Aug 24 - Mobile, AL

Wow--I'm slipping into town just in time for the first week of classes at the University, Beer Fest downtown, and just ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac!  Now if only the Chili Cookoff was happening or the fishing rodeo I'd be set for the next few days with a mysterious cold that sadly laid me up for about a week or so while I "recovered."  [cough, cough]

I got in touch with some old friends from school (USA, go Jags!) who gave me some pointers on what to see downtown for this project, and my host also suggested going to Bellingrath Gardens, which is a sight to see year-round and one of Mobile's true gems.

We went to the Gardens first; I could spend a week camping out there and still not get all the photos I wanted to!  Did a quick sketch in the Japanese Garden and then we took off for downtown.

For those who are not familiar with the city (which is pronounced mo-BEEL after the Maubila indians, not MO-bul like it's portable), it was once the 3rd largest city in the US and has French and Spanish roots.  Sadly, most of the historic part of the city has been lost to fire or misguided architects of the previous century, but some of the older historic buildings have survived, along with the centuries-old live oaks that line the older residential streets and area green spaces.

Click the photo below to see today's pictures taken at Bellingrath Gardens and in "historic" downtown Mobile (around Dauphin and St. Joseph Sts.):