USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “SOUTHEAST” MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI: THE MAGNOLIA STATE

BY CLAY LARROY

People in general consider traveling as their personal interests.  Traveling can quickly became an interests simply because it is such an enjoyable experience. When you travel around the world and you will see a variety of different cultures and people.   There are two things to remember while traveling. The first thing is to be open-minded about people and their culture. The second thing and the most important, is to respect other cultures no matter how different. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Mississippi serves up a veritable feast of hearty food, outdoor adventure and fascinating history. Running deep like the Mississippi River, the state's narrative has been shaped by American Indians, European traders and pioneer settlers, whose tales of triumph and toil litter the Natchez Trace Parkway, a fascinating heritage route between Natchez and Nashville.

Vicksburg also delivers a huge slice of history. A key battle ground during the American Civil War (1861-1865), the conflict is commemorated with memorials and monuments at the Vicksburg National Military Park. Meanwhile, the Mississippi Freedom Trail pays poignant tribute to the racial strife that erupted here during the 1960s, when the state was a major player in the Civil Rights movement.

The architecture is no less dramatic. From 19th-century antebellum plantations to the eccentric Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, the state abounds with eye-catching design. But nothing beats Mississippi's stunning landscapes, which have inspired a wealth of artistic talent, from William Faulkner and Eudora Welty to Elvis Presley and BB King. The arts scene still thrives, with indie film festivals, honky tonks and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors lending the state a creative vibe.

Outdoor enthusiasts are well catered for in Mississippi: its balmy climate and vast wilderness are ripe for adventure. Bike a section of the 4,800km (3,000-mile) Mississippi River Trail, which scythes through 10 states, cycle through the Appalachian foothills on the Tanglefoot Trail, or set up camp in one of the state's six national forests.

Mississippi's culinary offerings also deserve exploration. State specialties range from fresh-from-the-Gulf shrimp and Delta hot tamales to super-sweet slices of Mississippi mud pie. You'll want seconds – and we're not just talking about the food.

Travel to Mississippi

Getting There By Rail

Two Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA only; www.amtrak.com) lines traverse Mississippi: the 'City of New Orleans' passes through Jackson on its way north to Chicago, and the 'Crescent' cuts through the southeast corner of the state (stopping at Meridian, Laurel, Hattiesburg and Picayune) on its way from New Orleans to Atlanta, Washington, DC and New York City.

Approximate rail journey times:
From Jackson to New Orleans is 4 hours 30 minutes, to Memphis is 4 hours 30 minutes, and to Chicago is 10 hours 25 minutes.

Cruise Ships

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company (tel: 1 800 543 1949, in the USA only; www.deltaqueensteamboat.com), runs scheduled paddlewheel cruises up and down the Mississippi River, stopping at several Mississippi cities, and travelling as far upriver as Minneapolis/St Paul. A similar journey is available on a European-style hotel barge operated by RiverBarge Excursion Lines (tel: 1 888 456 2206, in the USA only; www.riverbarge.com).

Things to see and do in Mississippi

Cruise down Mississippi River

Join a Mississippi riverboat (www.mississippirivercruises.com) for a cruise down Ole Man River. Paddle-wheel steamboats take travelers on an historic journey down the Mississippi River through the Old South.

Delta Blues Museum

Sample Mississippi's vibrant blues tradition at the Delta Blues Museum (www.deltabluesmuseum.org) in Clarksdale.

Discover Natchez

The oldest civilized settlement on the Mississippi River, Natchez (www.visitnatchez.com) was spared major destruction in the Civil War. Today, over 500 historic buildings and antebellum mansions still stand providing a wonderful glimpse of pre-war life in the Deep South. Stay in an historic bed & breakfast, then explore Natchez-under-the-Hill, with its shops and famous dockside gaming.

Explore Vicksburg National Military Park

The park (www.nps.gov/vick) is where some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place. Here, on 4 July 1863, the Union victory helped the Yankees gain control of the Mississippi River. Living history demonstrations and battle re-enactments every summer provide a fascinating insight into this dramatic period.

