Mobile AL

We took ourselves into Mobile for a day. It is about 20-30 minutes from Fairhope.

We went to the Mardi Gras Museum. Mobile has an older Mardi Gras than New Orleans. And as I learned, a lot more family friendly.

Quick shot of the outside of the museum. It has been built onto this nice old house. So you actually enter on the side. 

Mardi Gras dress up

Example of Queen of Mardi Gras dress, without her robe on at this point. Great beadwork!

Great illustrations of Mardi Gras floats from the late 1800's. They were pulled by donkeys, not horses in real life. They were smaller than the ones today, but no less elaborate. 

Queen of Mardi Gras outfit, with her dress and mantle. 

Not worth explaining! I learned a lot about the history of Mardi Gras, traditions, how all the different groups developed. Goats are involved.

The little ushers for the Queen and Kings. The mannequins were all decorated, they were so cute! 

Lots of robes, there are just a few examples. They are super elaborate and expensive. They are worn by the Queen and King. They have to pay for their own robe, but also get to design it. So they are unique to that person. 

Great old photos of Kings and Queens. One of these is from before 1900, the other from the 1920s.

Mobile Mardi Gras has a great group who march with satirical signs and other contemporary criticisms. These signs were from the 2015 Mardi Gras. 

Too much fake tan

I would LOVE to go to Mardi Gras in Mobile. It seems a bit smaller and a bit nicer than New Orleans. But still special, and super important to the people who live there. I wished we had more energy left to explore the city, but we did not.

We also walked around the Spanish Plaza next door. Mobile was a Spanish colony, then a French colony, than American.

We had some well regarded BBQ.

Ribs, baked beans and coleslaw

Pulled pork, coleslaw and potato salad

Really divey place to eat BBQ, which was perfect. The staff were super nice, and Southern. One table was three guys from Norway, who ate a ton of food!

It was raining, so we decided to give up and slow down some. We went to the theater and saw Star Wars. It was a really nice last day in Alabama. I am so glad we got to hang out with family, and try new things.