A Tour of the South

That was the plan. Dana was (is?) a little bit skeptical when I proposed a tour through Mississippi and Alabama to surround the week we would spend in New Orleans coinciding with a conference he would attend there. Still... he gave me his blessing to buy "the books," do the research, and make our itinerary.

Yes, we all realized that visiting Mobile, Birmingham, and Montgomery, Alabama, along with Jackson, Mississippi, during the months of June and July, meant that we would be hot, hot, hot. Since the whole trip would end with a week in Orlando to coincide with Young Lit Authors Day, where Maddie hopes to meet the great John Green, avoiding the heat seems to be the last option on this year's summer vacation. We'll have to reflect back on our moments gliding past glaciers in Alaska last year when we need to cool off.

So here we are, in the Battle House Renaissance, a gorgeous old historic hotel in Mobile that very much symbolizes this lovely southern city's desire to become the next Charleston or Savannah. Mobile is far from there, her friendly residents are quick to admit, but they are optimistic. The restoration of this hotel was an important step in the process, as was the creation of the Exploreum, a wonderful science museum, where we whiled away many hours yesterday afternoon, after taking what amounted to a private tour where a transplanted Wisconsonian drove the four of us around in a small van and told us all about the hidden history of this city.

For instance... did you know that Mobile is the original home of Mardi Gras? A group of "Mystics" (the organization of anonymous citizens that runs Mobile's Mardi Gras, which is an 18,000,000 a year business here!) went to New Orleans many, many years ago to give them advice about how to get started. Guess the advice was a little bit TOO good. Our guide explained how Mobile's Mardi Gras starts just after Thanksgiving, with a series of Debutante balls, which will lead to the crowning of the Mardi Gras Queen - and her King, and ends, after many parades and many parties (though far more family friendly, she explained) on Fat Tuesday. As we walked the very quiet downtown streets, noticing the beautiful iron work on the balconies, we would notice the unmistakeable green, purple and gold colors peeking out. Sometimes in bead form, sometimes as a flag, here and there, the evidence of Mobile's proud Mardi Gras tradition can be seen everywhere, if you're looking closely enough.

This morning we head off to New Orleans, where our guide is hoping we will notice architecture that "reminds [us] of Mobile." I can understand her desire. This city, the second oldest settled city in America (just after St. Augustine) has a rich history that I imagine very few people have discovered. Bienville and Iberville (two names I recognized instantly from the streets in New Orleans' French Quarter) discovered Mobile before moving west and, eventually, discovering New Orleans. The streets here also bear their names, along with many of the other French names and architecture a frequent visitor to New Orleans will be quick to recognize. It's ironic, but the residents here don't seem to mind too much. They are friendly and proud and about the best testament to that famous southern hospitality that this visitor could have hoped to have.

With a week ahead in New Orleans, I will likely fill in some more of the details about our brief time in Gainesville and our couple of days in Mobile, but for now I will include photos of the kids playing at the "whispering arch" in our hotel (which is one of the best I've ever experienced!) and of scenic Mobile Bay, then sign off to help the family pack. Until tomorrow....