After all of the fun in Florida, we started making our way towards Texas. It was a good thing we were passing through Alabama because there was a big hole in our travel map for that state. While we had driven across the state before, we had never stopped long enough to meet our criteria. Our rule is you have to spend a few nights and see some sights to count it for the RV map. Now was our chance!
Before we left Florida, we stopped at Madison RV Golf Resort. It was cool to stay at an RV campground built right on a golf course. We had access to golf and pickleball every day we wanted to play. I am just learning to play golf and got a new set of clubs for my birthday, so this was the perfect place to get in some practice. Each day we played 9 holes, stopped at the coach to have lunch, and then went back out for the last 9 holes! To top it off, there was a large pickleball group there, so we got the chance to improve our skills at another new game.
Once we got to Alabama we stayed at Lake Osprey RV Resort near Orange Beach. We have heard much about the sugar sand beaches in this area and how beautiful the coast is. The weather was a little cold for swimming, but we enjoyed some time walking the beach and collecting seashells. I have a jar with shells I have collected from a variety of our stops. It has seashells from the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and now the Gulf of Mexico.
We spent a full day touring around nearby Mobile, Alabama. Our first stop was Battleship Memorial Park at Mobile Bay. There is so much history to see including the WWII submarine USS Drum, a large aircraft collection from WWII through the Cold War era, a tanks and artillery display, and the showpiece USS Battleship Alabama.
We spent most of our time exploring the 12 decks of the 45,000-ton battleship. Once home to a crew of 2,500 courageous Americans, the ship was awarded 9 battle stars for meritorious service during World War II. It was very interesting to see how so many men lived and worked inside this large warship. In addition to all of the military supplies, the ship had its own post office, store, dentist, and pharmacy.
The Carnival Museum was a fun, interesting stop where we learned about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras, as well as its true birthplace. We were surprised to find out that Mobile , not New Orleans, is actually where the first celebrations took place. (Yes, it was only drunken men with pitchforks and yes it was at New Years … but technically they were first!) The museum has an informative video, 14 galleries, and an interactive float area. We also loved seeing the spectacular gowns, trains, and jewels worn by the queens of Carnival over the years.
Another thing we have enjoyed in several different cities now is a food tour. The Bienville Bites Food Tour was a fun way to learn about Mobile and enjoy some delicious foods. We did the LoDa Stroll which is their signature tour that includes tastings from 7 of downtown Mobile’s favorite restaurants and shops. We walked along with our guide while hearing fun facts, stories, and history as well as seeing cultural landmarks. It was nice that he invited us to join their evening group on the balcony for that night’s Mardi Gras parade.
For 2 weeks before Fat Tuesday, there are multiple daily parades. Yep, our timing was great that we were in Mobile during Mardi Gras since we missed it in New Orleans last year. We waited on a second story balcony along the route to see the Crewe of Columbus parade with its colorful floats, costumes, and (literally) tons of plastic beads and other treasures tossed out to the crowds. It was easy to get caught up in the excitement of collecting all the loot which included beads, toys, and lots of food items.
Unfortunately, Mike’s older cousin Marsha passed away after a long illness. She lived near Montgomery which was a few hours away from where we were staying. We were lucky to be able to attend the funeral and get the chance to visit with many of his relatives we haven’t seen in years. Not the way you want to see your family, but we did appreciate the opportunity to see everyone again. We will miss her.
We enjoyed our time on the coast of Alabama and then resumed our trip west towards Texas. The southeast part of our travel map is now complete!
Sweet home Alabama indeed! One of my favorite states. I’ve been to Mobile too buy only for business travel. Looks and sounds like a very fun and unique place to visit. That food looked very delicious! Sorry to hear about Mike’s cousin Marsha passing 🙁 I really enjoyed this post though and thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Sandi, we did have fun in Alabama. The beaches are so pretty and we enjoyed Mobile a lot. I definitely recommend a food tour here or in any city–they are a great way to learn about a town and taste lots of good food.