Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

OH MY LODA! Nightlife has come a long way in Mobile as downtown has been revitalized, and the Lower Dauphin Street (LoDa) area is where most of the action is. Soul Kitchen brings upand-coming artists and some wellknown bands. Martini’s is a quieter spot to relax and enjoy a variety of creative variations on the martini and other libations. The Skyview Lounge, atop the newly renovated downtown Holiday Inn (the round hotel), is sleek and stylish, with an almost panoramic view of the waterfront. And the Irish pub Callaghan’s, a neighborhood bar in the Oakleigh Historic District, not far from LoDa, was recently named one of the best bars in America in an Esquire magazine readers’ poll. MOTHER OF MYSTICS Mobilians are proud to tell you that our city is where Mardi Gras started—not in that crescentshaped Louisiana city whose name is usually associated with Mardi Gras. You’ll learn all about how Mardi Gras began and how Mobilians have made it their own at the Mobile Carnival Museum on Government Street in downtown Mobile. Mardi Gras balls and parades take place for two weeks preceding Fat Tuesday, filling downtown hotel rooms and transforming the city into one big street party. Though it’s festive, Mobile’s Mardi Gras is, for the most part, safe and rather tame, with marching bands, colorful floats, and maskers throwing Moon Pies, beads, and plastic trinkets to the crowds lining the streets of downtown Mobile. OFF THE BEATEN PATH Dauphin Island, a barrier island separating Mobile from the Gulf, is worth the 45-minute drive, especially for those who want to learn more about the area’s marine life and for history buffs. Children and adults alike love the Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, where kids can see and touch many of the creatures native to area rivers, Mobile Bay, and the Gulf. And nearby Fort Gaines, the site of the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, offers guided tours that give insight into the famous Civil War battle in which Admiral David Farragut is said to have given the command “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” On our visit, a guide dressed in his wool Confederate uniform (in the middle of the summer) shot a musket and fired a cannon, and a real blacksmith demonstrated his craft. The items he makes are for sale in the fort’s gift shop and make unique souvenirs. Gulf Coast Exploreum | www.exploreum.net “Grossology,” through Dec. 31 “Our Body: The Universe Within,” Jan. 11-May 11, 2008 Bellingrath Gardens and Home | www.bellingrath.org Mum Festival, through Nov. 18 Magic Christmas in Lights, Nov. 23-Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 25) Mardi Gras | www.mobile.org Mardi Gras Day (Fat Tuesday) is February 5, 2008 Senior Bowl | www.seniorbowl.com January 26, 2008 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile Holiday 2007 45 DATES TO REMEMBER http://www.exploreum.net http://www.bellingrath.org http://www.mobile.org http://www.seniorbowl.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Southern Breeze 2007 Holiday Issue

Editor's Letter Contributor Gumbo Words & Notes Coastal Calendar Storefronts Sweet Dreams Art of Living Fixtures Our Backyard Make Yourself at Home Beach Bam! A Big Easy Christmas Upwardly Mobile Can't Drive Old Dixie Down Rock On! The Play's the Thing Cheers Dish Chef's Table Let's Eat Reader Services Last Bite

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