This is an excellent marathon and half marathon experience…read more Both courses are relatively flat, though there are rolling hills in the middle of the full. It's a fast course, lots of BQers, but it has a 7hr time limit so there are plenty of later finishers. Crowd support is terrific, many of the pacers use run/walk intervals, and medals are handmade by the race charity recipients. Food post-race is some of the best we've ever seen. Beans and rice, hot broth, cornbread, pasta salad and the obligatory cheap beer. Really well done, Mobile. We've recommended this race to all of our running friends!

Just finished the 2014 First Light Marathon in Mobile, AL. This was lifetime #67 and state #44 in…read moremy quest to run a marathon in each of the 50 States from Hawaii. I doubled up with the 2014 Mississippi Blues marathon, which was held the day before this one. Race morning was Sunday, 01/12/2014. It was a thrill to be in Alabama, but like running Fargo, North Dakota, we just crossed state lines and it was a city that just hugged the state line and called itself Mobile. I "doubled up" with the 2014 Mississippi Blues marathon, which was held the day before on Saturday, 01/11/2014, so it was a nice 3 hour drive on rural US highways in between Jackson, MS and Mobile, AL. Yes, it is a crazy proposal, but if you are traveling and the financial costs are high, it would behoove you to do "doubles" to offset the cost of travel and you can network with other marathoners to share hotel rooms and car rides in between races. Friendships are made this way. It's pretty awesome! The 2014 First Light Marathon is a small race that benefits local charity in the Mobile community. I discovered this when I read up on race information. The race cap was about 2,000 runners for both the marathon and half marathon. It was a small race, but a lot of Marathon Maniacs and 50 State marathon club members do this double, since you can pick up 2 states in a weekend, which is great for those who are travel budget friendly. The expo was held at the Government Plaza building on Joachim Street. It was a small expo with bib # pick up. A lot of us stayed at the Quality Inn on Church Street, which was basically across the street from the expo. Last thing you need is to fight traffic after running MS Blues marathon hours earlier and you're tired from driving. The race was 26.2 miles (includes a half marathon) and it basically weaved in and out of residential and commercial sections of Mobile, although it was basically mostly residential, if anything. The weather was about 37 degrees at the start, but gradually warmed up to about 67 degrees when the sun came out. All good though. Most of the course was residential, so we got a good taste of what living in southern Alabama was like. There was strategically placed hills that just deflated you, but that didn't matter, since it was a new state for me. The financial Investment motivated me to stay focused and allowed me to get to the finish line in one piece - more or less. The only highlight of the course was passing through Springhill College, which I thought was University of Alabama - Mobile for some reason. The start and finish line was near the expo, so that was cute. The finisher's medals were made by members of the charity that the First Light marathon benefits from, L'arche Mobile - an organization that is dedicated to the support of people with intellectual disabilities. First I thought that the medals were styrofoam, but later learned that it was a small piece of wood with a sticker glued onto them. It was a creative way of making a medallion without increasing the cost of the race entry fees. While this marathon is a small race in the southwestern tip of Alabama, its a great little race that showcases the town of Mobile. While the hills may get you, it was a good day for a marathon. Course is well marked and the aid stations were stocked with enthusiastic volunteers and aid for participants: water and Gatorade. Run more! Support local! B

Nice playground/park with a splash pad. This park has restrooms & a drinking fountain as well. It…read moreis shaded by trees and there is some green space if the kids want to run around, and the playground and splash pad are surrounded by a gate so no one can run in the street. Saraland is a very nice community and has great parks. This park is right across the street from The Piggly Wiggly. The Splash Pad has mounted squirt guns, which is pretty cool. The splash pad is controlled by a sensor, which was a funny surprise because my dog hates water!

Nice dog park with plenty of room for pups to play. There are two different sections, one is for…read morelarge dogs and the other is for small dogs. The play areas do have quite a bit of dirt during the colder months. My dog enjoyed roaming around and even had a chance to play with another dog even though we visited on a rainy day. There are poop bags available for use and there is plenty of parking!