Explore the All-American Rose Garden

Enjoy the famous All-American Rose Garden in Hattiesburg (www.hattiesburg.org), which features 740 patented bushes.

Explore the Tupelo Buffalo Park

Explore the Tupelo Buffalo Park, featuring a herd of buffalo that can be viewed from aboard the Monster Bison Bus.

Follow the Deep South Antique & Wine Trail

Make Natchez your starting point for the Deep South Antique & Wine Trail (www.deepsouthantiqueandwinetrail.com), which is a co-operative endeavor between the states of Mississippi and Louisiana and covers 322km (200 miles) and six counties, with over 100 antique shops en route.

Highway 61 Blues Museum

Enjoy the haunting sounds of blues music at the Highway 61 Blues Museum (www.highway61blues.com) in downtown Leland.

Jackson's history museums

Explore the Old Capitol Historical Museum, containing exhibits chronicling the Civil Rights Movement, while the Smith Robertson Museum houses displays on African-American Mississippian history and heritage.

Leland

Take the family to Leland (www.lelandms.org), where Kermit the Frog was born. See the Birthplace of the Frog exhibition where the childhood of Jim Henson, creator of the Sesame Street and Muppets characters, can be remembered.

Natchez Trace Parkway

Travel the historic Natchez Trace Parkway (www.nps.gov/natr) that winds 640km (400 miles) southwest from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Free of billboard advertising and commercial traffic, and with a speed limit of 80kph (50mph), the parkway provides a scenic introduction to the delights of Mississippi and leads visitors down paths once trekked by buffalo, Native Americans and frontiersmen.

Natchez

Join the spring or fall pilgrimages in Natchez (www.natchezms.com), touring some of the area's 500 remaining antebellum mansions. Walk through Longwood, the largest octagonal house in America, nestled among huge oaks hung with dripping Spanish moss.

Tour the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center

The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center (www.nps.gov/shil/historyculture/corinth.htm) chronicles the Battle of Corinth and its significance in Civil War history.

Tupelo

Visit Tupelo, best known for its native son, Elvis Presley. Visitors can stop at Elvis Presley's Birthplace (www.elvispresleybirthplace.com), the humble two-room house where 'the King' was born, and the adjacent museum which contains rare photos, memorabilia and a statue of Elvis aged 13.

Visit Oxford

Oxford is the picturesque town captured forever in the writings of William Faulkner. Rowan Oak, Faulkner's house, can be visited today and remains much as the literary giant left it, with the outline of his novel, A Fable, scrawled on his study wall.

Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Visit the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (www.walterandersonmuseum.org) in Ocean Springs, on Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Anderson's art reflects coastal life and the amazing variety of birds that migrate along this Mississippi Flyway.

 

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

That Mississippi sound, that Delta sound is in them old records. You can hear it all the way through. Muddy Waters

Live Life and Travel to create marvelous memories!

 

USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “SOUTHEAST” ALABAMA

ALABAMA: HEART OF DIXIE

BY CLAY LARROY

Leisure travel is a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that can detract from your enjoyment.  When planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

 Read the article below for an exciting outlook on Mobile.

How Mobile’s Modern Mardi Gras Got Its Start

By The Mobile Mask

Historians and others can argue about which group of early explorers first hoisted a drink on Shrove Tuesday, yelled “Happy Mardi Gras!” then fell down and whether they were closer to the present locations of Mobile, Alabama, or New Orleans, Louisiana, when they did it.

It seems like such a small point.

It’s far more interesting to explore the events that led directly to the Mardi Gras we know: the secret societies, the high-class balls, the elaborate parades, the tons of throws.

And all of that has to start in Mobile on the day after Christmas 1831. A captain whose ship was tied up in Mobile invited a young cotton broker named Michael Krafft to enjoy dinner with him aboard ship, according to an account written by Charles Kennerly, who described Krafft as “a fellow of infinite jest and was fond of fun of any kind.”

