“Can you hear me?” I whisper, standing, with my face inches from the whispering arch at the historic Battle House Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. My friend, Mary, is at the opposite end, ready to receive my message. “Let’s stick around and eavesdrop conversations,” she whispers. We turn to face one another, then giggle like tweenagers, happy to have taken the double-dog dare to test the famous phenomenon.
The whispering arch is only one of the surprises at this elegantly restored grand dame in the heart of an invigorated downtown Mobile. I’m blown away by the original Tiffany glass ceilings in the lobby and dining rooms and the trompe l’oeil murals. Among other signs of the $220 million renovation for the hotel known as “Mobile’s living room” is a 1920s mural that rings the Crystal Ball Room and the smashing chandeliers, plus the very luxurious twenty-first century guest rooms and totally organic spa.
When it comes to vacation destinations, the city of Mobile lives up to the motto, “over the top, under the radar”—particularly for families. And especially for Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday, the day of revelry before the austerity of Lent). Mobilians are quick to brag, “We were the first Mardi Gras” but as a former New Orleanian, I’m incensed. Alas, ‘tis true. The gargantuan celebration was first held in Mobile in 1840. It didn’t spread to New Orleans until 1857.
There are nearly as many similarities between the two celebrations as differences. Both cities have an extended Carnival season with numerous parades that take place long before the actual day. But while the merriment in New Orleans is wild and wooly with copious amounts of alcoholic beverages consumed, Mobile’s fete is family-focused with designated alcohol-free zones. In addition, the city has the only museum in the world dedicated to Mardi Gras costumes. Talk about over the top bling! (Mardi Gras 2010 is Tuesday, February 16.)
Museums!
One of my favorite things about downtown Mobile is the accessibility to museums, restaurants and shops. We stroll easily from the Battle House to the History Museum, the Mardi Gras Museum and The Exploreum, an interactive “edutainment” science center. I confess, it’s my favorite. I could live there—if my grandkids were along for the adventure.
In “My Body Works,” a gy-normous beating heart goes into cardiac arrest and its ever-faster beats bring medical “intervention” from museum goers. I test my blood pressure (happy to find I’m still alive) and calculate how many miles I need to walk to burn off the fried oysters and bread pudding I ate for lunch (oh my word!). I test my arm strength (no surprise, I’m a wuss); see how high I can jump (okay, stop laughing) and record the findings on my activity card. As I exit, I receive a health profile which I can compare to findings on my next visit (and there will be one). With interactive experiments, “breathing” dinosaur replicas and traveling exhibits, there is always something fun to see and do.
Mother Nature
After a day of museuming, we head to Five Rivers, a 250,000-acre wetland and water trail that reaches from Gadsden to Mobile. We climb aboard a skiff and encounter a flock of white pelicans that have stopped to rest before heading farther south. Our naturalist silences the engines. Overhead, the wide wing of the huge birds casts a large shadow over us. They soar as gracefully as a chorus of ballerinas dipping and swirling through the cloudless November sky. We’re mesmerized.
Glorious Bellingrath Gardens
Hooked on fresh air, we strike out for Bellingrath Gardens the next day. Our timing this mild November day is impeccable. By chance, we catch a dress rehearsal for Magic Christmas in Lights, known worldwide for the three-million light display that begins annually the day after Thanksgiving. If looking for a single reason to visit Mobile, this is it. The sixty-five-acre Gardens and original home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Bellingrath, are worth seeing 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day).
Food!
Mobile takes a backseat to none on the Gulf Coast when it comes to great food. For seafood on the casual, we eat our way through Wintzell’s Oyster House, Bimini Bobs and The Original Oyster House. I order oysters prepared every imaginable way. Add in a serving of bread pudding and I’m living large.
But decidedly, the most unique dining establishment in Mobile is the Tiny Diny. I never would have discovered it without help from my cousin, Phyllis. “Do you want to have breakfast at one of my favorite places?” she asks. “It’s funky and fun and when Rick Bragg was here on a book tour, he loved it.”
“If it’s good enough for an author the caliber of Rick Bragg, it’s absolutely good enough for this author-wannabe,” I tell her.
Her route takes us down Government Street where ante bellum homes exude southern elegance and magnificent live oaks form a canopy overhead. A scant distance down the road and we enter a neighborhood clearly down on its luck. The Tiny Diny sits on one of the tackiest stretches and next door, a large billboard attracts my attention. It reads, “Go to the Church of your Choice.”
“What’s with the billboard?” I ask.
A life-long resident, Phyllis explains. “When Miss Trudy moved the diner here in 1984, there was a topless carwash next door. It’s no secret that she’s very religious and didn’t want her place next door. Since she couldn’t do anything about it, she put up the billboard to hide the offensive business.”
She needn’t have bothered. Neither the topless car wash nor the eclectic neighborhood dissuades customers from enjoying the friendly I’m immediately charmed by the old timey atmosphere with the friendly “mornin’ y’all” service and eclectic group of politicians, Rotarians and working folks all enjoying the piping hot eggs, grits, pancakes and famous homemade pies.
The Grand Hotel
On our last day, we drive four-miles east across Mobile Bay to The Grand Hotel which has drawn generations of southern gentry for 150 years. Despite numerous hurricanes and the resulting renovations, this regal lady on the Gulf, still stands tall. The sprawling resort with one foot in the past is firmly grounded in the present. The state-of-the-art spa, private sail-in dock, golf course, world renown restaurant and white sand beaches attract young and old. And, if anyone asks for my vote on the best bread pudding in the Mobile area, it would be the Grand’s. I swoon in the remembering.
I’m already planning a return visit, splitting my time between the Grand and the Battle House. The combination promises the best of resort and city life with loads to do outdoors and in.