Mobile, AL

We spent the day touring Mobile (pronounced MO-beel), Alabama’s fourth-largest city and its only saltwater port. France established an outpost here in 1702 and the French cultural influence is still evident today. Fun fact: Mobile is the original home of Carnival and Mardi Gras in America, established well before the celebrated version in New Orleans.

Our first order of business was getting a rental car, and we took advantage of Enterprise’s promise to pick you up. The second task was lunch—we love mom & pop barbecue joints, and Bama Bob’s BBQ did not disappoint.

Then it was off to GulfQuest, a modern, informative maritime museum designed to resemble a container ship and focused entirely on the Gulf of Mexico. There are several balconies overlooking the river, where we could view the waterfront that we traveled past aboard Dragonfly on Friday.

It was in 1864 during the Battle of Mobile Bay when Admiral David Farragut spoke his famous (and paraphrased) words “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” while steaming through a Confederate minefield before securing victory and Union control of Mobile.

Our next stops were the History Museum of Mobile, located in the beautiful old city hall and Fort Conde, a reconstructed fortress on the site of the original French settlement. At the fort we met Brian, an off-duty volunteer, who struck up a conversation before offering us tickets to the Mobile Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Classics concert that evening. He had two extra seats after a last-minute cancellation and we graciously accepted.

We had dinner at T.P. Crockmiers, a few doors from the Saenger Theater and full of fellow concert-goers. The food was excellent and the staff seemed well-versed in getting patrons out the door in time to see the show. We arrived at the Saenger early and found Brian, who convinced us to pose with Santa for a special holiday photo. It’s been many decades since I’ve sat on Santa’s lap, and full disclosure—we were not the only adults doing it.

The concert was delightful and featured a charming guest conductor, the Mobile Singing Children and bass vocalist Kevin Thompson, who wowed the audience with his depth and range, and a special treat of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” After the concert, we said goodbye to Brian and his friends and went back to our chilly and rolly boat, marveling at how life presents you with seemingly random encounters that turn into wonderful experiences.