Week Three: Mobile, Alabama and Surrounding Regions

Mobile

Mobile was established a French colony and capital of French Louisiana in 1702. Since Mobile's founding, the city has also been under the control of the British, and Spanish during the 18th and early 19th centuries. As an American city from 1813 onward, Mobile has experienced periods of economic growth and stagnation, as well as the victim and beneficiary of war. Because of Mobile's ideal geographic location on the Mobile Bay, which opens up to the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile is a major port city, importing and exporting goods and raw materials around the globe.

The people of Mobile, Alabama, are very friendly, and are happy to share their local knowledge of the region. Whether I was visiting downtown Mobile, or at a "big-box" department store in the suburbs, the peoples' laid-back and personable attitude made my visit to Mobile particularly enjoyable.

During my brief tour of downtown Mobile and the waterfront, I had the chance to witness how geography and history impacted the city's development. I walked down Mobile's historic Dauphin Street to the waterfront. Along the way, I visited the impressive Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, constructed in 1839 and part of the Parish established in Mobile in 1703. By chance I met the priest, who gave me a brief tour of cathedral and provided a brief history of it that I would not otherwise have known.

Along Dauphin Street, French influence was apparent by the wrought-iron, French-Creole balconies on some of the older buildings. However, after speaking with a local shop owner, I learned that most of the balconies are post-World War II, not the originals. According to the shop owner, iron was desperately needed for the war effort, and the people of Mobile allowed most the distinctive balconies to be removed, melted down, and made into bombs and other war material.

My view of Chacaloochee Bay while driving into Mobile on highway 90 west-bound. Much of the landscape around Mobile is lowland and swamp. The body of water in this image is almost at street level.

Looking down Dauphin Street. Some of the buildings in this image have the classic French-Creole balconies. However, they were likely installed post-World War II, and not historic, due to the urgent need for iron during the war. According to one local, there is animosity toward New Orleans because while the people of Mobile sacrificed their traditional balconies to aid the war effort, the people of New Orleans chose not to do so, and now have more architectural fame because of it.

Inside the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, built in 1839. The cathedral is part of the oldest religious congregation of any denomination in the Mississippi Valley, established by a French Cardinal in 1703. The cathedral is also one of many that is representative of the legacy of French Catholicism as an import to the region during 18th century French rule. To the left, past the second column, there is a spiral marble staircase that leads to a crypt that is the resting place of five Bishops.

The A&M Peanut Shop had a large, enticing selection of peanuts, cashews and other flavored nuts. I tried the spicy creole peanuts for the first time here. The shop also receives extra kudos from me since they feed the local squirrels.

At the waterfront along Tensaw River, Mobile's importance as a major port city is apparent. Huge container cranes lined the shores for loading and unloading products and raw materials of many types. I was in luck again; I got to witness a large cargo ship from Norway loading raw materials from the dock by large marine cargo crane on the ship itself.

A Norwegian cargo ship loading raw materials at the dock along Tensaw River. Mobile is home to one of the busiest ports in the United States.

A modern stealth battle cruiser docked on the opposite bank of the Tensaw River.

No visit to Mobile is complete without a visit to the Mobile Carnival Musuem on Dauphin Street. The Carnival, or Mardi Gras festival, in North America began in Mobile in 1702, rather than New Orleans as most believe. The Mardi Gras festival runs about three strait weeks, and planning begins a year in advance. The museum displays many elaborate customs over the years, as well as some parade floats that participated in past parades.  Many of the participants belong to a number of mystic organizations that plan, coordinate and fund the elaborate and expensive costumes and balls. While visiting, I had the chance to speak to a member of one such mystic organization visiting the museum, who spoke of elaborate, by-private-invitation-only balls that are held each year. Not only was it an opportunity to learn some aspects of Mardi Gras from the inside, but my wife took the extra step to ask for an invitation to their Mardi Gras ball if we get the chance to visit Mobile again, which he obliged.

From the museum, I headed over to Toomey's by recommendation, where many of the locals go to buy all the necessary supplies for the next Mardi Gras. I was amazed at the sheer amount of costumes, decorations, and the many pallets of beads.

