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Sept. 24–27, 2009
Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
64 South Water St.
Mobile, AL

Pub Aux articles

Come for the convention, stay for the sights

Originally published in Publishers' Auxiliary, August 2009

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MOBILE BAY CONVENTION VISITORS BUREAU
FIVE RIVERS—Alabama’s Delta Resource Center is located on Mobile Bay on the causeway between downtown Mobile and the eastern shore. Where the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Appalachee and Blakeley rivers flow into Mobile Bay stands a new facility for outdoor recreation, conservation and land stewardship in Alabama. Inside there is a changing gallery, a digital theater and gift shop.

Founded in 1702, Mobile, AL, is rich in history, culture and tradition. The Mobile Bay area has always prospered because of its strategic location. A deep bay and harbor area offered a perfect shipping port. The barrier islands of Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island were ideal for military strategists. There they built strong forts to assure that only welcome guests ventured into the bay. Today these historic forts offer visitors a glimpse into the past. The international trade sustained by Mobile throughout its 300-year history has provided even the earliest settlers with the finer things from Europe, England, the Mediterranean, and the Orient. Mobile Bay’s six historic house museums are open to the public year-round and display artifacts native to this land and treasures brought from far away. Magnificent architecture and grand homes, each with distinctive charm, reflect the builders’ and owners’ taste and the heritage and history of the area. Mobile is a modern and progressive city with a tremendous respect for its past.

Interesting facts

Mobile is known as the city of six flags, having fl own under the French, Spanish, British, Republic of Alabama, Confederacy and the U.S. flags. Another name for Mobile is the Azalea City, thanks to Fifise Langlois, who first brought the bright pink blossoms here from his father’s garden in Toulouse, France in 1754. When in bloom, Mobile is blanketed with more than 50 varieties in colors from paper white to pink, red and translucent lavender. Mobile Bay is home to the original Mardi Gras in this country, instituted in 1703, years before New Orleans adopted the celebration. Mobile’s Mardi Gras is family friendly. Mobile Bay was the first body of water in the New World to be accurately charted. This was done by Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda in 1519. Modern Mobile Bay derives more than half its annual wealth from industries dependent upon and directly allied with waterborne commerce. The correct pronunciation of the city is “mobeel,” given the soft emphasis on the second syllable by its French founders. Mobile Bay is homeport to Carnival Cruise Line’s Fun Ship the “Holiday.” In 2008, Forbes magazine named Mobile as the fastest-growing metro area in the country. The economy has been projected to increase 34 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Cuisine of sea

With the bounty of the sea at Mobile Bay’s front door, it is known for the ability to please any type of connoisseur with its tempting fare. From the delicious Gulf shrimp prepared how you like it—barbecued, fried, boiled or steamed; to oysters on the half-shell and the flaky white fish of the Gulf of Mexico, there is enough variety to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. The area is long known for capturing the best of the sea and this reputation is represented in restaurants located throughout the area. Many of the legendary hangouts of Mobile are still operating today. Located within walking distance of the Arthur R. Outlaw-Mobile Convention & Visitors Center are a variety of establishments featuring Southern delicacies. If seafood is not your thing, there is plenty of other unique and delicious fare influenced by the city’s many cultures and served “Mobile-style.”

Foodie fun

• Operating in the same location for over 80 years Three Georges Candy Shop is the ultimate in sweets, including the hand-dipped chocolates and especially the gourmet sugar eggs for Easter.
• Dew Drop famous for their Upside Down Dog—where the dog rests atop condiments such as chili, kraut, relish, mustard and more.
• Wintzell’s Oyster House has been serving fresh off-the-boat seafood since 1938.
• Bailey’s Restaurant’s delicacy known as West Indies Salad was fi rst developed by the owner in this Fowl River Restaurant.
• The Visitation Monastery on Springhill Avenue—the nuns of this cloistered monastery make a sinful Heavenly Hash sold in their gift shop every year.
• Coconut Creme Pie from the Tiny Diny Restaurant features a meringue that is at least fi ve inches high!
• Pollman’s Bake Shop’s brownies are popular treats that have a chewy center with fudge and nut topping.

The Delta

The Delta offers a variety of opportunities to enjoy the fl ora and fauna of this unique part of Alabama and the world. Whether it is a morning excursion by boat simply to enjoy the sights and sounds, an afternoon spent capturing memories with a camera or enjoying a fi shing or a hunting trip, the Delta has something to offer everyone.

Humans have lived in and around the Delta for many centuries, dating back to at least 1500 BC. A most spectacular evidence of prehistoric human existence is found deep within the Delta at a site known as the Bottle Creek Indian Mounds. Archaeologists believe that leaders of a Mississippian Period Indian culture lived atop these mounds during their cultural dominance around 700 years ago. Around the time of Columbus, these prehistoric societies had largely faded, replaced by new tribes such as the Alabamous, Mobilians, and Tensa, from whom key place names (Alabama, Mobile, and Tensaw) were derived as the Delta became an avenue of exploration for wanderers to the New World.

In 1559, explorer Tristan de Luna waded ashore in Mobile Bay to attempt one of the first European settlements in the New World. Like other Spanish adventurers—Pántilo de Narváez, Alvarez de Pineda, and Hernando de Soto—de Luna found this part of coastal America to be especially appealing. The Spanish called the Mobile River “Rio del Espirita Santo,” River of the Holy Spirit.

Mobile and the surrounding areas are of no exception to this trend. In 2002, the Coastal Alabama Birding Trail opened with tremendous success. Bird watching is a growing hobby for thousands of birdwatchers coming to this area to see the various species that inhabit this area. The Delta offers visitors a different perspective of life on Mobile Bay.

Mobile’s newest waterfront attraction is Five Rivers: Delta Resource Center. Here you can kayak into the Delta for half a day or half a week. Floating camping platforms are provided for adventurous folks. You can check out the alligators on a safari boat ride through the Delta, learn about Delta wildlife in the exhibit hall, watch a fi lm in the Delta in a state-of-the-art digital theater and much more at Five Rivers.

Things to see

• National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most prized natural resources featuring maritime history in Mobile Bay.
• Nature-Based Tourism Mobile Bay offers several suggested ecological tours for the day or week traveler. Tours are available from a variety of locations in the Mobile area.
• Experience Mardi Gras Year-Round In Mobile, Mardi Gras is a year-round celebration. The Mobile Carnival Museum is a one-of-a-kind museum that showcases the extravagant attire of Mardi Gras royalty, including sparkling crowns and interactive displays that allow visitors to relive the experience from all perspectives.
• Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center & IMAX with fun Mobile Bay facts and learning experiences for all. Revisit the April issue of Publishers’ Auxiliary to learn more about the sites and attractions of Mobile Bay or visit www.mobilebay.org.

Visit NNA’s homepage at www.nna.org to register, make your hotel reservations and book a flight into Mobile. The cut off for early bird registration is Aug. 7. The NNA room block at the Renaissance Riverview Hotel will be released on Aug. 21.