Today we added to our list of superb southern Gardens. Bellingrath Gardens is just south of Mobile. It’s the garden that Coca Cola built. Mr. Bellingrath was a distributor of Coca Cola who turned his Fishing Camp on the Fowl (a large natural channel of water) River into a grand home and Mrs. Bellingrath who after a trip to see Europe’s grand gardens built one for herself. Open to the public since the 1930’s the 65 acres are even a joy to behold in late January. Especially since the weather was like a beautiful spring day. We happily walked three miles completing the loop through the different landscapes. Hopefully the photographs will do it justice.
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Bellingrath Gardens
Dauphine Island; Skinner’s Seafood; Fort Gaines
Having worked up a good appetite we headed for Skinner’s Seafood on Dauphine Island, which we reached via a long causeway and bridge. Skinner’s is a seafood market that also steams your purchase. We ordered our spicy shrimp and took the advice of two other customers and drove to a nearby beach that had covered picnic tables overlooking the beach. Heavenly.
After lunch we checked out the rest of the Island and found Fort Gaines. This confederate Fort and Fort Morgan guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. In August of 1863 Union Rear Admiral Farragut uttered his infamous words. “Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead”. Considering the minefield he was about to enter had already claimed one of his ironclad vessels his insistence on forging ahead could have ended badly. His ship and others did get through the mines and thereby out of range of the shore guns. Ultimately the Union forces took control of Mobile Bay and with it fell the last of the ports on the Gulf of Mexico.
In this same area the shore birds were gathered on the rocks just offshore enjoying the day just as much as we were.
After lunch we checked out the rest of the Island and found Fort Gaines. This confederate Fort and Fort Morgan guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. In August of 1863 Union Rear Admiral Farragut uttered his infamous words. “Damn the torpedoes full speed ahead”. Considering the minefield he was about to enter had already claimed one of his ironclad vessels his insistence on forging ahead could have ended badly. His ship and others did get through the mines and thereby out of range of the shore guns. Ultimately the Union forces took control of Mobile Bay and with it fell the last of the ports on the Gulf of Mexico.
In this same area the shore birds were gathered on the rocks just offshore enjoying the day just as much as we were.