A History Nerd In DC: Sweet Home Alabama

I had the opportunity to travel to Mobile, Alabama, for Navy Week recently. I had never been to Alabama before, and I had never been that far south, so this trip was full of new experiences. (To see a picture of me in action at Navy Week, go here.)

We happened to be in Mobile during Mardi Gras. Mobile has the oldest Mardi Gras in the country, owing to the fact that it was the capital of French America before New Orleans. I wasn't aware that Mardi Gras is a weeks-long festival, not just a one-day party. There were parades nearly every night we were there.

I was also thrilled to discover that they throw out mini Moon Pies in addition to beads. I came home with about two dozen Moon Pies in my suitcase.

Each parade featured a different "crewe" with a different theme.

This one was the Crewe of Columbus and featured replicas of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

It also featured different "kings."

The fire-breathing dragons were spectacular.

Shout out to the Navy Band!

I visited the Carnival Museum, which is the only museum of its kind in North America. It was a very educational experience. I learned there is so much more to Mardi Gras than the parades. It's a whole subculture with "royalty" and dozens of formal balls that are given by the wealthiest families in Mobile.

The families have to pay for their own clothes and robes, which could cost into the tens of thousands.

Changing gears, Mobile is also home to the battleship USS Alabama.

Apparently this battleship is unique among historic ships in that there is no guided tour, and you're basically given free rein of the ship.

Crew berthing.

The mail room.

Lots of ordnance.

The operating room.

They love their mannequins.

This made me laugh. We had to follow arrows on the ground for the self-guided tour. These arrows just led us into a corner.

This is the topside of the submarine USS Drum, which is right next to the Alabama.

The park also had lots of tanks and airplanes.

I had the weekend off, so on Saturday I drove to Alligator Alley, an alligator sanctuary about 25 miles east of Mobile.

There were hundreds of gators separated into different areas based on age. These gators are juveniles.

I was surprised to see that they like to cuddle and rest their heads on each other.

Even in the water.

I paid a few extra dollars to get some alligator feed. I also got to hold a baby alligator, but I didn't get a picture of that. :(

Here's a video of me feeding the alligators.

Moving on to the area with the adult gators, it was slightly jarring to see how huge they were.

There were several acres of swampland for the gators to roam around in.

I was standing on a bridge when I noticed this guy silently slinking towards me. I guess he was expecting food. It was a little unsettling though, and I was really hoping that the bridge would hold.

Most of the gators were just lying around and didn't move much. I guess they go into semi-hibernation during the winter.

On Sunday, I drove about an hour to Pensacola, because I'd never been to Florida. Two new states in one trip!

I visited the historic Pensacola Lighthouse.

I climbed the 177 steps to the top. It was slightly terrifying.

It's still a working lighthouse.

The weather was a little dreary (but warm!). It was right before a thunderstorm came through.

It was suuuuper windy at the top. I was afraid I would be blown over the side.

I, of course, took the opportunity to go to the beach.

I had never seen white sand like this before. It was incredibly fine and soft. This is like nothing we have in California.

I took my shoes off and put my feet in the water. It was lovely.

The lighthouse is actually on the grounds of the Naval Air Station. Right across the street is the National Naval Aviation Museum (one of the NHHC museums!).

A view of the museum from the top of the lighthouse.

The museum is actually quite spectacular. I was very impressed. These are planes from the Blue Angels. The Navy's flight demonstration team is based in Pensacola.