Born to Celebrate!

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography courtesy of Visit Mobile & Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa.

The City of Mobile was Born to Celebrate! “Mobile (pop: 200,000) has a certain magic that keeps you on your toes,” says Tara Zieman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Visit Mobile. “It is where a melting pot of people, flavors, cultures, and traditions become one voice to lead all of life’s celebrations. Join the jubilee and welcome every day with an enduring passion and a little soulful hospitality because life is the ultimate gift. This is the spirit of living. This is what we’re born to do.”

Funky, feisty, and festive. Historic, hip, and happening. Or colorful, cool and cultured. You may call this coastal town a lot of things. You have a vibrant 30-year history with lots of stories to tell and longstanding traditions celebrated on a regular basis. Once called the Paris of the South, Mobile has long been the cultural center of the Gulf Coast, and you’ll find an authentic experience like nowhere else in the southern United States.

The City of Mobile was “Born to Celebrate” and while they are ready to Let the Celebration Resume, they fully recognize that the State of Alabama is currently under a “Safer at Home” order from Governor Ivey in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Mobile is fully operational, but it is not hosting large events at this time. For more information on visiting Mobile with confidence during the pandemic, please call (251) 208-2000.

History Of Mobile

As the oldest city in Alabama, Mobile has a rich past spanning centuries. French, Spanish, British, Creole, Catholic, Greek and African legacies have influenced everything from architecture to cuisine, creating a miniature melting pot in the Port City. Brush up on your trivia at the History Museum of Mobile, explore the battlegrounds of Forts Morgan, Gaines and Conde, or simply walk the streets of historic downtown. What other place in the U.S. boasts a battleship, a Black History Trail complete with an Underground Railroad bike tour and a 200-year-old live oak named for a legendary American general. In addition to enriching institutions, such as the Mobile Carnival Museum and Mobile Medical Museum, a number of historic homes on the Bay host guided tours. City tours are available just steps from Mobile’s Welcome Center housed in the History Museum of Mobile, a block from the Mobile River.

“Mobile is a very spirited and jubilant city! That is a testimony to being the home of Mardi Gras. The spirit of jubilation or joie de vivre is deep within our DNA!”

— Tara Zierman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Visit Mobile

Mobile Mardi Gras: Where It All Began

It is mystical, colorful, filled with royalty, steeped in tradition and yes…it happened here first. Mardi Gras is a way of life in Mobile. Our trees have beads hanging from them year round, and Mobilians are ninjas when it comes to catching MoonPies (one word in Mobile!). Masked mystic societies, soulful marching bands and larger-than-life floats provide the ultimate street party where everyone is invited and all are welcomed!

Lodging In Mobile

On my last visit to Mobile I was a guest at The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa in the heart of downtown near an array of attractions such as the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile Civic Center, and Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal. After an adventurous outing, treat yourself to a rejuvenating massage and facial at the hotel’s full-service spa. The hotel also has a fitness center and a pool and is pet-friendly.

There are three restaurants in The Battle House Hotel: The Trellis Room, an Italian restaurant which spotlights coastal flavors; Royal Street Tavern featuring live piano music; and Joe Cain Café, a casual restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Address: 26 N. Royal Street. Phone: (251) 338-2000
Other inns and boutique hotels to check out are The Admiral, Fort Conde Inn in Fort Conde Village (very popular for weddings), Malaga Inn, and Springhill Suites Mobile.

Dining In Mobile

There is a marvelous variety of dining options in Mobile. When your backyard is the Gulf of Mexico (Mobile is one of the top 10 ports in the U.S.), fresh, succulent seafood may be devoured 7 days a week. Come eat in the land where oysters come fried, stewed or nude and the catch of the day is accompanied by a fried green tomato and a side of happiness, meaning cheese grits.

When I visit Mobile, I can’t wait to dine at Wintzell’s Oyster House, a Gulf Coast tradition since 1938 (open for lunch and dinner). Other seafood restaurants include The Royal Scam featuring superb food and Lo Da Bier Garten, Mobile’s first “authentic” German pub. Baumhower’s Victory Grille, Bluegill, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Felix’s Fish Camp, Five, Half Shell Oyster House, and The Mariner Restaurant at the Grand Mariner Marina are other dining options.