After dinner, as Krafft made his way home through the dark streets of Mobile, he came upon a hardware store. “For some reason or other,” Kennerly wrote, “Krafft sat down in the doorway, and in so doing, his head … dislodged (a) rake and string of cowbells. They came rattling down on him, whereat he gathered up the bells and tied them, bell by bell, to the teeth of the rake.”

Krafft resumed his trip home with the jangling rake. “This extraordinary spectacle, of course, attracted the attention of ‘the boys,’ and by the time (Krafft) had reached Royal Street, he had a crowd around him.” Someone asked Krafft, “What society is this?”

“Michael, giving his rake an extra shake and looking up at his bells,” Kennerly wrote, “responded, ‘This? This is the Cowbellion de Rakin Society.’ ”

There have been many versions of this story written and rewritten, told and retold, but Kennerly’s is likely the closest to true, since he was one of the original Cowbellions. According to him, Krafft’s harmless little escapade and witty retort wound up in the area newspapers right away, and the papers openly speculated on whether the Cowbellions would show up again on New Year’s Eve.

It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Folks turned out on New Year’s Eve to see what would happen, Kennerly among them. He joined 40 to 60 men who gathered at “the place of rendezvous,” a coffee house in Exchange Alley. The men were “formed and put in line of march about nine o’clock. Having got into the street, we were met by a messenger from the mayor, John Stocking, who invited us to call at his residence and partake of a collation.”

The band of men did go to the mayor’s residence, where they were fed, and they stopped at several other residences. They had a grand time. “I had no expectation of hearing anything more of the matter,” Kennerly wrote, but nearly a year later, “I saw in the papers a notice calling the Cowbellions together at the appointed time.”

The Cowbellions indeed continued on. By 1833, according to historian Julian “Judy” Rayford, the men paraded in masks and fancy costumes, and many were on horseback. In 1840, the Cowbellions presented a parade of six floats – “the first of their kind in the United States,” Rayford wrote – with the theme “Heathen Gods and Goddesses.” Krafft never saw the grand spectacle, as he died of yellow fever in 1839.

The Cowbellions grew into the country’s first mystic society, a secret and exclusive group that existed solely for the purpose of parading and throwing elaborate parties. The Cowbellions begat the Strikers, a group of younger men who, apparently, could not earn admission into the Cowbellions. A third group, known only as T.D.S. (though folks sarcastically referred to them as the Tea Drinkers Society), formed, and its original members included a young man named Joseph Stillwell Cain.

All of these groups paraded on New Year’s Eve.

In 1857, six Mobile men who had moved to New Orleans decided to form a Mardi Gras mystic society. These men had been members of the Cowbellions, though one of them was later said by Joe Cain to have been a former Striker. Together, they formed the Mystick Krewe of Comus, which presented the first Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, literally reviving the holiday in that city.

According to David Bagwell, an attorney and Mardi Gras historian in Fairhope, Alabama, the Strikers received an invitation to the first Comus ball.

Less than 10 years later, Joe Cain went to New Orleans to see a parade. Cain, a clerk at the city of Mobile’s Old Southern Market, wrote years later about his trip and the subsequent events:

“In 1866, Washington Fire Company No. 1 of Mobile, of which I was a member, attended the annual parade of the New Orleans Fire Department as the guests of Perseverance Fire Company No. 13. In that year, Mardi Gras occurred on the fifth of March, the day after the parade of the Fire Department. I appeared on the streets of New Orleans … in Mardi Gras costume and was (on) the special car of No. 13. My experience on that occasion was so pleasant that I determined on my return home that Mobile should have its own Mardi Gras celebration, and so announced in the Mobile Daily Tribune of that period.

“In 1867, the L.C. (Lost Cause) Minstrels, organized by myself, made their first parade and created an immense excitement.”

