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.

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.

This is a nice, quiet, small, historic park located off of Government Street in Mobile. It has a…read morememorial, a fountain, benches. No playground or restrooms. It is very shady and cool from the giant oak trees. A great place to reflect, relax, read a book, think, or walk your dog. It has no parking lot, so you may have to park by the nearby businesses or residential streets and walk to the park. It is a short walk from Murphy High School on Carlen Street, which is a nice place to visit when all the students are not there. The park has many old Southern Homes around it, and other local businesses. There is a Waffle House on Government Street plus a gas station, Subway, Pizza Hut, and car wash nearby. There is an old, abandoned, boarded up church nearby as well.

Always a cool tunnel to go through and for me, just a part of getting into Mobile, Alabama…read more Tunnels like these are amazing examples of engineering and I do notice the winder of the technology involved. Whenever I am heading into Mobile, this is a welcome to Mobile spot for me.

Yay!! They have now…read morefixed all the lights and replaced all the bricks that were missing in the wall from the car accident. It def feels much safer :) "Thank you so much tunnel fix it people" Will return! :))

Fairhope is a beautiful and quaint town on the shores of Mobile bay. It is a great weekend…read moredestination, as there is shopping and eating galore. We try to go every year or so, and every time we do go we are not disappointed. Fairhope is not too big yet big enough to keep you interested for a weekend. There are some decent hotel chains in the area, good places to eat, and plenty of stores for shopping (especially consignment for women). The natural beauty of the area cannot be beat and you should take a drive to the fishing pier (Fairhope municipal pier) to check out the view. There is a walking trail above the pier that has some beautiful reviews. It is a great romantic weekend trip and trust me when I say your significant other will not be disappointed...and neither will you. Where to stay: There are some B&Bs in the area but I have never tried them. There is a Hampton Inn right in the heart of downtown Fairhope that is very nice. It's reasonably priced, centrally located, and allows you to walk all over downtown. There is a HIE a little outside of downtown itself which is likewise priced well, but you will need to drive to downtown. The big daddy hotel is in Point Clear and is the Marriott Grand. It's a beautiful Marriott resort hotel and so is priced accordingly. It is about 10-15 minute drive from downtown but worth the stay if it's in the budget. It has gotten pricer and pricer over the years and so is a special event hotel for us, but when we do get a chance to stay we love it. There is a great pool and the calm and tranquility of the place cannot be beat. Staying there and then making day trips to Fairhope makes for a great weekend. But by far my favorite hotel is the Battlehouse Mobile. It is an old majestic hotel in downtown Mobile, which is across the bay from Fairhope. It's a 30 minute drive to downtown Fairhope, but you get to drive across the bay and there is a scenic route you can take to get the Fairhope (just follow the signs after you take the first exit after the bay). I prefer to stay at the Battlehouse when possible. Where to eat: Food is plentiful here, so yelp it and start exploring! Most recently we tried Pinzone's and it was fantastic pizza. The crust was absolutely delicious. For sandwiches tried Panini Pete's, which is located in the "French Quarter" section of Fairhope. For fancy we have tried Camellia Café and the Fairhope Inn and Restaurant. Both were good but pricy. Things do come and go in downtown so do some research before you head out and you will be fine. If you dine outside of downtown Fairhope you will have more chain options. And if you wanna check out Mobile, that is a great option as well. Check out my reviews for places to eat there and you won't be disappointed. Where to shop: There are quite a few options and some business come and go, but our standouts this trip were Fantasy Island Toys, Happy Olive, and . Happy Olive specializes in different flavored olive oils and was priced reasonable. There are numerous antique store to shop in and several art galleries and hope furnishing stores. There is a great bookstore called Page and Pallete that is a must try. But really, just park the car and walk around...you will have a great time. But if you MUST plan...check out this link: http://www.fairhopemerchants.com/ You will have a great weekend. Check out Fairhope...you will be glad you did!

Fairhope is a cozy 12 square mile hamlet in Baldwin County, Alabama on the eastern shoreline of…read moreMobile Bay with a population of 22,477 and is rated as one of the best places to live in Alabama. It was also cited as one of the top retirement destinations by "Where to Retire,'' magazine. Fairhope is known for its lovely parks, festivals, and its panoramic views of the Bay, shops, boutiques, cafes, art galleries, gift shops, and seafood restaurants. One of those seafood restaurants is my favorite "Sunset Pointe" but my overall favorite is Gambino's, with excellent Italian fare, while Panini Pete's and there's certainly a lot of great locally owned and operated food choices and it's also home to the popular Fairhope Brewing Company. They have lots of indoor and outdoor events with an art gallery, film festival, golf course, Bald Eagle Bash, Yacht Club and much more. This weekend (3/18/22) they're about to celebrate the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, and the Fairhope Beach and Park is popular for swimming, its views, and relaxing on picturesque Mobile Bay. I would be remiss if I didn't mention The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, situated on the Bay on 550 acres that's a hidden jewel, rich with tradition for 170 years, it's quite special indeed. Bottom line: Fairhope is quaint and charming with a feeling of living in a small town. https://www.fairhopeal.gov/

Very cool historical home of former Confederate Admiral Ralph Semmes Home, who commanded the CSS…read moreAlabama during the American Civil War. Admiral Semmes was originally a Yankee from a Union State, Maryland, but died in Mobile Alabama as a Southerner. The good people of Alabama lived him so much, they named the nearby town of Semmes, Alabama after him. Mr Semmes had a statue in Mobile up for many years, but it was taken down in recent years to prevent the vandalism that was happening to other Civil War monuments throughout the country. I was only able to get photos of the exterior, but it is on Firts Baptist Church of Mobile property, so you may need to ask or contact the church or the Mobile Preservation Society because I am not sure if it is a museum or if tours are given. Admiral Semmes state in in the Mobile History Museum if you are interested in seeing it in person.

Everyone dreads going to the DMV, but it is actually not bad, at least in my experiences. I…read moreoriginally went in this past Friday to register a new vehicle. I was given a number and took a seat to wait my turn. I waited less than 10 minutes before my number was called. The lady at the window was very nice, even when one of the papers I needed to register the vehicle was not in the envelope sent from the dealership. Instead of telling me to get it and come back, which is what I expected, she took it upon herself to go call the dealership and talk to someone and have them fax her what she needed. Since I had expressed an interest in wanting a personalized tag, she gave me the binder with all the specialty tags to look at and decide on one while I waited for the missing paper to be faxed over. Unfortunately, the dealership was very busy and couldn't get to it before I had to leave to pick up my kids from school, so I got my papers back and told her I'd come back on my next off day, which was today. Today, my wait time was again under 10 minutes. The gentleman at the window was very nice and got me taken care of quickly. He got me all set up with my personalized tag, and gave me a temporary tag to use in the meantime until the metal tag came in the mail. Overall, excellent experience both days. Not sure why people dread the DMV. I don't mind it a bit.

What a gem. At first I thought it was just a take out but realized there was a sit down cafe side…read more Very friendly employees. Beautiful view as it is located right on the beach. You have a choice to either sit on the decking or right on the sand. Excellent food. We had breakfast and it was perfection!

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.

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.

Saluda Hill Cemetery is a historical cemetery dating back to 1824. It is a peaceful place and…read moreamazing to think of how this area was back almost two hundred years ago when this cemetery was established. I enjoyed my time here and paid my respects to those buried here.