Mobilians take their Saturday and Sunday mornings pretty seriously. On any given weekend, you find downtown filled with people on a mission for chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits or Spot of Tea’s Almost Famous Eggs Cathedral. Callaghan’s Irish Social Club is especially popular on St. Patrick’s Day.
The chef of Southern National restaurant has been nominated for several James Beard awards, and Hummingbird Way is in the downtown Oakleigh Historic District.

Whether it’s open-air courtyards, laid back pubs or fancy dining rooms—whatever your pleasure, Mobile has it. Grab the champagne and CLINK to Brunch in Mobile!

Coming soon in 2021: 10 new places to eat and drink in Mobile including P.S. Taco Co., Sticks and Stacks, Knuckle Bones Co., Villa del Rey, and Ole Mobile Nutrition.

Author Chris Andrews is the founder of Bienville Bites Food Tour. Chris is passionate about connecting people to the city of Mobile and its growing food scene. As a certified tourism ambassador for the city of Mobile, Chris knows all the great places to eat, shop, stay and have fun while in Mobile! Listen to Chris share his vison of Bienville Bites on the Mobile Alabama Business Podcast.

Shopping In Mobile

Take a piece of Mobile home with you! There are hundreds of shopping opportunities to fit every budget, style and taste. Specialty shops and boutiques may be found in the heart of downtown Mobile. Friendly merchants offer handmade arts and crafts, clothing, souvenirs and much more. Mobile also offers an impressive selection of antiques shops and galleries with a wide variety of collectibles, vintage finds and funky pieces. A huge Mardi Gras warehouse store is open year-round to cater to any festive whim. Another shopping option for Mardi Gras souvenirs, t-shirts and other unique gifts is Mardi Gras-N-More at 457 Dauphin St. between Wintzell’s Oyster House and Cathedral Square. It is open year-round. And The Village of Spring Hill features locally-owned specialty shops featuring high-end clothing, jewelry, furniture and home accessories. You can definitely shop till you drop in Mobile!

Attractions

Whether you’re visiting family in Mobile, coming through town as a tourist or there for business, you’ll find plenty of attractions and activities to occupy your free time. “We take our play time pretty seriously here in Mobile, and we know you’ll discover just the right activities to make your time here a memorable one,” says Tara Ziernan, Director of Marketing & Communications at Visit Mobile.

Among the many attractions options are the following: USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Airboat Express, Alabama Cruises, and A Personalized Tour of Historic Mobile. Touring visitors may depart from the Welcome Center via trolley.

I enjoy visiting the Mobile Carnival Museum located at 355 Government Street (251) 432-3324. This museum highlights the history of Mardi Gras in its true birthplace—Mobile, Alabama. The museum features 14 galleries, video presentations, a pictorial hallway, and an interactive float area—all in a restored historic mansion. A visit to Mobile isn’t complete until you’ve toured this magical museum. Visit their boutique, Toomey’s Gift Shoppe, for great Mardi Gras treasures! www.mobile.org/listing/mobile-carnival-museum /394/. Phone: (251) 432-3324.
For a list of major attractions in Mobile go to mobile.org under Things to Do.

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Downtown

They say the heart of any city is its downtown and in Mobile the downtown area’s heart is beating loudly these days. The twelfth busiest port in the country, Mobile is the social, economic and creative hub of the entire Gulf Coast. Downtown Mobile has drawn people for centuries. Many large businesses are headquartered in downtown Mobile next to quaint, locally-owned art galleries, shops, restaurants and bars. On any given week day, you’ll encounter business people, artists, construction workers, shop owners, students, families and tourists making their way along downtown’s flower-lined streets.

In the evenings and on the weekends there are festivals, open-air markets, live concerts and other special events giving folks a reason to come downtown and linger for a few hours or even a few days. In downtown Mobile, brunch is a sport, shopping an art and socializing a must.

Mobile has a massive New Year’s Eve celebration featuring an electronic MoonPie drop, and it is home to several bowl games for college football and home to Reese’s Senior Bowls in January since 1951 (the top collegiate football game that showcases the nation’s best senior football players).

The Downtown Mobile Alliance is an excellent source of information for everything to know, see and do in downtown Mobile. www.mobile.org/explore/downtown/