The city of Mobile sits at the top of large natural bay and its protected but accessible location made it a strategic part of US Southern history. It is steeped in French/Spanish heritage much like other Gulf cities including New Orleans and has just as long and defining of a Mardi Gras tradition as there. The larger bay area has beaches, old historic forts, and many other historical sites. (1997, 2017)
One of several old homes in Mobile, the Conde-Charlotte is a history center and was even once an early jail.
Dauphin Island is a beach getaway down from Mobile.
From about 1812, the US constructed to forts on either side of the entrance to Mobile Bay which continued in use for many years defending the area. Today they are very interesting historic sites that you can visit. This one is Fort Morgan down in Gulf Shores. I love the creepy old brickwork and arches you can wander through in the old fort.
The famous battleship the USS Alabama now rests in Mobile Bay as an attraction to vist along with many other memorobilia of WWII.
A detail of old buildings along Dauphin Street