Mobile and Surrounding Area

Mobile, one of the oldest cities in the United States, is a major Gulf Coast city with a population base of 400,000 and a friendly lifestyle which has become a Southern tradition. The city has a rich and proud heritage that can be found in forts, museums, large ante-bellum homes and plantations. The Spanish first sailed into Mobile in 1519. Since then, the Spanish, French, English, Confederate and United States flags have signaled this city's allegiance. The first submarine used in the Civil War was built in Mobile and one of the last important battles of the war was fought in this area when 45,000 Federal troops captured Spanish Fort. In preparation for this engagement, Admiral Farragut sailed the Federal fleet past the guns of Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines and engaged the Confederate ships defending Mobile, giving perhaps the most famous orders of the war: "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!".

The redevelopment of the downtown area has encouraged a number of small businesses to open near Bienville Square, the heart of the city. Small restaurants, up-scale bars, and a brewpub line Dauphin Street and cater to those who enjoy an active night life. Mobile is Alabama's major seaport and the water plays a major role in the history and lifestyle of the region. Plans are underway for the development of a Sea Aquarium and Market, IMAX theater, river walk, and a new yacht harbor to complement the new Convention Center on the waterfront. A new baseball stadium is home to an AA baseball team. Mobile annually hosts the Senior Bowl Game and is home to the new Mobile Mysticks ice hockey team.

The City of Mobile is an eventful place. There is a special event for nearly every month of the year. Mobile is the original home of Mardi Gras and for a period of two weeks before Ash Wednesday, offers balls, parades and family entertainment. Other events include the Azalea Trail Run and Festival, the Mobile Jazz Festival, and the Shrimp Festival in nearby Gulf Shores.

Located on Mobile Bay, the city is less than an hours drive from the sugary white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. The semi-tropical climate and warm water temperature are ideal for water sports of all kinds. Fishing enthusiasts have a choice of deep sea fishing in the Gulf, trying numerous rivers, or fishing in the Bay. If you don't want to catch your own, commercial fishermen and shrimpers are more than happy to provide you with a bounty of fresh seafood. Fresh oysters, shrimp, crawfish, and innumerable fish are abundantly available and popular on most restaurant menus. Scuba diving is a favorite sport here since the area abounds with sealife and historical shipwrecks. The Bay is also one of the nation's largest watershed, with a multitude of marshes, bays, streams, and rivers, all waiting to be explored by canoe, sailboat, or foot. .