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Small towns and downtowns Alabama, much more than Ida, part 2
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Try out an "air guitar" or even an "air harp" at the Exploreum, you could spend hours here
So in spite of hurricane (or tropical storm) Ida, as we saw in part 1, there is indeed a LOT going for Alabama, especially for its small towns and downtowns. Check these out:
Dolphin Cruise in Gulf Shores
From baby humans to baby dolphins, one of the best ways to see these beautiful creatures frolicking in the wake of a boat, is on a Dolphin Express Cruise. As the boat speeds up on its 90 minute cruise, these beautiful sea mammals delight in showing off their jumping prowess, much to the delight of the boat’s passengers. Dolphin sighting are guaranteed on this trip.
Monroeville
And guaranteed to be high on everyone’s list, is a visit to Monroeville, about 2 hours from Mobile. This is the home of Harper Lee, author of the much-loved To Kill A Mockingbird, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Visit the courthouse that features so prominently in the novel. Harper’s own father was a lawyer and as a child Harper spent many a day watching her father at work. It’s likely that Atticus in the book was modeled after her father and Maycomb is fashioned after Monroeville.
Once headed for demolition, the courthouse in the village was saved and restored by a determined group of local residents. Over $30m was raised to renovate it. Harper, long since a recluse who doesn’t give interviews, is now in her 80s, while her sister, a lawyer, is now in her 90s.
Lee’s best friend was the openly-gay Truman Capote (as children they would write stories together in their tree house). Dill is said to be fashioned after Truman, who has admitted to being quite pleased with his character. If you ask any of her classmates, they will tell you Lee never had a date that they knew of. Nobody knows why.
What they do know, however, is that her book became a classic and is one every schoolchild continues to love. You can tour the museum, the exhibits and the grounds. The town does a sold-old presentation of Mockingbird every April and May, with an all-local cast.
Bellingrath Gardens
Another presentation worth seeing is that of beautiful Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore, on the outskirts of Mobile. Flowers are in bloom throughout the grounds and a stroll here will restore your sanity (just in case in the rat race of life you’ve managed to lose it). This was the home of Walter D. Bellingrath who was Mobile’s first Coca-Cola bottler and the gardens were originally called Belle Camp.
They were intended as a fishing camp for Walter D. Bellingrath and his wife Bessie (his doctor had told him to get some rest and enjoy life and stop working all the time – Bellingrath was the retreat that resulted from that). Fashioned after the gardens and country estates in England, the gardens and 15-room home were opened to the public for the first time on April 7, 1932 to cheer up a depression-weary public. However, a major traffic jam was the result and after that admission was charged to care for and maintain the gardens. The home has been featured on A& E’s America’s Castles series.
USS Alabama
History also comes alive at the USS Alabama which was originally destined for scrap (it sat in Washington State for years destined for scrap before making its journey to Alabama). Thanks to the schoolchildren of the 1960s who donated their nickels and dimes to save the Alabama, the sum of $100,000 was raised. The ship was towed 5,600 miles through the Panama Canal to bring it to its current location.
This historic battleship, which became famous in Steven Segal’s movie “Under Siege” is dedicated to all Alabamians who have served. It was opened to the public in January 1965 and served 37 months of active duty in its lifetime. Explore its 12 decks for an insight into what this ship, which earned 12 battle stars and shot down 9 enemy planes (all while losing no lives), was like. Not surprisingly, the boat and the submarine beside it have had over 13 million visitors since opening day. And did you know that battleships are no longer made?
One thing that WAS made on the USS Alabama, however, unlike any other warships, was ice cream. This was given out to delivery people when deliveries were made to the boat. It was also given out to the sailors on board the boat, whose average age was 21 and who were still young enough to appreciate it (note the youngest sailor was actually 15 but he had lied and used his brother’s information to sign up).
Jubilee
An interesting feature of living on the Gulf Coast is that the residents get to enjoy the benefits of Jubilee. This is where the oxygen is so low in the water that the sea life, (crabs, shrimp, fish, eels) literally, walk out onto the beach to get some air. In doing so, they get picked up by the locals who take them home to fill their freezers and fridges. “The creatures don’t even resist,” says Alex Robinson of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. This is only one of two places on earth that has this natural phenomenon. The other is in Japan but the fish are not edible.
Exploreum
Another great phenomenon to check out is the Exploreum. Is this for kids or is it really for kids of all ages? See into the human body and try your hand at performing an operation. Practice heart surgery or knee surgery or how about testing your skill at how much you know about healthy shopping? You’ve no doubt played an “air guitar” but how about trying an “air harp” – it has no strings, but rather it works by laser. Just listen to the music you can play on it! It’s all here at the Exploreum where everything is state of the art.
For good reason the Exploreum has been voted Mobile’s #1 family attraction, with more than 100 hand-on exhibits. There’s even a 12 foot “beating” heart model that shows what happens when a heart attack occurs and how medical attention can repair it.
Mardi Gras Carnival Museum
And hearts are certainly beating when it comes to Mardi Gras and all those beads are being thrown out. You can relive the history and traditions of this event, which goes on for two weeks in Alabama at the Mardi Gras museum. The city boasts over 30 Mardi Gras parades and this city is the one that actually originated the North American carnival in 1703, years before New Orleans began its celebrations.
Bet you thought it was born in New Orleans. No, it was actually brought to life in Mobile by a Mr. Joe Cain who wanted to cheer up his friends by creating a ruckus with pots and pans in the streets. These days the pots and pans have been replaced by colorful, lively floats. Mardi Gras in Mobile has been called the largest street party in the country and the coronations of the kings and queens rival those of European heads of state.
So while hurricane or tropical storm Ida may be making a big difference, know that Alabama itself has a lot of small towns, yet those small towns themselves sure make a mighty big impact! Don’t miss them.
For more on this article, see part 1.
For articles by this author, click here: http://www.examiner.com/x-29076-SF-World-Travel-Examiner
Weather report on Ida
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