Mobile to Birmingham

Hills and valleys are a nice change from flat Florida. Driving north from Mobile the rise in elevation is barley discernible until the descent into the valley where Birmingham is situated. What a nice surprise. The whole drive north was on a smooth and spacious road. The evening light was reflected on the yellow, orange and red leaves of the hardwoods as we reached the crest of the last hill and then descended into the evening darkness on a narrowed, curving highway and, oh yes, Birmingham, bumper to bumper rush hour traffic.

Of interesting note, Hyundais are built in Montgomery AL.

The inner cities of Mobile and Birmingham are very different in appearance. Mobile has a broad, ancient oak tree lined Government Street that is bordered by intricate large renovated old homes that leads to it from the west. The east side is a wild tunnel ride under Mobile bay. Either routes are fun. Downtown Mobile is on the waterfront. There’s a new convention center and they offer a free bus to tour downtown. Free attended parking was available. City hall is shaped like a 10 story boat. It looks like it is made of glass. A monument to someone’s grandeur. Birmingham has a older freeway lined with mining quarries and train tracks. Downtown is a place where new skyscrapers meet decayed, boarded up main street USA.

USS Alabama and USS Drum

MOBILE BAY BATTLESHIP

Even though the battleship USS Alabama and submarine USS Drum have set in Mobile Bay for 40 years, their sense of history is still immense. A tour inside, outside and through the 1940’s ship and sub are awe inspiring. The airplane hanger contains impressive war and spy planes. It reminds one there has and, as history tends to repeat itself, are foreign countries that want to conquer a free people. The diligence of our armed forces is appreciated.

Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center

Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center

Mobile’s Exploreum is a first class hands on science museum. The building is expansive, light, bright and airy. The Health Exhibition is extensive, well thought out and high tech. The shopping game teaches food label reading, Captain Insulin and the Diabetes shootout, robotic surgery, MRI anatomy and the list goes on. A BOB THE BUILDER room featuring a costumed BOB and all the BOB vignettes. The Science Lab area is first rate, a home school class was being offered in biology including frog dissection and the list goes on again.

Sarasota, Florida is a beautiful place with laid back attitude, lots of stuff to do and of course, Siesta Key, one of my favorite beaches. Today we came to visit Mote Aquarium and GWIZ. Smiling, informative, helpful volunteers were abundant at both places. At Mote panning for shark teeth was a fun activity, the preserved giant squid was creepy pale and a Manatee skeleton showed the five finger like digits hidden under their fins. At GWIZ the kids explored controlling moving, multilevel contraptions, launched paper airplanes from a cannon and worked at mind boggling science puzzles.

Life after Disney retrospect: We were held captive by our annual passes for Disney World. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney Quest, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon and Summer Winterland Mini Golf. We walked, explored and tried it all. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The allure of undeniable make believe in guilded safety. Highlights were the mind swirling sights and sounds of Virtual Games at Disney Quest, the body jolting of Star Tours and the feel of a block party at Million Lights last Holiday Season at Hollywood Studios. Swimming with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon was quietly cool. Disney was easy. You know what to expect. You learn where to go. The last ride of the last day, Max broke his arm. Watch that last step. I think we were just Disneyed out. Eight weeks recuperation and he is a little wiser to take care. Now I have to think and plan more about where to go, see and do. But museums, parks, zoo and botanical gardens await. So away we go.

It is a cool, overcast day. Highland Hammock Park is lush, green and has the feel of pristine Florida. Walking through the calm dense underbrush we look up and see the the tall waving tree tops blown about by the wind. Intriguing encounters along the cypress strewn paths are delicate black winged, deep blue-green bodied damsel flies, dancing water bugs reflecting clear oval bubbles on the dark waters and a small armadillo shuffling through the crunchy leaves. An entertaining cormorant trying to eat a fish too fat for its thin neck is spotted while we balance on a narrow, one side railed boardwalk. Twisted Oak trees 1000 years old grow here.
Human impact on this park is limited. Next to the nature trails we saw a citrus rimmed clearing an early pioneer made to build his homesite; the wooden structures of the Civilian Conservation Core from the 1930s and 40s and a lovely playground.