Bienville Bites Food Tours, guided by Chris, delivers exceptional kindness and…read morehospitality--particularly memorable during my visit to The Noble South, a standout Southern farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Mobile. Chris crafted a warm experience. Chris's kindness and attention to detail set him apart. The atmosphere is relaxed yet welcoming, and his team consistently goes above and beyond--from handling my unpredictable situation with grace, he was great. The Noble South, where the delightfully rustic, Southern-inspired menu made a lasting impression. The farm-to-table concept shines with high-quality dishes--whether shrimp and grits or inventive vegetable sides--all in a beautiful, open space flooded with natural light. Service was friendly and knowledgeable, and the restaurant's cozy atmosphere complemented the delicious food. If you want a taste of Mobile's best food--paired with local history and genuine Southern kindness--Chris's Bienville Bites is a must. The Noble South alone is worth the price and Chris's personal touch make it unforgettable.

Date night with Chef Tony Reynolds‍ Mesquite Smoked &…read moreBraised short rib over cheesy mozzarella polenta paired with a charcuterie and an Alabama mule. The presentation was great, it was on the rooftop of the battlehouse and we got to see the presidential suite. Definitely recommend Bienville Bites Food Tours!

Alabama knows how to Celebrate Christmas! This rest stop…read morehas tons of Christmas Trees up all year round in their lobby Celebrating the Magic of Christmas, as Christmas is the most magical here! At Home Sweet Home Alabama! One of the best places to visit during Christmas is in nearby Mobile County, Alabama, where they hosts "Magic Christmas in Lights" each year. Located on the grounds of "Bellingrath Gardens" it's one of the best Christmas light displays in the U.S. There is tons of info located in the lobby about all things Alabama. It's a great stop with a beautiful lobby with multiple Christmas trees for all your insta selfies & viewing pleasure. A beautiful large "park like" setting outside, with super clean restrooms inside. Highly Recommend.

This is the Alabama Welcome Center along I-10 West. This welcome center is also called the Baldwin…read moreCounty Welcome Center. It is located just after entering the state from Florida. They are at mile marker 65.8, so in essence, we know that I-10 through Alabama is roughly 66 miles long. My visit here was on August 25, 2022. The weather on this day wasn't so good. It would be nothing but rain all day long. Making this stop at the welcome center was totally needed to get out of the car for a bit, as well as getting off the rainy roads. It was coming down pretty heavy at times. It was great to get inside, use the restroom, and just check things out on the inside of the building. Due to the rain, I didn't do anything outside there on that visit. Even though it was raining, they do have plenty of open outdoor space here. Although the visitor center is open from 8 am to 5 pm, restrooms and such are open 24 hours daily. The Alabama Welcome Centers have all been very welcoming. The inside of the building was really nice. Let's start with the restrooms. The restrooms were in great shape. They were well stocked and clean. The rest of the welcome center was nice too. Each area of inside was broken down into different parts of the state. They were broken up into the Highlands, Plantation, Wiregrass, and Gulf Coast regions. It was very well organized. When traveling along I-10 West, you will go through the Wiregrass and then the Gulf Coast sections of the state. Overall, this was a very nice welcome center, which is something I have always experienced for the ones in Alabama. Even in bad weather, it is still worth making the stop to come inside. You can get maps, construction info for the state, and more. The staff there were great as well. If your travels take you into Alabama along I-10 West, you should definitely make that stop here.

What a cool idea for a public art painted on oyster shells, or at least three feet tall fiberglass…read moreoyster shells. This really brings a great bit of local art along with a long history of Mobile's love for oysters. If you find yourself in Downtown Mobile Alabama, I would definitely check some of these out. It is my opinion that local art such as this gives a city its personality. This is a great addition to the Mobile, Alabama area.

Have you ever noticed the 3 feet tall, fiberglass, painted oyster shells in downtown Mobile? This…read morehas to be one of the most unique things to see in Mobile. It's actually a project of the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program to support restoration work in the Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound. Each shell is articulately painted with different scenes from Mobile. They are painted by local artists and sponsored by local businesses. All of the shells are beautiful, but my favorites are the ones at the corner of Dauphin and Washington and on the corner of Dauphin and Conception Street at Beinville Square. There is an Oyster Trail map that you can pick up in many hotels and visitors centers. If you can't find a map, you can go to the website and print out a map. The Oyster Trail doesn't end in Mobile. There are several oysters in Baldwin County too!

The information learned on the tour is very good and educational. The driver/tour guide did a good…read morejob. The trolley itself is very loud and the seats are really uncomfortable. Very little cushion on the wood seats and no cushion at all on the seat backs. Lots of interesting information and sites but we would not go on this trolley again. Maybe a more modern bus would be more comfortable.

Hopped on one of these today with my girlfriend to show her the sights of the city and what a…read moredelight! An absolute hidden gem. The driver was absolutely wonderful - so kind and friendly and there was even a little doggy ambassador on board to greet everyone. The tour was in depth for such a short amount of time and a fantastic overview of the history of Mobile. Highly recommend for both out of towners or residents!

