Alabama/Mississippi Road Trip (Day 4)
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
After being on the road so much the previous few days, it was nice knowing that I’d have more time to be able to explore the places I was at instead of having to worry about driving time. Since I was in Gulfport, Mississippi, I planned on heading to the beach first thing after continental breakfast. So, I made the 10 minute drive, parked in one of the many free spots in Jones Park, put on my flip flops, and began walking. There was a lighthouse located there, along with more than a hundred docked boats used for fishing and sailing. Plenty of them offered fishing charters, while others may have even been used by their owners to make a living. It was a neat sight to see.
As I continued on, I finally reached the sand, and then the water. It was the first time in my life that I’d ever seen the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I gazed out on the horizon for a few moments just taking it all in. I’ve been to the Atlantic Ocean many times, been to two of the Great Lakes, and was then checking another big body of water off my list. I just need to get to the Pacific sometime.
Gulfport, Mississippi Beach
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Aside from the cool moment of seeing the Gulf for the first time in my life, the beach wasn’t impressive at all. And I think that’s something a lot of Gulfport locals would agree with. There weren’t many people on the beach at all, just a few scattered here and there with their beach umbrellas planted in the sand. The water was pretty brown-looking and I had absolutely no desire to swim in it. Other than three or four people wading out in it, nobody else apparently did either. Small sticks and seaweed lined the shores after being washed up on it. It was definitely not a good spot for a beach day.
I also thought it was strange that the highway was a hundred or so yards behind the beach. I’m used to nothing but hotels lining the beach, but if you turned around there you could watch the traffic cruise by. I felt like I had seen all I needed to see in that area, and I also wanted to see a few things in Biloxi, which was 5-10 minutes away. So, back in the vehicle it was. But as strange as it was to have the highway right behind you while standing on the beach, it made for an awesome drive to Biloxi. At times the ocean was only about 50 yards away from the road. It was a unique drive like I’ve never before experienced.
Biloxi Lighthouse in Biloxi, Mississippi
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
The two main things I wanted to see in Biloxi were the lighthouse and the former home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. To take pictures of the lighthouse, parking at the adjacent visitors center was easiest. I snapped several pictures, but while the lighthouse was cool, it definitely didn’t blow me away. Perhaps that’s because I’ve seen so many picturesque lighthouses on the North Carolina coast. This one was pretty ordinary comparing it to them.
But the visitors center was something else. Before entering, I would’ve swore it was built in the 1700s or 1800s. But in fact, it was just nine years old! I learned that was because it was modeled after a very historic mansion called the Dantzler House that unfortunately was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The architects and builders of this house did a fantastic job.
Biloxi Visitors Center, modeled after the historic Dantzler House
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Next up to see was the former house of Jefferson Davis, called Beauvoir. I drove about three miles back up the highway toward Gulfport and it sat majestically up on a small hill behind the highway, overlooking the Gulf. Being that close to the water, I wonder how much damage it endured from Katrina, but fortunately it is still standing.
For $12, I could have went inside and taken a tour of the place. And while I seriously thought about it, ultimately I decided against it because I was heading to Mobile after that and I knew there was a lot to see and do in Mobile that I didn’t want to miss out on. So, I walked around the fence surrounding the beautiful house and took pictures of it and its magnificent property. It was tough to get a good picture of the house, though, because of the huge oak trees in the front yard covering up portions of the house, and the fact that I was outside of the fence. And speaking of those oak trees, like in so many places in the deep South, they were beautiful. To me, they look like they are straight out of a movie. Some of their huge branches even extended out and touched the ground.
Beauvoir, the former home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Just like back in Gulfport, I felt like I did pretty much everything I wanted to do in Biloxi and was ready to head to Mobile. Maybe more than any location, that was the destination I was most excited to see. I knew there was plenty to see and was ready to take in as much of its history as I could. And let me tell you…as much as I anticipated my visit to Mobile, it completely blew me away. It was even more beautiful than I expected. It was even more historic than I expected. It was everything I thought it was going to be and more. Simply, I loved it.
Before I jump into the city, though, I’ll start with the place I was to stay for the final two nights of my trip. It was a bed and breakfast called Fort Conde Inn. Just approaching the house for the first time on my way to check in impressed me. It was located on these historic, brick streets. Every house on those streets were historic, including the famous Charlotte-Conde house. But the house that I’d be staying in looked just as historic, as I walked through the black iron gate and into the front door.
After getting my room key and inquiring, I discovered the house was built in 1836 and was actually used at one time to house French soldiers who occupied the area. As I walked through it, I glanced from room to room, where everything was just so beautiful and historic-looking. I couldn’t believe I would actually be staying there.
The Fort Conde Inn in Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
I walked to my room, which was located in a connected brick building and overlooked the shared courtyard decorated with tables and umbrellas. I kept meaning to ask if the adjoining space where my room was located was built and added on to the house at the same time (1836), or if it was years later, but I kept forgetting. Either way, it looked very old as well and was extremely nice inside.
