This tree is part of a very interesting piece of folklore and putative Mobile History. In essence,…read morein 1835, a man (Charles Boyington) was charged, convicted and hanged for the murder of his best friend. On the gallows before the hanging, he proclaimed that an oak tree would grow from this heart as evidence of his innocence. A few years later, someone else confessed to the crime and surprising to most, a tree had already started growing. This is said tree...approximately 190 years old. BTW, Live Oak trees can live up to 500 years. I certainly hope it will.

The legend of this tree is definitely cool. Back in 1835, Charles Boyington was convicted of the…read moremurder of his friend, Nathaniel Frost. Throughout the trial and after his conviction and he sentence to be hanged, Boyington proclaimed his innocence. Just prior to his death, Boyington stated that his innocence would be proven when an oak tree would grow out of his heart and from his grave. Later, two people would confess to the crime, but unfortunately, it was too late for Boyington. An oak tree did indeed grow from the location of where he was buried and still stands today. There are claims that people hear crying and whispering near the tree and attribute it to the ghost of Charles Boyington seeking his vindication. I love these cool discoveries and ghost stories. If you are in Mobile, Alabama, I recommend seeking this tree out.

7/29/2022: Directions are wrong, Jackson's Oak in located within Village Point Park Preserve. Head…read morethere instead of the address listed on Harbor Bluff, that only takes you to a cul de sac within a gated community. The vegetation is too thick and dense to enter on Harbor Bluff unless you have a machete. The entrance in Village Point Park Preserve is more walkable with no hassles. Walk down the pedestrian only road in Village Point Park Preserve, within a quarter of a mile, there will be an unmarked trail on the right, the boardwalk may be slightly visible through the trees. a brisk, quick walk to this tree and bing, you are at the Jackson Oak. I don't understand why this tree has no historical marker, this tree was a between 300-500 years old. Great for kids, great for dogs, there are also various trails throughout the park. There is also an older cemetery in this park, a short walk away.

Jackson's Oak is such a cool piece of American History! The tree is said to stand 95 feet tall…read morewith a 28 foot circumference. It's a point of reference in the Spanish Land Grant of 1787. Of course, the name is derived because General Andrew Jackson is said to have given a speech to his troops from one of its limbs during the War of 1812 while en route to Pensacola. Pictures don't do this breathtaking old massive oak justice. You know it's dripping with tons of Spanish miss that flows in the bay breeze. I can't help but love that tree. To get to the tree, I suggest parking at Bay Front Park and taking the boardwalk to the left. At the end of the boardwalk, take an immediate left and walk the trail all the way around until you see the portapotty and picnic table. Keep walking. You're almost there. There's a little trail down from it off to the right and a sign on the left pointing to the Oak. Just walk a little farther and you'll see the tree, which is surrounded by a boardwalk. They prefer you not walk up to the tree. There's a bench or two to take a break from the walking and a little plaque telling about the tree and its history. It's a cool little nature walk and a great way to kill time.

Nice hiking trail within a housing development in Spanish Fort. The trail begins at a Cul deSac…read morethat is marked by a historical marker sign. The bridge is in diserepair and there are some burned ruins of a former structure, other then that, it was a good hike.

Nice enough bridge on Interstate 65 and signals that you are entering Mobile County, Alabama, or…read moreleaving it. Definitely a cool bridge and made for a nice change of the usual standard highway view.

Most interstate bridges are boring and when you pass over them, you barely notice. This bridge was…read morepretty cool and you can see why the locals call it the "Dolly Parton Bridge" even though it is actually the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge. It was named in honor of Walter K. Wilson, a Chief of Engineers with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and long-term resident of Mobile. He was credited with being one of the first people recognizing the need to construct a high-level bridge on Interstate 65 over the Mobile River that would not impede waterway development. A dual tied through-arch and beam viaduct, the bridge is actually 6.08 miles long and has 125 foot clearance from the bottom to the surface of the Mobile River. It was completed and opened to traffic in 1980. There is no toll to cross the Wilson bridge. TripAdvisor says that it is the #1 of 1 things to do in Creola. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30460-d4881457-Reviews-I_65_General_W_K_Wilson_Jr_Bridge-Creola_Alabama.html [Review 14231 overall, 1554 of 2020, number 46 in Louisiana.]

We found this one of a kind piece on our second visit to the show. Purchased from The Copper…read moreColumn. For the price paid we feel like we got a great piece for a large wall at our home. They even delivered it to our house within 15 minutes of our purchase.

Super fun art fair to be involved in as a vendor and a spectator. Well organized and tons of…read morepeople. Super fun!