I've been passing the Grand Bay Welcome Center, which is a fancy name for a named rest stop, for…read moreyears on my many visits to see my family in the Mobile, AL area. However, this past Saturday was the first time I actually ever stopped there. The welcome center is only 20-25 miles from my final destination, but now that I have a child, every rest is a potential pit stop. Upon walking to the front entrance, I was immediately drawn to the six Honda Gold Wing motorcycles and the one Harley Davidson that were all parked near the front door. It was actually a group of motorcycle enthusiasts handing out pamphlets to remind people to look out for motorcycles; especially since May is Motorcycle Awareness month. They taunted me in a friendly was by shouting "Roll Tide" as they knew I was from Louisiana and probably an LSU fan. They were right and I immediately hollered "go Tigers"! But I digress. As soon as I walked in the door, I was immediately greeted by the cashier welcoming me to Alabama. There was a small gift store inside and it was chock full of people. However, the place was incredibly clean. Heck, even the restrooms were incredibly clean. Chalk one up for Alabama. (the state, not the football team) Now that diaper duty was complete, I headed back to my vehicle, only to be given a courteous goodbye from the cashier. It's nice to know that manners still exist!

HOLY JESUS WHAT A BOONDOGGLE. This was a very nice '60s era rest stop (but high-end by 60's…read morestandards). Quiet, quaint, and serviceable. NOW: It's a BEHEMOTH! It's UGLY!! It looks like the main gate to SEAWORLD!! Dolphin and fish sculptures about, and are embedded into the masonry. The inside has no seating, and is a bit COLD to say the least. Look, it's a fine pee stop with good vending. But wasn't there a MUCH BETTER USE OF THE KATRINA/BP MONEY? Just saying...

We found ourselves on the grounds while out and about in the city and were allowed to wander freely…read moreand respectfully. This is a great backdrop to romantic and whimsical photos and the homeowners are very personable. As a note: these are private residences, so when you visit, please be respectful of property.

The tour was interesting and the guides were humorous and kind. The boat was a piece of crap. It is…read morea large pontoon with a plywood roof and rows of inward-facing hard bench seats. What is the point of a tour when the seats face inward? Why is there no padding? It would be more comfortable to drive a Mexican school bus along the causeway. Not great for 90 minutes and I can only imagine how trying it is for three hours. No way I could go back unless they change the seats. Absolutely must have some semblance of padding and backrests, and face forward or outward.

It's my anniversary weekend so I booked us a couple of spots on the Delta Explorer as a surprise…read moreadventure for my hubby. He's a huge history buff and they were doing the Civil War cruise today. We boarded the large pontoon at Blakeley State Park and set off down the Tensaw River, then doubled back down the Apalachee and Blakeley Rivers, for an hour and a half trip led by Captain Steve, and two very knowledgeable Blakeley Park Rangers, Mike and Brian. Along the way, we learned about the forts that were built to protect Mobile as we passed the sights of major battles of Fort Blakeley and saw where Forts Tracy and Huger once stood. We could see the remnants of the walls of Fort Huger, which was built on a mound in the marshes near where the Blakeley River flows into Mobile Bay. The sight of Spanish Fort was not preserved and now has a subdivision built where it once stood. On the two screens on the boat, they displayed a power point presentation featuring the Union Generals and their troops, the maps of the battles, and the underwater torpedos. We also learned about the extensive research on these lesser known, nonetheless, important battles of the Civil War, as they led to the fall of Mobile on April 12, 1865. While aboard, we watched and eagle chase an osprey, a flock of pelicans, and another lone pelican that decided to give us an up close and personal look at him, as if he were a plant by the Explorer crew to remind us that they also host a birding cruise. In addition to the Civil War cruise and birding cruise, they host a sunset cruise, port of Mobile cruise, an adventure cruise, a luncheon cruise, and a Bottle Creek Mound cruise. The pontoon is equipped with a restroom, more than enough life jackets for everyone on board, and the boat and Captain meet the Coast Guard requirements. We were in good hands. We only paid $27 per person and it was well worth it. The cruise was so fun and relaxing, we're already taking about taking the port cruise, sunset cruise and the Bottle Creek Mound cruise. The cruises are set up through Blakeley State Park, and they post information about them on their Facebook page and website if you're interested in going on a boating adventure.

My husband and I went on the Ashes to Ashes tour with Todd yesterday. It was super informative and…read morehe covered a lot of info in the hour and 1/2 walking tour of the graveyard. I would definitely attend another.

I've been on two different tours with Todd and am looking forward to my third. After moving to…read moreMobile and gathering as much of the history from books as I could endure a friend and I joined Todd on his Sunday walking tour. It was great. His stories brought to life all the dry facts I had read. Almost a year later I joined Todd on his Mardi Gras tour. Having experienced two Mobile Mardi Gras hearing his tales brought it all full circle and the how's and who's were answered. I would recommend these tours to anyone, local or guests. They are informative without being overwhelming. My next tour will be one of his evening tours and I'm ever so looking forward to it!