Mobile ended up being one of my favorite cities in Alabama, second only to Montgomery. Sitting along Mobile Bay near the Gulf of Mexico, the city feels noticeably different from the rest of the state. It’s a port city with centuries of history, old architecture, and influences left behind by the different nations that controlled it before it eventually became part of the United States.
Above is a view of downtown Mobile. The large building dominating the skyline is part of the RSA complex, something I had already noticed elsewhere in Alabama. But mixed among the newer buildings are reminders that Mobile is much older than the modern skyline surrounding it.
This is the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a name long enough that I’m glad I didn’t have to say it every time I walked past. Directly in front of the cathedral is Cathedral Square, a public park in the center of downtown that was once used as a cemetery during Mobile’s early history.
Mobile’s location on the water has always been one of the reasons the city mattered. The port dates back to the city’s earliest colonial period, when the French established Mobile as part of their territory along the Gulf Coast. Centuries later, ships, docks, warehouses, and industry still dominate large sections of the waterfront.
What surprised me was finding clear water and schools of tiny fish right alongside all that industry. I wasn’t expecting to see much life swimming around a major shipping area, but apparently the fish didn’t care.
One of the most visible reminders of Mobile’s colonial history is Fort Condé. The original French fortifications date back to the early 1700s, although the fort standing here today is a reconstruction. Mobile changed hands several times over the following century, and the fort changed names along with it. Under British control it became Fort Charlotte, while the Spanish later called it Fuerte Carlota.
The original fort that once stood on this ground didn’t survive. After the United States took control of Mobile, the old fort was eventually dismantled during the 1800s. What you see today was reconstructed much later to preserve part of that history.
Not everything that looks historic in Mobile is actually as old as it appears. The building above dates to 1938 but was designed in the Spanish Revival style, reflecting one of the many architectural influences found around the city. Spain controlled Mobile before the city became part of the United States, and traces of the different cultures that passed through here can still be seen in the architecture.
Then there are the classic Southern homes surrounded by palms and other subtropical plants. I’m not a big fan of Southern-style houses and furniture when it comes to interior design, but for some reason I love the way these houses look from the outside. Maybe it’s not even the houses themselves. It might just be the porches surrounded by all the tropical gardens.
Being back in Mobile was actually a little strange for me. When I was in my late teens and stationed with the Marines in nearby Pensacola, Florida, I had driven through Mobile many times. Back then my brain just wasn’t wired for traveling and exploring cities the way it is now. I could pass straight through a place without wondering what was there.
Years later I returned and suddenly found all these things to see in a city I had driven past so many times. Dauphin Street was one of them. This is the main entertainment and shopping district downtown, and it was much larger than I expected, stretching for several blocks through the historic center.
In the center of the district I came across this memorial to the Battle of Mobile Bay, described here as one of the fiercest and most decisive naval battles in history. I hate to admit it, but until I stopped and read the historical marker, I had never even heard of the Battle of Mobile Bay.
It turned out to be one of the major naval battles of the Civil War. Union forces attacked the Confederate defenses around Mobile Bay in 1864, and the fighting included ironclad warships, which were still relatively new technology at the time. The Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee survived tremendous punishment during the battle before eventually being overwhelmed by the much larger Union force.
That’s one of the things I like about wandering around a city instead of only going to places I already know about. Sometimes a random historical marker ends up sending me into an entire piece of history I knew nothing about.
There were still a few places I wanted to visit, including the museums downtown and the Exploreum Science Center. Unfortunately, I had managed to arrive during Christmas weekend, and once again I found myself standing outside places that were closed.
I had heard good things about them, but I’m not going to pretend I can tell you much about places I never actually got inside. They’ll have to wait for another trip.
One place that was open was Bellingrath Gardens, about 20 minutes outside Mobile. This place gets a lot of hype, and while I enjoyed walking around, I wasn’t completely sold on it. I remember thinking the admission was expensive for what I actually saw, and visiting the house required another ticket that I decided not to buy.
To be fair, I was also visiting a garden in the middle of winter, which obviously wasn’t giving the place its best chance. Spring and summer would probably be completely different. Even in December there were some nice areas to walk through, along with plenty of Christmas decorations.
Bellingrath also puts on a large Christmas light display after dark. Since I was staying in Mobile and had already made the drive out here once, I wasn’t interested enough to make the 20-minute trip all over again that night. Maybe I’ll give the place another chance someday when the gardens are actually in bloom.
