Mobile City

Mobile the city is defined by the grand, beautiful and bounteous Mobile Bay.  Geographically the bay defines the shape of the city. In Mobile, you cannot avoid the bay which historically and still today feeds the city; literally in terms of its seafood, economically as a transportation hub with access to every major waterway in the USA, and culturally as an early contributor to the food, music and literature of the area.   When Mary and I visited, Covid had turned the downtown area into a neglected and derelict ghost town, which put us off.  Later we began to see through the boarded storefronts, abandoned sandbags, sagging doors, and mold to the deeper bones and thought we might come back again for a closer look.   

Mobile Bay Nature
Mobile Bay is one of the most beautiful pieces of water we have ever had the pleasure of exploring. We were lucky enough to go on an all day excursion with Ben Raines a local naturalist. It was an epic one in a lifetime adventure!

Fairhope

From the Fairhope Pier you can see Mobile across the vast expanse of the bay.  In Mobile the bay is a commercial enterprise full of ships and barges.  On the east side, the bay is entertainment, full of residential piers and boating opportunities.  Fairhope is the largest and most interesting of the towns that line the eastern banks of the Bay.   It’s smallish, but quaint and charming at the same time.   Downtown contains a lively, if smallish combination of stores, restaurants, and bars, as well as businesses.  The town pier which stretches a long way into the bay is a nice stroll.  It is a quiet and relaxing town meant for slow days and evening strolls.  While staying there, explore the surrounding countryside and try to get out on the bay and into the wetlands.  There are some exquisite drives all around the area and the wetlands and cypress forests are unbelievably beautiful from the water. 

Alabama Gulf Shores

The Alabama Gulf Shore area ranges from canyonned high rises blocking any view of the ocean to rural forests, wetlands, beaches, wild places and residential areas.  Since it is not just one thing it can be hard to define or even describe.  As promised the sand is fine and white, the beaches wide and lovely and the water is clear with small waves.  This is the common denominator on the peninsula, even though inland from the beach you find a range of ecosystems.  How people use those beach areas also changes drastically from the more populated areas to the ends, where it is mostly residential and rented houses.   Some of this peninsula is so beautiful it will take your breath away.  Some qualifies as weird.  At the far ends there are few restaurants and fewer markets.  That’s odd as well.  So if you will love it or not is up for grabs since there are so many ways to experience the area. We are leaving it up to you.