From Rome to Home: My life in Mobile, Alabama: October 2011

Saturday, October 1, 2011

A Canopy of Oaks

Mobile is known by airline pilots as the "city under the trees" mostly due to the oak trees that line our streets. The summer afternoon thunderstorms and late winter/early spring showers that make Mobile the rainiest city in America also help create the perfect environment for growing monster-sized oak trees. Though the trees used to line Mobile's streets in the early years were the chinaberry tree (also known as the Pride of India) due to its fast growth, they were soon replaced by the native live oaks. Today, virtually every major corridor of the old city has a live oak canopy.

Bienville Square

Government Street

Old Shell Road

Washington Square

"Duffy" Oak, Caroline Avenue

"Twelve Oaks", Palmetto Street near Square

Simona's Top 10 things to do while in Mobile, Alabama

#1 Take a walk Downtown on Dauphin Street. There's a lot of great architecture and places to eat. Don't miss the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Bishop Portier House. Bienville Books is one of my favorite haunts and dinner at Wintzell's Oyster House is a must before leaving Mobile.

#2 Tour Mobile's Greek Revival Public Buildings. Buildings of note include Barton Academy and the Presbyterian Church on Government Street and Christ Episcopal Church at the corner of St Emanuel and Church Street (near the Fort Conde Visitor Center). The Mobile City Hospital and Marine Hospital on St Anthony Street and the Washington Fire Station on Lawrence Street are also worth a visit for the architectural enthusiast or history buff.

#3 Walk through the De Tonti Square Historic District. This is one of Mobile's oldest neighborhoods and includes architecture ranging from raised Creole Cottages to brick Federal and Italianate Townhouses. Just outside De Tonti Square, monthly jazz jambalaya's are held by the Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed at the Old Gulf City Lodge.

#4 Tour the Oakleigh Garden District. Stops should include a tour of the Oakleigh House Museum, a stroll through the camelias and under the oak shaded canopy of Washington Square, and dining at Callaghan's Irish Bar. When you need a break, stop by the newly renovated Cream and Sugar Coffee House.

#5 Visit Spring Hill College. The architecture and landscape of the southeast's oldest catholic university provide for a pleasant stroll through the grounds. Stewartfield is an excellent example of an antebellum home that is on campus but don't miss other notable homes in the area including the Marshall-Eslava house on Tuthill Lane, the Gaillard House on Myrtlewood Lane, and Carolina Hall on Yester Place.

#6 Travel along the Old Dauphinway. On your return from Spring Hill, along Spring Hill Avenue, the Old Shell Road, and Dauphin Street you'll find many exceptional old homes. The Gates-Davy House on Dauphin, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion on Spring Hill Avenue, and the Calef House on Old Shell Road are a few of my favorites. For a special treat, stop by the Visitation Monastery on Spring Hill Avenue where the nuns have been selling their delicious "Heavenly Hash" since the 1950's.

#7 Go back in time in Church Street East and Fort Conde Village. Back downtown, make sure to check out the on-going renovations in Fort Conde Village and visit the Conde-Charlotte House Museum. Church Street East has a range of architectural styles including many turn of the 20th century shotgun homes. The replica Fort Conde includes great colonial-era artifacts collected at the site and the nearby Museum of Mobile provides additional insite into Mobile's History. No visit to Mobile would be complete without visiting the Mardi Gras Museum on Government Street which celebrates Mobile's oldest tradition.

#8 Take a Cemetery Tour. Mobile has many old cemeteries and three of them should definately be on any travel itenerary. The Church Street Grave Yard dates to 1820 and includes separate sections for the interment of catholics, protestants, and strangers. Yellow fever quickly helped to fill up the Church Street Cemetery so Magnolia Cemetery, 1838, and the Catholic Cemetery, 1848, were created.

#9 Go for a Bike Ride. Mobile has a couple of very active bike groups with group rides available for the novice to the pro. The relatively mild weather through much of the year, flat terrain, street layout, and the many less travelled roads provide excellent biking opportunities. "Mobilians on Bikes" can be found on facebook and provides information on all the rides.

#10 Tour the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is the second largest delta in the United States and provides many opportunities for boating, fishing, kayaking, and nature watching. Eagles, Osprey, and Alligators are some of my favorite sites. The Bottle Creek Indian Mound is a treasure hidden deep within the delta.