Mobile, Alabama Folklore. Apparently, there is a Leprechaun in the Tree at the end of a dead end…read moreroad on Le Cren Street in the Crichton Area. Legend says the leprechaun is there but disappears when you shine a light at him. I was skeptical of the leprechaun's presence, but I have walked by here several times while walking my dog, my dog always barks at this tree, so I know the Leprechaun is there, hiding. I am pretty sure the leprechaun is real, many Irish settled in the Mobile Area in the 1800's, so it is possible that they brought the Leprechaun with them.

Florida State Line is like reaching a long distance drive marathon finish. When coming from out…read moreWest in California I reached the line by Pensacola. When I was driving North to South and vice versa I was near I-95 or 75. From South Florida it was always the longest stretch of my trip. It felt like Florida would never end going north. When I was heading home to South Florida it was a Welcome Home sight and I knew I could make it the rest of the long trip home. Yup, this is a Five Star tourist attraction!! There's usually a rest area and souvenir shop too. I'm feeling for my friends in the Florida heat. I'm having enough trouble with the NYC heat and humidity this Summer. I won't be going to Florida this time of the year!

We takes trips to Mississippi pretty often and I'm really not fond of that state very much. I was…read moreborn and raised there, but have lived in Florida for nearly 20 years. Florida is definitely my home. While I always hate leaving my family in Mississippi, I am always definitely glad to be heading back home to Florida. I smile from ear to ear every time we pass this Florida State Line sign because it means I'm home!

Neat little historical place in Fairhope. It is a little confusing because the directions will lead…read moreyou to a office park, it is located in the parking lot directly behind the offices. Originally, Tolstoy Park was 10 acres in the woods, and secluded. Henry Stuart, The Hermit Poet, moved to Fairhope, Alabama from Idaho because he was diagnosed with consumption (tuberculosis) when he was 65 during the 1920's. The doctor recommended he move to a warmer climate for his health, and Henry Stuart bought ten acres, sight unseen. Mr Stuart ended up living another 22 years before he moved back to Oregon at the age of 88 and passed away. His home is unique, it is round, hurricane proof, and particularly dug into the ground to help regulate temperature. Th Tolstoy House is on The National Register of Historic Places. It is a unique and peaceful place, great for kids, and unique.

Interesting little stop. Very unique structure with intriguing back story. Free stop in a parking…read morelot.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge is reopening this morning (5/28/21) after more than eight months of…read moreclosure, long commutes, shifting timelines and community frustration.The bridge, which is the main artery between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, was significantly damaged during Hurricane Sally in September when multiple Skanska barges broke loose from their moorings and collided with spans of the bridges supports.   The bridge isn't fully open yet, though, and drivers should still expect delays, especially as we head into Memorial weekend. Traffic patterns will shift during a two-lane, half-mile segment just west of the bridge's arch while work to complete final repairs continues. The speed limit is temporarily set at 35 mph and emergency refuge areas are available on the bridge. FDOT says the Garcon Point Bridge and other detours will continue to be available with tolls suspended through June 6. For more information from FDOT, visit https://www.fdot.gov/info/PensacolaBay/

What a lovely bridge! It is partially under construction, but everything ran smoothly. The bridge…read moredid not rock under my car at all. What a smooth ride! One of the best bridges I have crossed in awhile. There is a walking/biking path along one side that has a barrier so they have a safe crossing.

The city is full of these quaint well manicured green spaces. We were shopping on Dauphin and…read morenoticed the beautiful church across from this space. There were benches to take a break, eat lunch or just enjoy the shade of the beautiful oak trees on a warm summer day. There was a kid splashing around in the fountains so, it seemed that you were allowed to cool off in them. A nice little oasis among the shops, restaurants and downtown area that you can tell the city takes pride in from the beautiful flowers and well kept grassy area. I wish more cities would have such nice spaces to sit and relax like this city does.

We walked through Cathedral Square on our way to check out the Cathedral of the Immaculate…read moreConception. Cathedral Square is a municipal park - It is bordered by the streets of North Claiborne, Dauphin, North Jackson, and Conti. A little history, This space, at one time, was Campo Santo - which was Mobile's Catholic cemetery (18th Century). The area that is now Cathedral Square quickly became a commercial block filled with buildings after the relocation of the cemetery. The buildings were then demolished in 1979 to create a public park facing the Cathedral. The current park and layout have been here for some time now. There were a few people here, as it was starting to warm up quite a bit and it didn't take too long to get pretty hot (really humid). But if you are going to check out the Cathedral - then this is a nice little green space to see it from and get some pretty cool pictures of the Cathedral.