Cain’s account does much to leave himself out of the spectacle, which is interesting, since every school-aged child in Mobile knows the story of Joe Cain dressing up as an Indian chief and giving himself the ridiculous name of Slacabamarinico. As the story goes, Old Slac drove a coal wagon through town, trailed by the Lost Cause Minstrels, who were not musicians at all, though they made quite a lot of noise with their homemade instruments.

               
What caused Cain to choose to portray an Indian chief, reportedly of the Alabama Chickasaw tribe? The answer may lie in the fact that when his New Year’s Eve group, T.D.S., paraded in 1855, the theme was “The Chiefs of the Principal Tribes of Alabama Indians.” Perhaps he used parts of the leftover costume from that parade for his famous ride of 1867.

In that same year, Mobile’s first and still-parading Mardi Gras group, the Order of Myths was formed and presented its first parade in 1868, with the theme “Lalla Rookh.”

One newspaper account from that year told of “the Minstrel band of the L.C.’s” parading first. “The Minstrels, who were gotten up as monkeys, were mounted upon a dilapidated wagon and discoursed wild and, we must say, most discordant music. They were followed by large crowds of boys, shouting and yelling, and presented a most ludicrous and laughable sight.”

Next, about 8:30 p.m., the OOM took to the rain-soaked streets.According to the same newspaper account, the Order of Myths “presented a gay and animated appearance and were enlivened by crowds of men and boys masked and most fantastically dressed.”

Mardi Gras in Mobile had officially begun, and it would grow at a tremendous rate. A second group, known only as H.S.S. formed in 1869 and first paraded in 1870. By 1873, H.S.S. was bankrupt, and the remaining members reformed as the Infant Mystics, which still parades today.

Though it has been reported – namely by Rayford – that Joe Cain was somehow part of the formation of the OOM, Bagwell wrote definitively that he was not. Cain did, however, have some connection with the Infant Mystics. In that group’s own written history, it says that after the first I.M. parade in 1874, “Joe Cain was thanked for the use of his flats and for his voluntary aid in forming and conducting their procession.”

By 1875 – just six years after the first OOM parade – yet another parading group that still exists today, the Knights of Revelry, hit the streets on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 9. One newspaper account of that day estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people were in the streets to enjoy the parades of seven mystic societies.

The census count for Mobile in 1880 was only 29,132.

But what, Bagwell asked, became of the New Year’s Eve societies, especially the famous Cowbellions? “Some Cows started joining the OOM,” Bagwell wrote, “but most stayed in the Cows, too. By the end of the 1870s, about 16 percent of the Cows had joined another group, though most of them also stayed in the Cows until the 1880s.”

So for more than 10 years, the residents of and visitors to Mobile enjoyed elaborate parades on both New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras Day.

“For whatever reason, at the end of the 1880s – certainly by the early 1890s – the Cows were never heard from publicly again,” Bagwell wrote. “We know that the remaining Cows had a very rough draft constitution in 1889 … but apparently it never quite got off the ground. By then, the Cows were getting a little age on them and probably just dropped out of parading life.

“Thus, Mobile mysticism moved from New Year’s Eve to Mardi Gras.”

And for those wrapped up in the whole New Orleans vs. Mobile argument, this much is clear: Modern Mardi Gras in New Orleans began because of the influence of Mobile, and modern Mardi Gras in Mobile began because of the influence of New Orleans.

Content copyright 2012-2016, Thrown Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

http://themobilemask.com/Mardi_Gras_History.html

I grew up in Mobile, Alabama - somebody's got to be from Mobile, right? - and Mobile sits at the confluence of five rivers, forming this beautiful delta. And the delta has alligators crawling in and out of rivers filled with fish and cypress trees dripping with snakes, birds of every flavor.

Mike deGruy
 

Travel to experience life and create spectacular memories!
 

USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “SOUTHEAST” ALABAMA

ALABAMA: HEART OF DIXIE

BY CLAY LARROY

When you choose to travel, whether it is for business or pleasure, it is important to plan your trip well before hand. Here are some tips to help you. Don't be afraid to cash in your airline miles. Many travelers let their miles accumulate and never bother using them. Reap the rewards of your traveling and spend the miles you've earned! Miles have expiration dates, so be sure to use them before they expire. Travelling is a great way to use your airline miles.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

Montgomery

The capital of Alabama, Montgomery has played a pivotal role at many important points in American history. The city hosted the inauguration of Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, and was the site of the Montgomery Bus Boycott lead by Rosa Parks, and many other civil rights events lead by activists like Martin Luther King, Jr. As the city is so steeped in history, it's no wonder that there are so many historic and cultural attractions in Montgomery. Visitors can learn about the Civil Rights Movement at the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, the Civil Rights Memorial and Center, and Dexter Parsonage Museum; and visit Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached for nearly a decade. Just an hour out of Montgomery, the town of Selma is home to the National Voting Rights Museum.

Going back further in history, the First White House of the Confederacy was once the home of Jefferson Davis during the Civil War. Old Alabama Town is a fun attraction for children in Montgomery, recreating life in a 19th-century Alabama village. Montgomery has been home to plenty of famous citizens, and there are also museums dedicated to musician Hank Williams and writers F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Montgomery is a lovely city with plenty of green spaces, including Blount Cultural Park, Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum and the scenic Riverfront Amphitheater. Visitors can enjoy a bit of southern hospitality at any number of diners and bars, or take in a Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball game. For a scenic view of Montgomery, take a ride on the Harriott II riverboat, which cruises on the Alabama River.

Getting around in Montgomery

Montgomery is easy to get around on public transport, but many visitors do opt to hire cars, especially if they are planning to travel widely in the region. The Montgomery Area Transit System offers comprehensive bus services in the city and to outlying areas, and the city center is serviced by the Lightning Route Trolley.

Climate in Montgomery

Montgomery has a humid subtropical climate, which means mild, short winters and long, hot and humid summer days. The average temperatures in winter, December to February, range between 35°F (2°C) and 61°F (16°C).The average temperatures in peak summer, June to August, range between 68°F (20°C) and 92°F (33°C), and it can feel even hotter due to high humidity. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, with rain usually coming in the form of thunderstorms.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

You can be hip-hop to the max, but you still know 'Sweet Home Alabama.'

Rickey Medlocke

Live, Love and Travel to create memories that will last a lifetime!

USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “SOUTHEAST” ALABAMA

ALABAMA: HEART OF DIXIE

BY CLAY LARROY

Now is the time to discuss places to go on your summer vacations. I think that some of the best destinations in the world are right here in our great country, America. So starting with Alabama and ending with Wyoming, I will choose a city in each state to highlight and it may not always be the most popular city. If this is the year decided to skip a vacation perhaps when I get to your state I can provide you with information for a wonderful staycation.

Mobile Bay Secretly Awesome that situated along the vibrant shoreline of Mobile Bay on the Gulf Coast, our climate is as inviting as our people. We have the country's oldest Mardi Gras celebration, beautiful waterways, fresh seafood and so much more. Founded in 1702, Mobile offers a unique Southern experience you won't find anywhere else. Maybe that's why it's taken so long for the word to get out.

Mobile

Founded in 1702 as the original capital of the Louisiana Territory and nestled along the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, few American cities boast a history as rich as Mobile's. The birthplace of Mardi Gras in the United States, the area’s sheer beauty, modern architecture, amazing museums and famous seafood continues to impress visitors and locals alike.

What To See & Do

A-Team Fishing Adventures

Outdoor Recreation Site

Inshore charter fishing with Captain Bobby Abruscato,  Joey Abruscato and Chip Deupree.

Admiral Raphael Semmes House

Historic Site

Raphael Semmes became Captain of the CSS, capturing 65 union vessels worth more than $6 million, until it was sunk on June 2, 1864.

