn of fate.
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Bragg-Mitchell Mansion |
Still want more history? Mobile definitely delivers. We explored two historic homes - Bragg-Mitchell Mansion and Oakleigh Period House Museum - and learned about some of the interesting characters who once resided in the city. The front lawn of Bragg-Mitchell is simply breathtaking with sunlight trickling down through the twisting live oak branches.
Now for a bit of history with a twist: a historic downtown hotel updated to offer modern amenities. Built in the 1940s, the Radisson Admiral Semmes Hotel boasts retro flair with silver elevator doors and a mirrored atrium in the lobby. Crown moldings accent guest rooms and large windows give great views of city life below.
Named after a local hero, the Admiral Semmes Hotel was the first hotel fully air-conditioned hotel east of the Mississippi. And being located in the humid South, it couldn't have hurt business. Staying ahead of the times seemed to have been a trademark of the hotel - it had a ramp built directly to the second-floor ballroom so auto dealers could display vehicles inside the hotel at a time when such things were hardly commonplace.
My junior suite was large and roomy, a king-sized bed dominating one wall while a work desk, mini-fridge and sink occupied the area nearest the door. A comfy hunter green couch and long wood coffee table provided a relaxing living area across from the large wood armoire holding the television. It was nice to relax and watch TV without having to crawl into bed, as comfortable as it was.
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The gorgeous lobby of the Radisson Admiral Semmes Hotel. |
The hallway leading to the bathroom had a double closet, complete with sliding mirrored doors so you can give yourself a quick once-over before heading out on the town. At the end of the hallway was a small vanity area - a table with stool and tons of great lighting. There's another mirror there, making it the perfect place to apply makeup and attend to your hair woes. The bathroom just off to the left was on the smaller side, but proved to be extremely functional. Another huge mirror - framed in gold-painted wood - hung above the counter.
Simply put, from the lobby to your room you will never be able to escape from your reflection. It's a good thing you're cute.
I don't know how many people have ever referred to J. Oliver Wintzell as cute, but the stout, stogie-puffing man was certainly entertaining. And judging from the thousands of hilarious sayings decorating his restaurant on historic Dauphin Street, he was also quite opinionated.
People come to Wintzell's Oyster House for the food - it's darn good - but there's something to be said when even the local regulars admit that time and time again, they're surprised by a saying they never saw before.
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Wintzellisms -- and that's just one corner of the restaurant. |
No one seems to know how many placards plaster the walls, but there are probably very few people who can claim to have read each quote. There are just too many - staggered closely floor to the ceiling on every single available space, even on the menus.
It's just as entertaining to watch the reactions of Wintzell's patrons as they look skyward, reading sign after sign. Some will chuckle, some will roll their eyes, some will grin - but most will elbow a dining companion and point out a few choice sayings.
One that received a generous amount of attention at my table read: "Sugar daddy: crystallized sap." Then I spotted the long rectangle of orange posterboard that holds my new favorite Wintzellism: "Confucius say: After 15 Canadian beers and 6 dozen Wintzell's oysters or late at night, there ain't no such thing as an ugly woman."
Speaking of the oysters, Wintzell's is proud to be the restaurant to initiate dozens of Young Miss contenders (in town for the competition every June) to the wonders of raw oysters. The girls - some prissy, some slightly less so - sit at the bar and down their first raw oysters with wrinkled noses and proud smiles, most likely accompanied by camera flashes and adolescent giggles.
The oysters at Wintzell's are legendary, having been selected in Willard Scott's cookbook as the nation's "Best Oysters and Crab". The restaurant is Mobile's oldest, residing in the same location as where it was founded back in 1938 as just a 6-stool oyster bar. Although it's grown to accommodate the city's demand for delicious seafood, I would venture to say that its Southern charm is still entirely intact.
Although Wintzell's is known for its tasty oysters, the seafood gumbo is not to be missed. It's been voted the best in Mobile - and even visitors from the gumbo-Mecca of New Orleans have sung its praises. That said, there's really no going wrong at Wintzell's. Everything we sampled was tasty - from hush puppies to Oysters Rockefeller - and it was competitively priced.
Also reasonably priced is Saucy Q Bar-B-Q, located on Government Street, one of the oldest streets in Mobile. No one who loves good Southern food should pass up Saucy Q. The tender meat practically fell right off the bone and the sauce was tangy with just a hint of spice. I've never seen so many people enraptured by a meal eaten out of a Styrofoam container. The lunch specials come with two sides and a hunk of cornbread (also delicious). Proud owner Elbert Wingfield grinned as he chatted with customers, asking if their meals were up to par.
