THE BEERS' GREAT LOOP TRIP ABOARD HUMBUG: Mobile and New Orleans

Approaching Mobile

While HUMBUG was out of the water (and therefore had no heat), we stayed first in Mobile, AL for three nights, then took a driving trip to New Orleans for two nights.

HUMBUG in Mobile marina travel lift

MOBILE

Mobile turned out to be another surprisingly nice, small city. It has a very busy commercial port (one of the largest on the Gulf Coast) which is home to the Battleship "Alabama" and some very futuristic looking military ships.

Futuristic,shallow draft, attack boats in Mobile Harbor

There are several historic areas in Mobile, that reflect two eras of prosperity. First, the cotton industry produced great wealth and elaborate antebellum mansions, then the lumber industry followed after the civil war, and the lumber barons built even larger, more elaborate houses.

Malaga Inn - Our hotel in Mobile, a converted mansion

Wedding in Malaga Inn Courtyard

While in Mobile, we were the uninvited guests at yet another wedding. We danced to their music on the balcony outside our room above the reception late into the night.

One of the interesting things we learned in Mobile, is that the oak trees here, called "Live Oaks," are considered to be evergreens. Even though they shed their leaves, the old leaves are immediately replaced by green leaves. Another interesting thing we learned, is that Mardi Gras originated in 1703 in Mobile and then spread to New Orleans.

We also saw something in Mobile that we'd never seen before - menus that light up internally when you open them (excellent for aging baby boomer eyes!).


Lighted Menu

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans was a lot of fun and full of great restaurants. We stayed in a nice little hotel in the French Quarter and were complete tourists.

Privincial Inn New Orleans

Courtyard of Provincial Inn

We took a 3-hour sight seeing tour during which we learned that a "Creole" is the first born of foreign parents, cemetary means "sleeping place," bayou means "slow moving," the French Quarter never flooded during the 2005 hurricane, and Mardi Gras parades are never in the French Quarter (who knew?).

Cemetary #3


You can not visit New Orleans and not eat Beignets (fried dough topped with a MOUNTAIN of powdered sugar)

Before leaving, we visited the World War II Museum which was very moving, especially the Tom Hanks-narrated 4-D movie, "Beyond All Boundaries." During the film, because it is 4-D, we were shot at, snowed on, smoked, fogged and rattled in our seats. It was a vivid reminder of how lucky we are to not have had to experience war and how incredibly brave our parents were.

WW II Museum

As the complete tourists we were, we also drank "Hurricanes" at Pat O'Briens, had dinners at Irenes and Muriels, listened to jazz, and slept late. What a great side trip!