Unfortunately, high winds during my weekend in Mobile meant the airboat ride was canceled. I’ve taken airboat rides through the Florida Everglades and really enjoyed them, alligator sightings included. But the birds were everywhere-she pointed out several varieties, none of which I remember because I couldn’t write anything down while I was paddling. It was early spring, so the plants were just coming alive. Once we were safely launched, we joined our knowledgeable guide for a paddle around the delta. Without it, we definitely would have taken a dip. Thanks to the accessible launch, we didn’t end up in the river. My kayak partner, a kayaking rookie, struggled getting into our double kayak. It’s the first fully accessible launch I have seen anywhere. Perhaps the coolest thing about the 5 Rivers Delta Center is its kayak launch. At least that’s what I told myself as I paddled past them. The most they could have eaten would have been a couple of fingers. We spent a blissful two hours kayaking the Bartram Canoe Trail, bird watching and alligator watching. The five rivers that feed the delta are ripe for boating. (I cheated-it was really lured by the tiny piece of bloody meat and the two tiny kidneys the staff tucked between the thumb and forefinger of the glove.) There are swamp snakes (thankfully, those are kept in cages), a real live osprey nest (minus the osprey) and plenty of educational displays. I got a chance to lure an owl to land on my padded glove. The Mobile Tensaw River Delta is where the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Appalachee and Blakely rivers flow into Mobile Bay. It celebrates the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, the second largest river delta system in the US, behind the Mississippi River delta. And it’s free!Ī visit to the center is well worth the 10-minute drive from the historic downtown. This $10 million facility is filled with interactive exhibits, live animals and enthusiastic staff and docents. We did this at the 5 Rivers Delta Center. Meet this cute little guy at the 5 Rivers Delta Center. Unfortunately, a stopped train that blocked access to the bay meant we didn’t get our second dip. The tour is supposed to include two dips into the Bay. We got a short narrated tour around Mobile’s small downtown, then splashed into Mobile Bay for a tour of the city waterfront, its cruise dock and the USS Alabama. The jokes are dumb, but the ride is still fun. The Gulf Coast Ducks that ply the streets of Mobile and the waters of Mobile Bay are no different. What’s not to like about a vehicle that can go from road to water with barely a ripple?Įvery Duck ride I’ve taken has included some really lame jokes. Best Mobile Attractions What’s more fun that a Duck boat land and water tour? Photo credit: Cindy Richards 1.
Here are the 11 best things to do in Mobile, Alabama, and three great places to eat. Visiting an all-black jazz club in a mixed-race group of one black and three white women drew us some curious looks, but nothing more. Even the Mobile Mardi Gras celebrations honor two sets of kings and queens-one black, the other white. This is a town that still feels Southern-from the famous Southern hospitality to the racial divide. The downtown area is reviving, the foodie scene is bursting with flavor and there are lots of ways to enjoy the water, from Duck boat rides to kayaks. Today, it is a city coming back from much less heady times. That was in the 1800s, when Mobile was the 10th wealthiest city in the United States, thanks to the port and the cotton trade.
In the heady years leading up to the Civil War, this port city was known as the Paris of the South. A weekend visit is enough to sample the cuisine, get a peak at the history (did you know Mobile is where Mardi Gras started in the USA?) and spend plenty of time on the water.ĭisclosure: The writer was hosted for this trip. Mobile, Alabama, is one of those genteel southern cities with a storied past, a fabulous foodie scene and enough outdoor water activities to keep just about any family happy.
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