NauticalNotebook.com
© 2010-
Please contact us with any questions or comments
Port Review: Mobile, Alabama
July 9-
By Lisa Plotnick
On nearly every cruise, we make it a point to visit a place we had not been prior. For our July 2010 cruise on Carnival Elation, this new port was our embarkation city—Mobile, Alabama.
Knowing little about Mobile—I even learned later that I had been mispronouncing it
for years—I set out to do some research. We planned two nights in Mobile—one pre-
Yet, once we arrived, we were immediately enchanted with Mobile’s historic district, and opted to spend all of our time there. Between a Dauphin Street Historic District Walking Tour map from Main Street Mobile (available in our hotel), the free moda! trolley system, and the advice of our hotel’s concierge and others we met along the way, we had a wonderful time on our first visit to this Southern city.
Hotel
Several months prior to the cruise, we made reservations for the Battle House Renaissance, located on the fringe of the historic district near the Convention Center. There are two Renaissance hotels in Mobile, roughly two blocks apart. We chose the Battle House, as I have a penchant for historic buildings. And, was I ever in for a treat.
The Battle House Renaissance consists of two buildings—the historic Battle House (built 1908 on the site of the original 1852 Battle House) and part of the modern RSA Tower Building (2007). The latter is the tallest building in Alabama, reaching 37 stories, with hotel rooms and meeting rooms on the first seven floors and offices above.
For our one-
Post-
Either way, you can’t go wrong with the room, whether in the Tower or Historic Building. Keep in mind, however, that the Tower is a longer walk from the main entrance and lobby, if this is an issue.
Interestingly, part of our exploration of Mobile was touring the hotel. The original Battle House opened in 1852, and hosted the first Mardi Gras Ball in the U.S. In 1905, the hotel burned, leaving nothing behind. It reopened in 1908, and operated until 1974. In 2002, plans to restore the building were approved, and it reopened, along with the new RSA Tower, in 2007. The restoration is, indeed, like stepping back in time. The lobby is extraordinary, and quite grand. The adjacent ballroom is lined with paintings depicting Mobile’s history. And, there is a lovely roof deck on the old building that offers a decent view of the city, facing west.
It’s pretty amazing when I’ve spent so much time writing about a hotel. This says a lot about its charm. I would, without hesitation, stay here again, for both its ambiance and location.
Touring
A main reason we enjoyed Mobile was its architecture, a mix of styles from the 19th
to 21st centuries. Our first evening in Mobile, we capped off the evening with a
post-
Most of our visit in Mobile took place post-
Starting from our hotel (having checked in at around 10:00 am), we walked up Dauphin
Street to catch the free moda! bus that loops around downtown. Our first stop was
Forte Conde, a small-
We had a nice conversation with the representatives at the Welcome Center adjacent to Forte Conde, who recommended Wintzell’s Oyster House for lunch. It was some distance away, so we got back on the moda! bus, and the driver stopped directly in front of the restaurant to let us off. (See below for more detail on the meal.)
We then walked back along Dauphin Street admiring the various architectural styles. My favorite was the Crown Theatre (1909), now named Atlantis, as I loved its arches, windows, columns, large crowns atop, and the lion faces on the façade.
Cathedral Square, a fairly new park (1979) was serene and pretty, anchored by the
gorgeous Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1849-
Dining
Our first two meals in Mobile were taken at our hotel. On Friday, after checking in, we went to Joe Cain Café, inside the hotel, where the three of us shared a cheese pizza, peach cake (like a bread pudding), and peach ice cream. We enjoyed the food and the ambiance, and were also pleasantly surprised by the low expense.
The following morning, we had a great buffet breakfast in the beautiful Trellis Room just off the lobby. This room was also stunning and evoked an earlier time. The buffet was small in size, yet large in variety and flavor. I especially enjoyed the grits, biscuit and gravy—we can’t find these too easily in the Northeast.
When we returned to Mobile post-
Dinner was also had on Dauphin Street. Those who know my son know that he loves pizza, and we wanted to try a place in town. The hotel concierge recommended Hopjack’s on Dauphin Street, where we ordered two small pizzas (from an extensive menu) and appetizers. The food was good, yet the service could have been better. (We had to remind our server of the appetizers, and the final bill needed an adjustment.) The following morning, preceding our return to the airport, we had breakfast at Serda’s Coffee Shop down the street from our hotel. We had stopped in here for a snack the day prior, and were pleased—besides, this was one of few places open early on a Sunday morning.
Transportation Matters
Most passengers we met on our cruise drove to Mobile. As we flew in, I share our experiences for those planning to do the same. We decided against renting a car, as we planned to either walk or taxi everywhere. (In our home town, we are accustomed to walking or taking public transportation, so this wasn’t a stretch for us.)
We landed at the Mobile Regional Airport around 3:30 pm on a Friday, quickly found
our luggage, and sought a taxi to take us to our hotel. The ride, via the Interstate,
was metered and cost us $43 plus tip. The reverse trip from the hotel to the airport
took exactly one-
As we did not have a parking package (offered by many of the hotels in the area to
those who drove and booked this in advance), we took taxis to and from the cruise
terminal. Although it was a short distance away, there was a fixed rate of $15 each
way. I do not know if this was a per-
Closing Thoughts
Our entire family enjoyed Mobile, and we would not hesitate to return again in a
few years. The Dauphin Street area is still up and coming, with empty storefronts
here and there, yet we also saw some rebuilding and maintenance. The combination
of Federal, Italianate, and Victorian architecture was stunning, and the local populace
could not have been any more welcoming and friendly. While a taxi ride from the airport
is costly ($40-
Mobile, Alabama