DESTINATION

Mobile

In 1864 the Union captured the CSS Tennessee in the Battle of Mobile Bay but lost the monitor Tecumseh. The subsequent surrender of Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan on Mobile Point, coupled with the siege of Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort on the east side of the bay 6 months later, wore down the Confederates' resistance. Federal forces occupied Mobile on April 12, 1865. Relics of the battles are still evident.

Alabama's only seaport, Mobile is on the west side of the Mobile River near the mouth of Mobile Bay. The city's river channel, only 10 feet deep in 1826, has been dredged over the years to accommodate oceangoing vessels of 40-foot draft. The discovery of large natural gas deposits also has brought drilling rigs to the bay.

Meetings, conventions and cultural activities take place in the Mobile Civic Center, a huge waterfront facility and entertainment complex.

The monthlong Mobile Mardi Gras, though smaller in size than the celebration in New Orleans, is said to be the original American pre-Lenten carnival. First observed in 1703 and suspended during the Civil War, the festivities have been held continually since 1866. On the Sunday before Mardi Gras day, several thousand revelers turn out to celebrate Joe Cain Day, named for the man who revived Mardi Gras in Mobile after the Civil War.

A premier flower and garden event, Festival of Flowers showcases and celebrates the beauty of nature. The festival spans 4 days in late March and is held on the Providence Hospital campus. Mobile also is the site of the Dollar General Bowl, held in late December at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium with teams from the Sun Belt and Mid-American conferences, and the Senior Bowl football game in January, played by the nation's best senior collegiate football players. Teenage girls from throughout the nation compete for scholarships and awards at the Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program in June.

A moderate climate allows for year-round golfing at an array of championship golf courses with scenic views. Part of Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove Golf Course, 7001 Magnolia Grove Pkwy., offers 54 holes on contoured greens.

Mobile Greyhound Park is 10 miles west off I-10 at the Dawes Theodore Road exit; racing season runs from January to mid-December; phone (251) 653-5000.

Note: Policies concerning admittance of children to pari-mutuel betting facilities vary. Phone for information.

Visitor Centers

Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau 150 S. Royal St. Mobile, AL 36602. Phone:(251)208-2000 or (800)566-2453

Self-guiding Tours

Mobile is most beautiful during azalea season, mid-March through early April. The Site of Historic Fort Condé Welcome Center and most downtown hotels provide maps that show where visitors can best see azaleas in bloom as well as brochures for self-guiding walking and driving tours of most of Mobile's historic districts. One brochure they offer is of the African American Heritage Trail, which features 40 historical sites, including churches, schools, houses, businesses and the former slave market.

Shopping

The Shoppes at Bel Air at Airport Boulevard and I-65 (3299 Bel Air Mall) has Belk, Dillard's and JCPenney among its stores.

Insider Info

Jones Golf Trail

Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail features a network of 468 holes at 11 facilities stretching from north Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico. All the courses along the golf trail were designed by golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., and each was intended to give golfers a challenging experience in country-club elegance at public course prices.

Most facilities include two 18-hole championship courses or three nine-hole championship courses, in addition to an 18- or nine-hole (respectively) short course. The course at Capitol Hill has three championship 18-hole courses, while the Ross Bridge in Hoover has one 18-hole course covering 330 acres, making it the third longest course in the world.

Sites include Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, (205) 942-1177; Ross Bridge in Hoover, (205) 949-3085; Hampton Cove in Huntsville, (256) 551-1818; Magnolia Grove in Mobile, (251) 645-0075; The Shoals in Muscle Shoals, (256) 446-5111; Grand National in Auburn/Opelika, (334) 749-9042; Lakewood in Point Clear, (251) 990-6312; Highland Oaks in Dothan, (334) 712-2820; Cambrian Ridge in Greenville, (334) 382-9787; Capitol Hill in Prattville, (334) 285-1114; and Silver Lakes in Calhoun County, (256) 892-3268.

Fees at each course range $65-$136 for 18 holes ($18 for the 18-hole short course). Cart rentals are $20 per person for regular courses and $11 per person for short courses.

For additional information, to verify rates or to reserve a tee time phone (800) 949-4444.