Mobile, Alabama, birthplace of American Mardi Gras, is a popular travel destination with a population of just under 200,000. The city is also known for its jubilee, a natural phenomenon causing marine life to rise to the surface, and its susceptibility to hurricane damage. Visitors can enjoy historic sites, formal gardens, and bayfront restaurants year-round.
Mobile, originally known as Fort Louis de la Mobile, is a thriving city with a population of just under 200,000. The third largest city in Alabama, it was the birthplace of American Mardi Gras in 1703. Long before New Orleans adopted the holiday, Mobile was already celebrating it. Despite its French heritage, the city’s name is actually a tribute to the Native American tribe that resided in the area at the time of the city’s founding.
In addition to being a popular Mardi Gras destination, Mobile is also famous for its jubilee, a natural phenomenon that causes all marine life to rise to the surface on summer evenings. The extremely rare phenomenon can be caused by a lack of oxygen or by variations in underwater currents. The jubilee is an impressive sight for those who stroll along the bay after dark.
Mobile is in a hurricane-prone zone, which means large thunderstorms are frequent and usually cause major damage to the city each year. Hurricane Katrina only lightly affected the city, and other hurricanes have passed or touched the city laterally. The worst damage done to the area occurred in 1979 when Hurricane Frederic brought down half of the city. The hurricane caused such destruction that it took the government five years to restore Mobile to its former glory.
Mobile has mild winters and warm summers and is a prime travel destination year-round. In addition to the month-long Mardi Gras, visitors to the city can enjoy the USS Alabama Battleship and the USS Druim submarine, or hop aboard one of the new cruisers lined up on Mobile Bay. Old Southern mansions and formal gardens abound in the city, and the historian at heart can find plenty of options for exploring the city’s past. At night, the bay comes alive with restaurants, cafes and boat trips, and both motorcyclists and those enjoying a seaside stroll can be found along the bay.
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