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Seven Springs Lodge

Sleep in an old grain silo at this RV-friendly hunting and horseback-riding lodge brimming with local color. 256-370-7218; www.sevenspringslodge.net; 1292 Mt Mills Rd, Tuscumbia; r $50-120; Feb-Oct;

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.colbertcountytourism.org

www.visitflorenceal.com

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LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

4 Music City to Dixieland: A Musical Roots Run

34 Coon Dogs & Unclaimed Baggage: Only in Alabama

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Return to beginning of chapter

TRIP 38

Old Mobile, Alabama

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TIME

2 days

BEST TIME TO GO

Oct – Mar

START

Mobile, AL

END

Mobile, AL

ALSO GOOD FOR

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WHY GO At first glance, Mobile seems little more than a massive erector set of protruding port cranes. However, closer inspection reveals a wealth of down-home eateries, world-class war-buff attractions, decadent nightlife and a New Orleans–evoking aesthetic that weaves through the city’s eight historic districts – the shining star of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

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Mobile is one of the South’s most polarizing towns: talk to someone from Montgomery, and they’ll fire off a list of must-eats and must-dos; hit up someone from Atlanta and they’ll tell you to skip it and go straight to the Gulf shores…or New Orleans. Let them go. Mobile – the true mouth of the South – is best enjoyed for what it is: less grimy and less crowded than New Orleans, this former French colony of Louisiana (founded in 1702) grew up on a completely different path to its French-leaning cousin two hours to the west.

Driving through Mobile leaves something to be desired, but off the exit ramps there are clandestine pockets of pure architectural joy. Mobile’s eight National Register Historic Districts pepper the city like little goldmines of 18th- and 19th-century life. The Mobile Historic District Driving Tour map is an invaluable tool available at the welcome center at Fort Condé, a reconstructed 1723 fort that houses a fascinating array of antebellum weaponry and some great old photographs of Mobile. Before setting off for the historic districts, take a peek also into the Museum of Mobile across the street, one of the South’s better city museums. The Human Cargo slave exhibit here is absolutely harrowing…check out the Mardi Gras history to lighten things up.

Most of the historic districts in Mobile rub up against each other like prepubescent Mobilians against the debutantes at a Mardi Gras ball. If you have the time, walking the driving tour is preferable as you will have more time to read about each address. The neighborhoods of Old Dauphin Way (notable for its fine collection of bungalows), Oakleigh Garden (characterized by looming mansions next door to humble shotgun-style homes and smaller cottages), Lower Dauphin (where brick has been the required building material since 1839) and Church Street East (full of churches and beautiful civic buildings) make for a convenient four-point stroll. Highlights along the way include The Lott House, an imposing classic revival home in Oakleigh, and 1216 Government Street, an elaborate Queen Anne home on Old Dauphin Way. Lunch could be nowhere else: Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in Oakleigh that dates back to 1946. The burgers here would do just fine as a last meal.

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“From Southern rock to boogiewoogie jazz, Mobile turns musical after sundown.“

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For all its historic glory, Mobile also knows how to get down. From Southern rock to boogie-woogie jazz, Mobile turns musical after sundown. All the action is centered on Dauphin St – like a distant cousin to Bourbon St that can hold its liquor, keep its shirt on and manage to avoid arrest. Almost all the bars here – nicely positioned between art galleries and antique shops – offer live music. Nothing gets going until after 11pm, so a good early evening stop is Hurricane Brewing, where patrons put up with mediocre pub fare for the excellent microbrews, all the while keeping an eye on