Mardi Gras Statue in Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
As appealing as the Fort Conde Inn looked, part of the appeal to me was its fantastic location. From my front door I could walk to downtown Mobile in five minutes. And over the next two days I utilized that quite a bit. So, the first thing I did after checking in was what this trip was all about: explore. I grabbed my camera and began walking. This was when I discovered just how beautiful the city actually was.
It felt like every ten steps I took I was switching my camera from “off” to “on” and snapping another picture. Then I’d turn it off to continue walking before seeing something else and thinking, “well, I have to get a picture of that.” The cycle just continued and I remember being completely amazed at everything. To be honest, I didn’t know Mobile was founded by the French, and therefore has a big French influence in its architecture. As I walked around the city streets I thought, “this place looks like a mini New Orleans.”
Right outside of my bed and breakfast was the actual Fort Conde, with its surrounding brick walls still intact. I never went inside of it, but seeing it from the outside was neat. The Battle House hotel was absolutely gorgeous. The outside, and inside alike, looked like a 5-star hotel in New York City. The Catholic Cathedral, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, was stunning as well. I remember reading from a sign located outside of it that it was built in the early 1700s. Just walking down every street there were buildings and houses that I fell in love with.
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Another place in the city that I really enjoyed was historic Bienville Square, the most popular and photographed park in the city. With a large green space full of old oak trees, park benches, and a fountain as the centerpiece of it all, it is a wonderful space to just sit and relax. And that’s exactly what I decided to do in the middle of all my exploring. I took a seat at one of the many benches, soaked in the picturesque surroundings, and did a little bit of people-watching. Which is what led me to doing something I never thought I’d be able to say I’d done.
In the park were a ton of squirrels running around, and like squirrels in most big cities, they weren’t too afraid of people. Well, I was watching a few people walk around and feed these squirrels peanuts right out of their hand when one guy noticed me watching and said, “it’s pretty cool, huh? You wanna try?” I laughed a little bit and said, “sure, why not?” I took a peanut, carefully approached a squirrel as to not scare it away, and it approached my outstretched hand even more carefully. Finally when it determined I wasn’t going to harm it, both of its hands reached out and grabbed the peanut right out of my hand. Standing up I said, “well that’s definitely something that I never thought I’d be able to say I’d done.” It was such a random little thing, but it was something I’ll never forget.
Bienville Square in Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Not only is Mobile’s cityscape gorgeous, but it is also located on the Mobile Bay which is another beautiful aspect to the city. Part of my exploration included walking over to the Cooper Riverside Park where the maritime museum is and looking out over the Mobile River that flows into the bay. I don’t know what it is, but there’s always something captivating about gazing out over large bodies of water. It was awesome to just stare across the river. On the other side was a very large shipbuilding company called Austal, and where many Mobile folks have made a living for a very long time. I learned shipbuilding is a huge industry for the city.
I’m not sure, but I may have caught a glimpse of the famous USS Alabama battleship from there. It was tough to tell with everything else I saw looking in that direction. If I would have had another day in Mobile, the battleship would definitely have been on my agenda. But with my limited time, and having already visited the USS North Carolina before, I didn’t include it on this trip.
The Mobile River
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
When it was time to eat, I had plenty of options. I knew I wanted to eat something downtown, so I weighed my options and decided on going to the LoDa Bier Garten, partly because they advertised having the best burgers on Dauphin Street and partly because they had an impressive 102 beers on tap. And it was a good decision. I thought that place was very cool and a place for anybody to enjoy. The burger was absolutely delicious. There’s no doubt in my mind they have the best burgers on Dauphin Street and could even have the best ones in the entire city of Mobile. And of course the beer was good. I wanted to get something local, so I settled on an IPA from Braided River Brewing and one from Serda Brewing.
Walking back to the Fort Conde Inn I was so glad that I came to Mobile. I wasn’t quite done with the city yet, but a day trip to Orange Beach was next on the itinerary. I knew I’d definitely have to walk back to downtown Mobile the next night.
The dirty beach at Gulfport, Mississippi
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Gulfport, Mississippi Beach
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Gulfport, Mississippi Beach Docks
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Gulfport, Mississippi Lighthouse
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Biloxi Beach view from Beauvoir
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Entrance of the Fort Conde Inn
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Gathering room at the Fort Conde Inn
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Fort Conde Inn Courtyard
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View of Downtown Mobile from outside my room at the Fort Conde Inn
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Fort Conde Historic Area
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Historic Conde-Charlotte House in Mobile, Alabama
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Fort Conde in Mobile, Alabama
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History Museum of Mobile
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Mardi Gras Statue in Mobile, Alabama
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Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
The Historic Battle House Hotel in Mobile
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Inside the Battle House Hotel
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Downtown Mobile, Alabama
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Garett