The exterior of the Carnival Museum, complete with the classic French-Creole balconies.

For some, Mardi Gras is a chance to vent political or cultural frustrations in a festive, amusing way.

One of several dozen royal robes worn by the chosen "Monarch". Such robes can weigh up to 80 pounds, and have small hidden wheels underneath to make it bearable to wear. The chosen monarchical family must pay for and commission the sewing of their royal costumes, which can costs thousands of dollars.

The Strikers' Goat, the oldest surviving ceremonial symbol of a mystic organization. The Strikers' Goat was hand-crafted around the turn of the 19th century. The Strikers mystic organization still exists today, and is the oldest surviving mystic organization in Mobile. Later in the week, I dined at a local seafood restaurant, as it turns out, the owner is part of the Strikers' mystic society. The restaurant had a large paper mache goat in the dinning room.

After the museum, I headed over the Toomey's, one of the most popular go-to places to prepare for Mardi Gras. The warehouse in this image is stocked with hundreds of pallets of Mardi Gras beads.

The store had hundreds of hand-made Mardi Gras masks such as these. The store also had just about every party costume and favors one could think of.

Beads from past Mardi Gras festivals hanging from a tree on Dauphin Street. Many of the trees have beads stuck in them, and according to one local, some of the beads have been stuck in the trees for years.

Gulf Shores

The city of Gulf Shores is located along the Gulf coast on a peninsular island. Two key factors makes Gulf Shores a popular destination for sandy beaches: the opening of the Intercoastal Waterway in 1937, and the creation of Gulf State Park in 1939. Today, Gulf Shores is a busy resort town with the usual variety of surf shops, restaurants, bars, and high-rise hotels found at other beach fronts. However, the beach running along the Gulf of Mexico is beautiful. The sand is white in color and feels very fine on the feet. The sea water has a deep blue hue as the depth increases, with the water changing to a turquoise blue, then light emerald green as it flows up upon the white sand. The sea water is lukewarm in temperature, as a result of the Gulf being located in the tropics. The water is also very clear, the sandy bottom being visible up to about 5 feet. Small fish and the occasional small stingray were visible while swimming.These physical characteristics combined to create one the most enjoyable beach experiences I have had as of this post.

I also tried snorkeling for the first time here. Like the beach, the water was crystal clear, with a white sandy bottom. Unfortunately, I did not spot any sea life, but I did not spend much time in the water. I never used flippers or a snorkel before, and I had a difficult time utilizing them properly. But I still enjoyed another chance to be out on the beautiful Gulf.

The Gulf Shores have fine, white sands.

The Gulf of Mexico.

I tried snorkeling for the first time in the Gulf. The water depth was about 10 - 15 feet. As for myself, I was only in the water for about 10 minutes because I failed to get used to the equipment, and exhausted myself. But I am willing to try it again in the future.

While I waited for the other snorkelers to return, I had a great view of the Gulf from the port side of the pontoon boat.

Dauphin Island

Dauphin Island is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, and about a 40-minute drive from Mobile Alabama. With a population of just over 1,200, Dauphin Island has a laid-back atmosphere, and has a physical and man-made environment that one might expect from an island. The island is home to the beautiful and rugged Audubon Bird Sanctuary, and Fort Gaines, constructed in the mid-19th century and used by the Confederates to defend the island during the American Civil War. The island also offers excellent views of oil rigs located in the Pelican Bay and Gulf of Mexico, a visible reminder of the Mobile region's importance as an oil producer.

Well preserved, natural sand dunes along the Gulf Coast.

One of two swamp lakes located within the bird sanctuary.

The turtles in the swamp were surprisingly curious when humans were present. I had about a half dozen swimming near the boardwalk, and there was no feeding stations that would make them develop such behavior.

This large bird of prey stood perched high above me in the distance. As I walked along the trail, he became increasingly vocal, finally spreading his wings. I had my camera ready, set to a high shutter-speed, and captured this image.

