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THE LITTLE
GRACIOUS MOBILE SHOWS ITS MARDI GRAS SPIRIT YEAR-ROUND By Larry Bleiberg
Spend any time in Mobile, Alabama, and you’ll quickly learn that it—and not that upstart Louisiana city to the west—was home to North America’s first Mardi Gras. It doesn’t take long to see the connection between Mobile and New Orleans. The two Gulf Coast cities were founded by the French and have deep ties to the Caribbean. They both boast historic neighborhoods where Spanish moss hangs from live oak trees. And although Mobile’s Dauphin Street isn’t as raucous (or raunchy) as Bourbon Street, it certainly is lively. That similarity has led some to call Mobile the Little Easy. “New Orleans is like our younger sister who married well and got everything she wanted,” says L. Craig Roberts, a local historian and architect who offers city tours. But Mobile has its own style and grace. “It’s elegant and more refined.” 54 | AUGU S T 2018
Charming and colorful historic facades of old downtown are juxtaposed against the striking modern skyline. Photo by Tad Denson