African-American Archive & Museum of Mobile

Museum

Portraits and biographies. Carvings, artifacts, books, documents. History of Colored Carnival, military memorabilia, Hank Aaron Fan Club, African-American participation in Mobile Mardi Gras. Audio/video histories.

African-American Heritage Trail

Historic Site

Mobile's African-American Heritage Trail reveals stories of courage and contributions made by unsung heroes from city's ethnically diverse past.

Azalea City Golf Course

Golf Course

Beautiful, forgiving course overlooking lakes at Municipal Park. Owned and operated by City of Mobile.

BellSouth Pioneers Living Memorial Park

Historic Site

Park honors military veterans. Planted with 67 live oak trees (one for each county) in the shape of Alabama, with sidewalks running like rivers through the park.

Big Zion AME Zion Church

Historic Site

Church organized 1842, now one of oldest African-American institutions in Mobile. Originally named Little Zion, but after extensive remodeling in 1896, renamed Big Zion.

Bragg-Mitchell Mansion

Historic Site

Built 1855. Canopied by century-old oaks, furnished with fine antiques and crystal chandeliers. Rare glimpse of life in Old South. Available for rental.

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Historic Site

1828 First Church building on present site. 1829 Diocese of Mobile formally established with Michael Portier as First Bishop of Mobile..

Cathedral Square Gallery

Collectible

One of the largest selections of art on the Gulf Coast featuring 70 regional artists, all media and price ranges. Buses welcome.

Cathedral of Immaculate Conception

Historic Site

1850. Oldest religious congregation in the Alabama. Architectural masterpiece encompassing basilica design, German stained-glass windows, and magnificent baldacchino-covered altar. Burial site of Mobile's bishops.

Christ Church Cathedral

Historic Site

Site of Alabama's oldest Protestant church. Tiffany stained-glass windows.

Conde-Charlotte Museum House

Museum

Museum furnished with period antiques to reflect Mobile's history under five flags: French, English, Spanish, American and Confederacy. Also includes Spanish Courtyard and kitchen.

Crescent Theater

Historic Site

Located in the heart of downtown's entertainment district, the renovated art house theater is home to the city's "fine purveyors of independent film."

Deupree Outdoor Guide Service

Outdoor Recreation Site

In-shore saltwater charter fishing along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Target game fish such as redfish and sea trout with light tackle.

Ezell House

Historic Site

Historic home with sculptures, furniture, and paintings dating back to 1866. Bas-relief busts of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson embellish archway. Available for weddings and other events.

Fort Conde Museum

Outdoor Recreation Site

One-third replica of the original Colonial brick French fort. Limited access during repairs.

Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and IMAX Dome Theater

Science Center

One of Mobile;s #1 family attractions. Play with hundreds of hands-on science exhibits and interactive virtual reality games. Larger-than-life IMAX films, new exhibits and traveling exhibitions.

GulfQuest National Maritme Museum of the Gulf of Mexico

Museum

Opening in 2013, GulfQuest will provide hands-on exhibits designed to inspire visitors to understand and appreciate the maritime heritage of the Gulf of Mexico.

Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum

Museum

Museum honors life and career of Mobile's own Hank Aaron. It features artifacts and memorabilia from his historic baseball career and showcases the Aarons' family life in Mobile.

Historic Magnolia Cemetery

Historic Site

One of the largest and oldest Victorian cemeteries in southeastern United States. A masterpiece of Victorian history and funerary art.

History Museum of Mobile, The

Museum

Built 1857. Once known as Southern Market/Old City Hall, a National Historic Landmark where visitors discover history of Mobile.

Laura Kay's Nursery

Home And Garden

All types of giftware, fresh flowers, huge selection of seasonal plants, including variety of native Mobile species, acres of trees, including great selection of Christmas trees.

Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art--University of South Alabama Library

Museum

A variety of exhibits displayed throughout the year featuring paintings, photography, quilts, basketry and book arts. Gallery located on third floor of the USA Library.

