Finding Eloquence: Down on the Mobile Bay

Down on the Mobile Bay

By Elizabeth Wednesday, October 21, 2015 Alabama, Places, Travel, Travel Tips, USA

This past weekend, I had the sweet chance to visit my friends Josh and Heidi in Mobile, Alabama. Though this is still the same state as my hometown of Birmingham, Mobile is the extreme south of Alabama, so the 4-hour drive is a decent distance and I was excited to have the time for it. The last time I’d seen Josh and Heidi was at their wedding in May, so it was a fun reunion as well as a chance to see new places, which is always a bonus for me. For whatever reason, I’d always pictured Mobile as a very small town without much to recommend it, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! Located right on the Mobile Bay, the city has some beautiful views of the water and a thriving downtown life with excellent restaurants. We went to a small hole-in-the-wall type place downtown called The Royal Scam if you need a suggestion – highly recommend! Their shrimp and grits were delicious! And this may sound strange, but the trees around town kept catching my eye. They’re quite big and have lots of wide, branching limbs and thick, hanging leaves. Quite authoritative and ancient looking, I think.

The other thing I really liked about the area was the neighboring town of Fairhope. It’s situated just across the bay, and we got there by a lovely drive over a big bridge and then through a tunnel that runs under the water! It’s a beautiful little town. Many of the houses are old antebellum style, unique trees and foliage are everywhere, and the constant breeze from the water is wonderful. Heidi and I walked on the pier, which was extremely windy, but enjoyable; there was a perfectly picturesque view of the Mobile skyline! We then walked in a positively charming downtown area. It’s pedestrian friendly and has all sorts of quaint little shops. Small surprise – I had requested we find the cute local bookstore. It didn’t disappoint either. Book lovers, this is your place! It’s called Page & Palette, and the environment is friendly, cozy, and it’s stuffed with books. Kind of reminded me of Shop Around the Corner from You’ve Got Mail.