City by the bay

Southern Living, Oct 1999 by Thompson, Annette

ALL THE ACTION IN MOBILE THIS MONTH ISN'T NECESSARILY JUST ON THE GOLF COURSE. IS CITY BY THE BAY BOASTS AN AMPLE ARRAY OF ATTRACTIONS, RESTAURANTS, ACCOMMODATIONS, AND SHOPS. JOIN US ON A TOUR OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.

Begin your exploration downtown, an area once again bustling with commerce after several quiet decades. Fort Conde serves as welcome center, offering visitors information as well as providing a glimpse into Mobile's 300-year history.

On the next block, the city's newest attraction bustles with fun. The Gulf Coast Exploreum, a science museum, combines hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater (currently showing Thrill Ride), and visiting exhibits (currently Star Trek: Federation Science(TM) with costumes, props, and interactive space programs from the TV series and films).

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Russian royalty has taken over the civic center at the exhibition, "Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia." You'll see the coronation carriage, a diamond-studded coronation egg, uniforms and gowns of the Romanovs, Empress Alexandra's piano, and many more elegant items.

When you get hungry, try Spot of Tea, offering a light fare of sandwiches, salads, and soups. Ask locals which downtown restaurant is their dinner favorite, and you'll hear Justine's or Loretta's. You won't be disappointed at either. Gus's Azalea Manor serves upscale flavors in a handsome old store building with a courtyard. Mayme's is not a typical hotel restaurant-select either the cute dining room or the lush courtyard to savor house specials.

Several well-placed hotels help make downtown a walkable experience. The Adam's Mark, by the convention center, is a high rise offering full-service amenities. If you prefer a more intimate place, The Malaga Inn's rooms grace two 19thcentury houses. The Radisson Admiral Semmes is more like an elegant old lady, with lovely rooms setting a historic tone.

Make a pre-Halloween pilgrimage to the Old Church Street Graveyard (between Washington Avenue and Bayou Street). Marked by an odd collection of tombs, the cemetery is the final resting place of Napoleonic exiles, Spanish grandees, and English pioneers.

Along Airport Boulevard, there are enough antiques shops and mall-type stores to keep you busy all day. If you want to mega-shop, take I-10 across the bay to State 59 and visit Foley and the Riviera Centre outlet mall, or explore the shops in the quaint village of Fairhope. Before you get to the eastern shore, you'll spy the USS Alabama park, where you can board the World War II battleship and view an array of military airplanes at the adjacent museum. Before returning to Mobile, take a walk on the sparkling sands of Gulf Shores, then drive onto the Mobile Bay Ferry at Fort Morgan and cross over to Dauphin Island's Fort Gaines.

Visit Bellingrath Gardens on your way back up the western side of the bay. Mums the word here as spectacular cascading chrysanthemums offer vivid fall color. Nearby at the Riverhouse Bed & Breakfast, take in sunrises on the Fowl River and escape city crowds-Mobile and Magnolia Grove golf course lie only a relaxing 30 minutes away.

Annette Thompson

For more information contact Mobile Convention & Visitors Corporation, PO. Box 204, Mobile, AL 36601; (334) 4152000 or 1-800-566-2453.