Contemplate a restored battleship, artifacts from 1700’s France, horticulture, and take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico. “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”
Start at U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park on Battleship Parkway to explore the great ship’s engine room, decks, wardroom, and galley. From there, head southwest on I-10 to Rte. 63 south to Fort Gaines and Dauphin Island. Then turn around and retrace the route past the Alabama, detour 5 miles north to Blakely Park, carry on I-10 to U.S. 98 south to Rte. 59 south, then east on Rte. 182 to Gulf State Park for a dip in the Gulf of Mexico and west on I-80 to Fort Morgan.
The U.S.S. Alabama is magnificent, even if you have seen a battleship before, because it is restored better than most. There are many arrays of flora and fauna in the surrounding marshes. Near Mon Louis, the Bellingrath Gardens will thrill the horticulturists in the family as will the home, which is packed with antique treasures. Fort Gaines sits out in the Gulf at the end of a 6-mile causeway. Along with Fort Morgan, troops from here shelled Admiral Farragut in the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay, but instead, Farragut said, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” and won the war for the North. Back in Mobile, the restored Fort Conde is worth a stop at 150 S. Royal Street. It contains many remarkable artifacts from its days as a French fort in the early 1700s. Continuing on, Blakely Park is 5 miles north of I-10 on Rte. 225. The last major battle of the Civil War was gallantly fought here.
Starting Point:
Mobile, AL
Distance of Drive:
160 miles
Must Eat:
Grand Hotel Marriott Resort
One Grand Boulevard, PO Box 639
Point Clear, AL 36564-0639
Phone: 251-928-9201
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For: Seafood and Steak
Best Time of Year for Drive:
The beaches are too hot in summer and not warm in winter, so choose the transition seasons of spring and fall to enjoy this area.
Points of Interest on Drive:
Fort Conde
Fort Morgan
Bellingrath Gardens
U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Tagged with: Alabama • best time:spring and fall
Filed under: Best Road Trips