Days 25 and 26 - 'Bama Rama

We flew to Mobile yesterday and are back on the boat for the third leg of our trip.  Dog River Marina picked us up from the airport.  The weather was warm and I immediately shed my socks and sweatshirt.  The people at the boatyard could not have been nicer; they all greeted us and thanked us for our business.  We had them replace our side curtains, change the oil, and check on a few things.  All was in order and we happily settled back in. 

The owner/manager of Dog River loaned us his truck because the courtesy cars were out) for us to use to drive into Mobile for dinner.  We enjoyed oysters and shrimp at Wintzell’s Oyster House on Dauphin Street as we read the numerous sayings on the walls such as, “You eat for free if you are over 80 years old and bring your father”.  One chart listed the results of the oyster eating contests.  The rules are you have one hour to eat all you can and you cannot leave the bar during that hour.  The record holder ate 35 dozen (421) oysters!!  If you break the record, your oysters are free and you win $25.  You are on your own for medical expenses and any criminal charges that result from eating all the oysters.

 

 

 

After dinner we headed further downtown and caught the end of Mobile’s tree lighting ceremony in a central square.  I saw some sparkly stuff coming out of a long nozzle into the air.  “Is that a bubble machine?” I asked Randy.  “No”, he said scornfully, “They are making snow!”  OK, welcome to the Deep South!  We then walked along Dauphin Street and looked at the shops, bars (lots of bars) and restaurants. Dauphin is said to be little like Bourbon Street in New Orleans except much cleaner and less crowded.  After walking around, we stopped in the Three Georges Chocolate Shop for a few treats and went back to the boat.

 

 

 

Today I woke up very excited as my good friend Anne Doty drove down from Birmingham last night to spend the day with us.  It was so good to see her and catch up!  Anne lived in Mobile at one time and chauffeured us around the city.  We started at the University of South Alabama, which has a beautiful campus, then drove Dauphin Street past historical homes and then back by the places we had been at the night before.  We crossed Mobile Bay to the Battleship Memorial Park.  There we toured the Battleship USS Alabama, commissioned in 1942, and the submarine USS Drum, commissioned in 1941.  How far we have come since those days.

 

 

 

 

 

Next on the agenda is Fairhope, a small, picturesque town on the east side of Mobile Bay.  We walked out on the pier of the Municipal Marina, then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping.  Randy bought a sign that is perfect for him.  Anne bought us a beautiful Christmas ornament that has the Fairhope Pier on it.

From there we went to the Marriott Grand Hotel in Fairhope, a historic resort hotel with its own marina on the Bay.  Several Loopers we met earlier on our trip stayed there.

For dinner, Anne took us to a favorite southern barbeque restaurant, Dreamland.   John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened Dreamland over 50 years ago in Tuscaloosa, spending countless hours perfecting his sauce and signature style for ribs.  Although the ribs were excellent, best of all, believe it or not, was the banana pudding.  Anne insisted we have it, said it is “to die for” and she was so right!!  What a great day in Mobile, made all the better by the company of a great friend!!

 

It was cloudy today and the wind is picking up.  We will have to monitor the weather for tomorrow as we are planning to leave for Gulf Shores/Orange Beach in the morning.  They are calling for gale force winds on Mobile Bay, but wave heights will be only 2-3 feet.  For those of us used to boating on Lake Michigan, 2-3s are not very intimidating.  However, we are in unfamiliar waters and will assess the situation in the morning. 
 Back on the boat, Randy and I enjoyed a nightcap and you can see Randy’s “find” in Fairhope below.