Searching for True Love & Forgiveness? Talk to GOD and get a…read moreDOG! #ReflectDogs Love & Forgiveness Okay, although this dog park is much larger than it looks, and it is definitely a solid four plus dog Star Park, it was while we were at the park, this park in particular, that the webmaster notified us that Young Lady's animal rescue charity was now up and live!! So I got an extra point for that alone!! It was the culmination of a two-year journey through well over 1000 dog parks that she took me on, so I could really see the love and forgiveness in action. This park has just about anything and everything you could want. From what appears to be a complete Forest up in the back corner too wide open area for them to run in and the rest of the park. There are plenty of water faucets and poop bag dispensers and trash cans and trees and places to sit. The people were more than friendly and the dogs all had a great time!! The Gated entry is very easy to use and has a concrete slab. There is also a nice concrete pathway that takes you out to the sitting area so if you have Mobility difficulties or are in a wheelchair, you can easily make it out to the seating area. All the wood benches have nicely carved memorials in them. The small dog park is bigger than most big dog parks. My only question would be, who decided putting the squirrel feeder right in the middle of the dog park was a good idea, don't get me wrong, I love it!! I'm just not sure the squirrels knew what they were in for when they headed down into it to get a nut!! Anyway this park is absolutely incredible and a very fitting park for us to launch the animal rescue charity!!

This is a small park next to the Fort container park and I am sure it is a welcome respite for the…read morekids brought here by their parents. All in all, this appears to be geared towards being a diversion for young children as families visit this shopping plaza.

Actually found an ice skating rink in Mobile Alabama..... you know it's on the gulf and on top of…read morethat it is outside to boot.

On a recent trip down town we had the pleasure of visiting Riverside Ice. No ice this time of…read moreyear. However the view of riveer traffic was beautiful. Also, a cruis ship was docked and loading. A little winding but not enough to be of concern. May try ice skating when available!!!

Of the two squares that we went to, this was probably my favorite!…read more Love how they had a centerpiece fountain that was just massive. From all directions the walking path led directly to this spot. In between the walking paths were plenty of large shade trees, grassy areas and don't forget squirrels running around every where. It was getting pretty hot, the humidity is apparently kind of brutal in July in Southern Alabama, who knew? So we didn't hang out long, but there is plenty of stuff to do with in walking distance, including shopping and dining. Nice place to hang out with family and friends - throw a frisbee or have a picnic. Check this place out if you happen to find yourself in the City of Mobile.

Not as many trees or squirrels but still a nice place to relax especially when there is music.read more

Members-only Silver Creek Range has got to be the most affordable, and just downright coolest gun…read morerange in the Mobile area, if not the entire state of Alabama. Located in a very beautiful part of Chunchula on 162 wooded acres, it's surprisingly affordable too: $300 per individual, or $500 for the family rate. (And, within reason, you can bring guests too.) Silver Creek Range is also an outdoor range, which is better if you're conscientious about lead, etc., and it has it all: 9 independent ranges with multiple berms, from long-range (1,000 yards) to a tactical pistol/rifle range, using both metal and paper targets. They also hold regular competitive matches. It's also got 2 Porta Potties, and is handicap-accessible. Plus, as my wife would tell you, it is a very female-friendly range, which isn't always the case at other ranges. Heck, it's just a friendly range, period. My wife forgot the magazine to her AR-15 her first time out there, and a very kind individual let her borrow his so we didn't have to turn around and go all the way back home to get it. In fact, when my wife, a gun novice, initially went looking for a range/instruction, she found prices ran over $1,000! But after becoming members, Jeff Stone, who owns and runs Silver Creek Range, spent over 2 hours with us, and particularly my wife, showing her how her AR worked and teaching her the proper way to shoot it. She had purchased her 1st AR at Jeff's shop, Stone Arms, Inc., with the promise that he would train her on it, and let's just say he underpromised and overdelivered! Jeff could've charged $1,000 or more for his expertise like some ranges do. But I think he saw an opportunity to not only fill a gap, and help a woman foray into the world of guns, which can be tricky for women to do sometimes, he also just clearly loves what he does. And the members could not be kinder or more helpful, especially if you're new. Additionally, Jeff took his time with us *on a Sunday* to not only instruct my wife on her new AR, but also to help her with a semi-auto and a revolver she didn't even purchase at his store. I mean, does this man ever even take a day off? He probably had a million other things to do, but he took the time to help her out. And if that's not service after the sale, I don't know what is! That's the kind of man Jeff is, and that's the kind of camaraderie you get when you join Silver Creek Range. It's worth every penny!