A shrimp trawler off the Gulf Coast. Arms extend horizontally on each side, with large dragnets to catch shrimp to sell at market. Shrimp and other seafood is a major industry and source of livelihood around Mobile.

Historic Fort Gaines. Construction began in the 1820s, but due to insufficient funds by Congress and other issues, was not completed until the 1850s. The fort became a strategic point, fought over by Confederate and Union forces during the American Civil War, and provided a strategic strong point for the United States during the Spanish-American War.

Out in the distance, Dauphin Island's shore are  lined with many oil rigs such as these. Oil extraction is a very important part of Mobile's economy, and an important resource.

Alligator Alley

Alligator Alley is an alligator preserve that is home to about 700 alligators in all. With the exception of the young ones, the alligators were rescued from areas where they were at high risk, mostly from human activity, or where they were deemed a "nuisance" by authorities, usually from them eating suburbanites' outdoor pets.

Feeding time. Alligator Alley puts on a feeding show. About 7 or 8 alligators showed up for this one. Alligators are relatively graceful in the water, moving their tail in a back-and-forth motion without creating a wake to give away their position. They just glide through the water. On land, they are much slower. They also move up on the shore and lay flat relatively quick, giving the impression that they are lazy. However, alligators like to conserve energy for survival. By minimizing activity, the average alligator can go up to 16 months without eating.

The average full-grown alligator has a force-bite of approximately 2,000-2,500 pounds, making short work of severing ligaments and crushing bones of their prey. When they close their jaws, they make a loud, deep "popping" sound from the incredible bit-force. When this particular image was taken, there was a distinct sound of bone being crushed when fed the pig leg.

We fed this particular alligator in the swamp preserve. Notice the rippled water from his rapid movement to catch his prey.

An alligator taking refuge among some tall swamp grass. For their size, they can stay remarkably well hidden. Unsuspecting prey could easily stumble upon one before realizing the danger.

Young alligators, less than a year old. They will eventually grew to weight about 800-1,000 pounds.

Lambert's Cafe

Lambert's Cafe, located about eight miles from Gulf Shores, is truly a unique dining experience that deserves special mention. Patrons will want to arrive hungry and prepare to wait at least 30 minutes for a table, but it is well worth it. The food is full of flavor, with generous portions. But what really sets Lambert's Cafe apart is the "thrown-rolls," and the "pass-arounds." Waiters periodically come around the dinning area with a cart of large, warm, freshly baked rolls. The waiter looks for patrons to put their hand up, and then throws the roll to the patron. There is no limit to the amount of rolls a patron can have tossed to them. Periodically, a waiter will make rounds with cans of apple-butter and molasses. Then comes the "pass-arounds," about a half-dozen variety of them, included with any dish a patron orders. Waiters walk around the cafe with large metal pots with macaroni and tomato sauce, boiled cabbage, baked black-eyed peas, and fried potatoes.

USS Alabama

The battleship, USS Alabama, was commissioned in 1942 and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war during World War II.  Once operated by 2,500 sailors, the USS Alabama is now on full exhibit. Most of the battleship is accessible, including its three massive gun turrets. The museum grounds also have an assortment of World War II and Cold War era aircraft, tanks and military vehicles, and a submarine. For my visit here, I only had time to visit the USS Alabama, which took two and a half hours to complete.

The World War II battleship, USS Alabama. The ship was operated by a crew of 2,500 servicemen.

One of the massive 16" gun turrets. Each barrel fired 2,700 pound armor-piercing rounds, and were accurate for about 20 miles from the battleship.

Inside the large gun turret. This area is where the gunners controlled the turret. It felt claustrophobic and hot inside.

The rear of the 16" gun barrel where gunners loaded the 2,700 pound round. This image really does not truly convey the sheer size of this room.

During the war, the battleship had to defend itself against deadly aerial attacks. This is just one of the many 40mm anti-aircraft guns for defending the ship. This gun could fire up to 80 rounds per-minute.

Looking over the ship from the bow.

Week Three: Mobile, Alabama and Surrounding Regions