Mobile BayBears

Sports Arena

Class AA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball organization. Located at Hank Aaron Stadium.

Mobile Botanical Gardens

Botanical Garden

100-acre site with azaleas, camellias, herbs, native plants, nature trails and longleaf pine forest. Education programs, plant sales. Docent tours by appt.

Mobile Carnival Museum

Museum

Experience carnival in Mobile, the birthplace of Mardi Gras. View robes, crowns, and sceptors. Enjoy interactive displays; board a float. Kids area and gift shop.

Mobile Medical Museum

Museum

Extensive collection of instruments, equipment, photographs, teaching materials and authentic letters which portray medical practice from the early 1700s and medical education since the 1800s.

Mobile Municipal Archives

Museum

Houses official non-current records of City of Mobile from 1814 to present day, as well as historical artwork, paintings and statues.

Mobile Museum of Art

Museum

Art museum in Langan Park. Permanent fine arts and crafts collection covering 2000 years of cultural history. Blockbuster and traveling exhibitions, theater, interactive gallery.

Mobile Opera

Historic Site

Alabama's oldest Performing Arts Organization, founded in 1946. Located in the designated Downtown Arts District, the Josephine Larkins Music Center.

Morrison's Nursery & Garden Center Inc.

Home And Garden

Located in West Mobile, Morrison's has supplied gardeners for many years with plants needed to complete a small flower bed or a complete landscaping project. Begun in the early 1950's the center offers azaleas, camellias, lilies, trees, bedding plants and more.

Oakleigh Historic Complex

Museum

Three museums: Oakleigh, a beautiful Greek Revival home, is Mobile's official antebellum museum; Cox-Deasy, cir. 1850 Gulf Coast cottage; Cook's House, cir. 1850.

Phoenix Fire Museum

Museum

Restored 1859 fire house, once home to Phoenix Fire Company. Collection of steamers and fire engines from 19th century inspire imagination in everyone.

Richards-DAR House Museum

Historic Site

1860 antebellum townhouse. Highlights include Cornelius chandeliers, Carrara marble mantles, cantilevered staircase, period furniture, walled-in garden. Gift shop. Complimentary tea and cookies served.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove

Golf Course

Three courses: one 18-hole par 3 (voted Top 10 in country by Golf Digest), 2 championship courses - home to the Bell Micro LPGA Classic.

Saenger Theatre

Historic Site

1,921-seat theater built in 1927. Former vaudeville and movie palace, now grand theater. Hosts national and international performers, Broadway musicals, orchestras, concerts, more.

Spring Hill College Golf Course

Golf Course

Recent renovations have upgraded every aspect of this course.

Sunshine Canoes

Outdoor Recreation Site

Half-day, full-day trips or up to five-day trips on the beautiful Escatawpa River. Guided trips by canoe and kayak into Mobile-Tensaw River delta.

The Portier House

Historic Site

1834 home of first Catholic Bishop of Mobile; and Father Abram Ryan, Poet Priest. Tours and gift shop.

Three Georges/Nuthouse

Historic Site

In business 80 years. Visit candy and gift company, pecan factory/bakery or retail shop in Mobile.

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

Historic Site

Mighty battleship, Mach 3 A-12 Blackbird, B-52 stratofortress Calamity Jane, submarine USS DRUM, an original plane that was used by the Tuskegee Airmen, plus 22 other aircraft, weaponry from all military branches. 2 National Historic Landmarks.

Wintzell's Oyster House

Historic Site

Mobile's oldest restaurant at its original location, founded 1938 as a 6-stool oyster bar. Thousands of humorous signs and historical memorabilia. Tours upon request.

Research Sites      http://alabama.travel/places-to-go/mobile

                               http:/www.mobile.org/

You're looking at a guy who grew up in the state of Alabama, and my dream was to play there.
 Dabo Swinney

Travel to create marvelous memories for you and your family or friends!