Of course they were.
Wishing I could bring back a few slabs of Saucy Q ribs for my family, I asked if he's planning on selling them online in the future. Fortunately, he is in the process of doing just that. But until it is possible to order Saucy Q ribs over the Internet, you'll just have to stop by and try 'em in person.
Thankfully, our table had an entire roll of paper towel at our disposal. We went through dozens of sheets, prompting me to ask Elbert exactly how many rolls of paper towel his restaurant goes through in a day.
He chuckled, raising an eyebrow and glancing at folks in a nearby booth who were frantically wiping at their mouths.
He grinned. "A lot."
You won't be needing paper towels at Roussos Seafood Restaurant, but you will be needing a hearty appetite. As its name implies, seafood is its specialty -- so is Greek cooking. Highly recommended is the scamp, a member of the grouper family that is in relative short supply along the Gulf Coast, according to Roussos staff.
The scamp or any other fish can be done "Greek style" -- cooked in olive oil, lemon and garlic. My Greek-style scamp was fantastic, tasting light and flaky with a bit of a zing. Served on top of the fish was crabmeat and shrimp, the perfect add-on if you just can't decide what to get. If you like crab, make sure to order an appetizer of crab claws -- I tried them for the first time at Roussos and absolutely loved them.
At first glance, the basket of claws looks like something out of a horror movie, the little pieces angling out almost accusatorily in every direction. But after tasting one, they suddenly appeared much more appetizing. Heavenly, even.
Sampling desserts, I found the orange cake to be downright droolworthy. Like a creamsicle in cake formation, it was soft and moist - we even ordered a second piece. And we ate every last crumb of it.
To work off some of the calories I'd devoured the night before, I woke up early and headed to the Government Street Farmer's Market, where local vendors gather to sell flowers, vegetables and fruits. Open each Saturday through June 28 and again in the fall from October 11 - November 15, there are plenty of deals to be had.
Walter E. Brannan Jr. drives 40 miles from Courtney Farms in Mississippi to sell goods such as fragrant bouquets of flowers and stacks of ripe vegetables.
"We do a good business," he said during a rare break in customer flow. "This market is great for us."
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The stunning view in Cathedral Square. |
It also worked out quite well for me -- I left with a jar of loquat jam and a half-dozen peaches.
I walked a few blocks to Cathedral Square where I sat on a bench and enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning. Vivid green park space framed the towering Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, its gold-leaf steeple domes and crosses glowing in the morning sun. In the park's semicircle fountain, water splashed against concrete. And I relaxed on the edge of the greenery, a ripe peach in my hand and a grin dancing across my face. The fruit was splendidly sweet...as was yet another day spent in Mobile.
IF YOU GO: |
TIPS:
Downtown Mobile is easily walkable, but a great way to get around is LoDa Moda , a free trolley system that runs from 7-6, Monday-Friday. The trolleys run every 10 minutes over a three-mile route along St. Francis, Dauphin, Government, Church and Royal streets. The trolleys are new with wood seats, air conditioning and friendly drivers.
If you're a golfer, you have a number of high-quality courses from which to choose in Mobile. Click here for more information.
Call 1-800-5-MOBILE or visit the Mobile Convention & Visitors Bureau website for more information on the city.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Mardi Gras is a BIG deal in Mobile. There's no way for you to escape hearing it about during your stay, no matter what time of the year you visit. Mobile's first Mardi Gras dates back to 1703, when Societé de Saint Louise was founded...and they've been celebrating it ever since. The city prides itself on having a family-friendly atmosphere, which means you can bring the kids without having to blindfold them -- thankfully, there's no "Girls Gone Wild" New Orleans-style debauchery on the streets of Mobile on Fat Tuesday. Just old-fashioned, crazy-costumed fun.
BEACHES:
Being on a bay, Mobile doesn't have any beaches. However, nearby Gulf Shores offers 32-miles of sugar-white beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and is less than an hour away by car, just 50 miles southeast of Mobile.
LODGING:
Radisson Admiral Semmes Hotel
ATTRACTIONS:
Mobile Battleship Park
Mobile Museum of Art
Bellingrath Gardens
Bragg-Mitchell Mansion
Oakleigh Period House Museum
Gulf Coast Exploreum
RESTAURANTS:
Wintzell's Oyster House
Roussos Seafood Restaurant
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