Seeing the Sites in Mobile, AL

One of the military sites around Mobile is the USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park. In addition to the Battleship, there are numerous other displays of various aircraft and military hardware.

The USS ALABAMA is one of only two remaining WWII battleships that served throughout both the Atlantic and Pacific campaigns. Launched in August of 1942, she shot down 22 enemy aircraft without ever receiving any damage herself. Carrying a crew of 2500 officers and men she was capable of speeds in excess of 32mph.

Having an overall length of 680 ft (that's more than 16 ITHAKAs in a row!) and a beam of 108 ft, she weighs in at 45,000 tons.

Standing on the bow looking aft at her 16" guns.

Besides her main guns she carries twenty 5" guns, forty-eight 40 mm cannons and fifty-two 20 mm guns.

The nine 16" guns are capable of firing a twenty five hundred pound explosive projectile accurately out to a distance of 21 miles from the ship.

On the aviation side of the park is one of the work horses of the Cold War and of Vietnam, the B52 strategic bomber. Coming into service in 1952, these aircraft are still in service today. The only eight engine bombers in the U.S. inventory.

This particular bomber, participated in 81 bombing missions over North and South Vietnam.

If you would ask most Mobilelians the question, "if you could only see one thing during a visit to Mobile, what would it be"? The answer would most definitely be the BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME! Bellingrath was the home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath. He earned his fortune by becoming the first franchise owner of Coca-Cola bottling company for a 100 mile area around Mobile in 1903. He and Bessie purchased an abandoned fishing camp on the Fowl River in 1917, and by 1927 had started developing the gardens that are in existence today.

In most cases, the grand home is built first and then at a later time, the gardens are developed around the home. Bellingrath is just the opposite. Bessie was a Master Gardner and the 65 acre gardens were her main focus. Only after the gardens were in place did they build their house.

All of the gardens are laid out with wide walking paths and many fountains. There are no seasons where some type of flowers will not be in bloom, but the fall and spring are said to be the most beautiful times to visit.

Numerous live oak trees dot all of the paths.

All of the mums are grown on the property each season.

The east entrance to the Bellingrath home. Note the blanket of mums draped over the balcony. The mums are planted in the greenhouse in early January and are trained as they grow to drape over balconies and ledges throughout the home and property.

Besides gardening and antique collecting, Bessie's other passion was collecting porcelain figurines from all over the world. Eventually her collection grew so large they built a separate building to house and display it.

One of the many reflecting ponds in the gardens.

The interior court yard of the main house.

Getting ready for Christmas season, there are thousands of these "flowers" placed throughout the gardens that will be lighted and the gardens will be open after dark between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One of the gardens with the Nativity scene already in place.

No visit to Mobile would be complete without visiting some of the historic homes in and around the old part of the city.

The Oakleigh House is one of the oldest homes in the Historic District. Built in 1833 by a wealthy cotton planter, it now serves as Mobile's Official Period House Museum.

Each historic home has a Crest attached to it as shown in this picture. The Crest will signify under which "flag" the house was built (French, Spanish, English, Confederate, US), the date it was built and the name of the house.

A more modest Creole style house.

Note the same Crest mounted next to the window.

This is the Richards DAR House Museum with its lavish iron lace decorating the facade. Many of the historic homes in Mobile remind one of the homes in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

One of the beautiful, old live oak trees next to the Richards DAR House.